Cambodia Household Energy Storage Subsidy

In Cambodia, Phoumin et al. 2020 found the high cost of modern energy sources to be the reason for households' continued use of traditional biomass. The energy stacking model emphasizes the role of income as a determinant when choosing fuels.

We underline that the Integrated Community Energy Systems approach, ICES, could have desirable outcomes in Cambodian rural areas such as (1) collective economic returns, (2) reduced fuel poverty, (3) carbon mitigation, (4) greater community cohesion, and (5) an increased knowledge of sustainable energy technologies.

Fortunately, energy prices, such as electricity, in Cambodia are relatively higher than those of its neighbouring countries due to the absence of energy subsidies. Thus, owners of many factories and buildings, which have higher energy costs, would like to reduce these costs.

In the future, biomass's 25.5% share in the TFEC will surely be replaced by commercial energy, such as oil and electricity. Thus, Cambodia must formulate and implement energy efficiency and conservation (EEC) policies and programmes to curb commercial energy consumption. Unfortunately, the country has not formulated its EEC programme.

Cambodia suffers also from one of the highest electricity prices in the region with a price reaching even as high as $1/kWh from private electricity providers (Phoumin & Kimura, 2019, ADB 2018, World Bank, 2018)).

An ESCO usually consists of energy managers who hold an EEC certificate from a domestic or foreign organisation, such as the Energy Efficiency Center of Japan (ECCJ). Energy managers are key role players in promoting the EEC in Cambodia. Because of their currently limited number, the GDE must increase or grow energy managers.