Spatial analysis of the appropriation of electrical renewable energy technologies and sustainable development in the Upland of western Cameroon

Abstract

The Cameroon rural western highlands, like most of the developing countries, undergoes a lack of electrical energy supply to make easier the lightning and the supply of tiny industries. During the last decades, the future of the technologies of renewable energies (Micro-hydroelectric power plant, photovoltaic panels, and micro wind tribune) is remarkable in the region. From this report, this study aims at analysing the installed capacities of those emerging technologies in order to determine the approbations degree of the local community and their influence on the sustainable development of the region. The primary and secondary data are obtained by the method of hypothec-deductive and mainly by snowball method, enabled us to evaluate three main types of renewable energy technologies in the region. The micro-hydroelectric power plants are the most important in terms of installed capacities. They are evaluated to 4936.7 KW (including the capacities of the colonial periods), an increase of 423.7 KW compared to 2014. The photovoltaic panels, which are the most prodigious one, are evaluated to 1070.362 KW, an increase of 936,47KWc. The micro wind turbines, which partially exist, are evaluated to 24.850 KW, an increase of 15.45KW. The analysis of the spatialization of these emerging technologies in this region shows a spatial and temporal growth of these technologies that testifies to their appropriation in the Western highlands of Cameroon.