The impact of solar minigrids in rural Pakistan
Art Hunter
(ed: decisions on community microgrid deployments are NOT only financial)
Ivano Scotti, the research paper’s corresponding author, told pv magazine the key insight from the study is that energy innovation becomes meaningful and sustainable only once it is socially embedded. He added that factors such as land tenure and property relations play a decisive role in shaping how people understand and engage with new technologies.
Scotti also said the findings revealed that local actors do not passively adopt technology but actively reinterpret, modify, and adapt it to their needs, generating new forms of practical and cognitive ownership.
“In this sense, the success of the microgrid depends on a hybrid governance arrangement that combines formal technical control with informal, socially negotiated ownership and knowledge,” Scotti said. “Overall, the study demonstrates that ‘doing ownership' – that is, enacting property through daily practices and negotiations – is a key dimension of sustainable energy transitions in rural contexts.”
Scotti added that successfully deploying microgrids – both in Pakistan and other regions of the Global South – depends on recognising that energy infrastructures interact with pre-existing property regimes, local hierarchies and cultural values.
“Technical design must be coupled with capacity building, social inclusion, and governance mechanisms that reflect community structures,” Scotti said. “Strengthening local skills, especially among women and technicians, fosters autonomy and long-term system sustainability.”
Scotti suggested that policy frameworks acknowledge the hybrid nature of property rights in rural areas and should enable shared or collective ownership. He also said business models should be context-sensitive and combine affordability with community participation.
“By integrating these social, technical, and institutional dimensions, the deployment of microgrids can move from being a temporary aid solution to becoming a transformative process that enhances local capabilities and supports a just and durable energy transition,” Scotti added.
The group's findings are presented in the research paper ‘Doing ownership’ in sustainable energy innovation: The social embeddedness of microgrids in rural Pakistan, available in the journal Energy Research & Social Science.
The impact of solar minigrids in rural Pakistan – pv magazine International
Geoffrey Strong
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