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Patrick Bayer
Patrick Bayer is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Political Science at Washington University in St. Louis and will join the Department of Politics at the University of Glasgow as Assistant Professor in 2016. He received his Ph.D. from Mannheim University in Germany and also holds a Master's degree in Environmental Economics from University College London. In his research, Patrick studies the role of domestic politics in problems of international cooperation, mostly with applications to global environmental problems such as climate change and energy. Additional information on his work can be found on his personal website http://www.patrickbayer.com or by following @pol_economist on Twitter.
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Rural Electrification with Off-Grid Community Microgrids: An Impact Evaluation in Uttar Pradesh, India
This project assesses the socioeconomic effects of solar microgrids. The lack of access to electricity is a major obstacle to the socioeconomic development of more than a billion people.
Off-grid solar power and the future of rural electrification in India
Off-grid solar power is a potential alternative to grid extension in rural electrification. This column reports results from a recent experiment with an off-grid lighting intervention in Uttar Pradesh. While little evidence of broader socioeconomic changes was found, the study suggests that kerosene subsidies likely hold back the expansion of off-grid solar markets, and that there are many ways in which benefits of off-grid solar power can be enhanced.
Can solar micro-grids deliver basic electricity access in Indian villages?
About one-third of India´s population remains without access to basic electricity services. This column discusses preliminary lessons from an experiment in rural Uttar Pradesh that seeks to set up solar micro-grids in unelectrified habitations. It finds that while the cost of solar power is a potential obstacle to its adoption, the technology does generate substantial benefits in the form of improved lighting and reduced kerosene expenditures.