Assessing the Impact of Renewable Energy Based Microgrids on Local Development and the SDGs: Insights from the Philippines

The Cobrador Island Solar – Diesel Hybrid Project is one of ADB’s outstanding projects and led to increased service hours (24 hours per day), affordability (50% tariff reduction), and environmental soundness (RE share up to 90%). This presentation analyzed the impact on local development and the SDGs through a household questionnaire focusing on socio-economic characteristics, electricity usage patterns, and subjective perceptions of change after hybridization. The project team targeted 170 randomly selected households representing more than 70% of the population, and found a strong positive impact of the hybridization intervention regarding access to education, information, health services, and perceived safety, and found a weaker impact on income generation. Their findings also revealed an overall beneficial impact of the hybridization intervention on different aspects of the household’s daily routine. Finally, the team proposed an adapted tariff system and microcredit scheme to enable more low-income households to equally profit from the improved supply through RE-based hybridization.​