Initial phases of developing decentralized renewable energy systems in Base of Pyramid markets using design methods

Abstract

India's power sector is still highly dependent on fossil fuels. As the energy demand in India is steadily increasing, the government is supporting new and innovative methods in renewable energy to tackle the growing energy deficit and to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. Decentralized renewable energy systems are particularly important in India because of the distribution, logistics and grid connectivity issues existing in the country. This gives a good opportunity for international renewable energy companies to establish business operations in India. But value networks of decentralized renewable energy systems in the Base of Pyramid (BoP) markets are complex. Traditional engineering perspective suggests companies to understand their own skills related to business and technology before entering a new market. This paper describes a case study in which integrative and collaborative design methods were used during the initial phases of development of decentralized renewable energy systems (DRES) in India. The case study aims at identifying the contribution of design methods in these early phases. Results indicate that design methods visualize a holistic picture of the current renewable energy systems, its actor and the future possibilities in India.