scholarly journals Overcoming local constraints when developing renewable energy systems for the electrification of remote areas in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Joseph Kenfack ◽  
Joseph Voufo ◽  
Paul Salomon Ngohe Ekam ◽  
Jeanine K. Lewetchou ◽  
Urbain Nzotcha

Sub Saharan Africa has a great renewable energy potential. Rural areas are suffering from poor energy access. Some systems designed to address this issue are still faced with some difficulties. Appropriate approaches and energy plant development will help remote areas to address the issue of electricity access. The current development of some micro hydro and micro solar energy plants is of poor quality and maintenance, sometimes resulting in failures. There are also some common mistakes made when promoting (designing) an energy system in an African environment. Identifying issues from local constraints and lessons learned will contribute to determining the appropriate sizing, technology and tools to correctly develop micro hydro and micro solar energy plants.

Author(s):  
Baseem Khan ◽  
Pawan Singh

Sub-Saharan nations are facing a lot of challenges for the planning of their future energy sector. Particularly, the rural areas of Sub-Saharan nations bear scarcity of energy access as there is a lack of grid facilities, less financial and technical support, pressure from foreign institutions, excess of energy export etc. Although Ethiopia is growing as a leader of energy sector in Sub-Saharan region, it is also facing numerous problems similar to other African nations. In this paper, authors have conducted a detailed study of Ethiopian power sector. This study includes the complete background and overview of current energy sector in Ethiopia. The key factors which affect the development of energy sector such as international energy export, policy framework, role of government and regulatory framework are also discussed. It is observed that there is a huge renewable energy potential in Ethiopia which is under utilized, and can be used as a major resource for rural energy access. The authors recommend that a new policy framework and subsidies for renewable energy generation, motivational awareness, technical training, improvement in organizational efficiency and managerial skills, arrangement of financial instruments for new projects and easy ICTs based mobile banking programme should be initiated as well as improved to achieve sustainable growth, and 100% energy access by increasing renewable energy production.


Jurnal MIPA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Imriani Moroki ◽  
Alfrets Septy Wauran

Energi terbarukan adalah salah satu masalah energi paling terkenal saat ini. Ada beberapa sumber potensial energi terbarukan. Salah satu energi terbarukan yang umum dan sederhana adalah energi matahari. Masalah besar ketersediaan energi saat ini adalah terbatasnya sumber energi konvensional seperti bahan bakar. Ini semua sumber energi memiliki banyak masalah karena memiliki jumlah energi yang terbatas. Penting untuk membuat model dan analisis berdasarkan ketersediaan sumber energi. Energi matahari adalah energi terbarukan yang paling disukai di negara-negara khatulistiwa saat ini. Tergantung pada produksi energi surya di daerah tertentu untuk memiliki desain dan analisis energi matahari yang baik. Untuk memiliki analisis yang baik tentang itu, dalam makalah ini kami membuat model prediksi energi surya berdasarkan data iradiasi matahari. Kami membuat model energi surya dan angin dengan menggunakan Metode Autoregresif Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA). Model ini diimplementasikan oleh R Studio yang kuat dari statistik. Sebagai hasil akhir, kami mendapatkan model statistik solar yang dibandingkan dengan data aktualRenewable energy is one of the most fomous issues of energy today. There are some renewable energy potential sources. One of the common n simple renewable energy is solar energy. The big problem of the availability of energy today is the limeted sources of conventional enery like fuel. This all energy sources have a lot of problem because it has a limited number of energy. It is important to make a model and analysis based on the availability of the energy sources. Solar energy is the most prefered renewable energy in equator countries today. It depends on the production of solar energy in certain area to have a good design and analysis of  the solar energy. To have a good analysis of it, in this paper we make a prediction model of solar energy based on the data of solar irradiation. We make the solar and wind enery model by using Autoregresif Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Method. This model is implemented by R Studio that is a powerfull of statistical. As the final result, we got the statistical model of solar comparing with the actual data


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2189
Author(s):  
Cesare Caputo ◽  
Ondřej Mašek

Energy access and waste management are two of the most pressing developmental and environmental issues on a global level to help mitigate the accelerating impacts of climate change. They are particularly relevant in Sub–Saharan Africa where electrification rates are significantly below global averages and rural areas are lacking a formal waste management sector. This paper explores the potential of integrating solar energy into a biomass pyrolysis unit as a potentially synergetic solution to both issues. The full design of a slow pyrolysis batch reactor targeted at biochar production, following a strict cost minimization approach, is presented in light of the relevant considerations. SPEAR is powered using a Cassegrain optics parabolic dish system, integrated into the reactor via a manual tracking system and optically optimized with a Monte-Carlo ray tracing methodology. The design approach employed has led to the development an overall cost efficient system, with the potential to achieve optical efficiencies up 72% under a 1.5° tracking error. The outputs of the system are biochar and electricity, to be used for soil amendment and energy access purposes, respectively. There is potential to pyrolyze a number of agricultural waste streams for the region, producing at least 5 kg of biochar per unit per day depending on the feedstock employed. Financial assessment of SPEAR yields a positive Net Present Value (NPV) in nearly all scenarios evaluated and a reasonable competitiveness with small scale solar for electrification objectives. Finally, SPEAR presents important positive social and environmental externalities and should be feasibly implementable in the region in the near term.


2007 ◽  
Vol 18 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 421-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md. Tarik-ul-Islam ◽  
Sara Ferdousi

In Bangladesh, annual per capita energy consumption is approximately 200 KgOE3, which is among the lowest in the world. Presently, 70% of the population does not have access to electricity in Bangladesh (GoB, 2004). The average system loss is 20.97% (GoB, 2006). The demand for power is estimated to increase 300 MW annually (GoB, 1996a). In contrast, concerns have been raised about the conventional energy production from fossil fuels that significantly contributes to environmental degradation at the local, regional and global levels. This situation calls for adoption of sustainable energy strategies that permeate every level of the economy and can provide rural dwellers with the services that they want and need. With this backdrop, Bangladesh has been experiencing a gradual shift towards exploring renewable energy resources as a means to fuel rural development in the off-grid areas. The country is endowed with abundant renewable energy resources. The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), with its mandate for sustainable rural development has embarked on a program for demonstration and transfer of renewable energy technologies in the off-grid rural areas. The project “Sustainable Rural Energy (SRE)‘ has been conceived within the overall framework of ‘Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP)’ with financial support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This project has already completed a number of renewable energy installations demonstrating diversified community applications of these technologies for livelihood and socio-economic improvement of the people living in the remote off-grid villages. The lessons learned from these demonstration plants reveal that, with careful forward planning, renewable energy can provide far-reaching economic and social benefits to people living in remote rural areas in Bangladesh. The private sectors and NGOs (Non-government organizations) have started to take part in the process of renewable energy development with great promise and enthusiasm. However, the process encounters policy, institutional and technological barriers, which are critical for continued development in this sector.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 56-61
Author(s):  
Ahmet Erhan AKAN

The decrease in fossil-based energy sources and increasing environmental problems increase the tendency to renewable energy sources day by day. The potential of renewable energy sources differs according to the region where the energy will be produced. For this reason, it is crucial to conduct a good feasibility study that deals with the selected systems from a technical and economic point of view before making an investment decision on energy conversion systems based on renewable energy sources. In this study, the most suitable equipment and capacities were investigated by examining the techno-economic analysis of a hybrid system created with wind-solar renewable energies for a detached house, which is considered off-grid, in a rural area of Tekirdağ province (40o58.7ı N, 27o30.7ı E). Investigations were carried out using the HOMER Pro (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable) program. The wind and solar energy potential of Tekirdağ province were obtained from the NASA renewable energy resources database added to the HOMER Pro program. The daily electricity requirement of the sample house was chosen as 11.27 kWh, and the current peak electrical load was chosen as 2.39 kW. A wind turbine is connected to the AC busbars, solar collectors and battery group connected to the DC busbars, and a converter that converts energy between AC and DC busbars in the energy conversion system. In order to determine the optimum capacities of the system elements, 27486 different simulations were performed by HOMER Pro. The selection of the most suitable system among these was determined according to the lowest net present cost (NPC) value. In addition, the energy production capacities that will occur in the case of different wind speeds were also investigated. Accordingly, the system to be installed with a solar panel with a capacity of 6.25 kW, PV-MPPT with a capacity of 1 kW, 2 wind turbines with a capacity of 1 kW, 8 Lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 6V-167 Ah, and a converter with a capacity of 2.5 kW has been determined will generate electrical energy of 5433 kWh per year. In addition, it has been determined that 61.8% of this produced energy will be obtained from solar energy and 38.2% from wind energy, and the simple payback period of the investment will be 14 years. It is thought that this study will provide valuable information to researchers and investors.


Author(s):  
Liudmila V. Nefedova ◽  
Alexander Alexsvitch Solovyev ◽  
Olena Popova

The prospects of increasing access to electricity for the population of rural areas of Africa are considered. The main international funds and organizations aimed at sustainable energy development in Africa are described. An analysis of the state and possible options for using renewable energy sources for this purpose in decentralized energy supply through the creation of mini-grids or stand-alone systems is given. The risks by developing renewable energy sources in rural areas and modern mechanisms for financing in solar energy are presented.


Author(s):  
Liudmila V. Nefedova ◽  
Alexander Alexsvitch Solovyev ◽  
Olena Popova

The prospects of increasing access to electricity for the population of rural areas of Africa are considered. The main international funds and organizations aimed at sustainable energy development in Africa are described. An analysis of the state and possible options for using renewable energy sources for this purpose in decentralized energy supply through the creation of mini-grids or stand-alone systems is given. The risks by developing renewable energy sources in rural areas and modern mechanisms for financing in solar energy are presented.


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 105-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udochukwu B. Akuru ◽  
Ogbonnaya I. Okoro ◽  
Chibuike F. Maduko

The DESERTEC project, a European Union (EU) initiative to harness solar energy by means of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) from Africa for use in Europe, shows the enormous potential that exists in alternative energy sources for the sub-region once there is political will. The Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Corporation (TREC), a network of scientists and politicians who have taken it upon themselves to solve Europe’s energy problem using sun from Africa, conducted three studies which evaluated the potential of renewable energy resources in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the expected needs for water and power in EU-MENA between now and 2050 and issues relating to the construction of an electricity transmission grid connecting the EU and MENA (EU-MENA-Connection), with a formula to turn the North African desert sun into electricity and transport same to Europe. This paper harnesses the TREC fact-finding studies in order to estimate how much the same ideas can be applied in many other parts of the world, Nigeria in particular. Investigation reveals that this association exists with huge potentials for an energy-starved country like Nigeria in harnessing her abundant hot sun in the north, which could go a long way in meeting the energy needs in that part of the country and beyond. Other benefits include unlimited supplies of clean electricity, agricultural gains, and creation of new industries, new jobs and new sources of income.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Williams S Ebhota ◽  
Freddie L Inambao

Flowing water has hydraulic energy that can be transformed into electrical energy, sub-Saharan Africa has an abundance of hydro resources that are untapped. In this study, various barriers limiting the use of small hydropower to tap the abundant hydro potentials for power generation are discussed. These barriers include insufficient fund; lack of adequate manufacturing infrastructure; lack of adequate power generation and distribution policies; inaccurate hydrological data; insufficient human and power infrastructure capacities; and inadequate domestic and regional participation in design and manufacture of small hydropower component devices and systems. This study sees hydro as a cleaner energy source and small hydropower as the best power system for rural and remote areas and for stand-alone electrification. For power sustainability in the region, public–private partnership, domestication of small hydropower technologies and less reliance on foreign technologies and international support are key factors.


2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 1408-1434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirela Ionela Aceleanu ◽  
Andreea Claudia Șerban ◽  
Diana Mihaela Țîrcă ◽  
Liana Badea

The study aims to analyze the importance of renewable energy and to assess the progress made by Romania comparing to European Union and to targets set by Community institutions. We consider that both economic issues such as job creation or reduction of import dependency, but also ecological issues including reducing greenhouse gas emissions are important in discussions about renewable energy in rural areas in Romania. By using linear regression it has been identified a strong correlation in Romania, for period 2004–2014, between share of renewable resources in gross final energy consumption and import dependency. Taking into account that energetic independence is a problem of great importance for each country, the paper aims to identify unused renewable energy potential in rural areas and also opportunities for developing renewable energy sector based on the resources that can be exploited with high efficiency, action that will generate economic and social positive effects. Our results reveal that Romania has a high development potential of rural areas using renewable energy because Romania has a high volume of renewable resources (sun, wind, water). Under these circumstances it is necessary to adopt the policies in order to support projects referring to these types of energy.


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