Solar Power as an Energy Source in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa - Essay Example

? 5 June Solar Power as an energy source in rural Sub-Saharan Africa Solar electric power can easily be incorporated in the electrification planning in the rural areas of Kenya. The national policy of providing the uneconomic rural areas of Kenya with electricity is already there in the plan of the national strategic development in Kenya. This serves as a measure to connect those rural areas into the grid in which, it is possible to provide the electricity by the national grid’s extension. Nevertheless, solar photovoltaics are the most suitable option for the rural areas which need the stand-alone systems. In order to reduce the initial costs of such systems in comparison to the conventional diesel generators, it is customary to reduce the size of the solar power systems and expand them. The maximum effect can not be achieved until the participation of the private sector in the rural developmental programs developed by the Kenyan government is ensured. When the local infrastructures will be developed sufficiently so as to adequately support the PV technology, this would cause considerable microeconomic development in the country. A lot of barriers are there in the way of implementation of such directional changes in Kenya, though they will prove extremely beneficial for the country if successfully implemented. It is quite wise of the Kenyan government to invest in the solar electric technology because it is essentially an investment into the national security of Kenya. Kenya has conventionally relied heavily upon the use of petroleum which is indeed, quite inconsistent with the fact that there are no oil reserves in Kenya. Because of this, the use of petroleum in Kenya goes against the national policy of Kenyanization (Singh 74). There is no doubt in the profitability of investment in the domestic photovoltaic making industry, though it is advisable for Kenya to wait and see for a few years prior to investing in this plan given the present manufacturing facilities may not be in the trend for long as a result of the rapid development in technology. Kenya should make the right decision of investment at the right time in order to make its economic growth self sustained and attain the local leadership in the field of energy. The development of rural areas in Kenya can be enhanced with the use of solar power. A potential way of improving the socioeconomic development in some of the lowest-income economies of the world is enhancing their access to energy. According to (Grimshaw and Lewis), as many as 1.5 million people in the contemporary age who belong to the developing countries do not have electricity and a vast majority of them, that makes above 80 per cent are either from South Asia or sub-Saharan Africa. Remote areas suffer from lack of electricity. 89 per cent of the Africans living in the rural areas have no electricity as compared to 46 per cent of them who live in the urban regions. This essentially speaks of the fact that the condition is worse in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas. If these people are provided with some electricity, their life standard can greatly improve with the improvement in their health, communication, education, and productivity. In order to increase people’s access to electricity in the poor countries, centralized energy from the fossil fuels like oil and coal needs to be stressed upon. However, expansion of the grid electricity does not benefit the rural community a lot. The expensive grid extension in the rural areas does not improve the environment. 26 per cent of the gas emissions in the world can be attributed to power. It is expected that developing countries will be using 70 per cent more energy per annum as compared to the developed countries by 2030 (Grimshaw and Lewis). Providing the rural community in the developing countries with solar power is difficult because the money for it comes from international aid. “Large donors such as the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation are major funders of solar PV in the developing world, supporting projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America valued at more than US$600 million” (Grimshaw and Lewis). However, measures are being taken to make the poor countries self sufficient instead of keeping them supplied with aid. Microfinance providers are an example of this as they give loans to the poor. They not only provide the poor with PV systems, but also educate them on their use and preparation. It is the responsibility of government to facilitate the agencies that work for the poor. The recent status of the performance of solar home systems in the developing countries in general and the Sub-Saharan Africa in particular is not exactly known despite the significant impact of the Solar PV on the rural electrification in them. In their paper, (Moner-Girona et al.) discuss this status in Africa and identify ways to reduce the cost through manufacturing locally. With the evolution of technology, the costs of solar system have reduced in general whereas the production has increased manifolds. As a result, solar markets have grown and expanded in Africa. Local manufacturing has a lot of benefits for the African countries. It provides them with competitive advantage. This can be estimated from the fact that “the development of small and inexpensive amorphous silicon (a-Si) modules over the last 15 years for developing country markets by US and European manufacturers has played a crucial role in the growth of solar markets in Kenya, Morocco, and other African countries” (Moner-Girona et al. 44). If the photovoltaic modules are produced locally, this can make the local markets in African countries sustainable. Solar modules are currently being imported in the Sub-Saharan Africa. New markets for photovoltaic modules will develop with the commencement of local production, and the PV will consequentially become a means of economic strength of the African countries. (Rosenthal)_ has discussed the significance of electricity in the life of a common woman in Kenya. Sara Ruto, a woman in Kenya, began to need electricity in 2009 after she bought a cell phone. Living in a village much far from the electric grid of Kenya made it very difficult for Ruto to charge the cell phone. Ms. Ruto had to walk two miles on get a taxi to go to Mogotio for charging the cell phone for 30 cents. She had to wait for three days before recollecting the cell phone. Finally, her family purchased a solar power system worth $80 in February. This was sufficient to not only charge the cell phone but also power four lights. With the drop in the price of small-scale renewable energy, people living in remote areas are beginning to gain a sense of the modern way of living. The tiny solar power systems are working wonders for the people living in areas far from the electric grid. This can be estimated from the fact that Ms. Ruto’s children have shown improvement in their grades since they got the opportunity to study in light. Ms. Ruto is able to save money that otherwise went into charging her mobile, and is also earning from the neighbors who get their phones charged by her. However, he investors are reluctant to invest in these poor areas. No more than 6 to 7 per cent solar systems are produced to supply electricity to areas away from the electric grid (Rosental). Many people in Kenya who live in areas without electricity have improved the profitability of their businesses by purchasing such solar power systems as Ms. Ruto did. Therefore, production of these systems should be increased in order to improve the economic strength of people in these areas. Works Cited: Grimshaw, David J., and Lewis, Sian. “Solar power for the poor: facts and figures.” 24 Mar. 2010. Web. 5 Jun. 2011. . Moner-Girona, Magda ; Ghanadan, Rebecca ; Jacobson, Arne ; and Kammen, Daniel M. “Decreasing PV Costs in Africa.” 2006. Web. 5 Jun. 2011. . Rosenthal, Elisabeth. “African huts far from the grid glow with renewable power.” The New York Times. 24 Dec. 2010. Web. 5 Jun. 2011. . Singh, Pritpal. “Incorporating Solar Electric Power into Rural Electrification Programs – A Case Study of Kenya.” Energy Sources. Vol. 13. pp. 67-75. 1991. Web. 5 Jun. 2011. . Read More