Solar PV Transfer Strategy in Malawi for Sustainability

Abstract: This paper aimed at developing a sustainable strategy for the transfer of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies to the rural areas in Malawi. The paper evaluated two strategies used to transfer solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies to rural Malawi namely the centralised systems strategy and the decentralised systems strategy. More attention was paid to analysing the PV transfer strategies in terms of management, financing, community participation, skills transfer, and marketing systems. Questionnaires and interviews were used to collect the needed data. The study has revealed that the centralised systems strategy, which is based on solar villages, is unsustainable. On the other hand, the decentralised systems strategy, which promotes small-systems, has potential to be sustainable as long as the systems are not given out to the people as donations. Therefore, a new sustainable policy strategy, for the transfer of solar PV technologies to the rural areas in Malawi, named ‘the commercialisation and entrepreneurship development strategy’ was suggested.