Off- and Weak-Grid Appliances Impact Assessment Framework

High-performing appliances have significant positive social, environmental, and economic impacts on people and their communities in low- and middle-income countries.

Efficiency for Access partnered with Rural Senses and SVT Group to create an impact assessment framework for off- and weak-grid appliances. This Framework amalgamates evidence on the impacts of four high-performing appliances: fans, refrigerators, solar water pumps, and TVs. It provides a set of formulae that have a common language and structure to help quantify these impacts. The Framework and formulae will help facilitate the financing, planning, measuring, and reporting of these impacts, and in doing so help stakeholders identify opportunities and minimise risks. Efficiency for Access is publishing a number of outputs based on this study, to help identify the impacts of high-performing appliances further.

Methodology report:

This report outlines the work undertaken to develop a standard Impact Assessment Framework. It harmonises existing evidence from a wide range of studies into an easy-to-use and robust set of impact indicators for high-performing appliances. It contains an in-depth guide on how to use the spreadsheet tool and interpret data for each of the appliances studied.

Framework spreadsheet tool:

This spreadsheet Framework tool can estimate the impact of high-performing appliances and/or their distribution, with the correct formulae and variables entered into the data model. You can browse by input variables, appliances, and see where there are data gaps. For full instructions on how to use this tool, please refer to the methodology report above. Click here to go to the spreadsheet tool.

Dashboard tool:

This tool allows you to explore the insights from interviews that Rural Senses carried out in India and Uganda around the adoption and use of four key appliances: fridges, fans, TVs and solar water pumps. Take a look at this video for tips on how to use the tool.

Appliance-specific reports:

Impact Assessment Framework: Fans

This report outlines the Impact Assessment Framework for fans used in off- and weak-grid settings. Ultimately, this work seeks to contribute to the creation of an industry-wide consensus for the assessment, reporting and measurement of the impact of fans. Click here to access the report.

Impact Assessment Framework: Refrigerators

This report outlines the Impact Assessment Framework for refrigerators used in off- and weak-grid settings. The Framework aims to facilitate the shared measurement and reporting of the impacts of refrigerators for a variety of stakeholders through the development of evidence-based social, environmental and economic impact indicators. Click here to access the report.

Impact Assessment Framework: Solar Water Pumps

The Framework aims to facilitate the shared measurement and
reporting of the impacts of solar water pumps for a variety of
stakeholders (e.g., distributors, developers, funders, appliance
users and researchers) through the development of evidence-based
social, environmental and economic impact indicators. Click here to access the report.

Impact Assessment Framework: TVs

This report outlines the Impact Assessment Framework for TVs used in off- and weak-grid settings. It harmonises existing evidence from a wide range of studies into an easy-to-use and robust set of impact indicators for TVs. The report specifically captures impacts for TVs used for the first time, in a rural setting with recent access to electricity. Click here to access the report.