Abstract
This paper presents the development of small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycles for rural electrification in remote areas of Lesotho. It is subdivided in two parts. The first part deals with the success conditions of decentralized rural electrification projects. Through a literature survey, relevant guiding principles and recommendations are formulated. The second part of the paper describes the proposed system, which is designed in agreement with the formulated recommendations. A framework for benchmarking the performance and cost of various micro-utility platforms and rural electrification distribution models is proposed.
Highlights
Energy access is a central preoccupation in the field of international development
A decade following the establishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a significant fraction of the world population continues to lack access to modern forms of energy such as electricity, LPG or renewable sources of energy [1]
At the core of the proposed technology is a solar thermal power plant consisting of a field of parabolic solar concentrating collectors and a vapour expansion power block for generating electricity: solar radiation is concentrated towards a linear absorber at the focus point of the parabola, where a heat transfer fluid (HTF) is heated up
Summary
Energy access is a central preoccupation in the field of international development. A decade following the establishment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a significant fraction (over 20%) of the world population continues to lack access to modern forms of energy such as electricity, LPG or renewable sources of energy [1]. For the purposes of this study we will follow Barnes in focusing the analysis within a project framework to identify a standard approach within the development community as applied to energy projects This approach may be classified according to distinct principles, as follows: 1. In the absence of such a social unit, it may be possible within the context of an intervention to create a local association with ownership of the project and involved key decisions This option has been tested successfully by Zilles [8] in the case of a PV electrification project in two rural communities in Mexico. The main criteria in this respect are the demand for the product, the identification of a proper unit of social organization and its inclusion in the decision and planning processes
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