Developing Low-Cost Solar PV System for Rural Applications

Research Paper (postgraduate) , 2018 , 25 Pages

Engineering - Power Engineering

Electricity is an essential thing for a human life as it influences every part of people's lives and it is important to the effective functioning of a healthy economy and to ensure a healthy population. However, there are still millions of people deprived of electricity, most of them in the rural areas where electrification experiences challenges such as low profitability, high economic investments or difficulty of operation, among others. At the moment, solar energy has turned into a popular and meaningful alternative energy source to meet specific demands around the world due to the climate change and global warming caused by non-renewable energy resources. The aim of this project is to develop a simple and cost-effective Photovoltaic (PV) system for the rural regions where grid electricity is not available. Specifically, the study will focus on the development of PV system in Kitui County. The research will use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect the relevant data. This proposed project will help improve the access and transmission of electricity in Kitui County; thus, enhancing the lives of people in the region.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABBREVIATIONS

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study
1.2 Problem Statement
1.3 Justification
1.4 Objectives
1.4.1 Main Objective
1.4.2 Specific Objectives
1.5 Study Scope

CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Theoretical Background
2.2 Energy Demand, Energy policy and SBT in Kenya

CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1 Study Location
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Sample Design
3.4 Data Collection Methods and Procedure
3.5 Data Processing and Analysis

CHAPTER FOUR: WORK PLAN AND BUDGET
4.1 Work Plan
4.2 Budget

References

ABBREVIATIONS

Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Indicators For The Sustainability Decentralized Low-Cost Pv Systems (Feron, 2016)

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: GDP growth for the period 2004 to 2018, Kenya

Figure 2: Per capita GDP relative to per capita commercial energy consumption

Figure 3: Configuration of the proposed PV System

ABSTRACT

Electricity is an essential thing for a human life as it influences every part of people's lives and it is important to the effective functioning of a healthy economy and to ensure a healthy population. However, there are still millions of people deprived of electricity, most of them in the rural areas where electrification experiences challenges such as low profitability, high economic investments or difficulty of operation, among others. At the moment, solar energy has turned into a popular and meaningful alternative energy source to meet specific demands around the world due to the climate change and global warming caused by non-renewable energy resources. The aim of this project is to develop a simple and cost-effective Photovoltaic (PV) system for the rural regions where grid electricity is not available. Specifically, the study will focus on the development of PV system in Kitui County. The research will use both quantitative and qualitative approaches to collect the relevant data. This proposed project will help improve the access and transmission of electricity in Kitui County; thus, enhancing the lives of people in the region.

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of Study

Beyond the reasons that rationalize the right of every human to have access to contemporary sources of energy, the significance of electricity as an energy vector, from the first application of the late nineteenth century to today, lies in the fact that it is easy for conveyance and simple to operate. Electricity is an essential thing for a human life as it influences every part of people's lives and it is important to the effective functioning of a healthy economy and to ensure a healthy population. At the moment, there are still millions of people deprived of electricity, most of them in the rural areas where electrification experiences challenges such as low profitability, high economic investments or difficulty of operation, among others (Yang et al., 2018). In these cases, electrification by means of solar systems has aimed to be an effective solution. Solar energy is known to be a great renewable resource which can help curb the environmental problems caused by mostly used non-renewable energy resources.

It should be noted that historical and current energy systems are dominated by fossil fuels which generate Carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (GNG) – the primary driver of global climate change (Begum et al., 2015). Some of the most developed economies such as the United States, China, Russia, and Brazil account for two-thirds of global energy, with the production of crude oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear and hydro-electricity. This leaves the rest of the world with a share of less than 30 percent (Yang et al., 2018). However, in the coming years, the energy consumption is expected to grow in low and middle-income economies. Most of the countries are trying to devise ways and means of significantly enhancing investment in primary energy, particularly cleaner fossil fuels and renewable resources, in order to achieve meaningful social development and economic growth.

As one of the major renewable energy resources, solar energy is being used in most countries to balance the global energy consumption and minimize the global climate change. One of the key advantages of solar energy is that it does not exhaust unlike the conventional forms of energy. The solar panel is used to convert photons of light from the sun to a useable energy. Within the diverse solar panel devices, the photovoltaic (PV) module is commonly applied for energy conversion. Photovoltaic is based on the concept of charge separation at an interface between two materials of different conduction mechanism (Zhang et al., 2013). A PV installation typically encompasses an array of photovoltaic modules, an inverter, batteries and interconnection wiring. To date, this field has been dominated by solid-state junction devices, usually made of silicon, and profiting from the experience and material availability resulting from the semiconductor industry. Through the application of PV devices, it is possible to generate electricity in rural or remote areas competitively.

1.2 Problem Statement

Electrical power access plays the essential role in accelerating economic development by improving health and life standards. But many rural areas in developing countries have no access to electricity. In particular, the access to electricity in rural Kenya has been low for many years due to lack of an electrification that is economical and easy to operate. The government has largely invested in a centralized grid system of electrification that is costly to expand and maintain in the rural areas. Currently, 43 percent of Kenyans have no access to electricity and this will continue until 2030 due to population growth. Among 70 percent of the population living in Kenyan rural areas, only less than 20 percent of these population have access to electricity (Rose et al., 2016). The conventional electricity system for rural electrification is not succeeded in satisfying the electricity consumption of the rural people because rural areas are mostly far from the centralized grid system. The planners – Kenya Power & Lightening Company – do not give a priority for rural electrification as it does not directly result in economic regeneration or increased productivity. In this case, the introduction of sustainable energy presents an opportunity to offer a large number of people with a better source of energy leading to better quality of life while minimizing the impact of global warming that is caused by non-renewable energy resources. An off-grid Solar PV energy could be one of the feasible means of providing electricity to the isolated communities.

1.3 Justification

Approximately 30 million people of Kenyan population live in rural areas. From that number, only 10 percent have access to the national grid system of electrification. The government of Kenya has a very strong policy to provide electricity to people in the rural areas (Rose et al., 2016). However, there are numerous challenges in the implementation process such as improper planning, inadequate finances and lack of appropriate technology. The centralized grid system of electrification is sometimes not proper in some areas for instance in the Eastern region, where the topography is not well balanced. Also, the expansion and maintenance of the centralized electric grid is very costly and may consume much time. The country has a wide range of renewable energy resources and this could help establish an off-grid PV system of electrification in the rural areas. Extensive experience and research have indicated that this technology is the most efficient for rural electrification.

1.4 Objectives

1.4.1 Main Objective

To develop a low-cost photovoltaic system for rural applications

1.4.2 Specific Objectives

To perform solar energy resource potential measurement in Kitui County

To investigate the reflectivity effects of a cell and establish an excellent anti-reflective coating that results in the highest efficiency

To determine the fill factor of a photovoltaic system with an excellent anti-reflective coating and develop performance characteristics curves.

1.5 Study Scope

Electricity generation from PV systems has great potential to provide substantial amounts of power to the population, from a clean and renewable source – sunlight. However, for the PV system to be successful, it must be competitively valued to that of conventional power generation. It must enhance efficiency while utilizing fewer resources. The proposed PV system is meant to be effective as it will utilize low-cost materials and design stems, however, it is not effective as compared to more established technologies. As there are many rural areas where the technology can be implemented, it will be challenging to develop a wide-ranging PV system due to time and resources limitations. Therefore, the system will only be based in a moderately rural region in Kitui County. The region has specific and favorable conditions that can lead to the high generation of solar energy.

CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Theoretical Background

Failures in rural electrification have often been attributed to the lack of consistency in standards, regulations and laws. According to Feron, (2016), unexpected changes in the policy can lead to negative impacts on investments and generate uncertainty. Besides, a wide range of studies has underscored the fact that sustainable institutions should be able to adapt to the future needs of the population. It is important for the institutions to preserve themselves over time and consider the needs and interests of the society. In this case, decentralization has been mentioned as one of the key indicators for sustainable institutions (Díaz et al., 2011). Eziyi and Krothapalli (2014) emphasize that a centralized system may inhibit the implementation and acceptance of a technology at the local level. However, Eziyi and Krothapalli (2014) have pointed out the fact that decentralization may be challenging if local institutions do not have the required expertise, understanding and management capability to administer the services.

Indeed, many studies have demonstrated that the inadequacy of expert know-how on renewable energies can affect the sustainability of decentralized low-cost PV systems. It is argued that the economic sustainability of electrification solutions needs adequate resources and affordability (Sutar et al., 2018). The other significant indicators in the energy sector to ensure economic sustainability includes the cost-effectiveness and the reliability of supply. Furthermore, due to the fact that the energy consumption is highly related to income; rural electrification efforts are expected to improve the standard of living in the area (Feron, 2016). But in cases where electrification projects aim at a higher productive outcome of rural communities, it is essential to integrate complementary infrastructure, including education and training.

As Soares et al. (2013) asserts, the implementation of PV systems in rural areas requires considerations of the environmental sustainability. Simply, this means reducing the negative implications of energy solutions in the environment. The implications may be about the proportion of greenhouse gases, such as SO2, CO2 or NO; deforestation and loss of biodiversity or local impacts such as air pollution prompted by noise or visual disturbances. Sutar et al. (2018) add that the rural electrification project should be in a position to ensure equity or disparity criteria between diverse communities. Decisions should be made as regards to who will have access to energy and how much energy is offered to a specific household. Above and beyond, attention should be focused on the accuracy and efficiency of a system for particular environmental or socio-cultural conditions where it will be implemented. This must go hand in hand with the social acceptance, whereby an inclusive and participatory approach is used to determine whether the local community is in need of the technology being implemented. It is thus crucial for ensuring socio-cultural sustainability to embrace the idea of social acceptance, which in this case refers to the engaging the community. In fact, as stressed by López and Macias (2017), the socio-cultural context determines to what extent a technology is established.

Abbildung in dieser Leseprobe nicht enthalten

Table1: Indicators For The Sustainability Decentralized Low-Cost Pv Systems (Feron, 2016)

2.2 Energy Demand, Energy policy and SBT in Kenya

Kenya is in a very interesting development phase as far as domestic energy requirements are concerned. In the past years, the country has experienced challenges of unreliable, expensive and unsustainable energy use supporting a deteriorating industrial and manufacturing sectors. This is because of ineffective energy infrastructure that can no longer meet the modern day requirements as envisioned in the country's economic blueprint, the Kenya Vision 2030 (The World Bank, 2018). At the same time, the country has recently made some welcome discoveries in the form of coal, oil and gas deposits that could significantly change the structure of the economy, with major contributions to public revenue as well as the impact on other economic sectors.

Kenyan economy has witnessed unprecedented growth over the last ten years. In this period, effective structural and economic reforms have been implemented to restore the economy with the lines of a stable macroeconomic environment, reduce poverty and enhance equality, expand and develop infrastructure, and enhance governance (Kimuyu et al., 2012). Despite the reforms, Kenya still faces numerous economic challenges, for example, a decline of gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates (such as between 2010 and 2017) – Figure 1. The decrease in GDP has affected the important welfare developments, further increasing inequality, unemployment, inflation, corruption and poverty.

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• Author: Joe Wessh (Author)
• Publication Year: 2018
• Pages: 25
• Catalog Number: V493831
• ISBN (eBook): 9783346000569
• Language: English
• Tags: Low-Cost Solar PV System