Putting the End-User First: Towards Addressing Contesting Values in Renewable Energy Systems Deployment for Low-Income Households—A Case from Likoma Island, Malawi

This paper focuses on barriers and opportunities for the adoption of modern renewable energy technologies by low-income households in the light of energy requirements for household well-being; household prioritization of energy services; household purchasing power for energy; and households’ experiences with traditional and conventional energy sources. Approaches for addressing the identified barriers to the adoption of renewable energy solutions by low-income households are discussed as well. Our findings show that low-income households will continue to use traditional and conventional energy sources and technologies unless modern energy solutions come with integrated financing mechanisms that enable households to pay for good-quality systems capable of meeting their energy needs. The work is based on empirical evidence from Likoma Island in Malawi.