Renewable Energy Conversion Principles

Abstract

We have seen that the very nature of socio-cultural practices and the rampant poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa complicate the process of seeking solutions to the energy problems. To address the problem of power distribution, a carefully planned energy strategy must be implemented to take care of the scattered nature of rural settlements, which is basically a reflection of the land ownership policy and indi-vidual freedom of land-use choices. In addition to this, the poverty levels of the people must also be considered so that suitable power consumption tariffs and manageable payment terms are instituted. One obvious approach is to ensure that the people are given as much ownership of the power system as possible. This will inculcate some degree of participation and hence responsibility in managing the operations of the systems and this would enhance sustainability. Another similarly obvious step to take is to strive to produce energy within the community areas in order to avoid large expenses incurred in long distance transmission. These con-ditions point to the fact that the source of energy must have certain characteristics such as possibility of locating it at a suitable site rather than being forced to develop it where it is found. Furthermore, the conversion technologies and good manage-ment practices must be well understood by the users. Such characteristics would significantly cut down the distribution cost and also ensure that users' needs are satisfied. These requirements would eliminate many traditional energy sources such as large hydro and geothermal which are location-specific, that is, you have it where it is available or you do not have it at all. A final consideration is the availability of crucial inputs within the local envi-ronment or the possibility of generating them locally. Given these characteristics, one cannot base long-term energy strategies on limited sources such as oil, coal and LPG especially if the country is not endowed with them. Many African countries do not have oil while some have only a limited amount of coal and natural gas. The only logical choices for the region are solar, wind, small hydro plants and biomass.