Nearly 750 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity. Off-grid hybrid renewable energy systems offer a promising solution for expanding electrification in remote areas. However, greenhouse gas emissions associated with their life cycle—including material extraction, manufacturing, transportation, construction, and end-of-life processes—are often overlooked, overestimating their potential to contribute to electrification while minimising emissions. This study proposes a methodological framework for assessing and mitigating life cycle emissions from the early planning stages of electrification projects. The framework is applied to a case study in Honduras, where a system combining solar photovoltaic panels, a biomass gasification unit, and battery storage is designed to provide electricity to an isolated community. The results show that emissions are primarily concentrated in the manufacturing of solar panels and the use of concrete for structural components. By applying targeted mitigation strategies at different life cycle stages, total emissions can be reduced by up to 31%. In particular, activities where the use of concrete can be avoided, replaced, or reduced, offer the greatest potential for decarbonisation. The improved system’s emission factor is estimated at 0.12 kgCO₂e/kWh, suggesting a meaningful contribution to emission reductions where electricity generation relies heavily on fossil fuels, with emission factors around 0.6 kgCO₂e/kWh.

This research examines the drivers and barriers influencing the adoption of decentralised renewable energy technologies such as rooftop photovoltaic solar systems and consumer battery energy storage systems. Using the analytic network process, expert input from government, academia, and industry was used to prioritise a range of social, economic, institutional, and technical factors in both countries. The results show that while fiscal incentives and stabilised energy prices are common drivers in both contexts, Colombia faces stronger economic and technical barriers, such as limited access to funding and techno-economic uncertainty. Conversely, Spain's decentralised energy transition is primarily hindered by techno-economic uncertainty, challenges related to the electricity tariff structure, and the lack of technical definition and standardisation. This comparative analysis offers novel insights into expert-based priorities across two contrasting national contexts. Based on the findings, it is recommended that Colombia focus on enhancing access to finance and strengthening regulatory clarity, while Spain should refine existing frameworks and simplify technical procedures to facilitate the scaling up of RET adoption.