Leveraging demand data for improved energy access planning

10:30 – 12:00 EST (Washington DC) / 15:30 – 17:00 UTC (Dakar) 
16:30 – 18:00 CET (Brussels) / 18:30 – 20:00 EAT (Nairobi) 

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is hosting the first in a series of webinars this year focused on integrated energy access planning. In this first webinar, we shed light on an often overlooked and underinvested aspect of energy planning: understanding demand.

Drawing on the work of leading data and planning experts, the webinar examines how innovations in satellite imagery and data analytics are leading to better predictions of electricity consumption, affordability and agricultural productivity. Integrated energy planning is about taking a full-systems approach to identifying the optimal mix of technologies for providing the energy services necessary to meet human needs and contribute to sustainable development. When done right, integrated energy access planning is data-driven and captures least-cost supply and demand considerations, affordability, environmental and social protection, and the integration of renewable resources, all within a national context.

Until recently, energy planners in emerging economies have relied on simple assumptions for understanding energy demand, making it difficult to optimize solutions. To ensure that integrated energy planning is effective and meets the needs of people, it is imperative that demand is better reflected in policy decisions for electrification and clean cooking.

Thanks to advancements in remote sensing and data analytics, new and cost-effective ways of better understanding energy demand are emerging. The challenge ahead lies in making use of these new sources of data and encouraging further advancements and investments in demand-side data.