Article Assessment of the Driving Factors Affecting Electricity Consumption in Africa Using Index Decomposition Analysis and Satellite Derived Data Almaz Akhmetov1,* and Augusto Vundo2 1 Orizon Consulting, McLean VA, USA 2 University of Tsukuba, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan *E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract. Inadequate electricity access limits human development and affects quality of life in Africa. Hence, the improvement of electricity access has become a cornerstone of the African energy policy. This study proposes the use of satellite derived data of nighttime lighting, population count and Index Decomposition Analysis (IDA) to identify the driving factors for changing in electricity consumption in Africa between 2000 and 2013. The results of decomposition analysis indicated that population growth throughout the continent resulted in increased electricity consumption, while other factors had different effects. The results of this study could contribute to the design of better energy policy to achieve sustainable development of the continent. Keywords: Africa, decomposition analysis, nighttime lighting, population count, electricity consumption. ENGINEERING JOURNAL Volume 22 Issue 1 Received 18 June 2017 Accepted 18 November 2017 Published 31 January 2018 Online at http://www.engj.org/ DOI:10.4186/ej.2018.22.1.27 DOI:10.4186/ej.2018.22.1.27 1. Introduction Universal access to modern energy is crucial to achieve sustainable development in Africa [1]. Central deficiency of African energy system, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, is the limited access to electricity. For example, average annual per capita residential electricity consumption of the household with electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding South Africa) is around half the average amount of China, 20% of Europe and about 7% of the USA [2].