Showing papers on "Rural electrification published in 2007"

PV hybrid systems for rural electrification in Thailand

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

The Challenge of Rural Electrification: Strategies for Developing Countries

Abstract: 1. The Challenge of Rural Electrification 2. The Cooperative Experience in Costa Rica 3. Power and Politics in the Philippines 4. Rural Poverty and Electricity Challenges in Bangladesh 5. Public Distribution and Electricity Problem Solving in Rural Thailand 6. From Central Planning to Decentralized Electricity Distribution in Mexico 7. Electricity and Multisector Development in Rural Tunisia 8. Rural Electricity Subsidies and the Private Sector in Chile 9. National Support for Decentralized Electricity Growth in Rural China 10. The New Deal for Electricity in the United States: 1930-1950 11. Electricity For Social Development in Ireland 12. Meeting the Challenge of Rural Electrification

Potential for rural electrification based on biomass gasification in Cambodia

Abstract: Around 76% of the 10,452 villages of Cambodia will still be without electricity in the year 2010. We examined the potential of biomass gasification fuelled by alternative resources of agricultural residues and woody biomass to increase rural power supply, using geographic and social economic databases provided by the Royal Government of Cambodia. About 77% of villages currently without electricity have sufficient land available for tree planting for electricity generation based on a requirement of 0.02 ha per household. Among 8008 villages with sufficient land, we assumed that those villages that had greater than 10% of households owning a television (powered by a battery or a generator) would have both a high electricity demand and a capacity to pay for electricity generation. Those 6418 villages were considered appropriate candidates for mini-grid installation by biomass gasification. This study demonstrated that while agricultural residues such as rice husks or cashew nut shells may have high energy potential, only tree farming or plantations would provide sufficient sustainable resources to supply a biomass gasification system. Cost per unit electricity generation by biomass gasification is less than diesel generation when the plant capacity factor exceeds 13%. In order to ensure long-term ecological sustainability as well as appropriate tree-farming technology for farmers, there is an urgent need for studies aimed at quantifying biomass production across multiple rotations and with different species across Cambodia.

Rural Electrification in India: Economic and Industrial Aspects of Renewables

Abstract: The paper assesses the demand for rural electricity services and contrasts it with the technology options available for rural electrification. Decentralised Distributed Generation can be economically viable as reflected by case studies reported in literature and analysed in our field study. Project success is driven by economically viable technology choice; however it is largely contingent on organisational leadership and appropriate institutional structures. While individual leadership can compensate for deployment barriers, we argue that a large scale roll out of rural electrification requires an alignment of economic incentives and institutional structures to implement, operate and maintain the scheme. This is demonstrated with the help of seven case studies of projects across north India.

Rural Electrification in India: Economic and Institutional aspects of Renewables

Abstract: The paper assesses the demand for rural electricity services and contrasts it with the technology options available for rural electrification. Decentralised Distributed Generation can be economically viable as reflected by case studies reported in literature and analysed in our field study. Project success is driven by economically viable technology choice; however it is largely contingent on organisational leadership and appropriate institutional structures. While individual leadership can compensate for deployment barriers, we argue that a large scale roll out of rural electrification requires an alignment of economic incentives and institutional structures to implement, operate and maintain the scheme. This is demonstrated with the help of seven case studies of projects across north India.

Does groundwater irrigation reduce rural poverty? Evidence from Indian states

Abstract: Groundwater irrigation has become a dominant source of irrigation in Indian agriculture today. Besides increasing the cropping intensity and productivity of crops, the intensive cultivation of crops due to timely access to groundwater irrigation increases the demand for agricultural labourers and hence wage rates for those who mostly live below the poverty line. Both increased affordability of foodgrain and wage rates help the rural poor to cross the poverty barriers. However, the importance of groundwater has not been recognized by studies focusing on rural poverty in India. Since groundwater irrigation is proved to be prominent in increasing the production of crops, it is likely that the impact of it on rural poverty would also be significant. In this study, therefore, an attempt has been made to examine the nexus between groundwater irrigation and rural poverty using state-wise cross-section data covering five time points: 1973–74, 1977–78, 1983, 1987–88 and 1993–94. The study shows that there is a significant inverse relationship between the availability of groundwater irrigation and the percentage of rural poverty at all five time points. The results suggest that public policy should focus more on developing groundwater irrigation, without harming the environment, through a strong rural electrification and institutional credit support wherever possible to reduce rural poverty in a sustained manner. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dependability analysis of stand‐alone photovoltaic systems

Abstract: Long-term performance of PV stand-alone systems is analysed in this work in terms of dependability. On one side, the quality of a PV system, the energy service supplied to the users, depends on the initial design and sizing and on the component ageing that progressively decreases the availability of supply on demand (energy reliability). On the other side, technical failures lead to system stoppage until repairing is performed (technical reliability), which is crucial in real rural electrification applications. All those factors are analysed together with the basis of an extended field, laboratory and bibliographic review work.

World Energy Outlook 2007: China and India Insights

Abstract: World leaders have pledged to act to change the future shape of the global energy economy. Since the 2006 edition of the WEO, some new policies have been put in place to that effect. Yet in the Reference Scenario in this year’s WEO, which takes these new policies into account, projected global energy demand in 2030 is higher than before and the supply and emissions trends are worsening. What is going on? One key answer is sustained high levels of economic growth in the new giants of the world economy. China and India together account for nearly half of the entire growth in world energy demand between 2005 and 2030. China is likely to have overtaken the United States to become the world’s largest emitter of energy-related carbon dioxide this year and, by 2015, India will be the thirdlargest emitter. By around 2010, China will overtake the United States to become the world’s largest consumer of energy. In 2030, India will be the thirdlargest oil importer in the world. Over the period to 2030, China will install more new electricity generating capacity than exists in the United States today. China and India need to sustain a phenomenal rate of economic growth. There are still over 400 million people in India without access to electricity. Access to clean burning fuels for cooking and space heating in rural China is still very limited, despite the near-total success of its rural electrification programme. In both countries, the aspirations of a burgeoning middle class are driving social and economic change. There can be no moral grounds for expecting China and India selectively to curb their economic growth simply because world energy demand is rising unacceptably, with associated risks of supply interruptions, high prices and damage to the environment. These are global problems to be tackled on a global basis. How those problems might be tackled is illustrated in the Alternative Policy Scenario, which forms an important part of the analysis in this book. Known means exist to cut energy demand and change the fuel mix. Global energyrelated CO2 emissions could be nearly 20% lower by 2030, having levelled off in the 2020s. A volume of oil equal to the entire current oil output of the United States, Canada and Mexico can be removed from world demand by 2030. China and India are increasingly demonstrating their recognition of the need to act – for example, through their commitment to greater energy efficiency, more renewables and cleaner coal technology – with other countries to make the energy future sustainable. To attain the much more ambitious long-term objective of stabilising the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the measures considered would still not be enough; but the possible implications of that objective, too, are examined in the 450 Stabilisation case, set out in Chapter 5. On the other hand, growth in the world’s economic tigers could be still higher than we have assumed. We set out the consequences of that. They are not all bad. Most countries outside China and India would benefit economically, despite the feedback to higher energy demand and prices. China and India account for a share of global primary demand which is growing at a phenomenal rate – but it will still be no higher than some 30% in 2030. Through this Outlook, the IEA seeks to communicate both parts of this message – the significance of the growth of energy demand in China and India, but also their place in world total demand and their modest use of energy per capita – and then to help realise the global co-operation which, alone, can create a sustainable energy future. I am immensely proud to have the opportunity to present this latest volume in the acclaimed WEO series, a series which has been so carefully nurtured by my predecessor, Claude Mandil. I pay tribute to him, to Fatih Birol, who has again directed with talent his excellent WEO team, and to the many others who have contributed to this work. It is particularly gratifying that this edition has been the occasion for close collaboration between the Chinese and Indian authorities and the IEA. This is a relationship which symbolises the interdependence of the global energy community. It is one which I shall do my best to safeguard and develop, hopefully paving the way, with the support of all the governments concerned, to an ultimate objective of their future membership of the International Energy Agency.

The Current Status and Future Opportunities of Hydroelectricity

Abstract: This study presents the status of and prospects for the current state of small hydropower technologies used to produce electricity and assesses their future prospects. The hydropower currently provides about 20% of the world's electricity supply and more than 40% of the electricity used in developing countries. Norway produces more than 99% of its electricity with hydropower. The hydropower is the leading source of renewable energy, providing more than 97% of all electricity generated by renewable sources. The chief advantage of hydro systems is elimination of the cost of fuel. Hydropower on a small-scale is in most cases “run-of-river,” with no dam or water storage, and is one of the most cost-effective and environmentally benign energy technologies to be considered both for rural electrification in less developed countries and further hydro developments in Europe.

Evaluating 35 years of Green Revolution technology in villages of Bulandshahr district, western UP, North India

Abstract: This paper analyses the experiences of over 35 years of Green Revolution (GR) technology in villages of the Bulandshahr District, western UP. Fieldwork in three villages revealed that perceptions of GR were extremely positive because higher yields brought food security for all in the area, and financial security for many. Indirect benefits, such as urban development, have improved employment opportunities – which have benefited even the poorest – and rural electrification has transformed rural livelihoods, especially for women. Predictably, the benefits of GR technology are not equally spread: the poorest are better off, but the gap between rich and poor is now greater than ever. As gently declining yields are paralleled by growing populations, farmers are interested in further increasing land productivity.

Current and forthcoming issues in the South African electricity sector

Abstract: One of the contentious issues in electricity reform is whether there are significant gains from restructuring systems that are moderately well run. South Africa's electricity system is a case in point. The sector's state-owned utility, Eskom, has been generating some of the lowest-priced electricity in the world, has largely achieved revenue adequacy, and has financed the bulk of the government's ambitious electrification program. Moreover, the key technical performance indicators of Eskom's generation plants have reached world-class levels. Yet the sector is confronted today with serious challenges. South Africa's electricity system is currently facing a tight demand/supply balance, and the distribution segment of the industry is in serious financial trouble. This paper provides a careful diagnostic assessment of the industry and identifies a range of policy and restructuring options to improve its performance. It suggests removing distribution from municipal control and privatizing it, calls for vertical and horizontal unbundling, and argues that the cost-benefit analysis of different structural options should focus on investment incentives and not just current operating efficiency.

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

Abstract: 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

Rural electrification in Zimbabwe reduces poverty by targeting income-generating activities

Abstract: An approach, adopted in Zimbabwe that promises to address this problem is to target income-generating activities, mainly the small and medium scale enterprises (SMMEs) in the areas where the electricity grid is extended. This will have the benefits of potentially increasing the return on the utility’s investment by also stimulating small-scale commercial and industrial activities in the areas reached by the grid. It is however important to understand the SMMEs and their needs in order to tailor any support appropriately.

New Technologies for Rural Lighting in Developing Countries: White LEDs

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

Determinants of Poverty Vulnerability in Uganda

Abstract: Ugandan data shows poverty to be entrenched in rural areas and in large households. Households with heads exposed to education, an improved health status, less reliance on agriculture as the most important source of earnings, access to electricity for lighting and, the presence of markets to sell produce in the community experience improved household well-being. The data also confirms two known stylized facts regarding poverty vulnerability. First, households in the Northern region have a higher probability of being poor than those in Central, Eastern, and Western regions. Second, the 'annual cropping and cattle northern' and 'annual cropping and cattle Teso' zones are the agro ecological zones that are positively correlated with poverty vulnerability. The fact that residence in rural areas is associated with higher incidence of poverty suggests that promotion of off-farm employment (for example, through rural electrification) would help reduce vulnerability.