Academic publications

This is where you can find an up to date list of our team's most recent scholarly publications on community energy, energy access and energy policy. 

Some of our articles might not be available as open access, so do not hesitate to contact us if you have any problems accessing our publications.

New publication on the role of community energy in mediating sustainable energy transition

Castán Broto, V., Gebreslassie, M., Bekele, G. et al. The role of community energy in mediating sustainable energy transitions in East and Southern Eastern Africa. npj Clean Energy 2, 10 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44406-026-00024-w

This article presents a study of community energy in three countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique. A multi-methods analysis (project inventories, qualitative interviewing, surveys) suggests that the political economy of development and material challenges, such as financing and supply chains, constrain the expansion of community energy. A survey of community energy beneficiaries demonstrates the tangible benefits these projects bring to disadvantaged communities. Concessional grants that recognise the social value of community energy can facilitate its development and support new energy models for a just energy transition.

PDF icon s44406-026-00024-w.pdf
Supply chain challenges and off-grid energy development: insights from Southern and East Africa

Vallecha, H; Kirshner, J; Howe, L; Gebreslassie, M and To, S (2026) "Supply chain challenges and off-grid energy development: insights from Southern and East Africa" in , ,  DOI 10.1088/2753-3751/ae659a

This article examines the critical supply chain issues through accounts of practical challenges encountered by off-grid energy developers and service providers in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique. 

PDF icon Vallecha_2026_Environ._Res.__Energy_3_021002.pdf
Uneven development and the geographies of energy transition in Mozambique

Power, M., Howe, L., Kirshner, J and Shenga, C (2026) 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2025.103839

This paper presents a critical, policy-relevant analysis of Mozambique's energy transitions, focusing on the effort to achieve sustainable energy access and promote economic development, especially in rural areas. 

Community Energy and Sustainable Energy Transitions: Experiences from Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique

This open access book engages with the difficulties of delivering community energy in practice, building on practical experiences in Ethiopia, Malawi, and Mozambique. In these countries, where many people lack access to electricity, community energy is an alternative to advance universal energy access. This book argues that, besides providing access, community energy is essential for achieving justice and resilience in sustainable energy transitions.

PDF icon 978-3-031-57938-7 (1).pdf
Developing community energy systems to facilitate Ethiopia's transition to sustainable energy

Gebreslassie, M., Assefa, A., Bekele, G., Nurhussien, F., Bahta, S., Habtu, D., Lake, A., Mebrahtu, A., Castán Broto, V and Mulugetta, Y (2024). “Developing community energy systems to facilitate Ethiopia's transition to sustainable energy”. Journal of Energy Research and Social Science, Vol. 117.

This paper uses experiments to explore various aspects of community energy projects in Ethiopia and how they are created, sustained, and lived. By comparing three qualitative case studies, it shows that the main challenge to developing community energy in Ethiopia is the political environment, despite the clear advantages of these project

PDF icon Developing community energy systems to facilitate Ethiopia's transition to sustainable energy.pdf
Embracing change in infrastructure landscapes

Castán Broto, V and Robin, E (2023). ‘Embracing change in infrastructure landscapes’ in Landscape Research. Volume 48, Issue 2, pp165-173. 

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/01426397.2023.2167963

Vanesa Castán Broto and Enora Robin have just published a new special issue on change in infrastructure landscapesin the Journal of Landscape Research. This special issue examines how ideas of change and permanence have been explored in infrastructure studies. It focuses, especially, on the alternatives generated from a landscape perspective. 

PDF icon Embracing change in infrastructure landscapes.pdf
Financial value regime alignment and Mozambique’s heterogeneous energy landscape

Baptista, I., Howe, L. & Shenga, C. Sustainability Science (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-025-01687-7

This article discusses how to craft environmentally sustainable and socially just pathways for Africa’s electrifcation. The article draws on the authors’ ongoing feld research in Mozambique, including the qualitative analysis of existing policies and of eight in-depth, semi-structured interviews with key informants (energy operators, donors and implementing partners) undertaken in late 2022. 

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How to build resilient community energy systems? Lessons from Malawi and Ethiopia

Vallecha, H; Gebreslassie, M; Filli, F; Hara, C; Gogoda, C; Assefa, A; To, LS; Kirshner, J and Castán Broto, V (2025). In Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability,Vol 1, No.5 .

This paper defines the notion of realising resilient community energy systems (R-CESs) through community capital to withstand unforeseen natural hazards, climate change induced risks and socio-political disruptions. It evaluates the interrelationship between different stages of CES project implementation with the development of the community's resilience in the form of social, human, economic, physical and natural capital. 

PDF icon How to build resilient community energy systems _Lessons from Malawi and Ethiopia.pdf
The Powers That Be...

Unnikrshnan, H (2025) "The Powers That Be..." in a new open access book - Intersectional Climate Justice in Eastern Africa. ISBN: 9781350516434

Through five verses of a poem, Hita attempts to bring to life the intersectional narratives and experiences of the team researching CESET project. 

The Role of Off-Grid Energy Systems for Sustainable Energy Transition in Ethiopia

Bahta, S and Gebreslassie, M (2023). 'The Role of Off-Grid Energy Systems for Sustainable Energy Transition in Ethiopia' in Journal of Harbin Engineering University. Volume 44, Number 12. ISSN: 1006-7043

To better understand how off-grid  energy  systems  can  support  Ethiopia's  energy  transition,  this  paper  analyzes  the  country's  current  energy situation,  highlights  the  role  of  off-grid  solutions,  and  suggests  strategies  to  increase  their  adoption  and  spread.  

PDF icon Bahta, S and Gebreslassie, M. (2024) The Role of Off-Grid Energy Systems for Sustainable Energy Transition in Ethiopia.pdf
Energy justice as a new communal project? Community energy systems and the energy access gap

Castán Broto, V and Robin, E (2023) ‘Energy justice as a new communal project? Community energy systems and the energy access gap’. In ‘Handbook on Energy Justice’. Bouzarovski, S.; Fuller, S and Reames, T (Eds). UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN: 978 1 83910 295 0

The handbook offers a unique and critical perspective on energy justice and delves into an emerging field of inquiry encapsulating multiple strands of scholarship on energy systems. Covering key topics including generation, transmission, distribution and demand, it explores fundamental questions surrounding policy, climate change, security and social movements.

Ethiopia needs peace to accelerate its SDG 7 achievements

Gebreslassie, M and Bahta, S (2023) 'Ethiopia needs peace to accelerate its SDG 7 achievements'. World Development Perspective. Volume 30. 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wdp.2023.100507 

The paper details the progress made so far by Ethiopia in Achieving objectives of the SDG 7 outlined in the 2030 UN agenda of the sustainable development goals. The paper then discusses the challenges directly related to the war in the country and its impact in the energy infrastructure and the financing of continued large scale energy projects. 

PDF icon Ethiopia needs peace to accelerate its SDG 7 achievements.pdf
The need to localize energy technologies for Africa's post COVID-19 recovery and growth

Gebreslassiea, M., Bahtaa, s., Mulugetta, y., Mezgebec, T & Sibhato, H (2023). “The need to localize energy technologies for Africa's post COVID-19 recovery and growth” in Scientific African, 2023 (e01488)

This paper provides the necessary recommendations for African led development pathways and policies to promote local manufacturing of energy technologies to support post COVID recovery and sustainable growth of the African countries. 

PDF icon The need to localize energy technologies for Africa’s post Covid19 recovery and growth.pdf
The role of community energy systems to facilitate energy transitions in Ethiopia and Mozambique' in Energy Systems

Gebreslassie, M and Cuvilas, C (2023). 'The role of community energy systems to facilitate energy transitions in Ethiopia and Mozambique' in Energy Systems'. 

D.O.I: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12667-023-00640-w 

The paper highlights details of the community energy initiatives in Ethiopia and Mozambique and the three interrelated components of the energy landscape (Energy transition governance, energy flows, and energy use). It also includes detailed comparative analysis of the community energy landscapes in Ethiopia and Mozambique.

PDF icon Role of community energy_2023.pdf
Corridors as empty signifiers: The entanglement of Mozambique’s colonial past and present in its development corridors

Kirshner, J. and Baptista, I. (2023) Corridors as empty signifiers: The entanglement of Mozambique’s colonial past and present in its development corridors. Planning Perspectives, DOI: 10.1080/02665433.2023.2173636

This article examines the infrastructural histories and legacies of three transnational corridors centred on the Mozambican cities of Maputo, Beira and Nacala. 

PDF icon Corridors as empty signifiers the entanglement of Mozambique s colonial past and present in its development corridors.pdf
Energy justice and development

Kirshner, J and Omukuti, J (2023) ‘Energy justice and development’. In ‘Handbook on Energy Justice’. Bouzarovski, S.; Fuller, S and Reames, T (Eds). UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN: 978 1 83910 295 0

The handbook offers a unique and critical perspective on energy justice and delves into an emerging field of inquiry encapsulating multiple strands of scholarship on energy systems. Covering key topics including generation, transmission, distribution and demand, it explores fundamental questions surrounding policy, climate change, security and social movements.

Delivering an off-grid transition to sustainable energy in Ethiopia and Mozambique

Gebreslassie et al. (2022) 'Delivering an off-grid transition to sustainable energy in Ethiopia and Mozambique'. Energy, Sustainability and Society 12: 23.

This paper examines how community energy systems can support energy transitions in Africa by asking the question, “what role can community energy systems play in the energy transition in East and Southern Africa. 

PDF icon Delivering an of-grid transition to sustainable energy in Ethiopia and Mozambique.pdf
The governance of energy transitions in Africa: a sketch of plural perspectives

Späth, P., Castán Broto, V., Bawakyillenuo, S. and Michael Pregernigc (2022). The governance of energy transitions in Africa: a sketch of plural perspectives. Energ Sustain Soc 12, 51 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-022-00380-2

This is an editorial piece written for a special issue of Energy, Sustainability and Society that offers a sketch for a research agenda on transitions research with a main focus on Africa. 

PDF icon The governance of energy transitions in Africa_a sketch of plural perspectives.pdf
Institutionalisation of urban climate adaptation: three municipal experiences in Spain

Olazabal, M. & Castan Broto, V (2022). Institutionalisation of urban climate adaptation: three municipal experiences in Spain. Buildings and Cities, 3(1), 570–588. DOI: http://doi.org/10.5334/bc.208

This paper explores what tools enable the institutionalisation of adaptation practices in local governments. 

PDF icon Institutionalisation of urban climate adaptation.pdf
Inclusive Urban Development in the Global South: Intersectionality, Inequalities, and Community

Rigon, A and Castán Broto, K (2021) (Editors). London: Routledge. ISBN: 9780367485405 

Drawing on theoretical perspectives of intersectionality and diversity in development practice, various chapters in this book explore how diversity in gender, class, race and ethnicity, citizenship status, age, ability, and sexuality are taken (or not taken) into account in the planning and implementation of development policy and interventions in poor urban areas. 

Inclusive Urban Development in the Global South
Energy in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Castán Broto, V and Kirshner, J (2020) ‘Energy access is needed to maintain health during pandemics’. Nature Energy 5:419-421. DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-0625-6

In this paper, the authors argue that energy plays a central role in responding to emergencies such as the COVID 19 pandemic and therefore protecting the renewable energy industry and its contribution to providing sustainable energy access for all must be an urgent priority in the current crisis. 

PDF icon Energy access is needed to maintain health during pandemics.pdf
From problematisation to propositionality

Baptista, I and Cirolia, LR (2022) 'From problematisation to propositionality: advancing southern urban infrastructure debates'. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/tran.12537

This paper explores the notion of propositionality to advance southern urban infrastructure debates towards more anticipatory forms of scholarship. Here, propositionality refers to the idea of a research sensibility that engages with propositions for infrastructure futures on their own terms. 

PDF icon Trans Inst British Geog - 2022 - Baptista - From problematisation to propositionality Advancing southern urban (1).pdf