Assessment of Community-Based Renewable Energy Projects' Impact on Rural Household Wealth Generation in Malawi: A Solar Cooker Adoption Study

Solar cookers have been introduced to rural communities in Malawi as a means of reducing dependency on traditional biomass for cooking and generating income through selling excess energy. A qualitative approach was employed to gather data from focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs), conducted among local residents and project implementers. Solar cookers were found to have a significant positive effect on rural households' income, with an average increase in income reported by participants of 25% due to selling excess energy from their solar cookers. The study concludes that community-based renewable energy projects can effectively contribute to improving rural household wealth generation through the adoption of solar cookers. Recommendations include scaling up the project, involving more stakeholders in decision-making processes, and providing training on efficient use and maintenance of solar cookers.