Comprehensive Energy Planning for Local Development: Towards a Standard for Off-Grid Sizing and a Just Energy Transition (Research for Development)

This open access book presents a comprehensive framework for planning off-grid energy access as a driver of local development and just energy transitions. It argues that sustainable electrification cannot be achieved through technical optimisation alone: energy services must be reliable, affordable, context-sensitive, and embedded in the social, institutional, economic, and environmental realities of the communities they are intended to serve. At the centre of the volume is the Comprehensive Energy Solution Planning (CESP) framework, an evidence-based and iterative approach that integrates engineering methods with social-science perspectives. The book guides readers across the full planning cycle: policy and context analysis, identification of local needs and priorities, renewable resource and demand assessment, technical system design, business model formulation, complementary activities for long-term sustainability, and impact evaluation. The volume combines conceptual foundations with practical guidance. Dedicated chapters examine methods and tools for geospatial planning, photovoltaic resource assessment, digital energy-planning platforms, system modelling, business models, and impact evaluation. Applied case studies from international organisations, research institutions, private developers, NGOs, and field practitioners show how energy access interventions unfold under real-world constraints, including affordability, regulation, institutional capacity, data gaps, operational risk, and community ownership. Bringing together researchers and practitioners, this book is intended for energy planners, policymakers, funders, project developers, NGOs, and scholars seeking robust interdisciplinary guidance for transforming energy access into durable, equitable, and development-oriented outcomes. This volume was developed within the framework of the Horizon 2020 LEAP-RE (Long-Term Joint EU–AU Research and Innovation Partnership on Renewable Energy) project and represents a collaborative outcome of its international community of researchers and practitioners. Read more