Environmentally-Friendly Energy Technologies

The indicator measures the number (or proportion) of the target population that started using the promoted types of environmentally-friendly energy technologies as a result of the project’s support. This can include technologies that either serve as eco-friendly sources of energy (solar lamps or biodigesters) or those that reduce the consumption of environmentally unsustainable energy sources (such as fuel-efficient stoves or housing insulation).

There are two main ways of collecting the required data and determining the indicator’s value:

1) Review of sellers’ data: If you work with a limited number of sellers that sell the promoted products only in the area your project targets, you can interview their representatives and review their documentation to assess their number of customers. This option is often easier (and often also quite precise), but it does not tell you whether the people who bought the product use it or not. Alternatively, if you support a large market (for example, through demand creation efforts), you can consult with relevant industry associations or government bodies for the data on sales (if available).

2) Individual interviews with target group members: If you cannot rely on the sellers’ data, you can conduct individual interviews with a representative sample of target group members. This approach is suitable only if the product is likely to be used by at least 10-20% of the survey respondents.

RECOMMENDED SURVEY QUESTION (Q) AND POSSIBLE ANSWERS (A)

Q1: In the past [specify the time frame], did you purchase [specify the technology]?

A1: yes / no

(ask the following question only if the previous answer is “yes”)

Q2: Do you currently use it?

A2: yes / no

To calculate the indicator’s value, divide the number of respondents who use the promoted product by the total number of respondents. Multiply the result by 100 to convert it to a percentage.  

1) Consider reporting separately on 1) the number or % of target households / businesses that purchased and currently use the purchased energy-friendly technology; and 2) the number or % of target households / businesses that purchased the energy-friendly technology but do not use it.

2) If you collect the data by conducting interviews, consider verifying the response by asking the respondent to show you the product or by asking about its details. 

3) To understand whether the purchase can be attributed to your project, consider also asking, “Where did you purchase the [specify the product]?” (to see whether it was purchased from the sellers your project supported). For your programming purposes, you can also ask about the respondent’s motivations by asking, “Why did your household purchase [specify the product]? 

4) Where relevant, consider also assessing how often the respondent uses the promoted product by asking, "Can you please tell me when did you last used [specify the product]?". While it is possible that a person used the product, for example, yesterday but otherwise s/he uses it only once per year, in the total sample of your respondents, such 'accidental' facts cancel each other out, and you gain more reliable frequency data than you would get if you had asked: "How often ...?". 

5) If the household purchased the product but does not use it, consider asking why the product is not used.

6) European Commission's DEVCO recommends using a similar indicator: "Number of households using improved energy-saving technologies".