Abstract
Africa
faces numerous energy hurdles: low rates of access to electricity,
decaying infrastructure, harmful cookstoves, and reliance on wood that
leads to deforestation, among others. While many have long researched
Africa's fossil fuel abundance, only recently have social scientists
studied renewable energy in Africa. In this lead article for a “Special
Issue on Renewable Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa: Contributions from the
Social Sciences,” I begin by outlining the challenges Africa faces with
respect to energy issues, along with the role of renewable energy today
and the potential for increasing energy supply. I then discuss gaps in
the literature followed by details on how the authors for the Special
Issue collectively contribute to our understanding of renewable energy
in Africa. I first note that most of the authors use qualitative
methods, and then discuss key findings, including the importance of
understanding culture, accommodating rural communities, fostering
capacity-building, finding the money, and leveraging regionalism. I
conclude with ways to overcome challenges of researching this topic and
other opportunities for research that are not covered in depth here,
such as gender analysis and the role of China and South Africa.