Energy village concept implementation: A comparison between Africa and Finland

Abstract

• The EV project helps to foster the creation of better living environments. • EV helps on supporting rural sustainability in Africa. • Integration of RE with fossil fuel innovation can generate environmental benefits. • Motivating African nations to adopt the energy village concept to support the local economy. • Important economic, cultural, and religious differences exist between the EU and AU. This study aimed to assess the implementation energy village (EV) projects with a comparison between Europe and Africa. This was effectively addressed to improve the understanding of available resources and solutions. This was accomplished by comparing energy availability for the populations of Finland and Africa. The significance of this work lies in its highlighting of the potential of such collaborative projects to foster the creation of better living environments in both regions. Through sharing experiences and cultural insights, these initiatives can help address local challenges more effectively. Additional benefits of EV-related collaborations can include motivating communities, creating employment opportunities and supporting rural sustainability in Africa economically, socially and environmentally. Key research objectives achieved in this study include the identification and comparison of renewable energy resources in the European Union (EU) and the African Union (AU); the mapping of relevant policies in both regions; the provision of guidance to African nations in recognizing and utilizing available renewable energy sources; and the mutual benefit of informing new policies and management techniques for the AU and EU (including Finland). A qualitative methodology was employed in this work, combining case studies analyses with descriptive evaluation techniques. The energy village concept is a way to create a new village become using renewable energy only by using local renewable energy resources this is the novelty of this paper. The research gap is giving real cases across four countries in Africa and one country in Finland. Combining all real cases one can notice the difference, the challenges and possible policy recommendations areas. Our findings suggest that despite the potential for significant collaboration important economic, cultural, and religious differences exist between the EU and AU. However, these highlighted challenges can be overcome through mutual commitment and knowledge sharing, facilitating the successful implementation of EVs in the AU.