Benefits from a renewable energy village electrification system

More than 100 years after Edison's life changing discovery, 1.6–2 billion people around the globe still live without light, in dark and smoke filled homes. The remote and impoverished Himalayan villages of upper Humla, in north-west Nepal, belong to some of the 2.4 billion people who still depend on the use of traditional biomass for their daily energy services such as cooking, heating and light. These activities on open fireplaces have a direct chronic impact on the health and extremely low life expectancy of the women and children along with devastating deforestation.There is a strong relationship between prosperity and access to electricity. The more remote and isolated communities in Nepal generally live in great poverty. Eighty percent of Nepal's 28.5 million people live in rural areas, with around half of these so remote, that neither a road, nor the national grid is ever likely to reach them.While Nepal has no fossil fuel resources, it is a country that is rich in renewable energy resources such as hydropower and solar energy. These abundant and locally available renewable energy resources can be tapped into with appropriate locally developed technologies. Generating and storing electrical energy derived from these rich local energy resources can provide for appropriate and sustainable lighting, which brings potential health, education, social and economic benefits to the people who have previously lived in homes with excessive indoor air pollution.This paper describes the living conditions of some villages in upper Humla, and the possible benefits of a simple village electrification system that provides basic lighting for the homes and the consequent improvements in the living conditions of the villagers.     

The delivery of low-cost,low-carbon rural energy services

The provision of both electrical and mechanical energy services can play a critical role in poverty alleviation for the almost two billion rural users who currently lack access to electricity. Distributed generation using diesel generators remains a common means of electricity provision for rural communities throughout the world. Due to rising fuel costs, the need to address poverty, and consequences of global warming, it is necessary to develop cost efficient means of reducing fossil fuel consumption in isolated diesel microgrids. Based on a case study in Nicaragua, a set of demand and supply side measures are ordered by their annualized costs in order to approximate an energy supply curve. The curve highlights significant opportunities for reducing the costs of delivering energy services while also transitioning to a carbon-free electrical system. In particular, the study demonstrates the significant cost savings resulting from the implementation of conventional metering, efficient residential lighting, and electricity generation using renewable energy sources.     

Photovoltaic Power Generation: a 1987 Review

Over the last few years photovoltaics has become a mature product. In all countries around the world, photovoltaic consumer products and remote power systems have been sold in increasing numbers representing a total of 100 MW. Generally speaking, photovoltaics is currently the cheapest power source up to an installed capacity of a few kW. Many rural needs for lighting, telecommunication, water and health care are in that power range. Therefore, applications and use of photovoltaic systems have a particular appeal for developing countries. But also in industrialised countries, photovoltaics is a key option for decentralised power generation.

In the long term photovoltaic technology will continue to become cheaper. Probably by the turn of the century photovoltaic power generation will become an option for centralised electricity generation as well.     

PV hybrid systems for rural electrification in Thailand

Photovoltaic (PV) hybrid systems can make a positive contribution to the sustainability of rural communities in developing countries that do not have access to electricity grid. Integration of solar photovoltaic system with diesel generator for remote and rural areas would assist in expanding the electricity access in the tropical region. A survey of PV hybrid system in Thailand during the last decade regarding to status of technology, performance in terms of technical and economic aspects, and their prospects has been presented in this paper.     

Global warming and developing countries: The possibility of a solution by accelerating development

There are concerns that the rapid development of the developing countries will hasten global warming and exacerbate resource problems. That is to say, it is quite possible that we cannot solve the North-South problem while at the same time containing global warming and conserving fossil fuels. But this paper attempts to show that, on the contrary, the fast development of these countries might very well bring about a long-term solution of the global warming problem. A model incorporating development stage theory is built and used to calculate by region the world's economic growth, population growth, energy supply and demand, CO₂ emissions and other items up to the end of the 21st century. Results indicated that if in 2100 world population is about 10 billion (it was 5.1 billion in 1990), world GDP is US$200 trillion (1987 prices; it was US$20 trillion in 1990) and CO₂ emissions are 10 billion tonnes (carbon equivalent; they were 5.8 billion tonnes in 1990), there will be fairly good prospects for solving the North-South, fossil fuel exhaustion and global warming problems. Making this scenario happen will require accelerating development of the developing countries so they quickly join the ranks of the developed countries, expediting the shift to renewable energy in the developed countries by imposing carbon taxes, transferring energy saving technologies from the developed to the developing countries, and other efforts.     

Solar subsidies and economic efficiency

In this paper the case for subsidies for solar energy to counter inefficient pricing practices of electric utilities, hidden subsidies to non-solar fuels and tax law biases are examined. The conclusion reached for two of three regions in the USA in the case of solar energy replacing electricity for hot water heating is that, far from offsetting biases against solar energy, current subsidies reinforce pre-existing biases in favour of the use of solar energy systems.     

Future demand for electricity in Nigeria

Availability and reliability of electricity supplies have always been vexed issue in Nigeria. With an estimated population of 130 million people in AD 2005, Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and belongs to the group of countries with the lowest electricity consumption per capita in the continent. Nigeria is also ranked among the poorest countries in the world. This paper examines the likely trend in the demand for electricity over the next 25 years under the assumptions that (i) there is a rapid economic development such that Nigeria transforms from low- to middle-income economy during this period, (ii) Nigeria meets the millennium development goals (MDG) in AD 2015, and (iii) the country achieves the status of an industrializing nation. For these to happen, this paper projects that electric-power generation will have to rise from the current capacity of 6500 MW to over 160 GW in AD 2030. This level of supply will be significant enough to increase the per capita electricity consumption to about 5000 kWh per capita by the year 2030. Even then, this just compares with the AD 2003 per capital consumption of some industrializing countries. Analysis of the level of investment required to meet the projected power demand indicates that annual investment cost will rise from US$3.8 billion in AD 2006 to a peak of US$21 billion in AD 2028. The total investment stream over the 25 year period comes to US$262 billion or roughly US$10 billion per annum.     

Sustainable electricity generation for rural and peri-urban populations of sub-Saharan Africa: The “flexy-energy” concept

Access to energy is known as a key issue for poverty reduction. Electrification rate of sub-Saharan countries is one of the lowest among the developing countries. However, this part of the world has natural energy resources that could help raising its access to energy, then its economic development. An original “flexy-energy” concept of hybrid solar PV/diesel/biofuel power plant, without battery storage, is performed in this paper. This concept is developed in order to not only make access to energy possible for rural and peri-urban populations in Africa (by reducing the electricity generation cost) but also to make the electricity production sustainable in these areas. For landlocked countries like Burkina Faso, this concept could help them reducing their electricity bill (then their fuel consumption) and accelerate their rural and peri-urban electrification coverage.     

Financing off-grid rural electrification: Country case Nepal

More than 61% of the total population of Nepal has no access to electricity. The majority is poor and live in rural areas. In recent years, rural electrification has had high priority in government policies, and micro hydro and solar PV have been the most commonly adopted off-grid technologies. The financial mix in the off-grid rural electrification is generally characterized by subsidy, equity and credit. In this paper, we analyze how rural electrification has been funded and the impact of subsidy policies on the renewable energy market, focusing on the projects implemented under the ‘subsidy policy 2000’. Our study is based on official data obtained from authorities in Nepal and a survey carried out among private supply and installation companies, NGOs and financial institutions. The study shows that awareness levels in adopting RE-technologies and willingness of people to access and pay for electricity have increased significantly. However, there is a huge financial gap between the cost of electrification and the affordability. Bridging this gap is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed for the smooth expansion of rural electrification in the country.     

Research and development aspects of pico-hydro power

Intensive explorations of different alternatives and renewable energy resources are currently being conducted worldwide. Pico-hydro power is at the forefront of these options because it is considered as the most cost-effective renewable energy option to provide electricity for rural areas, and to enable energy to be derived from extremely low head and flow streams of 1 m and 1 L/s, respectively. This review discusses the research and development aspects of pico-hydro and the factors influencing the success of the pico-hydro scheme in rural areas. These factors are also likely to increase the demand for pico in a rural energy market. This paper concurs with the view held by many researchers and experts that customs duty imposed on pico-hydro components is a major obstacle to the dissemination of renewable energy because it raises original cost by up to 40%. The future of the pico-hydro market looks prosperous because there is substantial availability of low head and flow hydroelectric sites in less developed countries. In the future, technology can play a crucial role in the lighting of houses in remote communities, with the energy source derived from domestic water supply.     

Utilizing demand-side management as tool for promoting solar water heaters in countries where electricity is highly subsidized

In many countries, especially those that produce petrol, electricity consumption is often subsidized. This policy leads to very low electricity costs and precludes the widespread use of solar water heaters, which have proven to be economically viable and are extensively utilized in other countries. Herein, we propose a new demand-side planning methodology to deal with such cases and perform an experimental finding–based economic assessment to study the feasibility of reducing subsidies in return for providing brand new solar water heaters to consumers. Specifically, solar water heaters are proposed to be supplied and installed free of charge as part of a demand-side management program in the Erbil province (Kurdistan region, Iraq). Assuming a duration of ten years, we show that the proposed project has a net present value of approximately US$776.6 million and requires an investment of US$90 million, further demonstrating that the successful launch of this project should dramatically reduce the winter peak load of 54 MW.     

Recycling mobile phone batteries for lighting

The fast evolution of technology and over production of mobile electronic devices leads to their short usage period and therefore may be a source of environmental pollution and contributes to global warming. Fortunately, due to the properties of the lithium ion (Li-ion) battery that powers these mobile devices, there is a lot of life left for the battery when the device is sent to recycle. This e-waste can be valued by giving to the batteries a second life as energy storage for solar lighting. In fact, it can be a real opportunity for access to electricity in remote rural areas of developing countries for low cost and quality lighting. We show that the usage of recycled mobile phone batteries associated with a solar panel and a light emitting diode (LED) lamp can be a good replacement for candles and kerosene lamps that are hazardous and only give poor lighting quality. Such a replacement can be done for a much lower cost than current expenses, better quality of light and contributes to poverty alleviation and jobs creation. This overcomes the challenges of cost and durability in small off-grid photovoltaic systems.     

New Technologies for Rural Lighting in Developing Countries: White LEDs

Most of the third-world rural areas, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are still without electricity. The few existing off-grid and upcoming installations are remote and characterized by limited resources that call for drastic conservation measures. For the majority of these emerging consumers, lighting is the priority load. Rural electrical lighting load models are characterized by inaccuracies due to technical omissions, highlighted in this paper, and result in energy wastage. Solutions to the third-world problems need not follow similar paths to those of the developed world. In fact, cutting-edge technologies like the cell phone have already leapfrogged rural communications where expensive infrastructure had been perennially cited as the impediment. In this paper, another futuristic technology, the white light emitting diode (LED), for general lighting, is poised to create yet another revolution in African rural electrification.     

Diverting indirect subsidies from the nuclear industry to the photovoltaic industry: Energy and financial returns

Nuclear power and solar photovoltaic energy conversion often compete for policy support that governs economic viability. This paper compares current subsidization of the nuclear industry with providing equivalent support to manufacturing photovoltaic modules. Current U.S. indirect nuclear insurance subsidies are reviewed and the power, energy and financial outcomes of this indirect subsidy are compared to equivalent amounts for indirect subsidies (loan guarantees) for photovoltaic manufacturing using a model that holds economic values constant for clarity. The preliminary analysis indicates that if only this one relatively ignored indirect subsidy for nuclear power was diverted to photovoltaic manufacturing, it would result in more installed power and more energy produced by mid-century. By 2110 cumulative electricity output of solar would provide an additional 48,600 TWh over nuclear worth $5.3 trillion. The results clearly show that not only does the indirect insurance liability subsidy play a significant factor for nuclear industry, but also how the transfer of such an indirect subsidy from the nuclear to photovoltaic industry would result in more energy over the life cycle of the technologies.     

Solution to enhance the acceptability of solar-powered LED lighting technology

Unavailability of grid based electricity is a major challenge facing a majority of developing countries, particularly the population in rural areas. Consequently, people are forced to use the kerosene lantern in much of the world for lighting. However, fuel-based lighting is contributing to global warming and causing serious health related problems. To address these issues, several developing countries are now encouraging the use of sustainable clean lighting systems – solar-powered light emitting diode system. In the present paper, barriers and mechanisms to boost the use of solar-powered lighting are discussed.     

Off-grid energy services for the poor: Introducing LED lighting in the Millennium Villages Project in Malawi

Lanterns that use light-emitting diodes (LEDs) powered by batteries, which are in turn charged by grid electricity or small solar panels, have emerged as a cost-competitive alternative to kerosene and other fuel-based lighting technologies, offering brighter light for longer duration at equal or lower cost over time. This paper presents lessons learned from the introduction of solar LED lanterns in rural Malawi. We discuss a market-based program using new and existing local commercial structures such as vendors and cooperatives to sell lanterns to village households without subsidy. The paper addresses issues of enterprise development, community interactions, and survey data on lighting use and expenditure patterns before and after LED lantern introduction. Households that purchased a lantern reported high levels of satisfaction with the LED lanterns as well as savings in annual kerosene expenditure comparable to the price of the lantern. These households also reported monthly incomes comparable to the price of the LED lanterns whereas non-adopters surveyed reported monthly incomes about half this level, suggesting a need for financing options to maximize adoption among poorer populations in rural areas. These results suggest that similar market based models of LED lighting technology dissemination have the potential to be replicated and scaled up in other off-grid regions in developing countries. However, viability of local cooperatives and supply chains for lantern products over the medium-to-long term remain to be assessed.     

Global wind power development: Economics and policies

Existing literature indicates that theoretically, the earth's wind energy supply potential significantly exceeds global energy demand. Yet, only 2–3% of global electricity demand is currently derived from wind power despite 27% annual growth in wind generating capacity over the last 17 years. More than 95% of total current wind power capacity is installed in the developed countries plus China and India. Our analysis shows that the economic competitiveness of wind power varies at wider range across countries or locations. A climate change damage cost of US$20/tCO₂ imposed to fossil fuels would make onshore wind competitive to all fossil fuels for power generation; however, the same would not happen to offshore wind, with few exceptions, even if the damage cost is increased to US$100/tCO₂. To overcome a large number of technical, financial, institutional, market and other barriers to wind power, many countries have employed various policy instruments, including capital subsidies, tax incentives, tradable energy certificates, feed-in tariffs, grid access guarantees and mandatory standards. Besides, climate change mitigation policies, such as the Clean Development Mechanism, have played a pivotal role in promoting wind power. Despite these policies, intermittency, the main technical constraint, could remain as the major challenge to the future growth of wind power.     

Energy subsidies,structure of electricity prices and technological change of energy use

This paper addresses the impact of the structure of energy prices on technological change in renewable energy sources. It operates on two fields of research that are often not related to each other. Firstly, the increasing interest in environmental economics for the determinants of green technological change, and secondly the impact of government policies aimed at subsidizing energy prices. Recent research claims a positive relationship between energy prices and the number of patents in the fields of energy efficiency. This paper extends this research by investigating the impact of the price structure of electricity on patent counts in 1) renewable energy sources, 2) wind energy and 3) solar power. In nearly all OECD countries in the period 1990–2006 industrial energy users pay a lower price per energy unit than households due, among others, to government subsidy policies. The empirical results show that reducing government subsidies and hence increasing the electricity price of (large) industrial electricity users relative to the price paid by (small) residential users provides a clear incentive to increase inventions as measured by number of patents in the technical fields of solar and wind energy. These results are an important input in the debate on reducing government support to large energy users.     

Present status and potential role of geothermal energy in the world

Geothermal energy has come of age as an energy source. It is found in most parts of the world and is harnessed by conventional technology. Commercial production on the scale of hundreds of MW has been undertaken for over three decades both for electricity generation and direct utilization. Some 80 countries have identified geothermal resources, and about 50 have quantifiable geothermal utilization at present. Electricity is produced from geothermal in 21 countries (total production 38 TWh/a) and direct application is recorded in 35 countries (34 TWh/a). Geothermal electricity production is equally common in industrialized and developing countries, but plays a more important role in the latter. Apart from China, direct use is mainly in the industrialized countries and Central and Eastern Europe. Most of the developing countries as well as Central and Eastern European countries still lack trained manpower, but there is a surplus in many industrialized countries. During 1973–1992, investments in geothermal energy amounted to approximately 22 billion USD. The large share of the private sector in the investments shows its confidence in this energy source. Data presented in the WEC Survey of Energy Resources 1995 on the “new renewables” (geothermal, solar, wind, and tidal energy) shows that geothermal has the largest installed electrical capacity (61%) and electricity production (81%) in the world of these four sources.