Efficient lighting and reliability in Kyrgyzstan
Overloaded electrical systems are a major source of unreliable power.
In the Kyrgyz Republic, this project found that improvements in lighting efficiency can not only save money for low-income households, it can drive meaningful improvements in system reliability.
Overloaded electrical systems are a major source of unreliable power. This project uses a randomized saturation design to estimate the impact of compact fluorescent lamps on electricity reliability and household electricity consumption in the Kyrgyz Republic. The research finds that greater saturation of compact fluorescent lamps within a transformer leads to fewer outages, a technological externality benefiting all households, regardless of individual adoption. Spillovers in compact fluorescent lamps adoption further reduce electricity consumption, contributing to increased reliability within a transformer. Compact fluorescent lamps’ impacts on household electricity consumption varies according to the effects on reliability. Ultimately, receiving compact fluorescent lamps significantly reduces electricity consumption, but increased reliability permits greater consumption of electricity services.
Publication: Energy Efficiency and Electricity Reliability
VoxDev Blog: Energy efficiency and electricity reliability: Externality impacts of compact fluorescent lamps
Duke Faculty: Robyn Meeks
Non-Duke Staff: Eliana Carranza