Abstract
Iran has a very high level of per
capita energy use (estimated to be 80% above other Middle East countries). That
reality is primarily due to the high fossil fuel subsidies currently provided
to consumers and businesses. Iran’s diverse and abundant renewable energy
resources have the potential to increase energy access throughout the entire
country while also providing tangible benefits for isolated rural communities
and particularly local women. Despite the high potential of renewable energy
(RE) physical resources available in most rural areas, the implementation of RE
systems remains a novel strategy. The few RE projects that have been
implemented, mainly by government
projects, are gender biased as they are excluding females from such projects by focusing just on males for
training, financial support, and prioritizing them for job opportunities. This article uses a
gender-sensitive focus to analyze the potential that RE technologies in general
and solar energy initiatives in particular can have to advance human living
conditions in Iran’s isolated rural areas. More specifically, our analysis
focuses on strategies to empower local women to harness advanced solar
technologies for energy retailing, storage, and demand-side and supply chain
management, which have been used in a rural project called Barekat-e-Aftab. The
paper also analyses the performance and replication prospects emanating from
the Barekat-e-Aftab Solar Project.
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IJAHSS by IPRPD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.