The Problem in Sub-Saharan Africa to Solar Power Technology - Essay Example

?SOLAR POWER AS AN ENERGY SOURCE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA Introduction In this day and age of internet and cable, some 5 billion people remain living in Stone Age conditions due to lack of access to electricity, a good portion of them living in sub-Saharan Africa. The implication of this is that these more than a billion people are deprived of the things that make living in the modern world easy, convenient, safer and healthier. Electrical grids are costly for countries, which are either underdeveloped or developing, where these people live, and more so if the areas where they live are in the rural regions. The only alternative is the solar technologies that can harness solar power and convert them into electricity to power homes. As a matter of fact, the PV solar home systems are becoming popular in sub-Saharan Africa as an alternative to electrical power grids, especially in the state of Kenya. Nonetheless, some issues exist that impede the widespread use of this technology and solve the lack of electricity in these places. Life in Sub-Saharan Africa Some 89% of people in rural sub-Saharan Africa, where 720 million lives as of 2004,1 thrive without the convenience of electricity. This absence of modern-day basic necessity have deprived these people not only of internet and cable services but basic necessities such as means of agricultural productivity, education and clean water.2 The United Nations estimates that about three billion people all over the world still use wood and charcoal as fuels to cook their food. In a village in Kenya, for example, a person would have to walk two miles to be able to get a motorcycle taxi to take her to the nearest town that has access to electricity. The ride to that town would take about an additional three hours.3 The problem with most rural homes in sub-Saharan Africa is that they are too far from electricity grids, which are almost non-existing, and extending those few electricity grids will be too costly, and ultimately impractical, for the government. Moreover, electricity grids are often powered by fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, which have all been identified as greenhouse gases emitters that are the root causes of climate change. In 2001, the sub-Saharan population is estimated at 719 million, 65.2% of which lives in the rural areas, and 350 million of this population did not have grid-based electricity.4 In Kenya, 70% of its electrical power is provided by the hydroelectric plant located in the Tana River, but this is not enough to power the entire urban areas much more the rural areas. Urban areas have priority in electrification programs by the government despite the fact that 84% of its population live in rural areas.5 The Solar Power Technology There are two technologies in which solar energy is harnessed to provide power. The first is called solar-thermal technology and the other is photovoltaics technology. Solar-thermal technology uses “collectors” such as flat plates, parabolic dishes, power towers or solar pyramids to absorb light from the sun, trap them and use the heat collected to cook, pasteurize water or dry crops. This technology can also be used to provide electricity using the CSP systems (Concentrating Solar Power). On the other hand, the photovoltaics technology makes use of solar cells joined together to form large panels (the size depends on the electricity needs) that convert sunlight into electricity. Between these two technologies, the solar-thermal is more efficient in converting heat to electricity at 30% compared to 15% of the PV, but efficiency for the latter is seen to rise with the development of newer, more efficient materials. Nonetheless, the PV is more popular in the sub-Saharan Africa because of its capability as a stand-alone system and suitability in SHS.6 Large PV systems may also be attached to electricity grids and with the use of an inverter device convert DC power from solar panels to AC power. Most PV systems use silicon materials. On the other hand, a PV SHS consists of a solar panel, a battery and charger controller or regulator. The battery serves as container for surplus energy and the regulator prevents the battery from overcharging. The use of SHS is rising in such countries as China, India and Bangladesh.7 Advances in manufacturing and production have considerably scaled down prices of renewable energy systems such as windmills, gas turbines and PV systems. A decreasing pattern of costs is discernible from the early 1980s with a 20% drop in price in the case of PVs for every doubling of cumulative MW installed. The sub-Saharan African countries have benefited from these decreasing prices as indicated in the Kenyan case where solar module prices have been dropping since 1986 to 2002 by as much as 600 peak kilowatts and a parallel rise in sales of solar modules can be seen in the same period.8 Nonetheless, PV systems costs are still higher in Africa than in other parts of the world due to higher taxes imposed by the government and delivery costs. An exception is the Kenyan market whose relatively lower PV costs are underpinned by stiff competition of market players and tariff reductions initiated by the government. 9 The Use of Solar Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa The SHS has a big potential market in sub-Saharan Africa because of the inability of the governments to expand electric grids into rural areas. Such an endeavor by the governments is seen as very costly and impractical. The SHS may provide a solution to this problem. Not only residential houses are seen to benefit from this power source, but also clinics, schools, communication and community centers in the rural areas. In 2000 alone, an estimated number of 437,000 SHSs were installed in sub-Sahara African rural areas.10 In Kiptusuri, Kenya, rural people are turning their hopes to portable solar power systems that can be installed on top of their roofs and provide them with basic electricity to power up light bulbs in their homes, radios, televisions and charge cellphones, whose popularity is now surging in rural Africa. The spread of these off-grid renewable systems, also known as SHS or solar home systems, in the world today is seen as a ‘phenomenon’ by the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, not only in Kenya, but also in Inner Mongolia, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi and Ghana.11 Solar power, which is of the stand alone type, is the chief possible solution to the power needs of a vast majority of Kenyan rural dwellers. The PV system has a large potential in these areas. The nomadic rural dwellers whose distribution in Kenya’s large tract of lands is characterized as sparse can only be practically provided with stand alone PV systems because electric grids are impractical and costly. Similarly, expansion of electrical grids to the farming population of rural Kenya is too costly because of the high initial outlay. On the other hand, providing them with power using diesel generators may not cost as much initially, but maintenance costs are high. Solar electrification poses the same problem as electric power grid expansion. The only alternative for these rural dwellers is the stand-alone PV systems that can be installed in their homes.12 Conclusion Some of the problems that may impede the widespread use of PV systems in the sub-Saharan areas and even in the world are the following: the shortage of competent persons that design, install and repair PV systems; absence of solid and established infrastructure for the distribution and financial support of PVs, and; the erroneous misconception that solar power is not practical for common and is too expensive.13 In addition, despite the decreasing pattern of PV costs, the fact remains that these systems are still expensive for the sub-Saharan population. One possible solution to costs is to produce locally the solar modules and stop relying on imports. This will not only decrease PV costs, but also generate local jobs.14 Moreover, in the case of solar electrification, which is an environment-friendly alternative to electric grids run by fossil fuels, costs can be managed by starting out with smaller systems gradually expanding it as time goes by. Private sectors can also be encouraged tom participate in these endeavors by investing in distribution and other infrastructure support to the PV technology. Government themselves can also alleviate solar power-related impediments by providing subsidies and investing in research and the development of the solar power technology.15 16 17 References: Grimshaw, D. & Lewis, S. (2010). Solar Power for the Poor: Facts and Figures. SciDev Net. http://scidev.net/en/features/solar-power-for-the-poor-facts-and-figures Moner-Girona, M., Ghanadan, R. and Jacobson, A. (2006) Decreasing PV Costs in Africa. ReFocus, Elsevier Ltd. Rosenthal, E. (2010) African Huts Far from the Grid Glow with Renewable Power. The New York Times. Singh, P. (1991) Incorporating Solar Electric Power into Rural Electrification Programs – A Case Study of Kenya. Energy Services, Vol. 13: 67-75. Read More