The history of photovoltaic rural electrification (PVRE) from the early systems installed at the end of the 1960s is reviewed and presented in three different contexts: developed countries, international aid and developing countries. The progression from community applications (school televisions, village drinking water pumps, health centres, etc.) to individual applications (domestic electrification) is outlined. Differences between the concepts of ‘basic’, ‘perceived’ and ‘standard’ electricity needs are discussed. Relative advantages of the different products comprising current PVRE are analysed in the light of potential user perceptions. Proposed large-scale PVRE programmes based on solar home systems are analysed, paying special attention to two aspects that have become controversial issues in the PV community: the capabilities and role of the users; and the need for systematic quality control procedures. Finally, some economic figures related to investment and maintenance costs are proposed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Photovoltaic Rural Electrification

Following first attempts in the early 1980s that provided useful information on the reliability of the photovoltaic energy generation, Sicily’s remote islands share a number of pioneering achievements in the utilization of solar energy. This study aims to assess progress and the remaining gaps in the large-scale adoption of renewable energy in said numerous islands. We identify the most advantageous technologies and suggest pragmatic actions, so as to allow new stakeholder commitment for further progress in the forthcoming transition from fossil to renewable energy.

Solar energy for Sicily’s remote islands: On the route from fossil to renewable energy

In October 2002, under the auspices of Spanish Cooperation, a pilot electrification project put into operation two centralised PV-diesel hybrid systems in two different Moroccan villages. These systems currently provide a full-time energy service and supply electricity to more than a hundred of families, six community buildings, street lighting and one running water system. The appearance of the electricity service is very similar to an urban one: one phase AC supply (230V/50Hz) distributed up to each dwelling using a low-voltage mini-grid, which has been designed to be fully compatible with a future arrival of the utility grid. The management of this electricity service is based on a “fee-for-service” scheme agreed between a local NGO, partner of the project, and electricity associations created in each village, which are in charge of, among other tasks, recording the daily energy production of systems and the monthly energy consumption of each house. This register of data allows a systematic evaluation of both the system performance and the energy consumption of users. Now, after four years of operation, this paper presents the experience of this pilot electrification project and draws lessons that can be useful for designing, managing and sizing this type of small village PV-hybrid system

Experience with PV‐diesel hybrid village power systems in Southern Morocco

An account is given of research on energy demand with solar home systems (SHSs) and the analysis of results of a field survey of 18 families located in 4 communities in the Ribeira Valley, on the southern coast of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. These families' energy consumption was measured over a one-year period and, in order to do so, equipment that could determine the daily energy requirements in Ampere hour units was developed. The measurement instrument was coupled to existing (SHSs) in these communities and the data collection involved direct user participation. Data collection was done by hand and was intended to provide an interrelationship among the system, the user, and the researcher. The data provided social and cultural information related to the energy use in addition to essentially technical data. Through this methodology it was confirmed that energy demand is related to a number of factors which were not predicted before the survey. It was also confirmed that the people's behavior is reflected in the operation of the photovoltaic system as a whole. The results show that 55% of the SHSs researched showed consumption below 3 kW h/month. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Energy demand in solar home systems: the case of the communities in Ribeira Valley in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

The lack of data records of electric power consumption of small photovoltaic home systems, independently of the method used for sizing them, drives to consider the demand as a constant. However, the existing data reveal the variability of the consumption due to the influences of some social, cultural and psychosocial aspects of the human groups. This paper presents records of consumption data obtained from several solar home systems (SHSs) in Brazil and Peru, and it discusses about the Gamma distribution function that can express to a great extent the behaviour of the demand. By this analysis it was verified that ‘a lot of people consume little and few people consume a lot’. In that sense, a few recommendations for sizing procedures that can be useful in the implantation of extensive programmes of rural electrification by SHSs are presented. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Electric consumption in SHSs in rural communities of Brazil and Peru and recommendations for sizing

This paper submits a systematic analysis of user consumption patterns of several photovoltaic (PV)-powered rural dwellings in a Mediterranean area of Spain. the measurements have been carried out within the framework of two projects and assessed in contrast with other experiences. This analysis allows a consumption scenario developed previsouly to be tested by means of the classification of families according to the number and age of their members into three types—extended, mean and reduced—with the aim of establishing a few standard cases of optimization for sizing purposes.

Because the use of AC current is indispensable, at least for domestic appliances, the scenario hereby proposed leads to PV system sizes of 160, 320 and 480 Wp for reduced, mean and extended families, respectively, enjoying a level of comfort similar to grid-conneced systems.

J. R. Eyras

Papers

An energy consumption scenario for sizing rural electrification PV systems