Integrated energy systems’ modeling studies for sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review

Abstract Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) experiences an energy poverty crisis, with more than 600 million of its 1.2 billion inhabitants living without access to modern energy services. Despite this, vast amounts of renewable energy resources are geographically distributed across the region. SSA needs to establish proper planning mechanisms if it is to achieve universal access while mitigating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission. This paper presents a scoping review of 30 integrated energy modeling studies that concern SSA. The review indicates that addressing the region's energy access challenges will require decentralized generation and grid extension to be employed in a synergistic way. Achieving high access levels while limiting GHG emissions will require energy decision makers to enact and implement climate, techno-economic, environmental, and efficiency policies. Additionally, technology learning and energy storage will improve the uptake of variable renewable resources. Operationalization of power trade will reduce the capital investment costs required to meet the current and future energy demand and tap into potential of the abundant renewable energy resources in SSA region. Energy planning using an integrated energy systems model will be key to achieving these aims at national as well as regional level. Accordingly, it is necessary that national governments and energy decision makers in the region work in tandem with energy stakeholders, local academic institutions, and international energy modeling experts to build local capacities. This will then enable a synchronized framework for the development of short-to medium-term national energy models, the results of which could then be integrated into a regional model.