ABSTRACT
Energy poverty, lack of access to electricity and dependence on solid biomass fuels for cooking and heating, remains an enduring global problem. Based on extensive field research, our book showcases how these small-scale renewable energy technologies are helping Asia respond to a daunting set of energy security challenges. Although energy poverty is a global problem of epidemic proportions, it is frequently neglected in energy planning discussions and academic publications. The remainder of this introductory chapter begins by investigating the concepts of energy poverty, the energy ladder, and energy equity. One method is to track the minimum amount of physical or animate energy needed for basic needs such as cooking and lighting, often including the minimum amount of food needed to lead to a healthy, nutritious life. The Advisory Group on Energy and Climate Change, an intergovernmental body composed of representatives from businesses, the United Nations, and research institutes, divide energy access into incremental categories.
