Micro-Grid Solar Photovoltaic Systems for Rural Development and Sustainable Agriculture in Palestine

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to study the impact of using micro-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in rural areas in the West Bank, Palestine. These systems may have the potential to provide rural electrification and encourage rural development, as PV panels are now becoming more financially attractive due to their falling costs. The implementation of solar PV systems in such areas improves social and communal services, water supply and agriculture, as well as other productive activities. It may also convert these communities into more environmentally sustainable ones. The present paper details two case studies from Palestine and shows the inter-relation between energy, water and food in rural areas to demonstrate how the availability of sustainable energy can ensure water availability, improve agricultural productivity and increase food security. Further, the paper attempts to evaluate the technical and economic impacts of the application of nexus approaches to Palestine’s rural areas. The results of this study are for a real implemented project and predict the long-term success of small, sustainable energy projects in developing rural areas in Palestine.

Economic Feasibility of Agrivoltaic Systems in Food-Energy Nexus Context: Modelling and a Case Study in Niger

“…APV's joint benefits for electrification and irrigation are presented by Ibrik [24]. By taking the arid region case at two rural communities in Palestine, the author analyzed how the diesel (as a fuel) dependency could be minimized by using such APV systems as extended solar microgrids.…”

Photovoltaics and Electrification in Agriculture

“…Rural electrification is not yet complete in many areas, such as areas in Palestine, limiting local development that is fundamentally agronomic. The contribution of photovoltaic energy to solve the problem of rural electrification is crucial due to lower prices, modularity, and increased reliability, something that is reflected in the Ibrik study [14], something also reinforced by the low impact on greenhouse gas emissions of this solution (which we remember is not null, since it exists in the manufacture, installation, and dismantling of the plant). In addition, electrical micro-grids are a boost both to local development in rural areas and to the elimination of the need for new power lines.…”

Optimasi Perencanaan Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) Terpusat Wilayah Pulau Terluar

“…Dalam dalam perencanaan tersebut PLTS disambungkan ke jaringan listrik PLN. Sedangkan di luar negeri seperti di Kenya dan Palestina perencanaan PLTS juga sudah dilakukan oleh beberapa penulis [4], [5] . Di Vietnam pemanfaatan PLTS untuk daerah terpencil juga sudah banyak dilakukan, namun pada daerah tersebut belum optimal [6].…”