From Fossils to Green- Mapping Mind Sets

With the changing paradigms and more innovations towards mitigating Climate With the changing paradigms and more innovations towards mitigating Climate Change the demand , the awareness and the consumption of Renewables has considerably increased. Urban Populace has started to accept the fact that sustainability quotient has to be maintained in their lifestyles be it food habits and its consumption pattern to actual consumption of Energy whereas on the other side the last mile beneficiaries are still unaware about why it is important to switch from Fossil fuels to Green Energy. The Challenge is huge and world over the governments and multiple stakeholders have been trying to implement policy frameworks and guidelines to educate communities and households through training programmes, involving self help groups or locals to spread awareness through campaigns and implementations of Solar and Wind Energy Projects.

Encouraging remote communities from last mile to adopt Solar is again a challenge. Non Governmental organizations and Philanthropic organizations have been trying hard to encourage the adoption of Solar through increased awareness about OFF-GRID devices, Microgrids, Solar Lanterns, Solar Home Systems that can help power many devices, Solar based Clean Cooking Systems or even State run grid. It has been seen that in rural households people do not give up or abandon the Energy sources such as a kerosene lantern or wood fire cooking. They still feel that its convenient and readily available to use. The also feel that access to Renewables in limited and erratic and clinging onto Newer order technology and leaving Older ones might be a problem to them.

Mapping and Interpretation: The photo below shows the result of using the researchers’ game-based protocol in one interview. In the game, coloured playing cards represent five energy sources for lighting: a kerosene lantern, a solar lantern, an SHS, a microgrid, and the state grid. The layout of cards here shows the respondents’ choices at a series of decision points, moving in time from left to right. Each column shows the result of one decision, with cards in the top row representing “primary sources,” cards in the second row “backup sources,” and cards in the third row sources that have been eliminated for lighting use. In this interview, respondents started with a kerosene lantern (green card) — the initial lighting source in most households. Next they added a black card representing the state-run grid in the top position and moved the kerosene lantern down a row, indicating that they retained it in their household “stack” of energy sources but used it less. They then added a solar lantern (red), using it in tandem with the state grid such that both were primary sources. The solar lantern then broke — as indicated by the red card with the crossed-out image. Finally, they added a solar home system (orange) that they used along with the state grid, while retaining their kerosene lantern. Source: Nancy W.Staufer/MIT Energy Initiative

Above is a social mapping done to show the Purchasing pattern and behaviour on Solar which clearly leaves us thinking what motivates people to go for Solar and buy other Newer Energy Sources? What makes them hang on to their older devices even when they have access to Newer Energy devices or sources such as access to the State electricity Grid or using a Microgrid? Why it is not easy to transition from Brown to Green Energy for a larger section of the society? Think about it!

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