Solar Home Systems Research Articles

Impacts of Solar Home Systems in Rural Areas: A Case Study in Bangladesh

Access to electricity is important for development in general, but access at low costs is a vital tool of economic and social development, especially for those locations that lie very far from the grid. The present study investigates the impacts of solar home systems in a rural area of Bangladesh, focusing on the ways in which the adoption of SHS transforms household livelihoods. It has improved the lives of the community members through an affordable and reliable source of electricity that allowed enhanced lighting and security, increased educational opportunities, empowerment of women, reduced reliance on harmful energy sources, increased economic productivity, environmental sustainability, human relationships and well-being. These studies emphatically underscore the fact that the biggest challenge remains affordability: in most instances, SHS is accessed through family savings or loans from NGOs. In spite of these barriers, SHS has conventionally been portrayed as an empowering tool that enhances the quality of life and aids in fulfilling the goals of sustainable development in rural areas. The paper concludes by relating conventional energy sources with a comparison, emphasizing broader benefits and possible long-term potentials for SHS in tackling energy poverty within rural Bangladesh.

Assessing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Solar Home Systems on Chingad, Surkhet

This study assesses the multifaceted socio-economic impacts of Solar Home Systems (SHS) on the remote community of Chingad, Surkhet. Employing a comprehensive research framework, we investigate the extent to which the adoption of SHS has influenced the livelihoods, economic activities, and social dynamics within the community. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, we analyzed the economic benefits, social empowerment, and environmental sustainability associated with the integration of solar energy. The limitations of the study included its focus on Chindgad-5, Surkhet. This research employed a descriptive-analytic approach within an exploratory research design. In the study area, a total of 386 households were included, with 188 utilizing solar energy in December 2023 AD from field observation. The research focused on a subset of 36 purposely selected solar home system users. Energy consumption patterns varied among ethnic groups and social classes, and universal electricity access was not observed in the study area. The study integrated both descriptive and exploratory elements to comprehensively address its objectives, utilizing a combination of primary and secondary data. For policymakers, development professionals, and other stakeholders engaged in sustainable energy projects in similar circumstances, the findings offer insightful information about the complex relationships that are present between solar technology and the local socioeconomic fabric. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, energy planners, and development organizations working towards sustainable and inclusive energy solutions in rural Nepal. The successful integration of SHS not only addresses energy needs but also contributes to economic development and improved living conditions in off-grid communities.

Decision-making frameworks for assessment of small-scale off-grid photovoltaic home system-based design concepts in rural context of north-east India

Energy security plays an influential role in developing sustainable cities and promoting a better quality of life for the population. The United Nations' sustainable development goal focuses on energy security. Against the backdrop of India's energy concerns in the northeastern region, the study investigates the user-centric challenges related to the designs of solar photovoltaic home system concepts to facilitate access to energy. This is followed by the proposal of design concepts for solar photovoltaic home systems that take due cognizance of the identified challenges. To facilitate determining the optimal design concept in the context of small-scale off-grid photovoltaic home systems the paper proposes and applies an extended TOmada de Decisao Interativa Multicriteria (TODIM) methodology wherein the linguistic evaluations have been modelled using T-Spherical fuzzy sets. The information was aggregated using T-Spherical Fuzzy Aczel-Alsina Hammy Mean and T-Spherical Fuzzy Aczel-Alsina Weighted Hammy Mean operators. Ten design concepts were developed and evaluated through the proposed decision-making frameworks. Five performance metrics arising out of the field study: Functionality, Reliability, Affordability, Novelty and Usability have been chosen to appraise the conceptualized design concepts. Design concept 3 has been revealed to be the optimal design concept for the application of the proposed approach. Sensitivity analysis of the ranking results revealed that although both the proposed methodologies are robust, the methodology based on T-Spherical fuzzy Aczel-Alsina Weighted Hammy Mean operator was revealed to be the superior of the two. By presenting an effective method to address the complexities in design assessment for off-grid PV systems, this research offers practical insights to guide context-specific design in the region.

Determinants of Solar Home Systems Adoption among Riverine Island Dwellers: A Case Study of Sirajganj District in Bangladesh

Purpose: This study aims to identify the determinants of solar home systems adoption among riverine island dwellers, focusing on the Sirajganj district in Bangladesh. Methodology: The research, based on a comprehensive survey of 200 households, utilized logistic regression analysis and descriptive statistics. Findings: The study finds that ‘education of the household head’, ‘access to credit’, and ‘monthly household income’ significantly affected solar home systems adoption at different level of significance. Factors leading to adopt solar home systems included lack of electricity access, focus on energy security, and cost savings, along with access to loans or installments and community connections. Conversely, non-adopters faced barriers such as perceived high initial costs, lack of installment facilities, and insufficient awareness. Practical Implications: The study highlights the importance of credit accessibility, educational background, and household income in promoting solar home systems adoption. Policymakers and stakeholders can use these insights to tailor interventions addressing specific determinants and encourage widespread adoption. Originality/Value: This research provides valuable new insights into promoting sustainable energy initiatives in similar contexts. Limitations: The study's limitations include its small sample size and potential regional variations. Further research is recommended to validate and extend these findings across diverse geographical settings.

Swarm electrification for Raqaypampa: Impact of different battery control setpoints on energy sharing in interconnected solar homes systems

In rural electrification, decentralized systems have proven to bring fast, affordable, and sustainable electricity supply for the last mile of energy access. Especially, solar home systems (SHS) have lately increased in number and impact. Recently, a new concept promises even better utilization of SHS and the potential for higher access to electricity. This concept is found under the name of swarm electrification, also known as interconnected SHS, nanogrids, or decentralized DC systems in rural areas. This paper studies the benefits of such interconnected SHS for a case study in the indigenous rural Highlands of Bolivia, an area called Raqaypampa. Our study emphasizes analyzing the energy sharing setpoints for the decentralized battery control and how the choice of these values influences energy distribution in the community. We draw concepts of energy justice into our discussion to evaluate different combinations of battery state of charge setpoints. Our study finds four types of households in Raqaypampa based on their demand for electricity. The modeled and simulated results of a potential energy sharing through interconnected SHS reveal three outcomes for the households based on the battery state of charge setpoints: Outcome I - Improving households, Outcome II - Depending households, and Outcome III - Deteriorating households. We conclude that a common approach of e.g. minimization of total unmet demand alone will not necessarily lead to just energy distribution, and it is crucial to integrate discussions about justice and community goals into the design process from the beginning.

منازل تولد الطاقة المتجددة كحل مستدام لتلبية احتياجات الطاقة المنزلية في ليبيا

This study provides an overview of surplus energy-generating homes for integration with the public electricity grid and its potential for spatial development in Libya. With a special focus on the idea of a surplus energy-generating home, in addition to the study, the basic components of a solar home system are solar panels and the conversion of building glass panels into solar power generators. The performance of housing and its occupants, especially the sustainable development aspects. Then, research and present the most important proposals for the installation of home photovoltaic roofs that generate surplus energy as a guaranteed way to meet the home's energy needs, achieve economic and environmental gains for its occupants, and contribute to sustainable development. Keywords: Solar system, grid integration, sustainable development, home photovoltaic roofs, Smart homes.

Enhancing climate resilience of vulnerable women in the Global South through power sharing in DC microgrids

Many women of remote communities in the Global South (GS) are highly vulnerable to natural disasters caused by climate change, due to their low adaptive capability. Inclusion of gender considerations has been emphasized in national adaptation plans and initiatives aimed at reducing vulnerability. However, the potential of low-cost electricity-based solutions in promoting climate change adaptation is largely unexplored. In countries of the GS, remote communities have adopted stand-alone solar home systems, which are often inefficient and require significant investments for upgrading. In this work, a model of an off-grid DC microgrid with distributed generation and storage is proposed, allowing individual households to obtain extra energy through neighborhood-level prosumer power sharing. The benefits of power sharing are evaluated through the development of a mixed-integer linear program using load requirements based on the World Bank's Multi-Tier Framework for household energy access. The results show that households with prosumer power sharing can access more than 60 % extra energy compared to their stand-alone status with up to 34 % reduction in Levelized Cost of Energy. Access to additional energy can allow vulnerable households to access energy services in the household to potentially improve climate change adaptation opportunities in agriculture, livelihood and educational sectors, among others.

What drives solar energy adoption in developing countries? Evidence from household surveys across countries

This study investigates household solar energy uptake in developing countries by combining household surveys for 11 countries with area-level data. We use data from World Bank surveys for countries in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Our probit regressions use up to 36,653 household observations and cover actual uptake rather than intentions. The main result shows that households further from capital cities are less likely to have solar home systems. Furthermore, there are strong links between assets and solar uptake across solar types such as solar home systems, solar lighting systems, and solar lanterns. This is an important finding given the small number of prior studies that use actual uptake data for developing countries and the mixed results from prior literature. We do not find evidence that households in sunnier areas are more likely to have solar home systems across countries. This study motivates policymakers to consider greater support for households far from capital cities, in sunnier regions, and with low levels of assets.

Effect of Renewable Energy Consumption on Economic Growth in Kenya

One of the significant economic growth problems in Kenya is the income inequality and poverty rate which has made it impossible for among the households to afford clean energy. While the country has experienced some economic growth over the years, it is not yet clear whether the adoption of renewable energy has been the cause of this growth. There have been mixed results on the studies done on renewable energy use and their effect on economic growth and therefore calls for further research. The general objective of the study was to determine the effect of renewable energy consumption on economic growth in the Kenyan economy. Specifically, the study specific objectives were to determine the effect of solar energy consumption, geothermal energy consumption, and hydroelectric energy consumption and wind power energy consumption on economic growth in Kenya. This was made possible through an analysis of 37 years’ data from 1986 to 2022 on an annual time series basis. This study employed the endogenous growth theory as the main theory of the study and triple bottom line theory as the supplementary theory. The study employed an explanatory research design and analyzed data using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag model to establish whether renewable energy consumption had any effect on economic growth of the Kenyan economy. Findings of diagnostic test demonstrated that there was no multicollinearity among the independent variables, residuals were homoscedastic, and there was no autocorrelation among the residuals. The results of the Jarque bera normality test showed that the study's variables were normally distributed. The Augmented dickey fuller unit root test both showed that there was no unit root and that the variables had a short run relationship. Additionally, the model's stability over time was confirmed by the CUSUM test. Findings of the study were: the relationship between hydroelectric energy consumption and economic growth was positive and significant, wind power energy consumption and economic growth was positive and significant and between geo-thermal energy consumption and economic growth was positive and significant. The study concluded that geo-thermal energy consumption, hydroelectric energy consumption and wind power energy consumption significantly affect economic growth positively. The study therefore recommends that the Kenyan government should set ambitious targets for renewable energy consumption such as a specific percentage of electricity generation or overall energy consumption. The Kenyan government should enhance and enforce regulatory frameworks specific to renewable energy in order to provide a stable and predictable investment environment. Finally, the Kenyan government should focus on expanding access to renewable energy solutions in rural areas, where energy access is limited. Implementing off-grid renewable energy systems, such as solar home systems and mini-grids, can provide clean and reliable electricity to rural communities.

Energy transitions across household distributions in northern India

This paper investigates sustainable household energy transitions including a reduction in kerosene lamp use and increases in solar home systems and solar lanterns. We use a large and detailed survey of around 9,000 households in northern India in 2015 and 2018. Our key analytical insights focus on inequality across economic and wealth distributions, including the lack of major distributional changes between the two survey waves. We find that a positive relationship between economic resources and solar home system use is driven by the upper end of economic distributions. Kerosene use is also substantially lower for the top of the economic distribution, especially in the 2018 survey. In contrast, economic resources have a weak relationship with solar lantern use. Future policies can be devised with reference to our results showing a more robust relationship between assets, rather than income, and household energy transitions. The stronger influence of assets is evident for a range of asset variables and for a composite wealth index which we construct. Detailed analysis of socio-economic distributions has value for informing policy attempts to target support to constrained households.

Solar Power Generation System at Household Scale

Solar power plants are renewable energy systems that utilize sunlight as a power source to generate electricity. The conversion of light energy into electrical energy is achieved through the photovoltaic effect. The process of converting solar energy into electrical energy is made possible by photovoltaic solar panels, which convert solar light energy into electricity. This technology began to be widely known and began to be widely used. Its use is widespread, ranging from large factories, office buildings, commercial buildings, shopping centers, hospitals, hotels, and households The purpose of this study is to know and analyze household-scale solar power generation systems. The method used in this study is a literature review, data used in the form of articles in electronic databases such as Google Scholar, in the period 2006 to 2023. The results showed that solar power plants (PLTS) are the right choice to overcome the energy crisis in Indonesia. Solar Power Plant Energy (PLTS) is abundant sunlight. Solar Power Plant System (PLTS) at the household level using Solar Home System (SHS) which is increasingly adopted in Indonesia (especially in households). The implication in this study is to provide a deeper understanding of household-scale solar systems, including the associated advantages and challenges. This can help individuals, institutions, and governments make better decisions regarding the use of renewable energy.

Solar Power Station For High-Powered Electronics

The number of PLN power users below 2200 VA for households in Indonesia causes the use of high-powered electronic equipment (HPE) such as electric stoves, microwaves, and ovens, to be limited. In some cases, the HPE can't operate due to lack of power or being the cause of the miniature circuit breaker (MCB) down. In fact, the use of HPE can improve the quality of life of people. Power stations separated by PLN (off-grid) and high-powered are thought to be able to solve the problem due to the daily use of HPE mostly over 1-3 hours. Solar home system (SHS) can be the base power station off-grid for HPE. However, the SHS studies carried out are limited to low power below 1000 VA or high power above 3000 VA. Addressing this, the study will create high power stations between 1000 VA - 3000VA based on SHS and analyze its daily use for electrical HPE equipment such as electric stoves, microwaves, and ovens. The charging of a power station with four 100 Wp Polycrystalline solar panels can charge around 1 kWh on sunny days in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Daily cooking activity shows the power station can support 2-3 menus daily with the usage of HPEs.

Techno-Economic Analysis of Off-Grid PV Solar System for Residential Building Load: A Case Study in Baidoa, Somalia

Currently, the majority of the Somali population does not have access to a regular source of power. The country does not have a national grid, relying on outdated, costly and inefficient diesel generators. The energy consumption in Somalia is dependent on firewood and charcoal, dependencies that rely on deforestation and desertification, which negatively influence the agricultural sector and also the environment. In this work, the potential of solar power in Somalia is assessed while estimating the cost of solar panels per household. This study aims to assess the cost, ecological and economic efficiency of the off-grid PV home system in residential buildings in Baidoa, Somalia. A stand-alone solar home system of 1.98kW PV capacity with battery backup is designed by using HOMER software. The daily primary load considered is 7.530 kWh, with a peak of the nominal power of 1.60 kW. The results show that renewable energy sources can replace conventional energy sources and that they would be a viable solution for generating electrical energy in residential houses in Baidoa with a reasonable investment. It was also found that the amount of power produced by solar panels is 7,400kWh/year. With an initial investment of $5580, the annualized life cycle cost of the system is $0.483, the payback period of initial investment is 2 years and 7 months period, and the net present cost (NPC) of the project is $18,684.

Assessment of Off-Grid Power Plants in Nigeria: Location, Capacity, Performance and Current Status

The power sector in Nigeria still struggles with significant electricity challenges resulting from the unavailability of power supply and the unreliability of the conventional national grid. The total installed capacity of off-grid plants in Nigeria is approximately a meagre 52 MW, with a combination of 67 operational mini-grids and solar home systems across the country impacting only about one million households and around five million residents out of Nigeria’s population of over 200 million people. It has been reported that both urban and rural areas suffer the impact of power shortages and frequent blackouts. The unreliability of power supply in Nigeria has been identified as a significant problem affecting educational institutions in terms of productive learning, student residency and institutional operations, and also the overall operation of healthcare facilities as it limits access to quality healthcare services. The study examines the presence and potential of off-grid power solutions in Nigeria which present a more reliable approach to supplying electricity to users, as a deliberate response to the multiple and complex challenges in the Nigerian power systems to identify the present location, installed capacity, operational performance, and current status of off-grid power plants in Nigeria. The Geographic Information System and statistical approaches were employed. It was discovered that off-grid solutions are beginning to spread across the country on different scales. However, most rural areas in Nigeria still do not have access to electricity supply. The study encourages decentralized power generation in the country and emphasizes the need for the federal government through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) to consider investing in off-grid solutions, particularly in the rural areas for socio-economic benefits.

Rancang Bangun Prototipe Solar Home System Menggunakan Baterai Lithium Sebagai Penyimpan Energi

Utilizing the Solar Home System requires a battery as an energy storage medium produced from photovoltaic modules. Today's batteries are lead-carbon Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) batteries. This type of battery has a 90-95% round-trip efficiency and a deep discharge (DOD) level of 80%. This type of battery is not environmentally friendly because it produces lead acid. Therefore, the development of batteries in the SHS system from lithium battery technology is carried out. Besides being environmentally friendly, its round-trip efficiency is quite good compared to lead-carbon, which is 92-96% with a DOD level of 100%. In this study, it is proposed to apply lithium batteries on a lab scale so that they can assist students in developing scientific fields, especially lithium battery-based energy storage. In addition, this research will describe the process of making and prototyping lithium batteries in solar practicum learning media. From the test results obtained, a laboratory-scale Solar Home System prototype for solar power system practicum using Lithium batteries as Energy Storage. The average effect of charging the battery is 21.09 watts. With the highest battery charging voltage set at 14.08 Vdc. And the highest charging current rate is 1.37 A, with the highest battery charging efficiency rate of 12%. The characteristics of the Lithium battery itself, the DoD shown is also good when the capacity read on the battery meter is 0%. The battery can still supply 15 watts of load for 20 minutes

Design a Smart Solar Tracker to Increase Energy Output Power Generated in Solar Home System

Design a Smart Solar Tracker to Increase Energy Output Power Generated in Solar Home System

Smart Solar PV Monitoring System Using IoT

In the era of modernization, the Internet of Things (IoT) emerges as a pivotal technology, particularly in enhancing the performance and monitoring of solar energy systems. By integrating IoT into solar plants, real-time supervision becomes feasible, allowing users to monitor crucial parameters such as current, voltage, and light intensity. This monitoring system addresses the challenges associated with remote location monitoring, making it especially relevant for off-grid solar home systems in remote areas, including coastal communities. The IoT-based monitoring system enables users to remotely track the performance of solar panels and receive alerts for abnormal conditions such as panel breakage or excessive dust accumulation. Through mobile connectivity, users can access real-time data and receive warning messages in case of anomalies, facilitating efficient fault detection and maintenance. The proposed solution aims to prototype this IoT-enabled monitoring system, offering a cost-effective and scalable approach to monitoring and maintaining solar plants in remote locations. Key Words: Internet of Things (IoT), Solar Energy, light, Smart Solar, Temperature, Remote areas.

Optimization and Impact Assessment of Technology Management of Solar Energy in Rwanda

There is a rarity of research about technology management in the solar energy industry in Rwanda and very little analysis is available on the effectiveness of the technology used in solar home systems (SHSs). Using a binary logistic regression to primary data collected through Kobo Collect, this study assesses the factors that are involved in SHS business in Rwanda. The findings reveal a difference in successfully collecting money from customers who purchase SHSs on an installment payment plan concerning the type of SHS (i.e. pay-as-you-go (PAYG) and non-pay-as-you-go (non-PAYG)). In terms of the odds ratio concept, a statistical interpretation was provided. If the customer has a non-PAYG SHS, getting a reminder from the solar energy company’s agent will increase by 9.52 times. That means, it is 9.52 times higher for the non-PAYG SHS as compared to a customer with PAYG SHS. The results also show that the multicollinearity assumptions for the economic, social, technological, and management models are not violated and are optimal because each of the variance inflation factors (VIFs) was close to unity. However, only the socialization predictors were not significant enhancements in the goodness-of-fit relative to the intercept-only model. The Nagelkerke R2 indicates only an average (49.5%) relationship between the prediction and grouping of the modified economic pricing model. The Hosmer–Lemeshow measures indicate that the models in this research are optimal and good fits for the data studied. Furthermore, the predicted success overall performance for the economic, social, technological, and managerial models was 73.2% on average. The Wald criterion equally demonstrated that only the monthly installment amount (with and without outliers), type of SHS, and payment channel made significant contributions to the prediction optimization problem. Therefore, the solar energy companies in Rwanda need to rely on the findings of studies like this to successfully manage customers’ accounts optimally.

From intentions to actions: unveiling the socio-psychological drivers of solar home system adoption in developing nations

ABSTRACT In the face of an expanding global population and the diminishing reservoirs of natural resources, humanity stands at a critical juncture necessitating timely decisions for a secure and sustainable future, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of green energy. The imperative calls for comprehensive implementations across societal echelons, garnering support from all stakeholders. This study explores the adoption dynamics of solar housing systems (SHS) by investigating the direct impact of associated effort and performance expectancy, incorporating an econometric perspective. Additionally, it scrutinizes the moderating effect of buyer awareness regarding these systems. Utilizing 205 survey responses, the research employs econometric analysis to underscore the pivotal roles of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and buyer knowledge in shaping SHS adoption in Pakistan. The findings not only offer valuable insights into the dynamics of fostering environmentally conscious practices at an individual level but also contribute to the broader understanding of sustainable energy adoption from an econometric standpoint. This research holds practical implications for policymakers and stakeholders engaged in promoting greener initiatives, providing a foundation for informed decision-making in the pursuit of a sustainable energy future.

Design, Testing, Evaluation, and Implementation of an Arduino-based Mosquito-Repellent System

Aims: The primary objective of this research drive is to design, develop, and evaluate an Arduino-based mosquito-repellent system. This work underscores the importance of developing sustainable and eco-friendly solutions for mosquito control.
 Study Design: An Arduino microcontroller board is used, and an assembly language program is developed to repel mosquitoes from the surroundings. This system uses piezoelectric disks, LED lights, LCD monitor along with the Arduino board and produces ultrasonic sound to protect humans and the environment from mosquitoes.
 Place and Duration of Study: The research effort was steered by the authors in a group under the supervisor of a faculty member as a part of the course capstone project work of the Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the American International University Bangladesh (AIUB), Dhaka, Bangladesh. The authors performed their research tasks at AIUB from May 2023 to January 2024.
 Methodology: The innovative mosquito-repellent system uses an Arduino Mega 2560 microcontroller to generate a cutting-edge solution to tackle the problem of mosquito infestations. The system can produce an electric signal that can emit mechanical ultrasound signals to be harnessed using a series-connected eight piezo-electric discs. To power up the system, it uses four Li-ion rechargeable batteries charged by using solar energy from the home solar system. Besides, it uses LEDs to indicate the status of the repellent system.
 Results: The generated ultrasonic signal is observed on the oscilloscope screen and its’ value is exhibited on the LCD screen to evaluate the system performance. Testing confirms that the system can drive away mosquitoes within its 3 m surroundings in 2-3 minutes. Besides, the system parameter and cost comparison show that this scheme suggests a worthwhile and sustainable result for making a mosquito-free environment.
 Conclusion: The development of a mosquito-repellent system using ultrasonic sound waves based on an Arduino microcontroller offers a sustainable and effective alternative to traditional methods of mosquito control. Since the system is chemical and health-hazard-free, it is eco-friendly and makes human life more comfortable. The system is portable and cost-effective, making it suitable for use in various settings.