Showing papers on "Rural electrification published in 1997"
TL;DR: 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 as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: 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.
61 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors presented an electrification project of 65 sites with stand-alone PV systems, within the framework of the European THERMIE programme, in the district of La Garrotxa (Catalonia, Spain).
23 citations
TL;DR: In this article, three ways of evaluating rural electrification projects are described: the financial appraisal, the economic appraisal and the socioeconomic appraisal, respectively from the point of view of the electric utility, the national income and the national welfare.
18 citations
01 Dec 1997
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the worldwide problem and need for rural electrification to support development and point out that rural areas will pay high rates to receive such services, but cannot afford the capital cost for conventional services.
Abstract: The author discusses the worldwide problem and need for rural electrification to support development. He points out that rural areas will pay high rates to receive such services, but cannot afford the capital cost for conventional services. The author looks at this problem from the point of energy choices, subsides, initial costs, financing, investors, local involvement, and governmental actions. In particular he is concerned with ways to make better use of biofuels, to promote sustainable harvesting, and to encourage development of more modern fuels.
15 citations
01 Mar 1997
TL;DR: The Renewables for Sustainable Village Power (RSVP) as mentioned in this paper program is a multi-technology, multi-application program composed of six activities, including village applications development, computer model development, systems analysis, pilot project development, technical assistance, and Internet-based village power project data base.
Abstract: It is estimated that two billion people live without electricity and its services. In addition, there is a sizeable number of rural villages that have limited electrical service, with either part-day operation by diesel gen-sets or partial electrification (local school or community center and several nearby houses). For many villages connected to the grid, power is often sporadically available and of poor quality. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, has initiated a program to address these potential electricity opportunities in rural villages through the application of renewable energy (RE) technologies. The objective of this program is to develop and implement applications that demonstrate the technical performance, economic competitiveness, operational viability, and environmental benefits of renewable rural electric solutions, compared to the conventional options of line extension and isolated diesel mini-grids. These four attributes foster sustainability; therefore, the program is entitled Renewables for Sustainable Village Power (RSVP). The RSVP program is a multi-technology, multi-application program composed of six activities, including village applications development, computer model development, systems analysis, pilot project development, technical assistance, and Internet-based village power project data base. While the current program emphasizes wind, photovoltaics (PV), and their hybrids with diesel gen-sets, micro-hydro and micro-biomass technologies may be integrated in the future. NREL`s RSVP team is currently involved in rural electricity projects in thirteen countries, with U.S., foreign, and internationally based agencies and institutions. The integration of the technology developments, institutional experiences, and the financial solutions for the implementation of renewables in the main line rural electrification processes in both the developing world and remote regions of the developed world is the goal.
13 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the electrical generating capacity of geothermal fluids which can be produced from typical slim holes (150mm diameter or less), both by conventional, self-discharge, flash-steam methods for hotter geothermal reservoirs, and by binary-cycle technology with downhole pumps for low-to moderate-temperature reservoirs are estimated using a simplified theoretical approach.
12 citations
TL;DR: The Global Environmental Facility (G.E.F.) solar photovoltaic (PV) lighting system for household and community use in Zimbabwe is designed to promote use of solar PV lighting systems in rural households, communities, co-operatives and small scale farms as discussed by the authors.
10 citations
01 Jan 1997
8 citations
TL;DR: More than 140 projects have been offered support, giving an installed capacity of over 5.7 MWp as discussed by the authors, covering a range of applications including rural electrification, telecommunication systems and grid-connected power generation.
7 citations
29 Sep 1997
TL;DR: The PV experts of Solarlab have studied and set up an appropriate PV technology responding almost to local market needs as discussed by the authors, which has not only stood well but has also been transferred to Mali Republic and Lao PDR.
Abstract: Since 1990 the PV technology and solar electricity have been strongly developed in Vietnam. The PV experts of Solarlab have studied and set up an appropriate PV technology responding almost to local market needs. It has not only stood well but has also been transferred to Mali Republic and Lao PDR. The PV off grid systems of Solarlab demonstrates good efficiency and low prices. Over 60 solar stations and villages have been built to provide solar lighting for about 3000 families along the country in remote, mountainous areas and islands. Approximately 400 families are using stand-alone Solar Home Systems. The solar electricity has been chosen for rural electrification and the national telecommunication network in remote and mountainous regions. Many international projects in cooperation with FONDEM-France, SELF USA and Governmental PV projects have been realized by Solarlab. The experiences of maintenance, management and finance about PV development in Vietnam are also mentioned.
TL;DR: In this paper, the operation results of three stand-alone PV systems installed to supply the electric power at remote islands were discussed, and it was shown that the PV system with suitable battery capacity and diesel generator as back-up power supplies can be sufficiently adopted for the remote island electrification.
TL;DR: Assessment of the scope and nature of the servicing or rehabilitation works that were necessary to restore the operational levels of the photovoltaic systems at health clinics in rural areas of Guyana in 1994.
31 Dec 1997
TL;DR: The most critical need for rural electrification exists in northern and western China, where 80 million people had no access to grid electricity at the end of 1995 as discussed by the authors, and the US Department of Energy signed an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol Agreement with the Chinese State Science and Technology Commission in Beijing.
Abstract: Rapid growth in economic development, coupled with the absence of an electric grid in large areas of the rural countryside, has created a need for new energy sources both in urban centers and rural areas in China. The most critical need for rural electrification exists in northern and western China, where 80 million people had no access to grid electricity at the end of 1995. In February 1995, the US Department of Energy signed an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol Agreement with the Chinese State Science and Technology Commission in Beijing. Under this agreement, NREL is providing assistance to several central government and provincial government agencies in China to develop photovoltaic and photovoltaic hybrid applications for rural electrification.
TL;DR: Small geothermal electric power plants are well suited for "village power" applications as discussed by the authors and are available that can operate unattended and are designed to minimize the need for on-site installation and maintenance labor.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the making of the US government documentary film, Power and the Land (1940), in terms of how views about science and technology are communicated to the public, arguing that the film was shaped by a complex ideology of technical progress shared by the film's maker and sponsors (the Rural Electrification Administration; the short-lived US Film Service, headed by the award-winning director, Pare Lorentz; and Joris Ivens, an internationally acclaimed Dutch director and leftist).
Abstract: This paper examines the making of the US government documentary film, Power and the Land (1940), in terms of how views about science and technology are communicated to the public. The paper argues that the film was shaped by a complex ideology of technical progress shared by the film's maker and sponsors (the Rural Electrification Administration; the short-lived US Film Service, headed by the award-winning director, Pare Lorentz; and Joris Ivens, an internationally acclaimed Dutch director and leftist), tensions between goals of producing a `factual' and `propagandistic' film, and perceptions of the rural audiences' response. This paper thus argues against the view that science and technology communication is simply the mediated diffusion of knowledge from scientists and engineers to the public (in this case, knowledge about the social and economic aspects of rural electrification) and supports an interactive model. The paper also compares Power and the Land with the better known documentaries by Lorentz,...
TL;DR: The paper discusses the rural electrification project of the Cua-Bocay municipality, situated in Nicaragua's northern province of Jinotega, and considers the project history, changing goals, infrastructure and programs, project benefits and training emphasis.
Abstract: The paper discusses the rural electrification (RE) project of the Cua-Bocay municipality, situated in Nicaragua's northern province of Jinotega. The electrification program has been led by a nongovernmental organization (NGO) called the Cua-Bocay Project. In general, NGOs have the potential to work as facilitators of the rural electrification infrastructure and to affect the normal set of rural electrification costs and benefits by emphasizing local training and participation. The paper considers the project history, changing goals, infrastructure and programs, project benefits and training emphasis.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review the history of electric power in Argentina, especially of the recent past, which sets the stage for the reforms that followed, and analyze the performance of the power sector in the few years since the reforms were initiated and how the sector might evolve over the next decade.
01 Jan 1997
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a case study in Kasulu, Tanzania of a rural electrification in developing countries, focusing on the use of solar energy for rural electrification.
Abstract: Options for Rural Electrification in Developing Countries. A Case Study in Kasulu, Tanzania.
01 Dec 1997
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors give a brief overview of rural electrification projects which have been developed worldwide based on different forms of renewable energy sources and recommend a more concerted effort to consolidate the experiences gained from present programs in order to present a more organized program by the time of the 2002 UNCED conference.
Abstract: The author gives a brief overview of rural electrification projects which have been developed worldwide based on different forms of renewable energy sources. Rural electrification provides hope to the 1.3 billion people who are still unserved by the power grid, and as a consequence are severely disadvantaged in todays economy in most facits of daily life and health. He recommends a more concerted effort to consolidate the experiences gained from present programs in order to present a more organized program by the time of the 2002 UNCED conference. His recommendation is that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory serve as a secretariat, to gather and formalize the information which has been learned to this point in time.
Dissertation•
31 Oct 1997
01 Dec 1997
TL;DR: In this article, a microgrid system is viewed as a small village system, up to 1200 kWh/day load with a 50 kW peak load, consisting of components of wind, photovoltaic, batteries, and conventional generators.
Abstract: This paper describes a village application in Chile. The objective was to demonstrate the technical, economic and institutional viability of renewable energy for rural electrification, as well as to allow local partners to gain experience with hybrid/renewable technology, resource assessment, system siting and operation. A micro-grid system is viewed as a small village system, up to 1200 kWh/day load with a 50 kW peak load. It can consist of components of wind, photovoltaic, batteries, and conventional generators. It is usually associated with a single generator source, and uses batteries to cover light day time loads. This paper looks at the experiences learned from this project with regard to all of the facets of planning and installing this project.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors propose a change in the incentive system based on the following steps: (i) spelling out some of these questions, using a description of the changes that have marked rural electrification in France; (ii) attempting to see them in a new light through an analysis of the development cost of rural grids and the opportunities to realize the cost reductions potentially offered by non-conventional alternatives based on Demand-Side Management; and finally (iii) placing these questions in the general context of an equitable treatment of users and the ensuing balancing-out effort concerning spatial costs
Abstract: Rural electrification in France has entered a new growth phase due to: (i) the development of new end-uses of electricity; (ii) the appearance of new requirements pertaining to the environment and supply quality; and (iii) the prospect of new, tighter European standards. This leads to some questions regarding the adequacy of an institutional framework which has survived for several decades without any major modification. We propose a change in the incentive system based on the following steps: (i) spelling out some of these questions, using a description of the changes that have marked rural electrification in France; (ii) attempting to see them in a new light through an analysis of the development cost of rural grids and the opportunities to realize the cost reductions potentially offered by non-conventional alternatives based on Demand-Side Management; and finally (iii) placing these questions in the general context of an equitable treatment of users and the ensuing balancing-out effort concerning spatial costs in rural areas, considerations which have driven the rural electrification system in France from its inception.
01 Dec 1997
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the concept of battery charging stations (BCSs) designed to service rural owners of battery power sources, which is often powered by renewable sources, or hybrid systems, and has the potential to provide lower cost of service, better service, and better cost recovery than other rural electrification programs.
Abstract: This paper discusses the concept of battery charging stations (BCSs), designed to service rural owners of battery power sources. Many such power sources now are transported to urban areas for recharging. A BCS provides the opportunity to locate these facilities closer to the user, is often powered by renewable sources, or hybrid systems, takes advantage of economies of scale, and has the potential to provide lower cost of service, better service, and better cost recovery than other rural electrification programs. Typical systems discussed can service 200 to 1200 people, and consist of stations powered by photovoltaics, wind/PV, wind/diesel, or diesel only. Examples of installed systems are presented, followed by cost figures, economic analysis, and typical system design and performance numbers.
01 Aug 1997
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report on the first six months of three pilot projects implemented in Region IX in order to introduce isolated mini-grid hybrid wind-energy systems into Chile, and the goal of the pilot systems is to establish renewables as a viable option for rural electrification in the Chilean context.
Abstract: The government of Chile has undertaken a rural electrification program to electrify 75% of the population by the year 2000. Renewable energy is considered within this program, and its application facilitated through a technical cooperation agreement between Chile`s national energy commission (CNE) and the U.S. Department of Energy. In order to introduce isolated mini-grid hybrid wind-energy systems into Chile, three pilot projects were implemented in Region IX. The goal of the pilot systems is to establish renewables as a viable option for rural electrification in the Chilean context. In this paper we report on the first six months of three pilot projects. Presented as background information are brief descriptions of the power systems, data acquisition systems, and the operation and maintenance (O&M) protocols. Analyses of loads, component performance, system operation, and balance of payments for O&M are the primary points presented. Important lessons learned and future plans are also discussed.
31 Dec 1997
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the work done over in the field of photovoltaic technology in the State of Minas Gerais, from its R&D to the Rural Electrification Program.
Abstract: This paper describes the work done over in the field of photovoltaic technology in the State of Minas Gerais, from its R&D to the Rural Electrification Program. The analysis of the global solar radiation data (over 5 kWh/m/sup 2//day) has shown that photovoltaic systems can perform well all over the state, mainly in the north and northeast regions of the state. The potential for the utilisation of PV systems in Minas Gerais is large, mainly when considering the high number of consumers in rural remote areas that are not and cannot be supplied from CEMIG's grid in the immediate future or in the long term. As a consequence of the demonstration projects, which have shown that photovoltaics can perform well and be cost effective in rural areas, a Rural Electrification Program was launched. To support it a training program has been set up.
01 Feb 1997
TL;DR: The photovoltaics in the form of solar, wind, and biomass resources are being utilized as a cost effective alternative to grid extension and use of diesel and gasoline generators as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Rapid growth in economic development, coupled with the absence of an electric grid in large areas of the rural countryside, have created a need for new energy sources both in urban centers and rural areas in China. There is a very large need for new sources of energy for rural electrification in China as represented by 120 million people in remote regions who do not have access to an electric grid and by over 300 coastal islands in China that are unelectrified. In heavily populated regions in China where there is an electric grid, there are still severe shortages of electric power and limited access to the grid by village populations. In order to meet energy demands in rural China, renewable energy in the form of solar, wind, and biomass resources are being utilized as a cost effective alternative to grid extension and use of diesel and gasoline generators. An Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Protocol Agreement was signed by the U.S. Department of Energy with the Chinese State Science and Technology Commission in Beijing in February, 1995. Under this agreement, projects using photovoltaics for rural electrification are being conducted in Gansu Province in western China and Inner Mongolia in northern China, providing the basis for much wider deployment and use of photovoltaics for meeting the growing rural energy demands of China.