| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to assess the implications of solar energy uptake on community livelihoods in Lwengo District. The study was guided by three questions: What are the perceptions on the use of solar energy in Kisekka sub county Lwengo District? What challenges affecting the uptake of solar energy in Kisekka sub county Lwengo District? and, what are the impacts of solar energy on community livelihoods in Kisekka sub county Lwengo District? The researcher used descriptive research design to answer the research questions and achieve the purpose of the study. This study was conducted on the households represented by four parishes of Kisekka sub county and a random sample of one hundred and forty respondents was interviewed. Primary data was collected using questionnaires. From the analysis, it was established that the most important perception about solar energy is that it is pollution free and that this will lead to fewer cases of respiratory illnesses such as Chronic Bronchitis,
Asthma and Pneumonia. However, a good number of people believe that they can power all their household energy needs from solar energy and this should be addressed, by informing people the power capacities of solar installations. This perception could be because people do not know that there exists equipment such as inverters which transform solar power into alternating current that is similar in characteristics to power from the grid.
On the challenges facing solar energy, the challenges were grouped into three categories; political and policy challenges, economic and infrastructural challenges, and social-and geographical/location challenges. The biggest political and policy challenge is that there’s no adequate legal framework to promote uptake of solar energy. The economic challenges in Uganda include economic viability, high cost and lack of access to capital, up-front costs for investors, credit access issues and the lack of financial institutions willing to fund renewable. The infrastructural challenges in Uganda are the system requirement challenges, meaning the standards the electricity generating system should meet. The highest ranking social-cultural and geographical/location challenge was the homes of the respondents were not easily accessible for installations of solar energy. Uganda is largely still a rural country with people leaving in small villages that are spread apart and hard to reach.
Five important types of capitals are known regarding livelihoods such as natural, physical, social, human and financial capital. The purpose of this research is to know the impacts of solar system on all these five assets of livelihood and in conceptual framework the linkages between these five capitals and solar home system are developed. | en_US |
