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The market-based dissemination of modern-energy products as a business model for rural entrepreneurs: Evidence from Kenya

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  • Bensch, Gunther
  • Kluve, Jochen
  • Stöterau, Jonathan

Abstract

This paper provides evidence on a key factor for the success of market-based approaches to disseminate modern-energy products in rural areas of developing countries: the employment and income perspectives of entrepreneurs in the related value chains. We assess the impact of a large-scale energy-access intervention in Kenya that supports individuals in starting a business in improved cookstoves or small solar products. To identify the causal effect of the intervention, the analysis is based on a staggered implementation evaluation design that takes advantage of sequential roll-out of the programme. The results demonstrate how active entrepreneurs use the new business opportunity to intensify and diversify their income-generating activities, often by shifting away from subsistence farming as a main source of income. This goes along with sizeable improvements in individual and household incomes as well as perceived economic well-being. Impacts significantly differ between the two technologies and across sub-groups, most notably gender. The findings support that market-based approaches can successfully establish sustainable local businesses to foster modern energy access in rural areas.

Suggested Citation

  • Bensch, Gunther & Kluve, Jochen & Stöterau, Jonathan, 2016. "The market-based dissemination of modern-energy products as a business model for rural entrepreneurs: Evidence from Kenya," Ruhr Economic Papers 635, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-University Bochum, TU Dortmund University, University of Duisburg-Essen.
  • Handle: RePEc:zbw:rwirep:635
    DOI: 10.4419/86788739
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    energy-access interventions; cookstoves; pico-solar; value chain; impact evaluation; entrepreneurship training; entropy balancing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • H43 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Project Evaluation; Social Discount Rate
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship

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