DOI: 10.5255/ukda-sn-857907
title: Energy Landscape Household Questionnaire and Data, 2020-2025

description: Ethiopia faces a critical challenge in delivering affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy to its predominantly rural population. While renewable energy offers a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy access, progress has been slow due to
structural, social, and infrastructural barriers. More than 80% of Ethiopians live in rural areas where national grid expansion is economically and logistically unfeasible, underscoring the
need for decentralized, off-grid alternatives.
Community energy systems, off-grid projects in which local communities actively participate in the development and management of energy infrastructure, represent a promising but underutilized pathway to bridging Ethiopia’s energy access gap. Despite their potential to promote local ownership, resilience, and social inclusion, these systems remain poorly developed and understood in the Ethiopian context.
This study aims to explore the opportunities and barriers associated with community energy systems in Ethiopia and their potential role in advancing energy transitions. Using an experimental and interpretive lens, the research draws on a comparative analysis of three in-
depth, multi-method qualitative case studies. It investigates how community energy projects are initiated, managed, and experienced in practice.
Findings reveal that community involvement is central to the sustainability of these systems, with communities often assuming full operational responsibilities post-commissioning. However, projects face persistent challenges related to accessing capital, managing
fragmented supply chains, and building local capacity: particularly around governance, technical maintenance, and understanding viable business models. The study highlights the need for enabling policy frameworks and capacity-building interventions to unlock the full
potential of community energy in Ethiopia’s clean energy transition.
Data collection method
This study explores three community energy projects in Ethiopia: The Gira Tsatse solar mini-grid in Tigray, the Bura micro-hydro plant, and the Mesino Tebita solar irrigation system.
Serving 65 to 300 households each, the projects were initially supported by regional governments, GIZ, and Bahir Dar University, with ownership later transferred to the communities. They vary in application, from basic electricity needs like lighting and charging
to productive uses such as milling, irrigation, and small businesses, reflecting diverse local contexts and energy needs.
Primary data was gathered from 151 households (26.7% of 565 total beneficiaries) through structured surveys, with attention to gender and cultural diversity. Local multilingual data collectors conducted and translated the interviews. Purposive sampling was used to ensure
geographic and cultural representation. Additionally, six experts and local administrators provided insights through interviews and
written responses, conducted in Tigrigna, Amharic, and English. This mixed-method, multilingual approach yielded a comprehensive understanding of community energy systems, benefits, sustainability, and implementation challenges.