A Decentralised Renewable Energy Framework for Effective Energy Access in Low-Income Housing in South Africa

Abstract

Energy poverty in South Africa is increasingly characterised not solely by the presence of a grid connection but also by the reliability, affordability, and productive utility of electricity. This paper reconceptualises the study as a review-based framework for decentralised renewable energy systems in low-income housing. A structured narrative review was conducted by examining recent policy documents, energy access reports, and peer-reviewed studies on solar photovoltaic systems, battery energy storage, mini-grids, embedded generation, community energy models, and financing mechanisms pertinent to South Africa and comparable Sub-Saharan African contexts. The synthesis indicates that decentralised renewable energy systems can augment grid electrification in scenarios where load shedding, weak distribution networks, high connection costs, and household affordability constraints impede effective energy access. However, current approaches remain fragmented due to the frequent separation of technical design from local governance, financing, maintenance capacity, and municipal regulation. The proposed framework integrates four interdependent layers: technical architecture, community governance, financing, and policy alignment. It positions solar PV and battery-enabled microgrids as community-level infrastructure, supported by smart metering, demand management, targeted subsidies, local maintenance skills, and clear municipal implementation rules. The paper contributes by transitioning the discourse from general electrification to an implementation-ready decentralised renewable energy framework for low-income housing, with recommendations directly linked to identified barriers and case-study insights.