Ley, D., Corsair, H.J., Fuss, S., Singh, C.

Evaluating the Use of Renewable Energy and Communal Governance Systems for Climate Change Adaptation

in CEREM, 12.02.2020

Peer Review , Sustainable Resource Management and Global Change

Renewable energy (RE) systems can be effective tools for rural communities for meeting goals for development and climate change mitigation and adaptation. RE systems provide small amounts of electricity fostering community development through improved energy access, livelihood opportunities, and improved quality of life. Communities in rural Guatemala are increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts, due to increasingly extreme weather events. Distributed RE systems can be more effective than connection to national electric grids in providing power if community members have the agency and skill (technical and in governance) to maintain them. The goal was to evaluate the performance of RE systems used in a rural Guatemalan community and the governance system created around it.