why is SEED relevant?

It is generally known that we have been witnessing a worldwide increase of urbanisation for several decades. On the one hand, this can be a driver for development, but at the same time it also increases inequalities within urban areas. Currently, the number of people living in informal settlements worldwide is estimated at around one billion. 

Increasing urbanisation is also evident on the African continent, where it is predicted that by 2030 most people will live in cities and the majority of them in informal settlements:

It is already assumed that in Mozambique, for example, more than 80 % and in Kenya more than 50 % of the urban population live in informal settlements.*

Informal settlements are characterised by deficient living conditions, and poor general infrastructure, resulting in no access to (clean) energy. However, energy is known to be a key driver for development. 

To counter this shortcoming, the local population often obtains access to energy in the form of electricity or cooking facilities by hooking up to existing power lines or using energy sources such as charcoal or firewood. Fires and respiratory illnesses or cancer are a common consequence of these practices. Especially women and children are often affected.

* Ebd.: Butera, F. et al. (2016). Urban Development and Energy Access in Informal Settlements. A Review for Latin America and Africa. Procedia Engineering 16, 2093-2099

what is our goal?

SEED aims to strengthen the resilience and adaptive capacity of African cities by specifically promoting the infrastructure development of informal settlements. The development of an integrated approach to sustainable energy supply for the settlements in the form of an Energy-Hub is innovative and also particularly suitable for meeting the local challenges.

As energy access is by no means a given, but considered as an enabler for sustainable development, the SEED initiative also contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SEED initiative has a positive impact on the following goals:

how to reach that goal?

SEED is divided into six work packages that are closely interlinked.

Project Management as well as Dissemination and Networking includes that the results are shared with the public to ensure the utilisation of the findings in other contexts. Moreover, further cooperation opportunities are evaluated.

Informal Settlements Communities focuses on the socio-cultural structures prevailing in the selected informal settlements which also affect the energy demand. In participatory action research (PAF) workshops, local energy perceptions and concrete visions will be elaborated in informal settlements together with the local population in Kenya and Mozambique.

Local Energy Background Analysis is dedicated to analyse the boundary conditions of typical informal settlements in terms of energy demand and actual consumption. Further possible uses of an Energy-Hub, locally existing challenges and legal aspects will be examined.

SEED Energy Concept builds on the results generated in WP2 and WP3 by developing technological design approaches for informal settlements, which then leads to the holistic technical design of an Energy-Hub.

SEED Economy & ICT looks at the cost of living and consumption structures in informal settlements. Furthermore, it will be investigated which additional services can be offered in the context of an Energy-Hub and how modern technologies can be integrated. Based on this, models of economic participation, ownership structures and mobile payment systems will be developed.

Implementation prepares the practical piloting of the developed business models in the context of a case study. Various stakeholders will be involved in this process, which will ensure knowledge transfer and networking.

The exact appearance of the Energy-Hub as well as the energy-related services offered by the developed Energy-Hub will be determined by the project team in cooperation with various local actors and the target population.

Ms Rebekka Besner

For me, SEED means using my knowledge and resources to implement a purposeful renewable energy solution for local communities. This does not only result in an improvement of the living conditions of individual people, but also brings us one step closer to the goal of a 100 % clean, sustainable, global energy supply.

Rebekka Besner

thi, Institute of new Energy Systems

how to use the findings beyond the SEED initiative?

The current SEED initiative aims to develop a comprehensive concept for a typical informal settlement. The project team aims to utilize findings for other contexts by modifying and applying them accordingly. 

As the importance of clean and stable energy access in urban areas will continue to grow, the findings of the SEED initiative will find a variety of uses:  

The results provide an important basis for political decision-makers at different levels, urban planners and companies as well as non-governmental organisations.

Additionally, the generated knowledge can also be integrated into educational programmes, for instance, to ensure practical orientation and relevance. 

how to set up an ​Energy-Hub

The SEED team aims to make its findings available to the general public so they can be widely applied and transferred to diverse areas. We will thus publish gradually further information and helpful advice here such as:

  • Advantages of an Energy-Hub compared to other approaches to energy access
  • Features and potential services provided by an Energy-Hub
  • Recommendations for the development and implementation of an Energy-Hub

The illustration shows the advantages of an Energy-Hub compared to grid-connected energy access. The challenges related to grid-connected informal settlements are taken from Butera et al. (2016).

The Advantages of an Energy-Hub
The Advantages of an Energy-Hub