Helene Ahlborg

Associate Professor at Environmental Systems Analysis

Helene Ahlborg’s research is about energy futures in East Africa and societal transformation. She studies the co-development of technology and society and how provision of electricity services, based on renewable energy resources, impacts on people’s lives and transforms rural communities and local economies. Her work is focused on how various contexts – from village to town – practices, institutions, and flows of people, electricity, technologies, money and knowledge shape energy systems and public services in the East African region.

 

She leads a team of social scientists working on local and global energy transitions towards more diverse and decentralized energy systems. Two themes are at the core of this work: power, politics and governance; and the energy system’s embedding in everyday life. To address these overarching themes, the team works on energy geographies, knowledge politics, innovation from East Africa, energy entrepreneurship, and policies and strategies for inclusive and just transformations.

      
Her empirical work is focused primarily on Rwanda where she co-leads a research training program (2019-) with doctoral students and postdocs jointly with University of Rwanda and its Center of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development. There, she supports the strategic development of student-led innovation for sustainability solutions, with an Innovation Hub that bridges between academia and the energy sector, providing students with skills and possibilities to develop home grown solutions to community needs.

 

Helene leads a global-scope review component within an international research program focused on inclusive energy transitions, under the IEA umbrella (Users TCP): Empowering all. Gender in policy and implementation for achieving transitions to sustainable energy (2021-). She is also a member of Scientific Advisory Committee for the OECD EPIC Household Survey Project, initiated 2021, and working on the design and analysis of the energy section of the survey. The study provides timely insights into public preferences around policy action for addressing energy poverty, reducing high energy use in households and speeding up energy transitions across the nine participating countries.

Her background is in social environmental science. Theoretically her work builds on and contributes to debates in the fields of energy and development, rural development, innovation and sustainability transitions, science and technology, socionatures, feminist theory and power theory. She has previously been affiliated as guest researcher at Sussex University and the Science and Policy Research Unit (SPRU), Brighton, UK, and at UNAM, Morelia campus, in Mexico.

Source: chalmers.se
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Showing 45 publications

2024

Technological power, complex systems, and boundary objects in global energy transitions

Helene Ahlborg
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN DYNAMICS. Vol. 6
Other text in scientific journal
2024

A conceptual analysis of gendered energy care work and epistemic injustice through a case study of Zanzibar’s Solar Mamas

Kavya Michael, Helene Ahlborg
Nature Energy. Vol. 9 (8), p. 947-954
Journal article
2024

Thirty-five years of research on energy and power: A landscape analysis

Helene Ahlborg, Kavya Michael, Samuel John Unsworth et al
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Vol. 199
Review article
2023

Dismantling Power and Bringing Reflexivity into the Eco-modern Home

Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa, Helene Ahlborg, Martin Hultman et al
Buildings and Cities. Vol. In press
Other text in scientific journal
2023

Agency, directionality, location and the geographic situatedness of knowledge making: The politics of framing in innovation research on energy

Samuel John Unsworth, Helene Ahlborg, Sofie Hellberg
Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. Vol. 49
Review article
2023

Stakeholder-student interactions in engineering education: involving busy experts in project-based courses

Helene Ahlborg
Proceedings Chalmers Conference on Teaching and Learning 2023, p. 38-45
Paper in proceeding
2022

Introducing Uncertainty. Community Driven Development and Local Collective Action Capacity

Frida Boräng, Marcia Grimes, Helene Ahlborg
Report - University of Gothenburg
2022

A global super-grid: sociotechnical drivers and barriers

Kristina Hojcková, Helene Ahlborg, Björn Sandén
Energy, Sustainability and Society. Vol. 12 (1)
Journal article
2021

Chimeras of Resource Geographies: unbounding ontologies and knowing nature

Helene Ahlborg, Andrea J. Nightingale
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Resource Geography
Book chapter
2021

Progress for On-Grid Renewable Energy Systems: Identification of Sustainability Factors for Small-Scale Hydropower in Rwanda

Geoffrey Gasore, Helene Ahlborg, Etienne Ntagwirumugara et al
Energies. Vol. 14 (4)
Journal article
2020

Anchoring innovations in oscillating domestic spaces: Why sanitation service offerings fail in informal settlements

Pauline C. Cherunya, Helene Ahlborg, B. Truffer
Research Policy. Vol. 49 (1)
Journal article
2020

Approach for flexible and adaptive distribution and transformation design in rural electrification and its implications

Jimmy Ehnberg, Helene Ahlborg, Elias Hartvigsson
Energy for Sustainable Development. Vol. 54, p. 101-110
Journal article
2020

Entrepreneurial use of context for technological system creation and expansion: The case of blockchain-based peer-to-peer electricity trading

Kristina Hojcková, Helene Ahlborg, Greg Morrison et al
Research Policy. Vol. 49 (8)
Journal article
2019

Inclusiveness by design? Reviewing sustainable electricity access and entrepreneurship from a gender perspective

Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa, Helene Ahlborg
Energy Research and Social Science. Vol. 53, p. 145-158
Journal article
2019

Bringing technology into social-ecological systems research-Motivations for a socio-technical-ecological systems approach

Helene Ahlborg, Ilse Ruiz-Mercado, Sverker Molander et al
Sustainability. Vol. 11 (7)
Review article
2018

Powering institutions for development - Organizational strategies for decentralized electricity provision

Helene Ahlborg, Frida Boräng
Energy Research and Social Science. Vol. 38, p. 77-86
Journal article
2018

Theorizing power in political ecology: the where of power in resource governance projects

Helene Ahlborg, Andrea J. Nightingale
Journal of Political Ecology. Vol. 25 (1), p. 381-401
Journal article
2018

Three electricity futures: Monitoring the emergence of alternative system architectures

Kristina Hojcková, Björn Sandén, Helene Ahlborg
Futures. Vol. 98, p. 72-89
Review article
2018

Rethinking the sustainability and institutional governance of electricity access and mini-grids: Electricity as a common pool resource

Lorenz Gollwitzer, David Ockwell, Ben Muok et al
Energy Research and Social Science. Vol. 39, p. 152-161
Journal article
2018

Electricity access and rural development: Review of complex socio-economic dynamics and casual diagrams for more appropriate energy modelling

Fabio Riva, Helene Ahlborg, Elias Hartvigsson et al
Energy for Sustainable Development. Vol. 43, p. 203-223
Review article
2018

Changing energy geographies: The political effects of a small-scale electrification project

Helene Ahlborg
Geoforum. Vol. 97, p. 268-280
Journal article
2017

Institution building in challenging contexts – energy for development in Tanzania

Frida Boräng, Helene Ahlborg
QOG working paper series. Vol. 3
Magazine article
2017

Ecology and sociotechnical systems research – motivations for theoretical and methodological integration across fields

Helene Ahlborg, Ilse Ruiz-Mercado, Sverker Molander et al
International Sustainability Transitions conference 2017
Other conference contribution
2017

Towards a conceptualization of power in energy transitions

Helene Ahlborg
Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions. Vol. 25, p. 122-141
Journal article
2016

Powering institutions – credibility, enforcement and legitimacy

Frida Boräng, Helene Ahlborg
Conference paper. Quality of Government (QoG) Conference, 26-29 January 2016, Nice, France
Other conference contribution
2016

Flexible distribution design in microgrids for dynamic power demand in low-income communities

Jimmy Ehnberg, Helene Ahlborg, Elias Hartvigsson
IEEE PES PowerAfrica Conference, Livingstone, ZAMBIA, JUN 28-JUL 03, 2016, p. 179-183
Paper in proceeding
2015

Provision of electricity to African households: The importance of democracy and institutional quality

Helene Ahlborg, Frida Boräng, Sverker C. Jagers et al
Energy Policy. Vol. 87, p. 125-135
Journal article
2015

Towards a conceptualization of power and micro-level politics in energy transitions

Helene Ahlborg
International Sustainability Transitions Conference, 25.28 August 2015, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
Other conference contribution
2015

Small-scale hydropower in Africa: Socio-technical designs for renewable energy in Tanzanian villages

Helene Ahlborg, Martin Sjöstedt
Energy Research and Social Science. Vol. 5, p. 20-33
Journal article
2015

Theorizing power in political ecology: a case study of rural electrification and technology development in Tanzania

Helene Ahlborg, Andrea J. Nightingale
Conference paper. Power in political ecology, Research Workshop, Bergen 26-27 November 2015
Other conference contribution
2014

Drivers and barriers to rural electrification in Tanzania and Mozambique - grid-extension, off-grid, and renewable energy technologies

Helene Ahlborg, Linus Hammar
Renewable Energy. Vol. 61, p. 117-124
Journal article
2012

Mismatch Between Scales of Knowledge in Nepalese Forestry: Epistemology, Power, and Policy Implications

Helene Ahlborg, Andrea J. Nightingale
Ecology and Society. Vol. 17 (4)
Journal article
2011

Drivers and barriers to diffusion, implementation and management of renewable energy systems in rural Tanzania and Mozambique – interaction between stakeholders

Helene Ahlborg
http://www.stockholmresilience.org/download/18.1af8fee012f95b1467880002363/ws12+Ahlborg.pdf
Other conference contribution
2011

Drivers and barriers to rural electrification in Tanzania and Mozambique – grid extension, off-grid and renewable energy sources

Helene Ahlborg, Linus Hammar
World Renewable Energy Congress 2011 – Sweden, 8-11 May 2011, Linköping, Sweden. Vol. 10 (57), p. 2493-2500
Paper in proceeding
2011

Drivers and barriers to rural electrification in rural Tanzania and Mozambique – interaction between stakeholders

Helene Ahlborg, Linus Hammar
Working paper: NESS 2011. Power landscapes – histories and futures. Theme: The power of power. June 14-16, 2011. Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Other conference contribution
2010

Förnybara energikällors inverkan på de svenska miljömålen

Sverker Molander, Helene Ahlborg, Rickard Arvidsson et al
Report
2009

Jämställdhet ger bättre klimat – genusperspektiv nödvändigt för att lösa klimatfrågan

Helene Ahlborg
Internationella Studier. Tema: nationalism och identitet. Utrikespolitiska Institutet (Nummer 4 2009)
Magazine article

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Showing 11 research projects

2021–2025

Empowering all. Gender in policy and implementation for achieving transitions to sustainable energy

Anna Åberg Science, Technology and Society
Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa Environmental Systems Analysis
Martin Hultman Science, Technology and Society
Kavya Michael Environmental Systems Analysis
Swedish Energy Agency

2 publications exist
2020–2025

Understanding innovation practices for inclusive and sustainable energy services

Samuel John Unsworth Environmental Systems Analysis
Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Björn Sandén Environmental Systems Analysis
GENIE, Chalmers Gender Initiative for Excellence

1 publication exists
2020–2024

Energy geography in East Africa: spatial dimensions of renewable energy transitions and sociotechnical change

Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Sverker Molander Environmental Systems Analysis
Madelene Ostwald Physical Resource Theory
SIDA

2020–2021

Societal and environmental aspects of decentralized electricity systems, part 2

Sverker Molander Environmental Systems Analysis
Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa Environmental Systems Analysis
Hans-Erik Edsand Environmental Systems Analysis
Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Chalmers

2019–2024

Research Training Partnership with University of Rwanda – Capacity Development in Sustainable Energy

Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Samuel John Unsworth Environmental Systems Analysis
Erik Ahlgren Energy Technology
Sverker Molander Environmental Systems Analysis
Daniela Michael Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development
Jimmy Ehnberg Power grids and Components
Sylvere Hategekimana Environmental Systems Analysis
SIDA

1 publication exists
2019–2020

Decentralized electrification in contexts with widespread corruption: challenges and how to handle them

Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Formas

1 publication exists
2019–2019

Societal and environmental aspects of decentralized electricity systems, part 1

Sverker Molander Environmental Systems Analysis
Olufolahan Osunmuyiwa Environmental Systems Analysis
Hans-Erik Edsand Environmental Systems Analysis
Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Chalmers

2017–2020

Islands of success. How to make development projects work in challenging contexts

Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Madelene Ostwald Physical Resource Theory
Swedish Research Council (VR)

1 publication exists
2012–2015

Providing Renewable Energy Technologies to Productive Use for Rural Electrification (STEEP-RES II)

Sverker Molander Environmental Systems Analysis
Jimmy Ehnberg Electric Power Engineering
Joseph Maskaraa Ngowi Energy Technology
Linus Hammar Environmental Systems Analysis
Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
Erik Ahlgren Energy Technology
Formas

2012–2014

Good governing of rural electrification processes in Eastern Africa – The importance of formal and informal institutions

Sverker Molander Environmental Systems Analysis
Helene Ahlborg Environmental Systems Analysis
SIDA

There might be more projects where Helene Ahlborg participates, but you have to be logged in as a Chalmers employee to see them.