The economics and livelihoods impacts of stand-alone, small-scale (less than 2kW) renewable energy technologies for rural electrification are assessed using a representative sample of 531 rural households in three provinces of Western China. Over 20 small wind, photovoltaic (PV) and wind-PV hybrid configurations were evaluated for their potential to meet local electricity needs. The assessment integrates lifecycle costing and geographic information system (GIS) methods in order to provide a comprehensive resource, economic, technological and livelihoods assessment. The results of the analysis indicate that off-grid renewable energy technologies can provide cost-effective and reliable alternatives to conventional generator sets in addressing rural livelihoods energy requirements. Findings also demonstrate the existence of a sizeable market potential for stand-alone renewable energy systems in Western China. In support of market development for these technologies, policy recommendations are provided. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.