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Showing papers on "Rural electrification published in 2006"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that rural electrification alone is unlikely to resolve the energy access problem because of low penetration of electricity in the energy mix of the poor, despite several initiatives and policies to support poor households.

287 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
Winfried Hoffmann1
TL;DR: The photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity market has shown an impressive 33% growth per year since 1997 until today with market support programs as the main driving force.

257 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors presented three energy supply alternatives for a remote village represented in PV system, diesel generator and electric grid, and the results showed that utilizing of PV systems for rural electrification in Palestine is economically more feasible than using diesel generators or extension of the high voltage electric grid.
Abstract: As a contribution to the development program of rural areas in Palestine, this paper presents three energy supply alternatives for a remote village represented in PV system, diesel generator and electric grid. Design of these systems and the associated costs of their utilization are illustrated. A computer-aided dynamic economic evaluation method with five indicators is used to compare the economic-effectiveness of these energy systems. The results show that, utilizing of PV systems for rural electrification in Palestine is economically more feasible than using diesel generators or extension of the high voltage electric grid. The obtained results represents also a helpful reference for energy planers in Palestine and justify the consideration of PV systems more seriously.

183 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the extent to which market-based reforms have affected access and affordability of electricity in rural areas and develop appropriate policy and the supporting institutional structures to align rural electrification with reformed power sectors.

145 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors discuss the effective applications of renewable sources of energy, including solar photovoltaic (PV), bio-gas plant and bio-mass briquitting.

137 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the central government has been separating local electricity supply from local governments to facilitate the commercial operation of the utility market, and the rural electricity system was merged with the urban system, forming an integrated national electricity administrative system in China.
Abstract: China has been highly successful in electrifying rural areas in the past half century. Institutional structure and its reform are important for investment and, therefore, development of rural electrification. Over time, there have been three major institutional changes initiated by the central government;When the People’s Republic was founded in 1949, it was short of capital, technology and management professionals to promote rural electrification, so rural electricity had a separate administrative system from the urban areas. From 1949 to 1977, China established a comprehensive vertical system of rural electricity administration under strict central planning. At the end of the 1970s, with the adoption of economic reform policy, the central government handed over the management of the local electricity system to local government. County level has proved the most effective implementation unit for both planning and project implementation of the rural electricity system. From 1998 to 2002, the central government has been separating local electricity supply from local governments to facilitate the commercial operation of the utility market. After 2002, the rural electricity system was merged with the urban system, forming an integrated national electricity administrative system in China.

58 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jan 2006-Refocus
TL;DR: In this article, Magda Moner-Girona, Rebecca Ghanadan, Arne Jacobson and Daniel M. Kammen provide an overview of the status of solar home system installation in Africa and highlight the opportunities for cost reductions via local manufacturing.

47 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a bottom-up, holistic, long-term approach is suggested that integrates energy access with economic development, and relies on selective market intervention, local resources and local governance.
Abstract: Poor and inadequate access to clean, reliable and affordable energy is now considered a major concern for sustainable development. India houses about a third of the world's population without access to electricity and about 40% of those without access to modern energy. This article considers India's challenge in this area, examines the energy access situation, and analyses measures pursued to improve it. The article argues that the current focus on rural electrification is unlikely to resolve the energy access problem, due to the low penetration of electricity in the energy mix of the poor. The article also argues that strategies based on energy market reform, promotion of renewable technologies and correct price signals are unlikely to succeed in changing the situation, as acceptance of this policy prescription is rather low. Instead, a bottom-up, holistic, long-term approach is suggested that integrates energy access with economic development, and relies on selective market intervention, local resources and local governance.

45 citations


Proceedings ArticleDOI
16 Oct 2006
TL;DR: In this article, a bottom-up approach through an evaluation of autonomous or non-autonomous modified microgrids concept to provide electricity to local residents and which serve as basic building blocks for future system expansion is addressed.
Abstract: With the population of 13.4% of the world and a land area of 15%, Africa has only 2% of the world's industrial capacity. Its per capita income is only 15% of the world average and only consumes 3% of world energy. Many sub-Saharan and sub-Equatorial African countries are poor and have limited electricity infrastructures. A survey of energy resources conducted by the World Energy Council (WEC) in 2004 shows that Africa has more than enough to satisfy all its energy requirements. These include 7.1% of the world's known oil reserves, 7.5% of the gas, 10.6% of the coal and 13% of the hydro. Due to the high cost for the construction of UHV/EHV transmission lines, there are needs to develop a balanced distributed generation strategy which takes into account future integration with small, midsize and large regional projects. This paper recommends a bottom up approach through an evaluation of autonomous or non-autonomous modified microgrids concept to provide electricity to local residents and which serve as basic building blocks for future system expansion. Issues regarding to the control associated with the integration of micro grids to larger systems are addressed.

39 citations


01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared large, small and pico hydropower generation, focusing on the relative adverse environmental and social effects of each, and their economic performance, and the applicability of hydro projects utilising schemes of different sizes is discussed.
Abstract: With world electricity demand increasing, exploitation of the considerable potential for hydropower generation in many developing countries is an attractive prospect. However, with increased awareness of the potential adverse effects of hydropower and the underlying need for cost-effectiveness, decisions on the scale of new developments are more difficult to make. This paper compares large, small and pico hydropower generation, focusing on the relative adverse environmental and social effects of each, and their economic performance. A hypothetical scenario was formulated featuring three routes to hydro powered rural electrification in developing countries. Costs and population densities were based on data for Pakistan and Peru. Cost-benefit analysis (CBA) techniques were employed to compare the costs and benefits of three hydropower development options providing the same level of service to rural consumers. The results show that investment is recouped 25% more quickly where a number of very small hydro schemes are used instead of one large scheme, but the level of investment required for the single scheme is far greater. Based upon these results, the applicability of hydro projects utilising schemes of different sizes is discussed.

36 citations


Posted Content
TL;DR: The linkages between infrastructure development and sustained output growth have been documented by many global empirical studies (Aschauer, 1989; Canning, 1998; Calderon and Chong, 2004) and worldwide reviews as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The linkages between infrastructure development and sustained output growth have been documented by many global empirical studies (Aschauer, 1989; Canning, 1998; Calderon and Chong, 2004) and worldwide reviews (Sawada, 2000; ADB et al., 2005; Estache et al., 2005; Pinstrup-Andersen and Shimokawa, 2006). Crosscountry analyses have also documented strong linkages between infrastructure and agricultural output growth. For example, using cross-sectional data for 47 less developed countries including India, Antle (1983) found a strong and positive relationship between infrastructure development and aggregate agricultural productivity. Using annual data for 58 countries Binswanger et al., (1987) reported a positive and significant correlation between road development and aggregate crop output. These views have been substantiated by many Asian studies (Ruttan, 2002; Mundlak et al., 2004). Studies from Indian settings also document evidence of positive linkages between various types of infrastructure and agricultural output growth (Antle, 1984). Rural infrastructure (both physical and institutional) such as irrigation, watershed development, rural electrification, roads, markets, credit institutions, rural literacy, agricultural research and extension, etc., together play a key role in determining the agricultural output in India. For instance, irrigation infrastructure increases the land use intensity and cropping intensity, and provides incentives to farmers to use yield increasing inputs, and thus results in higher agricultural output (Dhawan, 1988; Shah, 1993; Vaidyanathan, 1999; Narayanamoorthy and Deshpande, 2005). Rural electrification increases the energisation of pumpsets, which helps to increase the

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that the provision of electricity in rural areas can bring about desired socioeconomic changes (increased economic opportunities, improved health and education facilities) has been challenged on two related counts.

01 Oct 2006
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on reducing the high costs of electrification by documenting proven, low-cost methods and techniques in electricity networks that have not yet become widely used in sub-Saharan Africa, based on studies related to innovations in Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
Abstract: The level of electrification in sub-Saharan Africa is low, with less than 10 percent of the rural households having access to electricity. One of the key barriers to accelerating access is the high cost of connections, arising, inter alia, from the use of outdated, unsuitable, high-cost methods in electricity networks. A second key barrier is the small and dispersed nature of electricity demand, arising from low density of population and low income levels, which lead to high average costs of providing electricity service. The objective of this report is to help in reducing the high costs of electrification by documenting proven, low-cost methods and techniques in electricity networks that have not yet become widely used in sub-Saharan Africa. The report is based on studies related to innovations in Tunisia, Ghana, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and field visits by an expert group of technical specialists to Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda. The group found that these countries had very similar norms and standards for electricity networks, based on concepts imported during colonial times, with very little adaptation to local conditions having taken place. For example, existing technical standards allow for snow and ice loading in places that have never experienced such weather conditions.

01 Jul 2006
TL;DR: In this article, the first systematic attempt at defining workable regulatory systems that will help rather than hinder electrification with emphasis on off-grid electrification is presented. And the authors present four general principles that would need to be satisfied by such a regulatory system: Principle 1, adopt light-handed and simplified regulation.
Abstract: The paper presents one of the first systematic attempts at defining workable regulatory systems that will help rather than hinder electrification with emphasis on off-grid electrification. It does this by first presenting four general principles that would need to be satisfied by such a regulatory system: Principle 1-Adopt light-handed and simplified regulation. Principle 2-Allow (or require) the regulator to contract out or delegate, either temporarily or permanently, regulatory tasks to other government or non-government entities. Principle 3-Allow the regulator to vary the nature of its regulation depending on the entity that is being regulated. Principle 4-Establish quality-of-service standards that are realistic, affordable, monitorable, and enforceable.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the economics of groundwater irrigation and shallow tubewell (STW) ownership decision making, using farm-level data collected from 324 households in Nepal, and found that STW irrigation generated a significant positive effect on rice yield and farmers' incomes.
Abstract: This article examines the economics of groundwater irrigation and shallow tubewell (STW) ownership decision making, using farm-level data collected from 324 households in Nepal. STW irrigation generated a significant positive effect on rice yield and farmers' incomes. Based on a probit model, the farm size, land fragmentation, access to electricity, and access to credit were found to significantly influence farmers' decisions to own STWs. Although the water market benefited poor farmers, it is too small and monopolistic. Policy reforms needed to make groundwater accessible to the poor majority include effective credit programs, investments in rural electrification, and public sector support for promoting suitable pumping technologies.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors look at various off gird electric system configurations in rural Kenya and suggest ways in which they could be reconfigured to be more energy efficient, and suggest that most of these emerging installations are individual isolated units.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Community energy management in a Cuban village using a central photovoltaic installation is described to show that the village residents have developed rules and agreements for coordination of their energy use that have led to good adaptation to the dynamics of energy production.
Abstract: Multi-user systems (MUS) for electrification of rural villages have specific advantages compared with individual systems (SHS). However, as MUS serve multiple consumers, shared energy use presents a challenging problem to the communities. Despite the increased performance of MUS over SHS, they still produce a limited amount of available energy, and users cannot consume as much electricity as they wish without considering the needs of the other users. This means that energy distribution among village residents has to be organised and energy consumption has to be controlled. There are different ways to achieve energy distribution. One possibility is to leave it to the users themselves to organise rational energy use according to their needs and daily routines. For the development of a self-managed scheme, knowledge is required not only of the users' total energy consumption, but also of their individual energy use patterns. With knowledge of the community's energy consumption habits, rules for adequate energy use can be developed more accurately. The present study describes community energy management in a Cuban village using a central photovoltaic installation. Applying different methods, data were collected in order to identify individual energy use patterns and to investigate how villagers distribute energy and what rules of use are in effect. We wanted to find out whether their energy management leads to well-adapted energy use patterns and reasonable system performance. The results show that the village residents have developed rules and agreements for coordination of their energy use that have led to good adaptation to the dynamics of energy production. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Proceedings ArticleDOI
07 May 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe Brazil's photovoltaic rural school electrification program developed in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, from its demonstration phase through its current larger-scale (near 1000 systems) deployment.
Abstract: This paper describes Brazil's photovoltaic rural school electrification program developed in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, from its demonstration phase through its current larger-scale (near 1000 systems) deployment. Based upon several successful initial demonstration projects, which have shown PV could be both reliable and cost effective in remote rural areas, over previous 10-year period, CEMIG-Energetic Company of Minas Gerais (the largest utility in Brazil) has developed a PV rural-electrification program that is driven by quality-of-life improvement objectives for the electricity consumer. The Luz no Saber has been specifically designed inside a larger-scale rural electrification program (Luz para Todos - M.G.). It has been implemented in rural areas of Minas Gerais State by CEMIG, in collaboration with state and federal governments. The main objective has been to find an energy delivery alternative to grid connection for dispersed rural communities to realize the recent "Universal Attendance Law" (10438). That is, starting July, 2002, electric utilities in Brazil have been required to electrify the entire areas they serve. Because of solar resource availability and geographical constraints, PV is the most important complementary technology to satisfy the universal electrical delivery to rural and remote communities in Minas Gerais. The technology allows the access of lower-income people to lighting, communication, as well as a variety of educational delivery opportunities. A major impact has been reducing illiteracy and improving the quality of education. The major conclusion of this 10-year CEMIG investment is that an adequate service infrastructure is required to make projects viable, mainly characterized by a technical network which guarantees the system's technical performance, system design, qualified technical support, and also avoids a lack of unreasonable and unfulfilled user expectations. The lessons learned under several phases of the CEMIG's PV programmes focused on the "Luz no Saber Program" are detailed in this paper, with the conclusion that they have helped avoid potential failures in this sustainability model program

01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this article, the authors highlight the urgency for appropriate and sustainable elementary rural village electrification in Nepal, in order to create opportunities to bring light into the dark, smoke filled homes of the poorest of the poor.
Abstract: 1.6 - 2 billion people in developing countries live in dark homes, without access to electricity, and 2.4 billion rely on traditional biomass for their daily energy services, such as cooking, heating and lighting. Lack of electricity and heavy reliance on traditional biomass are hallmarks of poverty in developing countries, and women and children in particular suffer enormous health problems due to open fire places. The high migration and urbanization rates in developing countries will continue, forcing governments to focus more on urban energy service provision and extension. That widens the gap between poor and rich, highlighting the relationship between poverty and access to electricity further. Nepal, with the majority of its people living in difficult to access areas with no roads is a typical example of that. Belonging to the poorest and most undeveloped countries, the per capita electricity consumption is among the lowest in the world. The geographical remoteness, the harsh climatic conditions, low population density with minimal energy demand and low growth potential, are some of the reasons why rural electrification costs in Nepal are prohibitive and the isolated rural mountain villages in Nepal will not be reached within the foreseeable future through grid extensions alone. Nepal is not rich in fossil fuel resources but it has plenty of renewable energy resources, in particular water that is running down from the vast Himalayan mountain ranges in over 6,000 rivers. With 300 sunny days a year, the sun’s freely available solar energy can also be converted into electricity. In some of the most remote Himalayan valleys in Nepal, among the poorest and most marginalized groups of people, some encouraging steps have been taken in regard to elementary rural village electrification. The local available, renewable energy resources have been tapped into, and through Remote Area Power Supply (RAPS) systems, miniscule amounts of power, in the “watt” range rather than “kilo-watt”, has been generated for elementary rural village electrification. In this way several villages have been electrified, for lighting purposes only, through different types of village integrated solar photovoltaic systems and the smallest kinds of hydro power plants, called pico hydro. The lights considered most appropriate and sustainable are 1 watt energy consuming white light emitting diodes (WLED), providing a minimum, but just sufficient light output. This paper aims to highlight the urgency for appropriate and sustainable elementary rural village electrification in Nepal, in order to create opportunities to bring light into the dark, smoke filled homes of the poorest of the poor. It discusses the possible, appropriate technologies, such as solar PV systems for single homes and whole villages, pico hydro power plants and small wind generators, for small scale rural village power generation schemes. It describes and discusses some of the implemented village solar PV and pico hydro power plant projects, including the experiences gained and the lessons learned.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a GIS-based method is proposed with renewable energies for rural electrification structured in three stages, with the aim of finding out the influence of the initial variables on the result.

Posted Content
TL;DR: The major strategies of the power sector have been appropriately identified as promoting private sector participation in power generation and distribution, integrating rural electrification with rural economic development programs, and strengthening power infrastructure.
Abstract: Hydropower has been recognised as a sustainable source of energy with almost zero input cost. Its benefits are that it is non-polluting in the sense that it releases no heat or noxious gases, it has low operating and maintenance cost, its technology offers reliable and flexible operation, and hydropower stations have increased efficiencies along with long life. Nepal's huge potential in hydropower is still untapped. Though Nepal has not yet b een able to tap even one percent of its potential electricity capacity and 60 percent of Nepal's population is still deprived of electricity, it is fascinating to note that Nepal's start in 1911 in the hydropower generation almost dates back to a century. As a cheap, renewable source of energy with negligible environmental impacts, small hydropower has an important role to play in Nepal's future energy supply. Accordingly, micro-hydro system is becoming increasingly popular as an energy source in rural Nepal. Use of environmentally- friendly technologies and implementation of sound legal and institutional issues are critical to improve the reach of the population to hydropower. To make the Plan targets in the power sector a reality, directing more resources to the power projects focusing on rural population remains the pre-requisite. The major strategies of the power sector have been appropriately identified as promoting private sector participation in power generation and distribution, integrating rural electrification with rural economic development programs, and strengthening power infrastructure. The immense role of the power sector in contributing to the generation of broad-based, sustainable and high level of economic growth as well as improving the relative competitiveness of the economy both on a regional and global basis makes it imperative that the programs and activities on power sector development as visualized in the plans and policies be given the utmost urgency, priority and focus.

Proceedings ArticleDOI
01 Dec 2006
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the economic aspects of a typical hybrid energy system for remote area in India and developed a model with the objective of minimizing cost function based on demand and potential constraints.
Abstract: Hybrid energy systems are increasingly being applied in areas where grid extension is considered uneconomical. Their costs can be minimized through proper equipment sizing and load matching. This paper reports an investigation on the economic aspects of a typical hybrid energy system for remote area in India. For this purpose, the Jaunpur block of Uttaranchal state of India has been selected as remote area. The model is developed with the objective of minimizing cost function based on demand and potential constraints. The model has been optimized using LINDO software 6.10 version. From the economic analysis, the capital cost, cost of energy for different types of resources, optimized cost of hybrid energy system are determined.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an attempt has been taken to present the existing environmental condition and analysis the future environmental condition after implementation of the project, which has been shown that 87% people say that they feel safer at night since being electrified.
Abstract: Environmental impact assessment (EIA) of any project is essential for understanding the sustainability of the project. For sustainable development of hill tracts, electricity is inseparable. Like other parts of Bangladesh hill tracts districts felt increasing demand of electricity. In this paper an attempt has been taken to present the existing environmental condition and analysis the future environmental condition after implementation of project. Electrification will extend the length of the active day. Electrification will improve security (people's perception of safety and security) at the region. The elements of the project identified as components for analysis are chosen based on DOE's guideline. The study showed that 87% people say that they feel safer at night since being electrified. Impacts are classified on the basis of EPA's scaling and DOE, university's teachers, NGOs expert's opinions. Value more than 10 is classified significantly affected element of the project. In this paper advantages and disadvantages of the Electrification Project has been presented.

01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this article, the authors reviewed various financing mechanisms used worldwide for dissemination of solar home systems (SHS) and discussed the potential of commercialization of SHS in remote rural areas in presence of a financial service.
Abstract: Photovoltaic (PV) based solar home systems (SHS) are often the least expensive electrification option in sparsely populated areas with low electric loads. This makes the SHS appropriate for rural electrification in the developing countries. However, the acquisition of a SHS requires high initial investment and moderate operating and maintenance cost. The lack of financial services for users of SHS is often regarded as the main barrier for their commercial dissemination. Several financing approaches have been practiced in different countries and reflected both positive and negative impacts. This paper reviews various financing mechanisms used worldwide for dissemination of SHS and discusses the potential of commercialization of SHS in remote rural areas in presence of a financial service. The success of a mechanism depends on various factors ranging from selection of the right mechanism for right location to implementation strategy of the selected mechanism. Donated or highly subsidized projects are found not to sustain for long term. Cash sale approach has lower market penetration record. Hire purchase and fee-for-service approaches are found to have higher success records than the others. However, financial schemes should be designed in such a way that financing institutions and financial intermediaries can recover their operational costs.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focused on the impact of electricity on the income, health and education of the rural Bhutanese and found that the human development is better in electrified villages as evidenced by their higher HDI.
Abstract: The study focuses on the impact of electricity on the income, health and education of the rural Bhutanese. The results are based on a with-without study from a survey carried out in four electrified villages and another four non-electrified villages in central Bhutan. Electrification, is seen to make overall energy costs in rural Bhutan cheaper by 33%. The shift from kerosene to electricity for lighting alone results in a consumers surplus of about Nu. 29,700 per household. Use of domestic electrical appliances have improved the living conditions of the rural Bhutanese. Each household, upon electrification, reduces 1.23 tons of CO2 emission in a year. Electrification alone may not be enough for rural development as regression analysis shows other socio-economic factors to be significant. Electrified households were found to have a 24% higher annual cash income. Poverty is less prevalent in electrified villages, but the disparity in income is not different than in non-electrified villages. The probability that households engage themselves in income generating activities upon electrification is found to be low. Health in electrified villages appears to improve through better living conditions at home and through the use of electricity in hospitals. There are more students studying for longer duration, and higher enrollment in non formal education in the electrified villages. Overall, the human development is better in electrified villages as evidenced by their higher, but partial, HDI.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the issues facing this massive rural electrification program and suggest that unless the risks are carefully mitigated, the programme may not succeed in achieving its principal objectives.
Abstract: To redress the problem of poor electricity access in rural India, even after 50 years of sustained electrification effort has proved to be a challenging task. And in order to address this problem, India launched a massive rural electrification programme in April 2005 with an objective of achieving universal household electrification by 2012. This short paper discusses the issues facing this programme and suggests that unless the risks are carefully mitigated, the programme may not succeed in achieving its principal objectives.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jul 2006-Refocus
TL;DR: Sunil Puri, Refocus correspondent in India, highlights the ground-level scenarios, key roadblocks in country-wide rural electrification initiatives, and the government strategies to overcome these roadblocks as discussed by the authors.

01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examine the programs implemented in Asia and Pacific over the past two decades, focusing on the underlying policies, the delivery mechanisms used and the outcomes and provide a comprehensive assessment of the programmes and their effectiveness in order to document the lessons learned and the features of programmes that need to be included to ensure programme success.
Abstract: There is broad acceptance that sustainable development has both inter- and intra-generational components and that electrification programmes to provide the 2 billion or so people in the world that do not have access to electricity, mainly those in rural communities in developing countries, is critically important to the latter. Without electricity these people are unable to access high quality lighting, entertainment, communications and the many secondary benefits that these things bring. Many rural electrification programmes based on renewable energy system have been implemented over the past decades. These have included programmes based on solar home systems, biogas-fuelled lighting, small, wind and solar hybrid mini-grids, and household-scale wind turbines. Rural electrification, however, is not a simple, but a dynamic developmental process. In order for these programmes to be sustainable, the energy delivery infrastructure needs to be developed in a way that caters for the ever changing demand in a sustainable way. A large number of rural electrification programmes have been implemented in developing countries to date; the degree to which these programmes have been successful in terms of a sustained increase in the uptake of renewable energy systems is not well documented. This paper examines the programmes implemented in Asia and Pacific over the past two decades, focusing on the underlying policies, the delivery mechanisms used and the outcomes and provide a comprehensive assessment of the programmes and their effectiveness in order to document the lessons learned and the features of programmes that need to be included to ensure programme success.

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this article, a project for electrification of fifty houses in Uzi Island in Zanzibar has been described, where ten solar photovoltaic panels have been installed, each with the capacity of 120 Watts and powering a SBCS for five households.
Abstract: Battery Charging Systems (BCS) provide an alternative means of rural electrification in remote rural communities that are not connected to power utility grid and cannot afford Solar Home Systems (SHS). Unlike the expensive SHS, which can not be afforded by the majority households of rural people in many developing countries the costs involved in BCS, on the part of the user, are those of the battery and the charging costs. Solar Battery Charging Stations (SBCS) utilize solar photovoltaic generated power as the source of battery charging energy. This option reduces the charging cost, provides a more environmentally sound source of energy and therefore is more effective in remote rural applications. Battery charging stations can also be powered by grid power, diesel generators, through an ordinary solar home system or other electrical sources. This paper analyses a project for electrification of fifty houses in Uzi Island in Zanzibar. Ten solar photovoltaic panels have been installed, each with the capacity of 120 Watts and powering a SBCS for five households. Each of the households is served by one battery of capacity 50 to 75 Ah. The system is designed such that the houses being served by the SBCS are close together in order to minimize battery carrying distances between the SBCS and the houses. The project was implemented following a detailed feasibility study that covered technical, environmental and socio-economical aspects of the project. The project is run by the villagers and each user pays battery-charging fees to cover costs for operation, maintenance, replacements and expansion of the project to include other villagers. The Uzi Island project has improved access to modem information systems in the island, education and replacement of kerosene lamps. The project has proved that SBCS can adequately meet the energy needs of the people in the island. The project has shown that SBCS can be decentralized, are cost-effective and technically viable in supporting electrification of low-income rural population. It has also shown that SBCS have to be simple in operation, reliable, able to charge batteries fully in a day, capable of serving the required number of customers daily and require low operating, maintenance and replacement costs. Economical analysis favours SBCS in comparison to other available options under situations, which are typical for the rural areas in developing countries. Experiences drawn from Uzi Island project suggest that solar battery charging stations are an effective and affordable means to electrifying low-income people in remote rural areas of Tanzania.