Integrated design of photovoltaic power generation plant with pumped hydro storage system and agricultural facilities in Uhuelem-Amoncha African community

Seasonal and location dependence of renewable energy resources have limited their applications in power generation. Energy storage systems are promising solutions to the intermittence of renewable energy resources. Rural electricity grids are faced with economic sustainability challenges due to low power demand and poverty. As countries hopefully pass through various stages of development, their needs change. The electricity needs of developing countries surely differ from those of developed economies. Most of the global population without access to electricity, and all the consequences of it, is found in developing countries. Energy access is undoubtedly a significant catalyst for development. Developed countries mainly require technologies to ensure energy security, resilience, and occasionally emission control. Therefore, microgrids are emerging technologies capable of supporting the diverse needs of various stages of development. For example, a rural grid design around economic drivers like agriculture and micro industries can mitigate poverty and improve economic sustainability of rural grids. This study presents an Integrated Design of Photovoltaic Power Generation Plant with Pumped Hydro Storage System and Agricultural Facilities in Uhuelem-Amoncha African Community. The design explored the natural availability of water body in an elevated settlement area that offers a natural storage height for hydro energy storage. HOMER (Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources) software was deployed to optimize the design. The designed photovoltaic power generation plant has a nominal capacity of 221 kW. The simulated results show the power supply probability of the plant as 99.9%. The cost of energy (COE) offered by the design is 0.456 [US$/kWh] which is 82% lower than the current cost of energy in the project community based on generation through petrol generators. The System has 100% renewable energy penetration. The plant is designed to power 50 households with a daily domestic energy consumption of 4.46 [kWh] each. The plant capacity also covers the irrigation water requirement of 50 acres of corn farms. A total of 100 units of designed intelligent pest control system will also be powered by the plant. A community refrigeration scheme of 27 [m3] equivalent volume is part of the plant design load. The benefits from the irrigation, water supply, pest control and refrigeration scheme will enhance the community’s socio-economic development and sustain the investment. Quantifying the integral socio-economic and environmental benefits is a subject of a future research

A review of renewable off-grid mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is home to 75% of the world’s unelectrified population, and approximately 500 million of these live in rural areas. Off-grid mini-grids are being deployed on a large scale to address the region’s electrification inequalities. This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the research on the off-grid renewable mini-grids in SSA. The study covers the current status of the level of deployment of off-grid mini-grids. It also reviews multi-criteria decision-making models for optimizing engineering, economics, and management interests in mini-grid siting and design in SSA. The statuses of financing, policy, and tariffs for mini-grids in SSA are also studied. Finally, the current status of energy justice research in respect of mini-grids in SSA is reviewed. The study shows the important role of decentralized renewable technologies in the electrification of SSA’s rural population. Within a decade since 2010, the rural electrification rate of SSA has increased from 17% to 28%, and 11 million mini-grid connections are currently operational. Despite these gains, the literature points to several injustices related to the present model by which SSA’s renewable mini-grids are funded, deployed, and operated. Hence, several recommendations are provided for the effective application of the energy justice framework (EJF) for just and equitable mini-grids in SSA

Assessing the market for solar photovoltaic (PV) microgrids in Malawi

Access to energy is widely acknowledged as an enabler for development, and a lack of energy is a barrier to economic empowerment. Currently just 12% of the Malawian population have access to the national electricity grid, with rural electrification at only 5.3%. Solar photovoltaic (PV) microgrids offer increased access levels over pico-solar systems and solar-home systems, and are a successful rural electrification method in many areas of Africa. This paper addresses the research question of: "what is the market potential for solar microgrids in Malawi?" through a multidisciplinary methodology and outlines necessary steps to overcome the key risks and barriers for implementation nationally. Case studies of existing initiatives in Kenya and Rwanda have been used to inform a system and business design appropriate to Malawi. The market potential of PV microgrids in Malawi has been identified and quantified through a novel approach combining microgrid optimisation software HOMERPro with Geographic Information Systems tools. The methodology also includes an energy ecosystem mapping exercise to identify and frame influencing parameters affecting microgrid implementation nationally. The findings show that solar microgrids are cost competitive with diesel microgrids in all locations in Malawi, although the addition of dispatchable diesel generation may provide economic benefits in larger, more urban systems. To implement solar microgrids would cost approximately $210 per person and average operational expenses of$17 per person per year. It was determined that 42% of Malawians may be most cost effectively served by existing infrastructure, 37% would be best served by microgrids and 21% would be best served by solar-home systems

Targeting Net Zero Energy at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar: Assessment and Recommendations

In 2008, the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Energy (DOE) defined a joint initiative to address military energy use by identifying specific actions to reduce energy demand and increase use of renewable energy on DoD installations. A Task Force comprised of representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the four military Services, DOE’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) was established. In light of DoD priorities, early attention was given to the possibility of net zero energy military installations (NZEI), that is, installations that would meet their energy needs with local renewable resources. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) The Task Force selected Miramar to be the prototype installation for net zero energy assessment and planning. This selection was based on Miramar’s strong history of energy advocacy and extensive track record of successful energy projects

Written Communication for Engineers

This course packet seeks to develop the upper level engineering student’s sense of audience and purpose in a research-based context with workplace constraints. It requires the student to choose a technical topic of interest and research it to solve for a specific problem or to meet a typical industry need by way of several assignments: Unsolicited Research Proposal, Progress Report, Visual Aids, and Oral Presentation, all of which lead to the Formal Report. This approach readies students to write informatively and persuasively in the engineering workplace, providing excellent examples of each assignment contributed by former students whose Formal Reports have won first place in the annual Technical Writing Competition. Because users can rely on demonstrably excellent student examples to understand the concepts behind assignments that build on one another rather than on disparate textbook examples, they tend to write better and to be more confident producing documents and giving presentations. In short, they recognize they are among their own in a class that challenges many engineering students. Moreover, since all the Formal Reports have won awards, convincing students they are using good models with which to create their own documents is relatively easy. Finally, mining excellent student documents makes certain skill-sets clearer, according to former students. For instance, students can follow along as the writer does the following: identifies and proves a problem or need exists; creates the research objectives that lead to the method with which they will address the issue; and develops persuasive strategies for convincing both executive and engineering readers. Similarly, these student papers demonstrate how to discern among results, conclusions, and recommendations and show correct use of sources and visuals.https://newprairiepress.org/textbooks/1001/thumbnail.jp

Electricity Access, Decarbonization, and Integration of Renewables

This Open-Access-Book covers different aspects of the low-carbon energy transformation in a unique manner, with a particular focus on two regions, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The first part of the book provides useful insights on changes and reforms in the energy sector of Bangladesh, while the second part illustrates the low-carbon energy transformation in South Asia and the third part covers lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa. In all of these regions, the energy sector is undergoing major changes, driven by the four D’s: Decarbonization, decentralization, digitization, and democratization. Major overhauls are taking place at all levels: The country level, where energy mixes are rapidly changing, the corporate level, where large state-owned and private companies are challenged and new actors are emerging, and the local level, where technical and regulatory change has made citizen engagement and community power an option to replace or at least complement centralized supply structures

Electricity Access, Decarbonization, and Integration of Renewables

This Open-Access-Book covers different aspects of the low-carbon energy transformation in a unique manner, with a particular focus on two regions, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The first part of the book provides useful insights on changes and reforms in the energy sector of Bangladesh, while the second part illustrates the low-carbon energy transformation in South Asia and the third part covers lessons from Sub-Saharan Africa. In all of these regions, the energy sector is undergoing major changes, driven by the four D’s: Decarbonization, decentralization, digitization, and democratization. Major overhauls are taking place at all levels: The country level, where energy mixes are rapidly changing, the corporate level, where large state-owned and private companies are challenged and new actors are emerging, and the local level, where technical and regulatory change has made citizen engagement and community power an option to replace or at least complement centralized supply structures