Access To Electricity In Rural Areas Research Articles

Identifying the influence of blade number and angle of attack on a breastshot type waterwheel micro hydroelectric power generator using ANOVA

This study focuses on optimizing the performance of micro-hydro power generation, specifically the breastshot type waterwheel. The limited availability of non-renewable energy sources and the high cost of developing renewable energy sources in the energy sector pose challenges, making it essential to find new energy sources and improve energy efficiency. The 2004–2022 national electricity plan aims to increase electricity access in rural areas, including remote regions like Bogor Regency, where access to electricity is limited. Many residents have constructed their own micro hydroelectric power generators, but their vulnerability to natural disasters is a concern. The study investigates the potential of breastshot waterwheel technology for micro hydroelectric power generation. The study involved testing a micro hydro power plant with 6, 8, and 10 blades and blade angles of 0°, 30°, and 45°. The current research focuses on performance optimization, including the use of ANOVA analysis to know the significant impact of blade number and angle on the waterwheel’s rotation. The maximum rotational speed was achieved with 10 blades and an angle of attack of 0°, 30°, and 45°, with respective speeds of 153.59 RPM, 155.84 RPM, and 164.95 RPM. The study indicates that the higher the number and angle of attack of blades, the greater the rotation of the breastshot type waterwheel. ANOVA tests showed that the number of blades had a significant impact on the waterwheel’s rotation, with an F-test value of 6.32 and a p-value of 0.012. On the other hand, the angle of attack of the blade had no significant impact, with an F-test value of 3.20 and a p-value of 0.067

Proposing Dynamic Pricing as an Alternative to Improve Technical and Economic Conditions in Rural Electrification: A Case Study from Colombia

Electricity access in rural areas is a critical challenge for global electrification. Most countries have focused on increasing electricity coverage without assessing the long-term sustainability of such solutions. To achieve sustainability in rural electrification solutions, it is necessary to consider five dimensions: technical, environmental, economic, social, and institutional. This paper reviews the state of rural electrification worldwide and proposes a dynamic tariff scheme that increases the technical and economic conditions of implemented solutions over an extended period. The proposed time-of-use (TOU) pricing methodology aims to flatten the system demand curve and utilize on-site renewable energy potentials. For the methodology’s evaluation, we analyzed a case study focused on electrification in isolated areas of Colombia, conducting a sensitivity analysis of user-behavior to the proposed tariff scheme using the concept of price elasticity of demand. We also evaluated the effect of the achieved demand curve flattening on the system frequency. The identified benefits highlight that an accurate pricing scheme can reduce the variation range in the system frequency. Furthermore, the evaluation results show that the implementation of the proposed tariff scheme has the potential to significantly flatten the demand curve and encourage the connection of non-conventional renewable sources to improve network conditions.

Decision Support Tool for the Optimal Sizing of Solar Irrigation Systems

Solar photovoltaic (PV) irrigation is increasingly used in agriculture, driven by its low operation cost and virtually zero emissions, providing electricity access in rural areas. However, the high investment cost requires an optimal design. The objective of this work was to develop a user-friendly tool to optimally size a PV generator that satisfies crop irrigation needs under local constrictions. The ODSIS (Optimal Design of Solar Irrigation System) tool, was organized in three calculation modules, preceded by two complements, which determine the daily crop irrigation needs and power demand of the pumping system. Then, the first module sizes the PV plant, considering a multiplication factor, and provides the PV production potential throughout each day of the season. The second and third modules evaluate the total investment cost and equivalent greenhouse gas emissions avoided by comparison with traditional energy sources. This tool was applied to a case study in Senegal for which a multiplication factor of 1.4 was obtained for the optimal PV plant size. Between 22% to 64% of the investment cost corresponded to the PV pumping system, depending on the irrigation technique. The use of PV energy in the case study would represent an annual economic saving for the farmer after 5 to 8 years of payback period, avoiding the emission of between 29.8 and 37.9 tCO2eq/year for the case study area.

Exploring the influence of multidimensional variables on access to electricity in rural areas of the Global South

Electricity plays a fundamental role in sustainable development by facilitating the provision of basic services and improving the quality of life for poor urban and rural populations. The dominant approach to rural electrification research in the Global South has been to focus on economic and social indicators, resulting in a limited understanding of rural electrification. This research diversifies the current literature by including technical and environmental criteria in the analysis of electricity access in rural areas. This paper aims to understand the criteria that have a significant impact on access to electricity in rural areas across the Global South, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean. This paper examines the influence of multidimensional variables (e.g. social, economic, environmental and technical) on access to electricity in rural areas. This study encompasses two sets of data: the first from a group of countries of the Global South and the second from the Latin American and Caribbean region, using mostly countries with low and middle human development index. To understand the behavior of these multivariable relationships, this paper uses a linear regression methodology and penalizes regression (i.e., LASSO and Ridge). For the countries of the Global South, the model shows a negative correlation between access to electricity in rural areas and population growth rates. For the Latin American and Caribbean countries the model indicates a negative correlation between access to electricity in rural areas and electricity consumption per capita. These results possibly indicate that countries of the Global South that have high population growth rates have challenging paths towards universalizing electricity access, and raise the question if Latin American and Caribbean countries have prioritized their access to electricity agendas in non-rural areas. This paper confirms that population growth rates and electricity consumption per capita are criteria that have a strong impact in access to electricity rates in rural areas of the Global South, and Latin America and the Caribbean, respectively.

Dimensioning Microgrids for Productive Use of Energy in the Global South—Considering Demand Side Flexibility to Reduce the Cost of Energy

Microgrids using renewable energy sources play an important role in providing universal electricity access in rural areas in the Global South. Current methods of system dimensioning rely on stochastic load profile modeling, which has limitations in microgrids with industrial consumers due to high demand side uncertainties. In this paper, we propose an alternative approach considering demand side management during system design which we implemented using a genetic scheduling algorithm. The developed method is applied to a test case system on Idjwi Island, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is to be powered by a micro hydropower plant (MHP) in combination with a photovoltaic (PV) system and a battery energy storage system (BESS). The results show that the increased flexibility of industrial consumers can significantly reduce the cost of electricity. Most importantly, the presented method quantifies the trade-off between electricity cost and consumer flexibility. This gives local stakeholders the ability to make an informed compromise and design an off-grid system that covers their electricity needs in the most cost-efficient way.

Injustices in rural electrification: Exploring equity concerns in privately owned minigrids in Tanzania

Access to electricity is vital for many basic needs, but it is often unaffordable. Since 2008, there has been an increase in private companies providing electricity access in rural areas through solar minigrids in Tanzania. This paper focuses on the different tariffs used in projects in Tanzania and how they distribute costs. Data were collected over eight months of fieldwork in 2019/2020 from six rural communities through interviews, focus groups, surveys, and directly from minigrid companies. I have found that by private companies treating electricity as an economic good communities experience energy injustices. Under many tariffs poorer households pay more per unit than those with higher incomes. Poorer households are less likely to be able to connect and under some tariffs self-disconnect from their electricity service. Barriers such as lack of participation in project development, high tariffs, and high connection fees limit the benefits of rural electrification.

Techno-Economic Feasibility to Generate Electricity by Using PSO Technique for the Urban City in Iraq: Case Study

For developing nations such as Iraq, electricity access in rural areas, especially those which are remote, is limited. Thus, the present study explores the electrical needs of the city of Zerbattiya, Iraq. The proposed system’s components include solar panels, wind turbines, diesel generators, and batteries. This research proposes a techno-economically feasible and optimal sizing for each component to generate electricity for the village. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was used in this research by using MATLAB. The ideal setting of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) is achieved by considering the lowest possible COE with the highest reliability and possible value of renewable energy factors. Reliability is gauged on the basis of “loss of power supply probability” (LPSP). Results showed that the respective optimal values for NPV (30), NWT (30), NDG (3), NBT (281), COE (US$0.142), LPSP (0.002085), reliability (99.791) and renewable factors (21.42%). The findings further demonstrate that the algorithm was able to achieve optimal solutions to reduce overall cost, quickly and accurately. In conclusion, implementation of HRES was found to be an apt method of meeting electrical needs of remote rural areas, not only in Iraq, but also other developing nations with similar climates.

The effects of rural electrification in India: An instrumental variable approach at the household level

Governments in developing countries are investing billions of dollars to increase electricity access in rural areas, but the literature on the impact of these investments has produced mixed results. We leverage a unique characteristic of household electrification policy in Uttar Pradesh, India, whereby only households within 40 m of an electricity pole are eligible for a legal electrical connection, to estimate the causal impact of electrification using a pre-registered instrumental variable design. With an original survey of 686 households across 120 habitations in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, we find that legal electrification has a positive impact on household expenditures, adult household activities, and ownership and usage of appliances. The results suggest a more optimistic picture about the impact of rural electrification than some previous studies.

The Effects of Rural Electrification in India: An Instrumental Variable Approach at the Household Level

Governments in developing countries are investing billions of dollars to increase electricity access in rural areas, but the literature on the impact of these investments has produced mixed results. We leverage a unique characteristic of household electrification policy in Uttar Pradesh, India, whereby only households within 40 meters of an electricity pole are eligible for a legal electrical connection, to estimate the causal impact of electrification using a pre-registered instrumental variable design. With an original survey of 686 households across 120 habitations in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, we find that legal electrification has a positive impact on household expenditures, adult household activities, and ownership and usage of appliances. The results suggest a more optimistic picture about the impact of rural electrification than some previous studies.

Techno-Economic Analysis of a Microgrid System To Increase Electricity Access in Rural Areas.

This study analyses the technical and economic performances of a microgrid system which is used to increase the electricity access in a rural area – Hutajulu village, Parmonangan district, North Tapanuli district, Indonesia. There are two types of power distributed generator used in the microgrid system, i.e., diesel generator and solar PV, and there are 20 houses in the village to be supplied electricity by the microgrid system. The results show that the generator would operate 3.754 hours per year and would supply electricity to the houses 2,456 kWh/year during the planning horizon (25 years). The levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of the diesel generator would be US₵10.7/kWh, and the capacity factor of the diesel generator would be 14%. The average electrical efficiency of the diesel generator is found 27.2%. In case of the solar PV installed in the microgrid system, the operating hour of the solar PV during the planning horizon would be 4,426 hours/year and supplies electricity to the houses 2,153 kWh/year. The levelized cost of electricity of the solar PV would be US₵7.92/kWh.

Development of a Model of Hydro Electric Power Generation Suitable for Low Head

Rural Electrification Program is a policy of Indonesian government on the electricity sector for the expansion of electricity access in rural areas. Least resources is one of the major causes which has left many villages in Indonesia without electricity. One solution to these problems is renewable energy resources, and use of these energy resources offer tremendous opportunity to electrify rural areas, including hydro-power. This article describes the equipment and operating principle of a model of hydro electric power generation developed in laboratory of fluid mechanics at the Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Lampung, and also presents the testing results obtained in small irrigation canal of Way Tebu in Banjar Agung Udik Village, Pugung District, Tanggamus County, Lampung Province.

Trade-offs between electrification and climate change mitigation: An analysis of the Java-Bali power system in Indonesia

The power sector in many developing countries face challenges of a fast-rising electricity demand in urban areas and an urgency of improved electricity access in rural areas. In the context of climate change, these development needs are challenged by the vital goal of CO2 mitigation. This paper investigates plausible trade-offs between electrification and CO2 mitigation in a developing country context, taking Indonesia as a case study. Aligned with the 2015 Paris Agreement, the Government of Indonesia has announced its voluntary pledge to reduce 29% of its GHGs emissions against the business as usual scenario by 2030. 11% of this should be attained by the energy sector. We incorporate the Indonesian Paris pledge into the modelling of capacity expansion of the Java-Bali power system, which is the largest power system in Indonesia. The LEAP model is used for the analysis in this study. Firstly, we validate the LEAP model using historical data of the national electricity system. Secondly, we develop and analyse four scenarios of the Java-Bali power system expansion from the base year 2015 through to 2030. These include a reference scenario (REF) to reflect a continuation of the present energy mix (REF), then a shift from coal to natural gas (NGS) (natural gas), followed by an expansion of renewable energy (REN) and, finally, the least-cost option (OPT). The shift to natural gas decreases future CO2 emissions by 38.2million ton, helping to achieve the CO2 mitigation target committed to. Likewise, an escalation of renewable energy development in the Java-Bali islands cuts the projected CO2 emissions by 38.9million ton and, thus, assures meeting the target. The least-cost scenario attains the targeted emission reduction, but at 33% and 52% lower additional costs compared to NGS and REN, respectively. The cost-effectiveness of CO2 mitigation scenarios range from 14.9 to 41.8US$/tCO2e.

Policy Impact on Economic Viability of Biomass Gasification Systems in Indonesia

Indonesia is facing challenges on the lack of electricity access in rural areas and the management of agricultural waste. The utilization of waste-to-energy technology can help in mitigating these ...

Reforms for the expansion of electricity access and rural electrification in small island developing states

Small island developing states face unique constraints to the provision of electricity services in rural areas, given their geographical features, and the small scale of government bureaucracies and markets. In small island developing states situated in the Pacific Ocean, these factors have resulted in some of the lowest electrification rates in the world. Seventy percent of Pacific islanders are without access to power; a figure that is equivalent to access rates in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite higher income levels in the Pacific. Past efforts by government and aid organizations to expand electricity access in rural areas have achieved negligible success, given regulatory frameworks that do not encourage grid extension, and the absence of effective institutional frameworks for operation and maintenance of decentralized systems. This paper argues that the binding constraint to rural electrification in Pacific small island developing states is the failure of regulatory frameworks to establish a viable business model for investment. Regulatory reform is needed that creates commercial incentives for private and public sector power utilities to provide power in rural areas, both through extension of electricity networks and decentralized power provision. Regulatory reform could also address past problems with the operation and maintenance of decentralized systems.

The Involvement of the Private Sector to Ensure Sustainability of Systems

The need to enhance electricity access in rural areas of developing countries is universally recognized. However, tremendous challenges remain to finance electrification initiatives, to ensure the long term sustainability of rural electricity systems. In Lao PDR, one of the targets the government sets to achieve is the provision of electricity to 90% of the households by 2020. Considering the topography of the country and the low density of population, this ambitious objective can be reached only if innovative financing and operating mechanisms are developed and if private and public investors work closely together. A strategy based purely on government funded grid extension will not lead to the achievement of the objective. Exploring small hydro-power generation and the operation of village grids, energy provider Sunlabob has developed an innovative private-public partnership aimed at producing clean, reliable and affordable electricity in remote areas, empowering local communities, and promoting the use of electricity for productive and social purposes. The innovative features of this partnership include, mutual leverage of public and private funds for infrastructure development, community ownership and management of the fixed structures of the mini-grid (small dam, power house, transmission poles and lines), a combination of different efficient and reliable modern renewable energy technologies privately installed and owned which provide electricity 24/7 at low cost, training of local technicians who become energy entrepreneurs, empowerment of local communities for management and decision making as well as participatory work with local communities to identify productive and social uses of electricity. Both private and public partners have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Linking affordable electricity generation on the one hand and development of productive and social activities on the other hand is a new approach which is needed to ensure the viability of the mini-grid and to maximize the positive impact on the socio-economic development of target villages.