Remote sensing technologies and energy applications in refugee camps

Whilst technological breakthroughs alone cannot revolutionise energy access for refugees, a number of innovations are offering the possibility of transformational change. One area, explored in this chapter by the University of Coventry, is the need for wireless sensor networks and communication technology to gather data to inform systematic decision making. This chapter reviews a range of energy technologies and delivery approaches that have been trialled in camps, including discussion of the resulting problems and challenges that have been met. The chapter makes the case for improved energy intervention planning and identifies multi-criteria decision-making approaches that could be utilised in the context of refugee camps for dealing with both evaluation and design problems. The chapter concludes by exploring the possibility of using alternative wireless sensors and monitoring devices to gather data on a range of energy systems to inform decision making and management of shared community resources.