Rural Electrification Efforts Based on Off-Grid Photovoltaic Systems in the Andean Region: Comparative Assessment of Their Sustainability

Féron, Sarah; Cordero, Raúl R.; Labbé, Fernando

doi:10.3390/su9101825

Cited by 29 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The same argument applies for governments trying to electrify rural communities [52] that have no power-programs knows as rural electrification programs [53], reduce diesel consumption in communities that rely on diesel [8], or completely displace diesel in these communities [54]. Table 5 indicates that using a MSOC 20 percent reduces the net present cost of single home to nearly $70,000 compared with $117,000 when a MSOC of 50 percent was used.…”

Section: Nocturnal Load Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

State-of-Charge Effects on Standalone Solar-Storage Systems in Hot Climates: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

Elshurafa

Aldubyan

2019

Sustainability

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In this paper, we quantify the economic and environmental implications of operating a standalone photovoltaic-battery system (PVB) while varying the battery’s minimum allowable state of charge (MSOC), the load profile, and simultaneously incorporating ambient temperature effects in hot climates. To that end, Saudi Arabia has been chosen for this case study. Over a project lifetime of 25 years, we find that, contrary to the widely accepted norm of 50% being a reasonable MSOC, a lower MSOC can bestow economic benefits. For example, a MSOC of 20% results in a lower number of batteries required throughout the lifetime of the project—while still meeting demand. For a village of 1000 homes, this translates to a saving of $47 million in net present value. Further, incorporating temperature effects results in deducing more realistic costs that are 125% higher than the ideal scenario (i.e., when temperature is not modeled). This difference stems from underestimating the actual number of batteries needed throughout the project lifetime. Compared to a diesel-powered microgrid, and for a village of 1000 homes, a PVB would, on an annual basis, avoid emitting 5000 tons of carbon and avoid burning 2 million liters of diesel.

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Section: Nocturnal Load Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

State-of-Charge Effects on Standalone Solar-Storage Systems in Hot Climates: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

Elshurafa

Aldubyan

2019

Sustainability

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“…The feasibility is a key factor because of high investment. In Chile, although technical standards for rural electrification are defined [6], they are not mandatory; consequently, government programs need to include cooperation, transferring know-how, and training. Also, implementation of an off-grid PV system may be beneficial to promote local economic development when the electrical grid is not an alternative.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, batteries increase the capital and operational cost, and the final disposal of batteries may produce high environmental impact [11,42]. In Chile, battery disposal is voluntary, but there is not much recycling infrastructure [6]; however, in other similar countries as Peru and Ecuador, some References [43,44] have reported that batteries have been found abandoned and buried in rural areas. The PV system should instead supply electricity directly into the pumping system.…”

Section: Effects Of Installation Of Pv System On Irrigation Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, off-grid systems use fossil fuels, such as diesel, in stationary generator sets [2][3][4][5]. Although rural electrification is expanding, it may still not be technically or economically feasible in some regions of Asia and Latin America due to the cost of extending the electrical grid, and the complicated access to some remote areas [6][7][8]. The use of renewable energy contributes to reducing the dependency on fossil fuels and greenhouse emissions [7]; consequently, solar energy has been used to power irrigation in agricultural activities for two decades [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Cost-Effective Methodology for Sizing Solar PV Systems for Existing Irrigation Facilities in Chile

et al. 2018

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Abstract:In the last five years, the Chilean Ministries of Agriculture and Energy developed a national strategy to incorporate renewable energies into various economic sectors. Since 2013, more than 1500 off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, with power ranging from 1 kW to 3 kW, were installed to drive existing irrigation systems in small and medium-sized farms for the exportation of fresh fruit. A net billing regulation was also implemented in 2014. This study shows a cost-effective methodology for the sizing of solar PV systems for existing irrigation facilities in Chile, in an effort to improve the competitiveness of the fresh-fruit industry. The same methodology may also be implemented in other Latin American countries. The article presents the analysis of four projects (two in the Atacama Region, and two in the Maule Region). The baseline situation of the four units was studied, as well as the energy-efficient actions that may be applied, in addition to the recommended characteristics of the selected PV system to drive the irrigation systems of small fresh-fruit farms. Off-grid and on-grid solar PV systems were analyzed, including some particularities of the Chilean regulations. The required water demand of the irrigation systems and their corresponding pressure heads were also determined. The electricity demand of the system was calculated, and the PV system was designed for an optimal irrigation system. Additionally, an economical assessment was made for two years. In the first year, the cost effectiveness of energy-efficient actions was evaluated for the irrigation system, and it was found that they had paybacks of approximately two years. In the second year, the implementation of a PV system in each demonstrative unit was evaluated. The on-grid solar PV system performed better than the off-grid system, with evaluated paybacks of approximately 12 years. Finally, some recommendations for a well-designed on-grid solar PV system were made on the basis of it lasting over 25 years, with an adequate operation and maintenance plan.

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“…A set of technical field questions is designed to assess the apparent instantaneous health of components. In addition, technical sustainability is widely regarded as effected by system use and the appropriateness of the initial system design [49].…”

Section: Technical Sustainability Factormentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability evaluation of community-based, solar photovoltaic projects in Malawi

et al. 2020

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Background: A novel project sustainability framework is used to evaluate 65 off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system projects in Malawi. This study addresses PV projects serving rural public facilities, a solution known to have had historical issues with poor sustainability. A recent countrywide program targeting such facilities was evaluated against existing projects to determine whether this latest iteration offered better results. Method: Sustainability is defined at the project-level with metrics justified under the main themes of technical, economic, social, and organizational. Data captured for each project is based on a custom survey and interview of key stakeholders. Projects are grouped according to age, project implementer, income level, and PV system size to compare relative results. Results: The sustainability outlook for each project is evaluated. We find sustainability for most projects to be low. Social sustainability was weak with many projects due to low local community stakeholder engagement in terms of numbers of stakeholders, meeting frequency, and community contributions. Organizational challenges included a lack of key management positions in place and extremely limited training provisions. Furthermore, the evaluation highlights the economic health of the system to be key to sustainability, with the "healthiest" projects affording only 37% of expected operations and maintenance costs. Relative to expected demand, systems were found to be undersized for both panels (53% of required) and batteries (57%). Users reported achieving only 60% of their desired consumption. Poor sizing standards related to the lack of load profiles for first-time electricity users as well as poor quality components reduced the overall technical sustainability. Conclusion: Rural public facilities with solar PV in Malawi are not well served by isolated community management. Improved sustainability requires the establishment of a robust financial framework prior to project development that includes formal local government support. This paper discusses ideal management frameworks and their ultimate implications for project developers, policy makers, and the research community.

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Rural Electrification Efforts Based on Off-Grid Photovoltaic Systems in the Andean Region: Comparative Assessment of Their Sustainability

Cited by 29 publications

References 34 publications

State-of-Charge Effects on Standalone Solar-Storage Systems in Hot Climates: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

State-of-Charge Effects on Standalone Solar-Storage Systems in Hot Climates: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia

A Cost-Effective Methodology for Sizing Solar PV Systems for Existing Irrigation Facilities in Chile

Sustainability evaluation of community-based, solar photovoltaic projects in Malawi

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