Energy Transitions in the Global South
Transition and Innovation Studies approaches beyond models
Energy transitions in the Global South unfold under conditions that differ fundamentally from those typically assumed in models and policy frameworks developed in the Global North. Rapid urbanisation, informal energy systems, political instability, infrastructural deficits, lack of feasible business models, and global power asymmetries shape how renewable energy, electrification, and new energy carriers emerge, scale, and interact with existing regimes, or how they struggle to survive and even fail altogether
One way in which this focus area is studied at the TU/e is through through the lens of Transition and Innovation Studies approaches, combining frameworks such as the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP), transition pathways, X-curve, and multi-scalar analysis with in-depth qualitative fieldwork. Business model frameworks are also used, as are technical engineering approaches, for instance for efficient and cost-effective design of mini-grids using hybrid power sources such as hydro, solar, wind and or diesel. This field of study is particularly suited for students who want to move beyond abstract models and gain first-hand insights into how energy transitions or the implementation of renewable energy projects actually unfold on the ground, as demonstrated by recent TU Eindhoven theses based on extensive local field research.
Projects in this focus area are particularly well suited for students who want to conduct qualitative fieldwork (interviews, observations, document analysis), critically engage with transition theory using real-world cases, and reflect on the limits of existing models in Global South contexts. Technical design work for optimal system design is also possible, using real world data collected on site as inputs in addition to technical simulation modelling tools.
For field work, students can build the networks of local partners and interviewees that TU/e researcher and previous masters students have built in countries such as Pakistan, Mozambique, Nigeria, Indonesia, Uganda, or Tanzania, just to name a few.
Case studies
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Several TU Eindhoven theses show that energy transitions in the Global South are often bottom-up, crisis-driven, and weakly coordinated, rather than centrally planned. A recent Master’s thesis on rapid large-scale solarisation in Pakistan demonstrates how sharp electricity price increases, load shedding, and institutional weaknesses triggered a massive uptake of distributed solar PV, reshaping the electricity regime while simultaneously creating new technical, financial, and governance tensions.
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Another strand of research focuses on rural energy transitions, where decentralized renewable energy interventions often fall short of their transformative ambitions. A Master’s thesis on the Sumba Iconic Island initiative in Indonesia applies the X-curve framework to analyse why large-scale renewable energy projects failed to meet their electrification goals, despite strong international support. Electrical engineering internships on Lombok island in Indonesia have focused on technical and financial minigrid and biogas system design, and the technical, regulatory and institutional obstacles that impede the connection of decentralised systems based on renewables to the advancing main grid.
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Recent TU Eindhoven research examines emerging green hydrogen transitions in Mozambique, focusing on large-scale export-oriented projects in Tete province. Using a multi-scalar transition perspective and field-based research, this work shows how green hydrogen initiatives interact with local livelihoods, governance structures, and development ambitions, highlighting tensions between global decarbonisation goals and inclusive, locally embedded energy transitions.
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Energy transitions in the Global South are also shaped by financial instruments, governance arrangements, and emerging socio-technical configurations. Research on results-based financing (RBF) for clean energy access shows how financing schemes influence actor behaviour, technology choices, and transition outcomes, often in unintended ways. Other thesis work examines social energy systems and energy democracy in Nigeria, highlighting how community-based energy sharing initiatives interact with formal grid systems and how intermediary actors shape the inclusiveness and scalability of transitions.
Opportunities for Students
This thematic area offers rich opportunities for Bachelor end projects, Master’s thesis projects, and internships, especially for students engaged with Innovation Sciences, Sustainable Energy Technology, and Transition Studies.
Possible research topics include:
Bottom-up and crisis-driven energy transitions
Application and adaptation of MLP, X-curve, and transition pathway frameworks
Rural electrification and decentralised energy systems
Governance, finance, and institutional change in energy transitions
Social energy systems, energy democracy, and inclusion
Global South perspectives on transition success, failure, and unintended consequences
Ongoing and completed projects at TU Eindhoven
Master's thesis (2024): Vicente Zamorano Moll -- Diagnosing, Prevention & Strategic Mitigation of PV System Failures in Ugandan Community Vital Centres
Internship (2026): Ines Krekels -- Overcoming technical barriers of integrating a decentralized hydropower plant into the main electricity grid in Lombok, Indonesia
Internship (2025) Sofie Scheij -- Identifying and Strategically Addressing Systemic Challenges to the Sustainable Operation of Biogas in Lombok
Contact persons
Jonas Van der Straeten
Johanna Höffken
Anna Wieczorek
Henny Romijn