Advancing Energy Efficiency in Developing Countries: Lessons Learned from Low-Income Residential Experiences in Industrialized Countries

Energy efficiency has great potential to address economic development, energy security, and environmental protection around the world and in developing countries in particular. Low-income residents of developing countries stand to gain significantly from energy efficiency investments. This report presents lessons learned in delivering energy-efficiency programs for low-income households that are taken from experiences in the United States and other member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Lessons learned in delivering energy-efficiency programs to low-income households of industrial countries are summarized from the perspectives of program design, program delivery, and institutions in order to provide best practices that are applicable to countries in different development stages. This report discusses who to target, how to reduce energy burden, coordinating institutional stakeholders, which efficiency tools to use, how to fund low-income energy efficiency programs, screening tools to prioritize projects, outreach strategies, and evaluation methods. The report concludes with a framework for understanding different levels of energy-efficiency interventions based on institutional capacity, political willpower, and resources.