Comparative Studies of Ethanol and Kerosene Fuels and Cook Stoves Performance

Comparative studies of ethanol and kerosene fuels and their performance with household kerosene cookstoves of the same dimensions and geometry were carried out. The authors examined the different sources of domestic cooking fuels such as LPG, kerosene, fuel wood, and ethanol. The overview of the use of bioethanol and kerosene cookstoves in different countries such as Brazil, India, Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi were also done by the researchers. Simple water boiling test was carried out to determine the boiling time for a specified volume of water. The result showed that kerosene fuel boils water in a shorter time. The study compared the advantages and disadvantages of the two brands of fuels. Keywords: cook stove, deforestation ethanol fuel, kerosene and performance

Implementation of Standard Solar PV Projects in Nigeria

The basic operating principle of Photovoltaic device is the conversion of solar irradiation into electricity. There are several applications of this principle. In Nigeria, most solar PV projects are designed for street lighting, water pumping and general stand-alone/minigrid rural electrifications. However, several solar PV projects being installed in various parts of this country fail to meet the minimum life-span due to a number of limiting factors. These include poor or improper fundamental design, use of sub-standard components, adoption of poor installation procedure by inexperienced personnel, bad construction/civil works among other factors. This has become a problem in the country and many are beginning to feel disgusted with solar PV projects as the heavy investments in such projects do not seem to be commensurate with their performances and satisfactions derivable. This paper therefore presents an overview of the performances of solar PV projects and a concise procedural approach to the implementation of standard solar PV projects in the country. In-depth analysis of performances of existing systems was also considered and the limiting factors identified with specific recommendations for improvement. We believe that if power projects are designed and executed properly by experienced technical experts, using the appropriate components and best technical procedures, standard PV projects with maximum performance output could be achieved

AN ASSESSMENT OF NIGERIA WIND ENERGY POTENTIAL BASED ON TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ANALYSES

The energy requirement of Nigeria is increasing exponentially with little projects available to carter for this increasing demand. The primary source of energy in the country which is fossil fuel creates environmental pollution and is also finite in nature. Hence, there is a serious need to look for other alternative ways to meet up with the energy requirement of the country. This paper analysed some of the economic and sustainability benefits for Nigeria by deploying and integrating wind energy into her energy mix. The study was done with the RETScreen Clean Energy software tool, designed by Natural Resources Canada. The study began with a brief review of the various wind energy resource assessment done previously in the country and Maiduguri town was selected as the area of study from the reviews. The technical and financial analyses of the study showed that if the project is implemented it will be beneficial to Maiduguri town and Nigeria in the long run. The process of electricity generation from 100 units of VESTAS V80 in Maiduguri yielded MWh 525,600 and saves about 202,881.6 tonnes of CO2. Without incentives, the financial analysis showed that the project is not financially viable with the equity payback greater than the project life. Key issues affecting the development of wind energy technology in Nigeria were also discussed