Showing papers on "Rural electrification published in 2004"

Renewable Energy Policies and Barriers

Abstract: The 1990s saw an explosion of energy policy changes around the globe Driven by economic, environmental, security, and social concerns, energy regulation has been in great flux Many of the changes are having a profound influence on renewable energy, both from policies explicitly designed to promote renewable energy and from other policies that indirectly influence incentives and barriers for renewable energy This article considers six different types of policies that affect renewable energy development, both directly or indirectly: renewable energy promotion policies, transport biofuels policies, emissions reduction policies, electric power restructuring policies, distributed generation policies, and rural electrification policies Each policy reduces one or more key barriers that impede development of renewable energy These barriers are discussed first In general, most renewable energy policies address cost-related barriers in some manner Many policies address the requirements for utilities to purchase renewable energy from power producers Most policies also address the perceived risks of renewable energy in one form or another (ie, technical, financial, legal) Still others primarily address regulatory and institutional barriers Some related policies may heighten barriers to renewable energy rather than reduce them Table 1 summarizes the key renewable energy policies and barriers presented

The importance of public investment for reducing rural poverty in middle-income countries

Abstract: This study estimates the impacts of different types of government expenditure on agricultural growth and rural poverty in Thailand. The results show that, despite Thailand's middle-income status, public investments in agricultural R&D, irrigation, rural education, and infrastructure (including roads and electricity), still have positive marginal impacts on agricultural productivity growth and rural poverty reduction. Additional government spending on agricultural research and development improves agricultural productivity the most and has the second largest impact on rural poverty reduction. Investments in rural electrification reduce poverty the most and have the second largest growth impact. These two investments dominate all others and are win-win for growth and poverty reduction. Road expenditure has the third largest impact on rural poverty reduction, but only a modest and statistically insignificant impact on agricultural productivity. Government spending on rural education has only the fourth largest impact on poverty, but a significant economic impact through improved agricultural productivity. Irrigation investment has the smallest impact on both rural poverty reduction and productivity growth in agriculture. Additional investments in the Northeast region contribute more to reducing poverty than investments in other regions. This is because most of the poor are now concentrated in the Northeast and it has suffered from under investment in the past. The poverty reducing impacts of infrastructure investments, such as electricity and roads, are particularly high in this region. The growth impacts of many investments are also greatest in the Northeast than in other regions, hence there is no evident tradeoff between investments for growth and investments for poverty reduction. Thailand is a middle-income country and it is insightful to compare these results with similar studies undertaken in low-income countries like India, China, and Uganda. Some of the results are similar, for example, the high returns to public investments in agricultural research and some kinds of rural infrastructure arise in most countries because of the inherent market failures associated with these types of public goods. But others results are different. For example, the returns to public investment in education in Thailand are quite low, partly because of increasing private investment but also the inappropriate composition of much public spending on education. Within infrastructure, results from low-income countries often show higher returns to road investments than telecommunications and electricity. But in the case of Thailand, it is investment in electricity that shows the highest return. Thailand has invested heavily in rural roads and a dense road network has already been built, suggesting that additional investment may yield diminishing returns. Also, there has been significant investment by the private sector in rural telecommunication, leading to a much-reduced role for the public sector. This situation differs from many low-income countries, especially in Africa, where the private sector is still embryonic and the public sector must play a dominant investment role for the foreseeable future.

The importance of public investment for reducing rural poverty in middle-income countries: the case of thailand

Abstract: This study estimates the impacts of different types of government expenditure on agricultural growth and rural poverty in Thailand. The results show that, despite Thailand's middle-income status, public investments in agricultural R&D, irrigation, rural education, and infrastructure (including roads and electricity), still have positive marginal impacts on agricultural productivity growth and rural poverty reduction. Additional government spending on agricultural research and development improves agricultural productivity the most and has the second largest impact on rural poverty reduction. Investments in rural electrification reduce poverty the most and have the second largest growth impact. These two investments dominate all others and are win-win for growth and poverty reduction. Road expenditure has the third largest impact on rural poverty reduction, but only a modest and statistically insignificant impact on agricultural productivity. Government spending on rural education has only the fourth largest impact on poverty, but a significant economic impact through improved agricultural productivity. Irrigation investment has the smallest impact on both rural poverty reduction and productivity growth in agriculture. Additional investments in the Northeast region contribute more to reducing poverty than investments in other regions. This is because most of the poor are now concentrated in the Northeast and it has suffered from under investment in the past. The poverty reducing impacts of infrastructure investments, such as electricity and roads, are particularly high in this region. The growth impacts of many investments are also greatest in the Northeast than in other regions, hence there is no evident tradeoff between investments for growth and investments for poverty reduction. Thailand is a middle-income country and it is insightful to compare these results with similar studies undertaken in low-income countries like India, China, and Uganda. Some of the results are similar, for example, the high returns to public investments in agricultural research and some kinds of rural infrastructure arise in most countries because of the inherent market failures associated with these types of public goods. But others results are different. For example, the returns to public investment in education in Thailand are quite low, partly because of increasing private investment but also the inappropriate composition of much public spending on education. Within infrastructure, results from low-income countries often show higher returns to road investments than telecommunications and electricity. But in the case of Thailand, it is investment in electricity that shows the highest return. Thailand has invested heavily in rural roads and a dense road network has already been built, suggesting that additional investment may yield diminishing returns. Also, there has been significant investment by the private sector in rural telecommunication, leading to a much-reduced role for the public sector. This situation differs from many low-income countries, especially in Africa, where the private sector is still embryonic and the public sector must play a dominant investment role for the foreseeable future.

Does infrastructure reform work for the poor? A case study from Guatemala

Abstract: Following the 1996 Peace Accords, Guatemala embarked on a major program of infrastructure reform involving the restructuring and privatization of the electricity and telecommunications sectors and a substantial increase in infrastructure investments partially financed by privatization proceeds. As a result, the pace of new connections to electricity, water, and sanitation services increased by more than 40 percent. Moreover, households in traditionally excluded sectors - the poor, rural, and indigenous populations - were twice as likely to be the beneficiaries of a new infrastructure connection than they had been prior to the Peace Accords. The teledensity index increased by a factor of five from 4.2 in 1997 to 19.7 in 2001, largely because of the growth in cellular telephones, which now outnumber fixed lines. The number of public telephones in rural areas increased by 80 percent since the Peace Accords, so that 80 percent of rural households are now within six kilometers from a public telephone. Although real electricity tariffs increased by 60-80 percent following the reform, residential consumers have been shielded by a social tariff policy that has kept charges at pre-reform levels. This policy, which costs US$50 million a year, does little to benefit poor households. The reason is that 60 percent of poor households are not connected to the electricity network, and those that are consume modest amounts of electricity and hence capture only 10 percent of the total value of the subsidy. In contrast, poor households without access to electricity pay about US$11 a kilowatt-hour (or 80 times the electricity tariff) to light their homes with candles and wick lamps. The resources used to finance the social tariff would therefore be better used in further accelerating the pace of new connections for currently underserved households. This paper - a product of the Finance Private Sector, and Infrastructure Unit, Latin America and the Caribbean Region - is part of a larger effort in the region to understand the social impacts of infrastructure reform.

Private provision of rural infrastructure services: competing for subsidies

Abstract: Market-oriented reforms of infrastructure in developing countries tend to focus primarily on commercially viable services in urban areas. Nevertheless, an increasing number of countries are beginning to experiment with extending the market paradigm to infrastructure services in rural areas that are often less attractive in commercial terms. In these cases, subsidies are used to close the gap between market requirements and development needs, and are increasingly determined and allocated on a competitive basis. The authors discuss the conditions under which competition among firms for such subsidies-successfully used in the telecommunications sector in a number of middle-income countries-could also be applied to electricity, water and sanitation, and transportation services in lower-income countries.

Comparative analysis of single-phase to three-phase converters for rural electrification

Abstract: This work presents a comparative analysis of single-phase to three-phase converter's. The purpose is to develop electronic converters suitable to supply consumers in rural or remote areas. The implementation of electrical utility services in these areas has been challenging due to high costs and to the increasing demands for better quality services. Single-phase feeders have been considered a less costly alternative as far as installation and maintenance is concerned. In this case, the converter output must operate as a four-wire three-phase system, in order to supply single and three-phase loads. Some assessment studies have outlined performance requisites for achieving better power quality, such as: ride-through capability during voltage sags, input current wave-shaping with power factor close to unity, and regulated three-phase voltages with unbalanced loads. In this work several single-phase to three-phase topologies were depicted from the literature and analyzed with power ratings at 15 kVA. It was verified that none of them could satisfactorily attend those quality requisites for acceptable operation, design requirements and costs. New topology configurations are proposed with improved performance characteristics, along with their specification guidelines and design considerations. The analysis is carried out through simulation results obtained from an electromagnetic transient simulation package (PSCAD/EMTDC/sup /spl trade//).

Reducing the cost of rural electrification: a key to improve the quality of life in rural areas in developing countries

Abstract: The cost of rural electrification is high worldwide and, as a result, the utilities worldwide are reluctant to extend their services in the rural areas. The onus of providing electricity to rural area in such circumstances falls finally on the government or government owned utilities. Due to high cost and significantly low benefit, the benefit cost ratio (BCR) is considerably low and sometimes less than unity in case of rural electrification schemes. This paper demonstrates a very simple method of controlling the cost of the rural electrification in one hand and at the same time improving the benefit for the utility.

Rural electrification through renewable energy in Nepal.

Abstract: Nepal is rich in hydropower. However, due to various constraints the rural sector of Nepal is still deprived of a national electrical grid. Renewable energy resources are the most viable and accessible sources to electrify these rural sectors. Micro-hydro and solar photovoltaics (PV) are widely used renewable energies for rural electrification. Presently, this source provides electricity to only 7% of the rural population. The 10th Five-Year Plan sets a target of generating electricity equivalent to 10 MW from micro-hydro schemes and access to off-grid electrification for 12% of the then population. Different government organisations, non-government organisations, international non-government organisations and private institutions are involved in enhancing this sector. The Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Energy Sector Assistance Programme-DANIDA and Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP/UNDP) can be regarded as the apex institutions for the support of this sector.

Environmental and Socioeconomic Impacts of the Photovoltaic Battery Charging Stations for Philippine＇s Off-Grid Rural Electrification

Abstract: The Affiliated NonConventional Energy Center at Mariano Marcos State University, Philippines in partnership with the Department of Energy in fifteen years sought to promote the use of new and renewable energy systems (NRES) in the community. In 1999 to 2004, major mandate of the MMSU-DOE ANEC is the implementation of barangay electrification program (BEP) for off-grid rural areas through an economic, environmental-friendly and quick to install photovoltaic battery charging systems (PV BCS). From 1999-2004, the ANEC were able to install, normally 2-channel, 600 Wp PV systems. Thus, for the 4.03 million pesos budget, it generated a total 8,850 Wp Tp BCS serving more than 255 households, 10 barangay halls, ,churches, cooperative and rural health unit in those communities. Consumption on the kerosene expense was reduce to almost 75％. The kerosene lamps are only used now as an overnight lamp after the installation of the BCS. Entrepreneurial activities among households were extended even during the night to augment their incomes. Using the PV BSC showed a decrease in air pollutants due to the reduction in the use of kerosene. Normally, kerosene consumption exponentially increases due to the rapid increase in the population, if not mitigated, damages of these air pollutants will be the depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, production of acid rain, poisoning of animals, plants and human beings, and other related environmental damages. Thus, a PV BCS is an indispensable, economical, environmental-friendly renewable energy system in remote, off-grid areas. Besides the meager monetary collection they get from the battery charging fees, there are a lot of manifested non-monetary benefits can be generated and realized. Such BEP project serves as a venue among donors, implementers, researchers, extension workers and the users as partners to promote renewable energy systems for countryside development. However, the energy demand has to be looked carefully, because of the high investment costs of PV and batteries. Thus, it is important to reduce the demand as much as possible by the use of energy efficient apparatus, and to try to fit the demand to the amount of solar radiation during the day.

Towards understanding consumption in multi-user solar energy systems: the cases of villages in Argentina and Cuba

Abstract: Research on the electrification of remote villages by means of decentralized renewable energy systems increasingly requires consideration of the characteristics of the user communities. Particularly for communities with multi-user systems (MUS), in order to achieve optimal design and sizing of the system and efficient energy distribution among users, it is important to consider the social characteristics of the community in addition to technical and economic aspects. The solar energy supply is always limited, and distribution of the energy among the users is mainly a matter of coordinating who can use how much at what time, which is influenced by various factors. What we need first of all is knowledge of the actual power needs of each household over a period of time. With the aim of determining typical patterns of energy consumption in households with similar characteristics, the present preliminary research study uncovers the factors that determine energy consumption in five solar power villages in Cuba and Argentina. Correlation and regression analysis of data from surveys and energy consumption measurements showed that type and number of electrical appliances are the most important, but not sufficient, factors for explaining differences in household energy consumption. Demographic factors, occupations, daily routine and other social factors also have an impact on the development of a household's energy consumption. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Case study of a solar photovoltaic elementary lightning system for a poor and remote mountain village in Nepal

Abstract: Nepal is situated in the lap of the Himalayas and landlocked between China to the north, and India to the south. The country is known for its natural beauty, and as the land of the highest mountains in the world. 88 % of Nepal’s population live in remote and difficult to access mountain areas. It is one of the only countries in the world with a lower female life expectancy rate than the male. While in the cities it has become “normal” to have access to energy services, 85% of Nepal’s rural communities are deprived of even the most basic energy services. 99% of the 2 billion people in the world that are without access to electricity, live in developing countries. Nepal is one of these countries, and four out of five live in rural areas. Furthermore, over 90% of the population of Nepal belongs to the 2.4 billion people relying on traditional biomass such as firewood, agricultural residues and dung, for their day to day cooking, heating and lighting purposes. The village of Chauganphaya, in the northwestern district of Humla, belongs to the poorest villages of Nepal. Here, as elsewhere in Nepal, the forests are gradually being stripped bare, to meet the minimum energy needs of cooking, heating and lighting for the village folk. Unfortunately this is being done without any sustainable reforestation efforts. Furthermore, cooking and heating indoors on open fire places has had a direct chronic impact on the health of village folk, resulting in the low life expectancy for women, and the high death rate of children under 5. This thesis goes into detail about various lighting technologies available for the remote mountain communities and suggests that the WLED lights are a real option for elementary rural electrification. This conclusion has been drawn on the basis of an electrification project undertaken in the above mentioned village of Chauganphaya. Efforts made through a solar PV village electrification project with low wattage WLED technology, were successful, in that all 63 homes of the village of Chauganphaya are now able to have three lights each in their homes. This was made possible with each light consuming only 1 Watt and with a locally developed and manufactured 2-axis self-tracking frame for the four 75-Watt solar PV modules. The Powerhouse with the self-tracking frame, battery bank and its charging and discharging units are centrally located in the village. The whole village has been divided into four clusters, with 15-18 homes per cluster. The central powerhouse is connected to the main house of each of the clusters by means of an underground power line distribution network through armored cables. Likewise, each house in a cluster is connected to the main cluster home by means of an underground armored cable. In this way the power distribution is approximately equal and in the case of one cluster distribution line facing a problem, the other homes in that cluster are not effected and will still have power. This rural electrification project was not undertaken in a vacuum but as one part of a wider holistic grass root community development project. In the initial stage, a detailed survey, with questions specifically designed for this community was conducted, in order to assess the living conditions of the people. In the next stage, with the help of the outcome of the survey, four integrated projects were developed to improve the living conditions of the people. These projects aim to address the most urgent needs of the people as identified by themselves. Following is a gist of these projects: • The rural electrification project with low wattage WLED technology. • Each family from the Chauganphaya village has been able to purchase an improved smokeless metal stove at a subsidized rate. This has been specially designed to accommodate their cooking and eating habits, based on locally available foods. It also heats their rooms for most of the year, and has provisions for boiling water. • In order to be able to purchase such a stove at a subsidised rate, each household had to build a pit latrine, after undergoing a simple training in building such a latrine. • The whole village community participated in the repair, and rebuilding of their village drinking water system, with the result that there are several tap stands to be found in the village. The survey undertaken before any of these projects were carried out will be repeated once a year, to assess the actual impact these projects have, on a long-term basis. Developing and carrying out these projects in the challenging environment we find ourselves in, with the ongoing political unrest and the continuing war between the Government troops and the rebels, and the ever present caste system has been an enormous task. Nonetheless, at the time of writing this, the electrification project should have been fully installed and operational. There are some minor improvements still needed, such as, the unexpected voltage drop in one cluster due to extended underground cable installation. Mitigation of that is planned as early as the political situation allows it. The thesis goes into details about various lighting technologies for remote mountain communities, arguing that WLED lights are a real option for this purpose. In order to design a solar PV system according to the local conditions, it is crucial to understand the available solar energy resource. As no solar irradiation data for Chauganphaya or Humla are available, a study was undertaken to gather data from the NASA web site, and to generate solar irradiation data through the METEONORM software tool. As both these methods rely only on satellite data, a solar radiation monitoring and data recording system was designed, built and installed in the KU HARS in Simikot. Since May 2004, the daily solar radiation is being recorded on a horizontal, a 30° south inclined, and on a 2-axis self-tracking solar PV frame. The Simikot HARS and Chauganphaya solar PV systems are designed with a back of the envelope, as well as with a professional solar PV system design software tool, called PVSyst3.31. All the different equipment used in both PV systems are looked at in detail in this thesis. In comparison to the HARS and the Chauganphaya village PV systems, the Tangin village SHS project, installed by a private company through the Government solar PV subsidy program, serves as a comparative case study. Sustainability and appropriateness are crucial factors, which have to be considered in any rural community development project. What is appropriate technology and how one can strive towards more sustainable projects, is looked at on the basis of the experience of the Chauganphaya village project. “What can be Learned” tries to highlight the most important lessons learned form this project, up to the present stage. The thesis concludes, that the installed solar PV village system in Chauganphaya is an appropriate way to enable the poorest of the poor to bring light into their dark homes. It also reiterates the fact that additional to the lights, the smokeless metal stove, the pit latrine, and access to clean and pure drinking water, are important integrated parts of an appropriate holistic community development endeavour. It is expected that their synergetic effect will multiply the final impact upon the improved living conditions of the local community as opposed to their individual benefits.

Rural electrification in developing countries with the shield wire scheme. applications in laos

Abstract: Firstly, the paper briefly describes the technique for 3-phase and single-phase power distribution along HV (115-330kV) transmission lines via the insulated shield wires, energized at MV (20-34.5kV) from the main HV/MV transformer stations, using the ground as a MV phase conductor. A new computer program based on phase coordinates is presented, expressly developed for the analysis of this unconventional low cost grid based rural electrification technique, referred to as the “Shield Wire Scheme” (SWS). The paper then describes the eight SWSs in operation in Laos. In particular, the planning and engineering criteria, and the commissioning results are reported for five “3-Phase” SWSs, put into operation in 2002-3 and providing electricity to over 100 villages, to some small towns and to a provincial capital. Brief information is given on SWSs in operation, under construction and planned in other developing countries.

Rural energy : a practical primer for productive applications

Abstract: Lack of access to reliable and affordable electricity services in rural areas significantly diminishes the opportunities for the development of many economically productive activities, including agro-enterprises and fishing. Reliable and affordable energy is a vital input to many agricultural and post-harvest processes. Adding energy to agricultural production and processing, often the largest employer in rural areas, is an important way to grow beyond subsistence farming and the supply of raw materials toward the potential of added value. Fortunately, there are decentralized and commercially proven energy alternatives including those that harness renewable energy. Many of these are now technically and financially viable, even in remote rural areas. This learning tool provides an overview of these technologies and their appropriate applications in the field, and includes best practice examples used on a significant scale in agriculture, aquaculture, fishing, and related enterprises (e.g., food processing) in many developing countries. It explores necessary considerations in the choice of energy and how such projects could be formulated and executed.

Electrification of sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract: This paper discusses the range of economic and political issues that constitute major obstacles to the realization of sustainable rural electrification in sub-Saharan Africa. The quality of local administration has an obvious direct impact on rural development. Often, administrators are either unable to identify with the community priorities. At the community level, infrastructure and services like electrification are often, erroneously, treated as commodities.

Pv hybrid village electrification in spain: 6 years experience with msg (multi-user solar hybrid grids)

Abstract: After successful experiences in the realisation of broad electrification programs for rural electrification of mainly individual houses and farms, the PVuser association SEBA started to draw up electrification projects for rural villages in 1997, that culminated with the execution of a specific programme in the scope of the European project MSG (2000-2003) [1]. The user association SEBA is now managing 18 MSG villages (total of 86,3 kWp installed) as energy operator offering to each user a 15 years service contract in the scope of a unified tariff scheme based on energy deliverability segments and a flat rated monthly fee. Each consumption segment establishes a minimum energy (EDA: Energy Deliverability Assured) that is guaranteed to the user. The fair energy distribution among the users is assured by the TApS energy dispenser/meter that guarantees to each user the availability of the contracted energy during the whole year. In this paper we present a global overview of over 6 years of experience applying the MSG concept with its keyelement, the energy dispenser/meter.

Gender mainstraming in the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board

Abstract: A Gender Equity Strategy and Action Plan has been integrated into the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board’s Master Plan. Implementation of this plan will be the first gender mainstreaming exercise in the energy sector in Bangladesh, and possibly in the world.

The world's poverty, climate, water supply, energy, and risks

Abstract: There is an urgent need to improve the quality of li fe for the 2.5 - 3 billion people now living in poverty. More than 1.1 billion are undernourished. Many are water poor and/or energy poor. It is urgent that efforts be increased to improve the knowledge of renewable, sustainable, and environmentally fri endly resources that can be used to provide a better quality of life for the present population and for the probable doubling of the population within this century. Water is available as precipitation, surface water, and groundwater. Knowledge of the ade quacy of these sources of water is based on estimates. These estimates are based on available data that is usually incomplete, fragmentary, or of poor quality. The international agencies should make a strong effort to improve the quantity and quality of the available information on how much, when, and where water is available. Some estimates of the availability of water are included in this paper. A moisture adequacy index (MAI) and some of its uses are described. The World Water and Climate Atlas and i ts use in determining water availability are described. The World Commission on Dams and the United Nations (UNESCO) have provided guidelines on how to meet the needs for increased electrical energy and for water used for other purposes. A small increase in the use of electrical energy can produce a large reduction in poverty, reduce malnutrition, improve health, and decrease population growth. This paper strongly supports the recommendations of the World Commission on Dams and The United Nations (UNESCO). The world wide potential for green energy is enormous. Laws that decrease the use of non-renewable energy and encourage the use of renewable resource energy should be strengthened. A brief overview of some of the legal issues is included. CE Database subject headings: Dams, Rural electrification, Sustainable