Elucidating the challenges and risks of rural island electrification from the end-users’ perspective: A case study in the Philippines

Abstract In off-grid electrification, risk assessment often focuses on the economic aspects, which is logical, in terms of financial sustainability, but may not be enough to provide a clearer understanding of the genuine factors involved. Failure to do a comprehensive risk assessment could potentially lead to unsustainable electrification in off-grid areas. This paper intends to elucidate the risks to sustainable electrification of off-grid island communities in the Philippines by expanding the conventional triple bottom line approach of sustainability considering economic, ecological, and social dimensions to include geographical, political, technological, and legal aspects. A G-PESTLE analysis considering 17 indicators is conducted to identify challenges to sustainable electrification from the end-users’ perspective and considering three case islands. Results indicate that risks can vary for each island in terms of the indicators involved. The environmental, legal, and technological factors are common high risks for Pangan-an and Gilutongan while the geographical aspect is a low risk for all three islands. This study serves as a good baseline framework in determining the risks involved in rural electrification in different island communities. Similar studies can be conducted using the same framework to identify the vital elements that lead to developing sustainable electrification initiatives in rural off-grid communities.