OFF-GRID MOBILE PHONE CHARGING SYSTEMS FOR RURAL ENERGY NEEDS

Abstract

For several decades, rural electrification has remained a formidable challenge, particularly in Nigeria. Financial constraints, difficult rural terrain, inefficient policy, and a lack of industrial community development have all contributed to the grid expansion problem in these areas. These areas are energy-deficient, and their energy demands to keep up with cutting-edge communication technology are constantly rising. As a result, rural areas are confronted with the issue of charging. Consequently, many rural residents are forced to rely on diesel/petrol generators or travel long distances and pay a premium to have their mobile phones charged. Thus, this paper proposes an off-grid solar-powered charging system as an alternative, sustainable solution to meet rural mobile phone energy demand. The methodology employed six-tier architectural features, with the economic comparison metric based on net present value and payback period. Furthermore, the proposed model's performance analysis revealed that the charging rate is dependent on the phone battery type and charger type. Furthermore, the off-grid mobile charging system has a higher net present value ($20,658US) and a shorter payback period of 2.5 years than the alternative investment of a gasolne generator.