Distributed renewable energy systems for resilient and sustainable development of remote and vulnerable communities

More than 940 million people (13% of the world population) do not have any access to electricity. Most of these people live in rural and remote areas, where the lack of electricity access is significantly damaging the quality of life, economic development and the environment. Distributed energy systems (DESs) (based on clean energy technologies) for energy access offer a potentially important strategy for pursuing environment-friendly sustainable development and poverty alleviation; especially in rural and remote communities. DESs are also helpful in reducing deforestation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as the fossil fuel-based energy production is among the largest contributors to GHG emissions. This paper presents the importance of energy access through DESs for resilient and sustainable development using two projects case studies from Pakistan. The first project case study is based on the Afghan refugee villages, where, currently, there is no electricity access. A baseline survey was conducted to assess the socio-economic conditions and energy demand of the refugees. This assessment is then used to devise clean energy solutions as per the local context. This project aims to improve the quality of life of the refugees by providing energy access. In the second case study, electricity access was provided to the local communities a few years ago. Analyses of primary data collected in this case study show that DES integrated with socio-economic and cultural systems can bring a significantly positive impact on the local communities, advancing all the sustainability development goals. This work concludes that DES can be significantly generative, if effectively integrated into socio-economic processes. This article is part of the theme issue 'Developing resilient energy systems'.