Access to affordable and reliable modern forms of energy services is essential to reduce poverty and promote economic growth, especially in the global South. In the face of rapid urbanisation, equitable urban development is imperative to foster sustainable energy futures. Lack of knowledge about energy practices, needs and aspirations of the urban poor often leads to their exclusion from urban planning processes. They are marginalised, misrecognised, and thus kept ‘off the grid’. This raises some important questions, including: What are the energy practices in communities that are ‘off grid’ and how do these relate to housing? How can these be represented in planning processes and tools? Moreover, how can the capacities of the communities be strengthened to tackle energy-related risks, and their voices be included in decision making processes? These questions guide our motivation in the project GEMDev.

GEMDev will contribute towards inclusive energy futures and dignified housing in the global South. In so doing, it will support progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 7 on energy and 11 on sustainable cities and communities. The project takes a transdisciplinary approach to investigate energy practices within human settlements that remain at the margins of affordable, reliable, and safe forms of energy services. The project aims to investigate the nexus between energy access, comfort, and housing, embedded within the existing governance structures in Lima (Perú) and Ahmedabad (India).By co-producing knowledge with inhabitants about energy practices, this project seeks to inform data-driven tools such as Urban Building Energy Models (UBEMs), that are increasingly being used for development planning in the global South. Through fostering meaningful exchange between different actors and forms of knowledge, GEMDev aims to inform policy and actions for sustainable and equitable futures.

GEMDev will combine qualitative and quantitative research methods. The project will develop UBEMs to model 2-3 ‘off grid’ human settlements in Lima and Ahmedabad, representing occupancy patterns, energy use and comfort. To include community perspectives in urban development planning, UBEMs will be informed by data sets co-created with inhabitants using participatory research methods. Through expert interviews it will also investigate the policy frameworks that govern energy and housing in the two cities. The research process is designed to strengthen communities’ capacities and skills through the training of community energy assessors, particularly women. Building on existing capacities of local civil society, the project also seeks to support South-South cooperation and knowledge sharing to build and foster equitable partnerships.