Smart grids for rural conditions and e-mobility - Applying power routers, batteries and virtual power plants

Significant reductions of greenhouse gas emission by use of renewable energy sources belong to the common targets of the European Union. Smart grids address intelligent use and integration of conventional and renewable generation in combination with controllable loads and storages. Two special aspects have also to be considered for smart grids in future: rural conditions and electric vehicles. Both, the increasing share of renewable energy sources and a rising demand for charging power by electrical vehicles lead to new challenges of network stability (congestion, voltage deviation), especially in rural distribution grids. This paper describes two lighthouse projects in Europe (“Well2Wheel” and “Smart Rural Grid”) dealing with these topics. The link between these projects is the implementation of the same virtual power plant technology and the approach of cellular grid cells. Starting with an approach for the average energy balance in 15 minutes intervals in several grid cells in the first project, the second project even allows the islanded operation of such cells as a microgrid. The integration of renewable energy sources into distribution grids primary takes place in rural areas. The lighthouse project “Smart Rural Grid”, which is founded by the European Union, demonstrates possibilities to use the existing distribution system operator infrastructure more effectively by applying an optimised and scheduled operation of the assets and using intelligent distribution power routers, called IDPR. IDPR are active power electronic devices operating at low voltage in distribution grids aiming to reduce losses due to unbalanced loads and enabling active voltage and reactive power control. This allows a higher penetration of renewable energy sources in existing grids without investing in new lines and transformers. Integrated in a virtual power plant and combined with batteries, the IDPR also allows a temporary islanded mode of grid cells. Both projects show the potential of avoiding or postponing investments in new primary infrastructure like cables, transformers and lines by using a forward-looking operation which controls generators, loads and batteries (mobile and stationary) by using new grid assets like power routers. While primary driven by physical restrictions as voltage-band violations and energy balance, these cells also define and allow local smart markets. In consequence the distribution system operators could avoid direct control access by giving an incentive to the asset owners by local price signals according to the grid situation and forecasted congestions.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Rural America At A Glance, 2007 Edition

Rural America At A Glance, 2007 highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas for use in developing policies and programs to assist rural areas. The brochure provides information on key rural conditions and trends for use by public and private decisionmakers and others involved in efforts to enhance the economic opportunities and quality of life for rural people and their communities.rural indicators, population growth, employment, rural unemployment, rural economy, nonmetro, metro, creative occupations, rural America, natural amenities, census data, educational attainment, college education, poverty, domestic migration, ERS, USDA, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Are determinants of rural and urban food security and nutritional status different?

Undernutrition of children 0-60 months old in Mozambique is much higher in rural than in urban areas. Food security is about the same, although substantial regional differences exist. Given these outcomes, we hypothesized that the determinants of food security and nutritional status in rural and urban areas of Mozambique would differ as well. Yet we find that the determinants of food insecurity and malnutrition, and the magnitudes of their effects, are very nearly the same. The difference in observed outcomes appears primarily due to differences in the levels of critical determinants rather than in the nature of the determinants themselves.Malnutrition. ,Nutritional status. ,Rural conditions Analysis. ,Urban poor Mozambique. ,Rural poor Mozambique. ,Food security. ,

LAND RIGHTS AND INTRA-HOUSEHOLD EMPLOYMENT AND RESOURCE USE IN THE PERI-URBAN AREA OF BANJUL, THE GAMBIA

As part of cooperative research program examining factor markets in peri-urban areas of The Gambia (Banjul and Serekunda) to see if they are constraining agricultural growth and employment, particularly in the horticultural subsector, the household production survey reported in this study assesses inter- and intrahousehold issues of market access and constraints to land-improving investment and productivity. Implemented in 1993, survey is highly disaggregated by plot, gender, enterprise, and type of employment.Land tenure--Gambia--Banjul Region, Vendors and purchasers--Gambia--Banjul Region, Household production--Gambia, Research methods, Rural conditions--Gambia, Rural off-farm employment--Gambia, Income and wealth--Gambia, Land markets--Gambia, Tenure types, Traditional--Gambia, Labor and Human Capital, Land Economics/Use,

Local governance and public goods provision in rural China:

In developing countries, identifying the most effective community-level governance structure is a key issue and, increasingly, empirical evaluation of the effects of democratization on the provision of local public goods is needed. Since the early 1990s, tens of thousands of villages in rural China have held local-government elections, providing a good opportunity to investigate the effect of democratization on the level of public goods provision. Using a recent village survey conducted over a significant period of time, this paper compares governance by elected officials with that of appointed cadres and finds that elected officials tend to tax constituents less and provide them with higher levels of public service. Authors' Abstract.Governance., Public institutions., Democratization Economic aspects., Rural conditions China.,

PRODUCTIVITY GOAT LAKOR FARMING ON LAKOR ISLAND SOUTHWEST MALUKU DISTRICT

This study aims to determine the productivity of Lakor goats in rural conditions on Lakor Island, Southwest Maluku Regency. This researchwas conducted in October-November 2022 on Lakor Island. This research used This study used 60 Lakor goat breeders as respondents and the design. The results of this study showed that the average birth weight was 1kg, weaning weight was 13,15kg, bodyweight for kid goats aged 1-2 years was 86,91-22,84kg, number of matings 1,5-3 times, type of birth from a single sample village 11,32, twins 42,14, triplets 19,93, litter size 1,97, pre-weaning motility 7,33, sex ratio 3,31-3,70 and estrus cycle 18-24 days. It can be concluded that the productivity of Lakor goats in rural conditions in Pulau Lakor, West Maluku districtthe power is very good because even though the rearing of goats on Lakor Island is semi- intensive, green feed on Lakor Island really meets the needs of livestock so as to produce ideal body weight

Growth, inequality, and poverty in rural China: the role of public investments

In the past two decades, China has achieved world renown for reducing rural poverty. However, it is becoming harder to reduce poverty and inequality further in China, even though its economy continues to grow. This report compares the impact specific rural public investments can have on promoting growth and reducing poverty and inequality. Returns to these investments are calculated for the nation as a whole and for three economic zones in the west, central, and coastal regions of the country. Government expenditures that have the highest impact on poverty and growth include education, agricultural research and development, and rural infrastructure (roads, electricity, and telecommunications). Notably, spending on irrigation and anti-poverty loans had minimal impact. The report discusses the implications of these findings for setting future priorities for government investment. It also suggests avenues for future research and calls for a better understanding of how to improve the effectiveness of public resources. This report will be of interest to professionals involved in rural poverty reduction, rural development, agricultural growth, food security, and public investment policy.Poverty alleviation China., Rural conditions China., Public investments., Agriculture and state., Rural poor Government policy., Econometric models., Equality., Government spending policy.,

Validity of rapid estimates of household wealth and income for health surveys in rural Africa

Drawing data from four different integrated household surveys in rural areas of Mali, Malawi, and two national surveys in Côte d'Ivoire, this paper tests the validity of proxy measures of household wealth and income that can be readily implemented in health surveys in rural Africa. The assumptions underlying the choice of wealth proxy are described, and correlations with the true value are assessed in two different settings. The expenditure proxy is developed and then tested for replicability in two independent data sets representing the same population. The study found that in both Mali and Malawi, the wealth proxy correlated highly (r $ 0.74) with the more complex monetary value method. For rural areas of Côte d'Ivoire, it was possible to generate a list of just 10 expenditure items, the values of which, when summed, correlated highly with expenditures on all items combined (r = 0.74, development data set; r = 0.72, validation data set). Total household expenditure is an accepted alternative measure of household wealth and income in developing country settings. This paper thus shows that it can be feasible to approximate both household wealth and expenditures in rural African settings without dramatically lengthening questionnaires whose primary focus is on health.Africa Rural conditions. ,Household surveys. ,Income Rural areas Africa. ,Health surveys. ,

Investigations of rural conditions in Boone County, Missouri, as related to the county farm adviser

May 2, 1916, O.R. Johnson"5/12/16, C.B. Hutchison"TypescriptM.A. University of Missouri 1916The agricultural development of the past five years has established in thirty-three states of the union outside of the southern states "County Agricultural Agents" or "Farm Advisers" whose duty it is to live in the county in which they work and assist in every way possible in the betterment of the farm and farm life. It is from the viewpoint of the "Farm Adviser", the man who must diagnose the ill of his county thoroughly before he can prescribe, that this paper is written. The primary purpose of this paper, in so far as possible with the limited data at hand, is to learn what we can of the economic and social conditions of Boone County, Missouri, from the viewpoint of Farm Advisers just beginning work, to locate and consider a few of the farm problems in the county, and offer suggestions for their solution