Understanding Household Energy Choices and the Transition to Sustainable Energy

Abstract

This seminar presents the intersection of clean energy access, household behaviour and sustainable infrastructure development. In my postdoctoral research on the EPSRC-funded FEVER project at the University of Surrey, I examined household willingness to pay for a new off-grid renewable-based EV charging technology using a discrete choice experiment, studying how consumers value a technology that has not got a market yet and its attributes like renewable energy source for electricity, charging speed, price and other service attributes. I subsequently extended this behavioural approach to household willingness to pay for low-carbon heating in the UK.My earlier research in India focused on the social and health dimensions of energy access. During my PhD, I examined the influence of household gender dynamics in accessing clean cooking energy, while my recent work investigates whether exposure to household air pollution from unclean cooking fuels is associated with childhood stunting and whether these associations differ between boys and girls, including among rural households availing Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Going forward, I aim to extend this research towards the emerging interface of electric mobility, energy storage and the circular economy through work on the second life of electric-vehicle batteries in Indian public transport. I plan to assess their techno-economic feasibility including their potential for reducing peak electricity demand and supporting renewable-energy integration, alongside the policy conditions required for their wider adoption. Overall, my research seeks to understand how household and institutional decisions influence the transition to cleaner energy, and how this transition can be made more inclusive, affordable and sustainable.​