Development and assessment of a solar home system to cover cooking and lighting needs in developing regions as a better alternative for existing practices. (October 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zubi, Ghassan; Spertino, Filippo; Carvalho, Monica; Adhikari, Rajendra S.; Khatib, Tamer
• Is Part Of: Solar energy. Volume 155(2017)
• Page Start: 7
• Page End: 17
• Publication Date: 2017-10
• Subjects: AC Alternating Current -- BaU Business as Usual -- BMS Battery Management System -- CRI Color Rendering Index -- C-Si Crystalline Silicon -- DC Direct Current -- EV Electric Vehicle -- iHOGA improved Hybrid Optimization by Genetic Algorithms -- LCO Lithium Cobalt Oxide (LiCoO2) -- LCoE Levelized Cost of Electricity -- LED Light Emitting Diode -- LFP lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) -- Li-ion Lithium-ion -- LMO Lithium Manganese Oxide -- LPG Liquified Petroleum Gas -- LTO Lithium Titanate (Li4Ti5O12) -- NCA Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminium Oxide -- NMC Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide -- NPC Net Present Cost -- PV Photovoltaics -- SHS Solar Home System -- SOC State of Charge; Energy poverty -- Solar home system -- Lithium-ion battery -- Efficient household electric appliances; Solar energy -- Periodicals; Solar engines -- Periodicals; 621.47
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2017.05.077
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-092X

Abstract

Highlights: A Solar Home System to power a multicooker and LED lamps is developed. It is an effective solution to replace traditional biomass and fossil fuels in developing regions. It implies major improvements in life quality and reduces stress on resources and the environment. This solution has over time an incremental cost advantage over existing practices. Abstract: An estimated 1.2 billion people around the world don't have access to electricity, while many more suffer from supply that is of poor quality. Domestic energy poverty is most severe in the rural areas of South Asia, South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Basic energy needs, such as cooking and lighting, are covered using traditional biomass and fossil fuels. These are consumed inefficiently in fire stoves and flame lamps. This situation hampers economic growth and social development and implies severe stress on resources and the environment. Photovoltaics could play a major role in overcoming domestic energy poverty, especially as most of the affected regions are within the Earth's Sunbelt. This paper provides such a solution in the form of a solar home system with lithium-ion battery in combination with an energy efficient multicooker and LED lamps to cover the needs for cooking and lighting for one family. A solar home system layout is provided and assessed in terms of its cost and benefits in contrast with the existing practices for cooking and lighting in developing regions. Thereby, evolutionary aspects are taken into account to capture the incremental cost advantage of the solar home system technology over time, and with that support the idea of projecting large-scale implementation in developing regions.