Despite a high total population, most parts of the African continent are sparsely populated, with almost 60% living in non-urban areas. Diesel generators have long been the traditional solution to decentralized electrification needs. For off-grid applications, they present lower up-front capital costs per kilowatt installed; however, the dramatic increase of fuel costs in recent years and the cost of transport to remote areas greatly diminish the low capital cost advantage of the diesel option. Even in the cases when the initial investments were subsidized, the high yearly fuel cost are born by the users which often results in early termination of its use. The map shows the spatial variance of the electricity costs per kWh delivered by an off-grid diesel generator.

Priority areas are identified using local coefficients estimated through Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), which measures the spatially varying relationship between access to electricity and four nutrition indicators among children under five: stunting, wasting, severe wasting, and underweight.

The tool highlights locations where the local association between electricity access and the selected nutrition indicator is both negative and statistically significant. In this application, priority areas are further restricted to locations where electricity access is below 80%, ensuring that the results remain relevant for policy intervention.

The identified areas are classified as having strong, moderate, or mild associations according to the magnitude of the local GWR coefficient. This classification helps users determine the appropriate intensity of intervention. The spatially varying coefficients therefore allow users to identify areas where limited electricity access is most strongly associated with poorer nutritional outcomes among children under five, supporting targeted interventions, programme planning, and place-based development strategies.

Modern energy services are crucial to human well-being and to a country’s economic development. Yet 1.2 billion people worldwide live without access to electricity. It is recognized that the central grid is unlikely to reach many remote areas in the near future: many of these communities will have low electricity consumption, making the costs of extending the grid unaffordable. Given the evident potential of solar energy for African countries, using stand-alone and mini-grid photovoltaic (PV) systems could be an alternative approach to meet the objective of universal electrification. This layer compares the costs of electricity produced by solar photovoltaic and diesel systems, the two prevailing off-grid options for rural electrification in Africa. The map shows the difference between solar- and diesel-based electricity production cost (cents USD/kWh) at one square-kilometre resolution. PV minigrid represent the least-cost electrification option in the orange-to-yellow areas, whereas cheaper diesel is depicted in purple. The higher the contrast, the larger the cost difference.

Percentage of schools in Africa reporting to have no electricity. The lower the education facilities with access to electricity the greater the potential for decentralised renewable energies to improve electricity access in these facilities and thus educational outcomes.

This layer represents the predicted likelihood that a given settlement is electrified, with values ranging from 0 (no electricity) to 1 (fully electrified). The data are derived from the High Resolution Electricity Access (HREA) dataset, which combines satellite observations of night-time lights with population settlement layers to estimate electricity access. Areas with low predicted electrification can help identify where decentralized renewable energy solutions may be most impactful in closing electricity access gaps.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, medium- and low-voltage data are often non-existent, uncompleted, or unavailable. This is a challenge for practitioners working on the electricity access agenda, power sector resilience or climate change adaptation. This layer presents the spatial extent of the existing and planned electricity grid (high, medium, low voltage level) compiled using multiple sources that enumerate elements of the existing transmission and distribution network.

• Binary ORC Power Plant;
• Flash Power Plant;

• base case scenario;
• upside scenario, modelling a better fluid flow;
• up up side, modelling both better fluid flow and higher underground temperatures.

Percentage of healthcare facilities with electricity access in selected countries. Information on electricity access for healthcare facilities has been collected in the electricity access health facility database (EHFDB). The lower the healthcare facilities with access to electricity the greater the potential for decentralised renewable energies to improve electricity access in these facilities and thus healthcare outcomes.

This dataset shows the African power plants by energy generation type. It includes thermal plants (coal, gas, oil, nuclear, biomass, waste, geothermal) and renewables (hydro, wind, solar). Each power plant is geolocated and entries contain information on plant capacity and generation type.

Distance from existing or planned electric grid lines (LV; MV; HV).
Unit: km

• Cooling Absorption System;
• Refrigeration Absorption System;

• base case scenario;
• upside scenario, modelling a better fluid flow;
• up up side, modelling both better fluid flow and higher underground temperatures.

• Direct Use;
• High Temperature Heat Pump;

• base case scenario;
• upside scenario, modelling a better fluid flow;
• up up side, modelling both better fluid flow and higher underground temperatures.

This dataset provides the P50 projections for a geothermal system utilizing a Chiller unit.

Chiller refers to an absorption chiller or heat pump integrated into the geothermal system. It is used to provide cooling (by utilizing the geothermal heat) or to extract additional heat from the return fluid, thereby increasing the system's overall thermal harvest.

P50 is a statistical term used in risk analysis and forecasting. P50 represents the median scenario, meaning there is a 50% probability that the actual outcome will be higher than this value and a 50% probability it will be lower. It serves as the baseline "best estimate."

• Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.

• Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the "doublet" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.

• Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.

• Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.

• Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.

• Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.

• Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).

• Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.

• Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.

• Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents "short-circuiting," where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

This dataset provides the P50 projections for a Direct Heat geothermal system.

Direct Heat refers to the use of geothermal energy for applications such as space heating, industrial processes, or agriculture. In the utilized model, it is assumed a minimum production temperature of at least 60°C and a reinjection temperature of 40°C.

P50 is a statistical term used in risk analysis and forecasting. P50 represents the median scenario, meaning there is a 50% probability that the actual outcome will be higher than this value and a 50% probability it will be lower. It serves as the baseline "best estimate."

• Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.

• Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the ""doublet"" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.

• Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.

• Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.

• Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.

• Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.

• Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).

• Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.

• Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.

• Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents ""short-circuiting,"" where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

This dataset provides the P50 projections for a Direct Heat with Heat Pump geothermal system.

Direct Heat with Heat Pump refers to a scenario where a geothermal system is integrated with an industrial heat pump to upgrade low-grade heat. This allows for production from geothermal temperatures as low as 40°C, which are then heated by the pump to a delivery temperature of 80°C. The reinjection temperature is set to the production temperature minus 20°C, with a absolute minimum of 15°C.

P50 is a statistical term used in risk analysis and forecasting. P50 represents the median scenario, meaning there is a 50% probability that the actual outcome will be higher than this value and a 50% probability it will be lower. It serves as the baseline ""best estimate.""

• Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.

• Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the ""doublet"" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.

• Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.

• Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.

• Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.

• Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.

• Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).

• Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.

• Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.

• Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents ""short-circuiting,"" where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

This dataset provides the P50 projections for an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) geothermal power plant.

Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) refers to a binary power plant configuration where geothermal fluid (brine) is used to heat a secondary organic working fluid. This process allows for efficient electricity generation from medium-to-low temperature resources (typically 90°C to 150°C). The organic fluid vaporizes, drives a turbine, and is then condensed back into a liquid to repeat the cycle. The geothermal brine is reinjected into the reservoir after passing through the heat exchanger.

P50 is a statistical term used in risk analysis and forecasting. P50 represents the median scenario, meaning there is a 50% probability that the actual outcome will be higher than this value and a 50% probability it will be lower. It serves as the baseline ""best estimate.""

• Coefficient of Performance (COP) [-]: A measure of efficiency, defined as the ratio of useful heating or cooling provided to the work (energy) required to operate the Chiller. Higher values indicate greater efficiency.

• Doublet Net Production [MW]: The actual useful power output (Megawatts) generated by the ""doublet"" (one production well + one injection well), subtracting any energy used by pumps or auxiliary equipment.

• Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [US$ct/kWh]: The average revenue per unit of energy needed to recover the cost of building and operating the plant over its entire life cycle. It essentially represents the break-even price.

• Net Present Value (NPV) [million US$]: The current financial value of all future cash flows the project will generate, minus the initial investment costs. A positive NPV generally indicates a profitable project.

• Optimized Depth of the Aquifer [m]: The calculated ideal drilling depth (meters) to reach the geothermal reservoir that balances drilling costs with temperature/flow benefits.

• Pressure needed to drive pumps [Bar]: The total pressure difference required to drive the thermal loop through the reservoir and wellbore.

• Production Flow Rate [m³/h]: The volume of geothermal fluid extracted from the reservoir per hour (cubic meters per hour).

• Temperature at Reservoir [°C]: The natural temperature (Celsius) of the geothermal fluid within the subsurface rock formation before it is brought to the surface.

• Transmissivity [Dm]: A measure of how easily fluid flows through the porous aquifer. It is the product of hydraulic conductivity and aquifer thickness (often measured in Darcy-meters). High transmissivity means easier extraction.

• Well Distance [m]: The physical distance (meters) between the production well (extraction) and the injection well (return). Proper spacing prevents ""short-circuiting,"" where cool injected water lowers the temperature of the production well too quickly.

Priority areas are identified using local coefficients estimated through Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), which measures the spatially varying relationship between access to electricity and education using the indicator of percentage of population with secondary education .
The tool highlights locations where the local association between electricity access and the selected nutrition indicator is both negative and statistically significant. In this application, priority areas are further restricted to locations where electricity access is below 80%, ensuring that the results remain relevant for policy intervention.
The identified areas are classified as having strong, moderate, or mild associations according to the magnitude of the local GWR coefficient. This classification helps users determine the appropriate intensity of intervention. The spatially varying coefficients therefore allow users to identify areas where limited electricity access is most strongly associated with higher education, supporting targeted interventions, programme planning, and place-based development strategies.

Priority areas are identified using local coefficients estimated through Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), which measures the spatially varying relationship between access to electricity and gender using the indicator of proportion of women with secondary school. The tool highlights locations where the local association between electricity access and the selected nutrition indicator is both negative and statistically significant. In this application, priority areas are further restricted to locations where electricity access is below 80%, ensuring that the results remain relevant for policy intervention. The identified areas are classified as having strong, moderate, or mild associations according to the magnitude of the local GWR coefficient. This classification helps users determine the appropriate intensity of intervention. The spatially varying coefficients therefore allow users to identify areas where limited electricity access is most strongly associated with lower proportion of women at secondary school, supporting targeted interventions, programme planning, and place-based development strategies.

Priority areas are identified using local coefficients estimated through Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR), which measures the spatially varying relationship between access to electricity and health using the indicator of under-5 mortality.

The tool highlights locations where the local association between electricity access and the selected nutrition indicator is both negative and statistically significant. In this application, priority areas are further restricted to locations where electricity access is below 80%, ensuring that the results remain relevant for policy intervention.

The identified areas are classified as having strong, moderate, or mild associations according to the magnitude of the local GWR coefficient. This classification helps users determine the appropriate intensity of intervention. The spatially varying coefficients therefore allow users to identify areas where limited electricity access is most strongly associated with higher mortality among children under five, supporting targeted interventions, programme planning, and place-based development strategies.