This article reports on a study conducted to assess the carbon storage potential of Bambusa vulgaris, the predominant bamboo species in Ghana. The study aimed to fill a knowledge gap on the potential of bamboo to sequester carbon for climate change mitigation in Ghana. Unlike previous studies that only focused on aboveground biomass, this study assessed belowground, litter, and coarse wood carbon pools. Allometric parameters and models were used to measure the aboveground biomass, while other carbon pools were directly measured. The results showed that the aboveground biomass of B. vulgaris had a carbon stock of 42.85 ± 9.32 Mg C ha⁻¹, which was 73% of the total biomass carbon stock. The carbon stocks of belowground, coarse wood and litter were 8.57, 3.02, and 4.25 Mg C ha⁻¹, respectively. The study also found that B. vulgaris had a high carbon dioxide sequestration potential of 215.39 Mg CO_2e ha⁻¹ compared to 147–275 Mg CO_2e ha⁻¹ for trees in general. The findings suggest that B. vulgaris could contribute to Ghana's transition to a low-carbon economy through carbon stock monitoring, reporting, and policy development to minimise the impact of climate change. Moreover, the inclusion of relevant carbon pools, including coarse wood and litter, in forest carbon estimates should be encouraged to provide a comprehensive understanding of the plant carbon cycle.

Suppressed demand arises from inadequate energy access, resulting in unmet basic needs. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of the informal economy, rising temperatures, and electricity transmission losses on suppressed demand in Ghana from 2000 to 2020, using a quantile autoregressive distributed lag (QARDL) approach. The study forecasts suppressed demand using Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios, offering insights for energy system planning. The results indicate that all the variables significantly affect suppressed demand in the mid-quantiles. Notably, transmission losses and growth of informal economy variables significantly impact suppressed demand within the 50th to 75th quantiles but have minimal impact before the 50th and after the 75th quantiles in the long run. Additionally, rising temperatures substantially increase suppressed demand by increasing electricity demand for cooling. All future scenarios project this growth trend will continue through 2050, albeit at varying rates. In the business-as-usual (BAU) case, suppressed demand is expected to steadily increase from 1782 MW in 2020 to 8636 MW in 2050. This trajectory aligns well with historical growth trends, which saw suppressed demand increase from 659 GWh to 1782 GWh between 2000 and 2020. SSP scenarios suggest that suppressed demand could grow substantially through 2050, driven by high losses and informal sector growth. Despite sustainable development narratives like SSP1, suppressed demand remains high without major grid and governance improvements. Comparing the results with past studies shows that our findings align with previous research but provide more nuanced insights by incorporating the effects of the informal economy and using advanced forecasting techniques. Practical policy implications include investing in green infrastructure, upgrading grid infrastructure, and formalising the informal economy to alleviate suppressed demand. These actions are critical for sustainable energy access and meeting future electricity needs effectively.

Low-voltage mini-grids play a crucial role in expanding electricity access for rural and remote communities. However, they continue to face technical and operational barriers that hinder their performance and reliability. This study reviewed the evolution of research on technical challenges in low-voltage mini-grids from 2005 to 2025. Using the PRISMA approach, data were extracted from the Scopus database, yielding 155 publications for bibliometric analysis. Bibliometrix in R Studio was used to examine publication trends, geographical contributions, and thematic evolution, while qualitative synthesis identified key engineering and operational constraints. The findings revealed a steady increase in research outputs since 2020, driven by global policy commitments, including Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement. Persistent technical barriers include voltage and frequency instability, inadequate power quality monitoring, inefficient integration of energy storage, poor control coordination, and limited system design optimisation. African nations contribute less to global research despite being most affected by energy poverty, highlighting capacity and funding gaps. The study highlights the need for integrated solutions combining smart control, hybrid storage, and grid-interconnection technologies to enhance resilience and reliability. For policymakers and practitioners, the findings advocate for investment in research, capacity building, and locally tailored technical standards designed for resource-constrained contexts. This review provides a comprehensive evidence base to guide future research and policy directions aimed at achieving sustainable, technically robust, and financially viable mini-grid systems for universal energy access.