Case Study: Electricity for a Village Power System The generation system was installed in 1992 with the support of the national government of Mexico, the local utility, and the village of Xcalak. The state of Quintana Roo and the national government of Mexico paid for the initial cost of the project, and the utility updated and expanded the village wiring system to accommodate increased generating capacity. The villagers pay for system operation and maintenance.
City Power Vs Village Power A table which compares and contrasts village power requirements vs. city power requirements.
Demand for Solar Electricity Soars in Developing World - PV Becomes Energy Option of Choice in Rural Villages In dozens of countries in the developing world, photovoltaics has become the energy option of choice as governments struggle to provide electric power to remote communities that have never had electric lights, let alone television or refrigeration.
Dish Stirling Systems Near Commercialization Schlaich Bergermann und Partner (SBP) of Stuttgart, Germany, and Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) of San Diego, CA, USA are currently testing pre-commercial versions of their solar, dish/Stirling, power generators "with an eye to" fielding commercial systems within the next 3 to 5 years. A dish/Stirling system operates by tracking the sun and reflecting sunlight to the focus of the dish where it is absorbed in a thermal receiver. The heat absorbed by the receiver is then transferred to the Stirling engine where it is converted to mechanical power, turns an alternator or generator, and produces electrical power. The most likely applications for the initial dish/Stirling systems are for remote and small village power.
Eco-Village Information Service An eco-village is a human scale, full-featured settlement which integrates human activities harmlessly into the natural environment, supports healthy human development, and can be continued into the indefinite future. The Eco-village Information Service features information covering all aspects of Eco-villages; the Social, Infrastructure, Ecological and Spiritual.
Financing Village Electrification Demand for electricity in industrialized nations, with well-established electric power systems and relatively steady per capita electric consumption, is unlike the increased demand experienced by the developing nations. As rural electrification continues to assume global proportions, the world's population grows. Well into the next century, the axiom that eventual demand outpaces current demand will surely to be true for electrical consumption. Still, there is long term potential for profitable business, only if local economies can afford to pay an asking price above real cost of supply.
Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) Hybrid renewable systems are often more cost-effective than grid extensions or isolated diesel generators for providing power to remote villages. There are a wide variety of hybrid systems being developed for village applications that have differing combinations of wind, photovoltaics, batteries, and diesel generators. Due to variations in loads and resources determining the most appropriate combination of these components for a particular village is a difficult modelling task. To address this design problem the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has developed the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER). Existing models are either too detailed for screening analysis or too simple for reliable estimation of performance. HOMER is a design optimization model that determines the configuration, dispatch, and load management strategy that minimizes life-cycle costs for a particular site and application. This paper describes the HOMER methodology and presents representative results.
Hybrid Power Systems These designs are printed in the "Stand-Alone Photovoltaic Systems - a Handbook of Recomended Design Practices" available from Sandia. General information is provided in this section. For additional information select from the menu. A hybrid power system has more than one type of generator - usually a fueled-engine generator and a renewable energy source such as PV, wind, or hydropower. A PV-engine hybrid is the only type considered here. A hybrid system is most often used for larger applications such as village power; residential systems where generators already exist; and in applications like telecommunications where availability requirements are near 100 percent. Almost all PV-generator hybrid systems include batteries for storage.
Hybrid Power Systems - Issues & Answers There are key elements to consider in evaluating an application for hybrid power. The table provided allows you quick access to these sections.
Inverter Testing at Sandia National Laboratories Inverters are key building blocks of photovoltaic (PV) systems that produce ac power. The balance of systems (BOS) portion of a PV system can account for up to 50% of the system cost, and its reliable operation is essential for a successful PV system. As part of its BOS program, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) maintains a laboratory wherein accurate electrical measurements of power systems can be made under a variety of conditions. This paper outlines the work that is done in that laboratory.
Hybrid PV System Powers Major Rural Mexico Project Solar photovoltaic systems and wind turbines are part of a pilot rural electrification project in a village in Mexico, according to briefing materials prepared by Arizona Public Service Co. (APS), which is participating in the project, reports Wind Energy Weekly. The pilot project is expected to be replicated in many other rural villages in Mexico. APS has been working on the effort in cooperation with the Comision Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Mexico’s national utility, under an agreement executed in December, 1995. The “APS/CFE Renewable Energy Mini-Grid Project” has been designed with an eye toward CFE’s future plans to provide electricity to rural villages in the future.
Issues in Village Power This free form section contains full text and links to documents pertaining to village power.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Renewables for Sustainable Village Power Program The goal of this porgram is to facilitate the information transfer necessary for sustainable village power projects.
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) represents the interests of cooperative electric utilities and the consumers they serve.
New World Markets Remote Hybrid Power Package New World Village Power Company (NWVP) has brought to market a hybrid power package for remote grid sites, according to company spokesman Lawrence Mott. The system, including necessary controls, diesel generator, turbine, rotary converter, and battery bank, is the result of a technology developed by the firm and partially funded by the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation (ASTF), Sandia National Laboratory, and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colo.
NREL International - Hybrid2 The Hybrid2 code is a user friendly tool to conduct detailed long-term performance and economic analysis on a wide variety of hybrid power systems.
Philippine
and American Companies Collaborate on Rural Photovoltaic Electrification
Close to a million rural households
in the Visayas region of the Philippines do not have electrical power. Solar
Resources Inc of Wilmington, Massachusetts has entered a joint venture called
the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (AEP) to install 18 residential
48 Wp photovoltaic electric systems. The systems will provide power to rural
families for lighting, radio and television power and for battery storage.
They will be monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure proper maintenance and
end-user satisfaction, as well as to determine the effects of the technology
on the local community.
Rural Electrification Although nearly 90 percent of urban dwellers had electricity by the 1930s, only ten percent of rural dwellers did. Private utility companies, who supplied electric power to most of the nation's consumers, argued that it was too expensive to string electric lines to isolated rural farmsteads. Anyway, they said, most farmers, were too poor to be able to afford electricity.
Rural Electrification and Rural Telephone Loans and Loan Guarantees The purpose of this program is to assure that people in eligible rural areas have access to electric and telephone service comparable in reliability and quality to the rest of the nation.
Rural Electrification Revolving Loan Fund A loan from the fund may be made only for the purpose of extending new electric service into an area of the state that an electric utility may serve under a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Alaska Public Utilities Commission.
Rural Utilities Service, Electric Program Home Page You may use this home page to find out about their program, view or download regulations and bulletins, download forms, comment on pending changes, and make suggestions about how this can be of better use to you. You will also find links to other Rural Utilities Service (RUS) related sites.The Electric Program of the RUS makes insured loans and guarantees of loans to nonprofit and cooperative associations, public bodies, and other utilities. Insured loans primarily finance the construction of facilities for the distribution of electric power in rural areas. Guaranteed loans primarily finance generation and bulk transmission facilities for power supply borrowers.
Solar Photovoltaics for Development Applications This document introduces photovoltaic technology to individuals and groups specializing in development activities. Examples of actual installations illustrate the many services supplied by photovoltaic systems in development applications, including water pumping, lighting, health care, refrigeration, communications, and a variety of productive uses. The various aspects of the technology are explored to help potential users evaluate whether photovoltaics can assist them in achieving their organizational goals. Basic system design, financing techniques, and the importance of infrastructure are included, along with additional sources of information and major U.S. photovoltaic system suppliers.
Solar Steam System Applications for Village Uses and Rural Electrification Solar Steam Systems using Solar Thermal Troughs are especially ideal for applications where electricity is not the only thing generated. In a Village setting, all aspects of the Solar Steam System can be utilized, greatly increasing their effectiveness, and reducing their buyback significantly. This simplified diagram illustrates how that may be inexpensively accomplished.
Village Power Solar electricity offers an alternative option for village power needs that does not require the use of delivered fuel or spare parts and little or no maintenance. As power needs of the village increase, the solar photovoltaic system can be expanded easily to meet the increased need.
Village Power Bulletin Board The Village Power Bulletin Board is currently being created to foster communication within the village power community. It is intended to be a forum to make connections, learn from past experience, and discuss issues of concern. The four-month test phase of the bulletin board will last from mid-May until mid- September.
Village Power PV Applications According to United Nations International Children's Education Fund(UNICEF) sources, Norway, Canada and the US traditionally spend the most on helping to provide PV power for basic needs in the world's developing villages.
Western Province Regional Renewable Energy Program This program aims for a sustainablility structure, particularly at local levels of Provincial Government, Area Council and rural community structures, that will enable a regional implementation of renewable energy infrastructure with community ownership and shared measures of support at these local levels.
Energy - General | Energy Conservation and Efficiency | Renewable Energy
Value/Benefits of Renewable Energy | Utility Integration of Renewables
Sustainable Development | Sustainable Tourism | Village Power/Rural Electrification
Energy Incentive Programs/Financing Alternatives
Energy Economics/Environmental Economics
Avoided Cost Determination/Externalities
Energy Facility Siting and Permitting
Energy and Environmental Education | Environmental Issues
Electric and Hybrid Vehicles | Solar Cars | Human Powered Vehicles
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David Rezachek