Pillar 2

Energy and premises

Definition and scope

‘Energy and Premises’ concerns emissions within premises, fugitive emissions of gases with high global warming potential from air-conditioning and fridges, and anaesthetic gas. Consumption includes electricity, either via a generator or the power grid, and fossil fuels for heating, cooling and cooking (e.g. coal or fuel oil).

Organisations need to measure the emissions from energy consumed in their project premises, their field offices and their headquarters. For most humanitarian organisations, the largest share of emissions in this category are from fuel generators.

Why does it matter?

Emissions from energy consumption and premises represent 4% of sector-wide emissions according to initial estimates26 from Climate Action Accelerator. Although percentages may vary between organisations due to the nature of their activities, emissions associated with energy and premises at the level of an organisation can represent a higher proportion, ranging between 12% and 30% according to Climate Action Accelerator’s consolidated partners’ data (baseline 2019, median 17%).

Meeting the GHG reduction target of -50% by 2030 in the humanitarian sector will require a major push towards renewable energies, with adequate funding to allow actors to switch to renewable energy by default.

What does this mean for the humanitarian sector?

Humanitarian organisations tend to deploy in fragile contexts, where there may be no access to a power grid, or where access is insufficient or highly reliant on fossil fuels. Generators are often used to ensure continuity of energy provision. On average, the carbon footprint of one kWh produced via a diesel generator is the same as for 47 kWh from the Swiss electricity grid.27,28

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Figure 4. Key figures energy and fugitive emissions as a share of the total energy related footprint. MSF OCB 2019, courtesy of MSF OCB

According to a recent study by the Global Platform for Action (GPA),29 ‘Estimating the use of diesel generators in displacement settings’, there are 11 365 generators in use around the world. As a result, humanitarian agencies spend 108 million USD on fuel every year, emitting 194 000 tCO230, equivalent to 70 000 return flights from Geneva to Nairobi.31

Against this backdrop, the sector needs to invest in renewable, low carbon sources of energy.1 When it comes to energy and premises, solutions for reducing carbon emissions have been developed and tested for decades, such as sufficiency measures or solar photovoltaic (PV) power. What the sector urgently needs is to deploy these solutions at scale so that they can significantly contribute to reducing emissions generated by humanitarian actors.1

Two simple principles for reducing emissions from energy and premises

Reduce energy consumption:

Reduce the number of kWh consumed through energy efficiency gains from behaviour change, appropriate equipment, and alternative construction and renovation measures (insulation and passive design). The greenest and cheapest energy is the one we do not use.

Switch to renewable energy:

Lower the emissions factor of energy consumed by transitioning to low-carbon, renewable sources.

  • Solar PV energy supply can be financially advantageous in the medium to long term, given the short payback period (5 to 7 years)32 compared to the relatively long lifespan of the equipment (15 to 25 years), the savings generated, and cost reductions induced, for instance on electricity bills.33 Savings depend greatly on the local cost of electricity from the grid, the cost of fuel, the cost of solar PV equipment and its installation, and the need for a means of storing the energy.
  • Reducing dependency on fossil fuels increases resilience and ability to adapt when fossil fuel prices and availability become more volatile, by making energy costs more predictable. Significantly reducing the impacts of inflation on budgets.
  • A solar PV energy supply improves the operational autonomy of premises by increasing access to stable electricity, especially in remote areas. Also improving access to basic services that benefit local communities.
  • Favouring alternative and local approaches to construction and renovation increases acceptance by local actors, makes maintenance easier, and contributes to local economic development.
  • Energy efficient practices in building renovation and construction, including thermal efficiency and consumption monitoring equipment, make financial savings and ensure buildings are more resilient to extreme weather.

Opportunities and challenges

  • It is now easy to self-produce electricity with solar PV systems, which have the greatest potential to expand energy production and access in a variety of geographical areas, including at the community level.34,35
  • Solar PV energy is becoming the cheapest option for electricity generation in most of the world.36 Installing and maintaining solar PV systems is cheap, and can generate savings in the medium term providing installation is by qualified technicians and that renewal costs have been considered based on their lifespan (especially batteries). Solar PV prices have fallen by 80% in the last decade, with capacity increasing from 40GW to 600GW over the same period.37
  • The increased availability of local and international suppliers creates opportunity for deploying renewable energy solutions.

  • Upfront investment may be problematic for organisations with less access to core funding. Greater support from humanitarian donors and increased access to alternative funding streams (including from private investors and blended finance solutions)38 would help to accelerate the shift to renewable energy.

Decarbonising humanitarian energy (DHE) multi-partner trust fund (MTPF)
Aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of humanitarian infrastructure, this multi-year fund supports the creation of a Centralised Clean Energy Service (CCES) provided by the Global Platform for Action (GPA) at UNITAR, UNDP and NORCAP. Launched in January 2023 with seed funding received from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) ($22 million), it aims to facilitate sustainable, cost-effective clean energy transitions in humanitarian settings on a large scale by addressing structural constraints (such as grant-based procurement models, early termination clauses, and limited in-house technical capacity). The support focuses on developing coordinated entry points for the private sector to support third party delivery models by bundling projects, de-risking long-term contracts, and applying innovative finance mechanisms to unlock revenue streams. The Fund provides technical support for energy audits, business case developments, and energy efficiency measures. It also supports the development of energy access projects anchored to CCES-funded solar projects.

Doing the math: cost/benefit analysis of energy-related solutions

The following financial benchmarks are based on consolidated data from financial impact assessments conducted by Climate Action Accelerator with nine of its humanitarian partner organisations and covering a seven year period.

Reduce energy consumption

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Figure 5: Reduce energy consumption: average yearly evolution of financial impact (as % of yearly budget)

  • This solution costs on average 0.04% of the annual net budget of an organisation over 7 years, with the financial impact varying from average savings of 0.19% to average costs of 0.23%.
  • On average, this solution starts generating savings in year 5.
  • By year 7, savings reach 0.10% of the budget, on average.
  • The running costs and human resources costs needed to implement this solution are limited.

  • A reduction in energy consumption averaging 25%, coming from behaviour change, insulation and energy saving equipment.
  • The need to combine insulation solutions: “white roofs” (relatively cheap) and proper insulation of buildings (more costly).
  • The need to invest in energy monitoring equipment, estimated between 300 USD and 5,000 USD per power source.
  • A ‘top-up’ for the renewal of equipment (air conditioning (AC) units, fridges, etc.), allowing organisations to replace old appliances with energy efficient ones. This budget can vary from 5,000 USD to more than 10,000 USD.

Figure 5: Reduce energy consumption: average yearly evolution of financial impact (as % of yearly budget)

  • A different average cost per kWh, which is a consequence of both the carbon intensity of the local grid in countries of operations and the proportion of energy coming from generators vs. coming from the grid.
  • The proportion of surface area for which insulation is relevant and cost-effective, i.e. mainly offices and medical warehouses with a sufficiently long tenancy.

Switch to ‘renewable’ energy

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Figure 6: Switch to renewable energies: average yearly evolution of financial impact (as % of yearly budget)

  • This solution costs on average 0.13% of the budget over seven years, with the financial impact varying from average savings of 0.05% to average costs of 0.31%.
  • The average net financial impact decreases from 0.21% on average in year 1 to 0.10% in year 7, with organisations generating net savings in year 7.
  • Average savings grow from 0.05% to 0.23% between year 1 and year 7, while investments average 0.26% of the budget and remain quite stable.
  • Running costs are limited, averaging 0.01% of the yearly budget.

  • A cost of 2,000 USD per kilowatt peak (kWp) of solar panel installed, rising to 3,000 USD when adding batteries.
  • A yearly production of 1,510 kWh per kWp installed for the simple models, while some more refined models include a yearly production adapted to the different countries and their potential.
  • Training costs of 2,000 USD per country for the maintenance of equipment.
  • Similarly to the ‘reduce energy consumption’ solution, organisations’ energy mix and their geographical footprint have an impact on the ROI of renewable energy investments.
  • The presence or absence of batteries in addition to solar panels.
  • Faster or slower implementation, which impacts emissions reduction and savings made.
  • The level of ambition of the programme, i.e. aiming for a larger proportion of energy to come from renewables.

Climate Action Accelerator’s solutions resources:

“Factsheet: Heating and air conditioning”, https://climateactionaccelerator.org/solutions/heating_and_air_conditioning/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

“Factsheet: White roofs”, https://climateactionaccelerator.org/solutions/white_roofs/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

“Factsheet:EarthTubes”,https://climateactionaccelerator.org/solutions/earth-tubes/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

“Factsheet: Green Building”, https://climateactionaccelerator.org/solutions/green-building/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

“Factsheet: Solar Thermal energy”, https://climateactionaccelerator.org/solutions/solar-thermal-energy/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Other useful resources:

Al-Kaddo and S. Rosenberg-Jansen, State of the Humanitarian Energy Sector: Challenges, Progress and Issues in 2022, UNITAR GPA, 2022, https://www.humanitarianenergy.org/thematic-working-areas/state-of-the-humanitarian-energy-sector/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Electriciens Sans Frontières, Solar Streetlights Practical Guidebook, Institut National de L’Energie Solaire, 2019, https://electriciens-sans-frontieres.org/app/uploads/2021/02/guideisa_streetlights-feb2019-web.pdf, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Alliance for Rural Electrification, https://www.ruralelec.org/ (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Global Off-Grid Lighting Association, “Accelerating access to renewable energy”, https://www.gogla.org/ (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Programme for Energy Efficiency in Building, https://www.peeb.build/about-peeb, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Programme for Energy Efficiency in Building, “Tunisia Green Hospitals”, https://www.peeb.build/news-events/hospitals-in-tunisia, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

ICRC Webinar Series, “Sustainable Energy in Humanitarian Settings”, Energypedia,  2023,  https://energypedia.info/wiki/Webinar_Series:_Sustainable_Energy_in_Humanitarian_Settings, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

AFD, Health and Energy Efficiency: Towards Greener Hospitals, 2019, https://www.afd.fr/en/actualites/health-and-energy-efficiency-towards-greener-hospitals, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

IRENA, The Renewable Energy Transition in Africa, Powering Access, Resilience and Prosperity, 2020, https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2021/March/Renewable_Energy_Transition_Africa_2021.pdf, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Electriciens Sans Frontières “Guide de bonnes pratiques”, https://electriciens- sans-frontieres.org/app/uploads/2016/09/Guide-de-bonnes-pratiques.pdf, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Groupe URD and Electriciens Sans Frontières “Les Enjeux Énergétiques En Ukraine Face À L’hiver 2023-2024”, 2023, https://electriciens-sans-frontieres.org/app/uploads/2023/11/EvalUkraine_GroupeURD_ESF_Novembre-2023.pdf, (Acessed 23 May 2024).

Institut de La Francophone pour le Développement Durable, “Démarche Bas Carbone Du Secteur De L’Aide”, 2023, https://formation.ifdd.francophonie.org/self-demarche-bas-carbone-du-secteur-de-laide-retours-dexperience-et-role-de-la-solarisation/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Electriciens Sans Frontières, “Project Close-Up: Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh”, 2024, https://electriciens-sans-frontieres.org/en/news/coxzbazar-bangladesh/, (Accessed 23 May 2024).

Pillar 1
Pillar 3

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