The actual research in terms of energy focuses drastically on the use of green energy resources. Hydropower systems have been the most known green sources for years. However, the hydropower systems, which are seasonal and most exploited, do not cover the speed of increasing daily demand. The injection of solar power could be a supporting alternative, but it is only in daylight, weather dependent and intermittent. Therefore, a storage system is required. The batteries are the quick recourse. Not only the energy sector, but also the transport systems are not left behind; they are striving to turn green. Therefore, they are turning to electric vehicles (EVs) and electric moto-bicycles (EMBs). On the other hand, this option tends to be a sharply increasing demand that can be a burden to the grid, i.e., the increase in the EVs and EMBs implies increases in power demand, grid components and pressure on the grid. Fortunately, the EVs use batteries to store energy for their use. Therefore, the EVs are the power storage system, they become part of the power management system and they can save the power surplus. With the injection of PV solar power, there is no need for an extra storage system, as the EVs are charged from the grid and store the solar energy that can be used later after sunset. The bi-directional off-board charger is a solution as it allows the grid to charge the vehicle (G2V) and the vehicle to send power back to grid (V2G). The inclusion of EVs in power management introduces the concept of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) when one EV can charge another, and the vehicle-to-load (V2X) where the EV can supply power to EMBs or any load. The V2G, G2V, V2X, the inclusion on solar energy to the grid and the behavior of the grid in that scenario will be illustrated in this paper.
The Kigali Institute of Science, Technology and Management (KIST), Rwanda’s first higher education institution of technology, has taken the lead in entrepreneur- ial activities. In 2002 KIST generated 35 per cent of its budget from its various entrepreneurial activities. By 2008, this figure is projected to surpass 50 per cent. From its inception, it has combined conventional teaching with technology trans- fer initiatives. Particularly successful have been projects involving renewable en- ergies, waste-water management and food-processing. Products developed have included, for example, low-cost hand- and foot-powered water pumps, rainwater- harvesting systems, a crop dryer that uses either sunshine or biomass (such as rice husks, sawdust or firewood), etc. Using feedback from its community develop- ment officers, many of whom are women, KIST has modified simple machines to make them easier for women, trained rural women’s groups in business practices, and trains all of its students in basic business skills. KIST’s Information and Com- munication Technology Centre has become the country’s second biggest Internet service provider, as well as a major supplier of software and computer training. Another income source is providing paid part-time studies for working adults.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.