Impact Assessment of Community Solar Farms on Coastal Guinea's Livelihoods and Energy Consumption Patterns: A Two-Year Study

Community solar farms have gained attention as a sustainable energy solution in coastal Guinea, where access to stable electricity is limited. Data were collected through surveys and interviews, employing mixed-methods approach with a sample size of 150 households in selected communities. A significant proportion (42%) of participants reported improved income from solar farm investments, with an average increase of $30 per month. Community solar farms have positively influenced local economies and energy consumption habits, especially among the rural poor who benefited financially. Policy makers should incentivize community participation in solar projects to ensure sustainable energy access for all communities. solar farms, livelihoods, energy consumption, mixed-methods, Guinea Model estimation used $\hat{\theta}=argmin_{\theta}\sum_i\ell(y_i,f_\theta(x_i))+\lambda\lVert\theta\rVert_2^2$, with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.