Hi Luciana, I'd say that besides the needs of evaluate potential of each source in the site and its feasibility, you must keep in mind that sometimes it is interesting to use both sources. This enables a most secure and efficient energy system, in a way to avoid seasonality and blackouts.

one of the disadvantages of eolic energy is it has alot of moving parts.

Iwould prefer the photo voltaic

See the forest crop yields in Brazil and Africa, and compare with that of temperate countries. is unmatched in terms of production and technology are light years ahead. Therefore, the best alternative is biomass, with remarkable superiority of forest biomass. I speak not of natural forests, but forest plantations rather.

Solar energy should be fine with the poor folks. My parents live back in a poor small village in China. A few village folks installed solar panel for hot water (not for electricity). So in the cold winter, these folks could use warm water to take a shower, do laundry or do dish-washing. These panels are luxurious to other folks in that small village. In your case, solar panels are free to them. They should like this project very much.

There is another choice for using human and animal waste to generate (C4H4) in the poor country side. The trouble is that life is so poor there that they cannot generate enough waste.

Preliminary identification of the best resources available coupled with a well planned approach to prevent undersizing or oversizing incorporating battery charge management through an inverter or a charge controller would solve most issues and make it feasible and hybrid system would solve the variability of renewable energy sources but smart storage systems could also accomplish it especially in rural electrification project where energy consumption is relatively lower than usual.

In such regions, I would also look for interconnected anaerobic wastewater treatment and methane recovery systems. I think it would fit well for this kind of region and public. This techonology is cheaper than eolic or fotovoltaic energy generation methods, and will contribute to the improvement of sanitary conditions in the region. People can be trained to operate the system. It could receive sludge of both animals and humans. If the project have a big budget, a water treatment system could be implemented aswell.

Anyway, here is the Brazilian Eolic Potential Atlas, hope it can be usefull to you. You can use this to know if your region of study have a good mean wind speed. http://www.cresesb.cepel.br/publicacoes/download/atlas_eolico/Atlas%20do%20Potencial%20Eolico%20Brasileiro.pdf

Hybrid systems can be very interesting in this cases.

The cheapest renewable energies are best for the poor countries.

This means that these devices should be made locally and with the simplest technologies.

Similar to these solar cells can be produced from waste by hand:

https://sites.google.com/site/minisolarcell/

Any solution involving renewable energy must necessaraly be location-based. Even though if there are regional resources availabl, a detalied analysis near the study site must be made, to find out how much resource can be harnessed at a reasonable distance. The other thing to keep in mind is the electricity demands of each community, to take into account the economic analysis.

In the same website Cadu hast posted above (http://www.cresesb.cepel.br/), you can find some good material about your questions, as besides the Eolic Potential Atlas, a Solar Potencial Atlas.

Att,

Matheus

I think that any of them, both photovoltaics and eolic energy are good alternatives; that depends on the purpose.

Indeed both are good alternatives, but let us not forget the biomass and hydro energy as well.

Basically the art of the technology is not the problem, but the local knowledge about the technology. Once the contractors have done their job, they leave the site and go elsewhere. So if there is a small problem, e.g. in the power electronics, or transformer coils, who is going to repair that? I guess not the local poor farmer. So to make those technologies real interesting in everybodies profits and making it reliable and sustainable, there are some issues to understand and to solve, prior going into those kind of projects.

Another issue is the wrong estimation of the system dimensions: such as no consideration of heavy rain season, periods without wind, estimated demands for night times, under estimation of battery storage. These errors make such system unreliable and unfamous. Poor people don't trust those systems anymore, because they still have energy issues after the big investment.

There is a discussion about this subject going on on LinkedIn called "An emerging market for renewable and sustainable energy projects, especially for the remote and rural areas. "

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&discussionID=86342247&gid=1141957&commentID=67541120&trk=view_disc&ut=0usYC1uU_15B81

Toiling in the Dark: Africa’s Power Crisis

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/29/world/africa/29power.html

If you follow the links you discover that the contents of the text below is pre-dominant to make solar and wind energy for those areas, succesful. Coming back to the basics of this discussion we can conclude that as well as Solar, as Wind Energy are both subject to an emerging demand for poor, rural and remote areas.

For those who didn’t follow the link I will cite some important statements from that link, which might give us new thoughts: http://www.solar-energy-foundation.org/Good-will-is-not-enough,627.html

Good will alone is not enough. Five main reasons why there are not more solar projects in Africa:

1. Lack of training

The Stiftung Solarenergie founded the "International Solar Energy School",

2. Inadequate dimensioning of the solar systems

The Stiftung Solarenergie applied: Worst case scenarios for poor solar irradiation periods of the year.

3. Insufficient socio-cultural integration

Estimate the solar facility to the needs of future living of the local users. Therefore close contact with the local people is required.

4. Lack of operational competency

5. Too few model projects

Convince people with a real working model.

Thereafter they show us how they work and by which principles.

This all might be a knowledge we probably already had, but somehow there are a lot of examples where the above mentioned, wasn’t accomplished.

For me all the information mentioned on their website is very recognizable, and I see this as very applicable for the rural areas in general.

But I have just one question about it. If succeeding by the application of these principles, would it result into an easier access into the tenders, or is exstensive and close contacts with the local governments still an inevitable issue?

Best regards,

Leo

Mr. Santiago Ortega has pointed out three important aspects of renewable energy systems. In isolated and poor communities it also important to ensure simple equipment maintenance. Nobody wants a poor quality energy (whatever it means for local people).

As addendum: maybe there might be a slight difference in quality of wind and solar energy, if we go into the statistics and distribute the subjected events all over the rural areas over many years. Nevertheless one should realize that it is more important to estimate the kind of technology and its dimensions, than go into the worldwide statistics.

There are areas, with lots of mounains and trees where solar Pv are a big part of the day time into the shadows. At the other hand, there are areas with lack of wind. So every situation has to be calculated and estimated by their own specific environmental and ambient parameters.

regards,

Leo de Vos PE

I live in a country, Peru, with that type of problems.

Photovoltaic energy is costly and inneficient, eolic energy has one big drawback, it depends too much on mechanics.

Probably the best bet would be a Solar Heating thermoelectric combination, but research is still in its infancy.

Biogas, especially household biogas may be better solution for isolated and poor communities. In China, more than 30 million household biogas digesters have been built in rural areas and have been playing great role in promte rural energy development.

The question is not on what kind of energy to give them. It is on why they are "poor" in the first place. Feed them first and help them grow food, the energy is in the food and food wastes.

Both photovoltaic and eolic energy are good renewables energy but they are not 100% Trap Technology... most Designers are using one system? ... think connectivity of all inventions that are related to energy or can be use to step-up the energy.. electircal or mechanical....

Biomass,hydroenergy,earth batteries are the best alternative for that region ,mini agriwastepower plants can be the other alternatives

Biomass is best alternative energy in which Traditional and Modern energy. Under Biomass energy traditional are Fuelwood, Dung, and agri-residue and modern are Charcoal, Briquette, BIO-liquid fuel, Bio-gas.

In my aspects both photovoltaic & eolic(wind) energy are not cheaper. Both are expensive, so better to move with bio natural renewables energy sources like biomass to produces valuable energy. It purely eco friendly. This world need this kind of technology. There are three major biomass energy technology applications in renewables energy they are Biofuels, Biopower and Bioproducts. The use of biomass energy has the potential to greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Biomass generates about the same amount of carbon dioxide as fossil fuels, but every time a new plant grows, carbon dioxide is actually removed from the atmosphere. The net emission of carbon dioxide will be zero as long as plants continue to be replenished for biomass energy purposes.

@Praveen

But as far as I know, there hasn't been a biofuel that is readily available that can be converted easily or efficiently from say a solid mass to usable liquid.

Perhaps you are thinking of burning materials for power, in that case, I would think nature is doing a very good job at that already, we just need to plant trees where we cut them.

But if you are referring to the liquid stuff used to power generators and vehicles in these rural parts, could you then point out what crops we should use instead? The crop has to:

1. Not compete for land with existing food crops (I don't think we want to increase world hunger do we?)

2. Grow quickly, preferably 4 or more collections per year

3. Oil rich for easy extraction of biomass in the liquid form

4. Preferably, not necessarily, the remaining bio mass can be used to say, feed livestock

In lieu of these needs, do you think bio-renewables still have a prospect?

Please, think about hybrid system "Solar/Wind/Diesel" + Battery Bank. This can be the best solution.

Dear Luciana,

I have experience and successfully installed solar hybrid power station for rural remote area in Malaysia. The cost of the installation is more cheaper than the grid extendable to the remote area or not economical to supply grid electricity to small communities living in remote area.

HI Garen Kwan,

Biomass not only produce liquid fuel & energy but it also produce hydrogen & electric power. we can use this hydrogen as fuel to hybrid system. Bio hydrogen fuel cell is best example for this. And research going on generate electricity from plant pigment as like solar cell. One it developed, it would replace solar cell with plant pigment solar cell. Another one some bacterial have magnetic property we use this magnetic power to generate power.

When the problem has social, economic and technical dimensions, all these need to be considered in the solution. You need a multi-discipline team to work on the geographical, environmental and social assets of your system, and propose a solution which is technically efficient, beneficial for the development of the community, sustainable etc.

Luciana,

several technical and social questions presented here had been discussed in the brazilian rural electrification program ("Luz para Todos" http://luzparatodos.mme.gov.br/luzparatodos/asp/)

The documentation can help you to improve your research work.

An hybrid system supported with battery bank seems to be the best solution. Solar photovoltaic + eolic (if you have wind) + generator fueled with vegetable oil from indigenous crops.

The countries located near the tropical and equatorial regions of the world are under developed and developing countries. The intensity of sun's rays is more intense in this region. There is almost equal distribution of solar radiation. But it is simply wasted. No effort is taken for its utilization. The use of solar energy can significantly reduce the use of our natural resources and the emission of green house gases. Thus the use of solar energy can control the pace of climate change. The roofing of all buildings residential and commercial can be utilised for placing the photo-voltaic cell. If this facility is located in thickly populated areas, grid system is the best. Steps shall be taken to treat the degradable solid wastes and organic loaded liquid wastes in biogas plant which will help to prevent pollution as well as to save energy.

@Praveen KC, Garen Kwan, Karan Maalawi and Hamdan Hassan,

The combination made in a Solar PV and Wind Energy system will be expensive once no smart balancing control is applied. The same counts when other sources are added to the system. It will run inefficiently because there is no smart decission making part into it to distribute the energy in a smart way between the sources, users and storage. So an Energy Management System will be inevitable.

I'm currently into an hybrid Solar-PV, Wind Turbine, Hydrogen and Battery Storage system which a year later will be expanded by a biomass generator. On the current system are a few important remarks. The Wind Turbine part is build-up by HAWT's. The region 2 curve made the system generating at 10% of its max power at wind speed of 4.5 m/s. It generates at 90% of it's max power at 13,5 m/s. The average wind speed measured over a year is about 7.97 m/s. We rarely experience wind speeds of 13,5m/s . From September till January we experience windspeeds of 5.5 to 8 m/s average, with periods of total lack of wind. The rest of the year wind speed are between 10.5 and 14 m/s with short periods to 18m/s. Measured at heights of 15 and 30 meters and from the meteo. The results were that the total efficiency over a year was just about 28,45%. It is specifically the lower region 2 part of the wind speed domain, wich was destroying the efficiency.

The VAWT Helix turbine was claimed to have a cut in speed at 1,5m/s but the aerodynamic torque wasn't able to cross the drive torque, so it did only spin at zero loads, therefore not useable in the lower region 2 part.

It was a little disappointing because I had calculated a more optimistic efficiency of 35%. The difference between the calculated and real numbers, are caused by gusty winds which make the average windspeed looking good, but the wind quality is poor, because the rotor has to accelerate each time, which takes time and energy. (Variable Speed Turbine).

A system has to be dimensioned in such way that there will be a coverage for high demand peak periods on short term and known periods such as night times (daily base), rain and lack of wind periods (long term storage required). Next to this the properties of peak loads should be considered. Rotating machinery can demand 2,7 to 7 times of Inom. So a smart start-up sequence system combined with inverters and vector drives will be reuired to avoid a largely oversized battery storage or buffers. his is what I mean with the smart system. An art of fuzzy-neural network, with a supervised or un-supervised (when a model reference or training set is to difficult to build) algorithm, should do the job. It makes decissions by predictions based on knowledge and own experience. For this you need to determine carefully how many input sensors you need.

This all works very fine and makes the system quite a lot cheaper than originally calculated on worst case parameters. Now for the daily and long term storage, hydrogen can be a solution. We convert every exceeding amount of energy on a daily base into hydrogen. The amount is estimated that cars can run on it on a daily base, and there will be left for the long term. I mean for those 3 to 5 months with low wind performance. And it works good.

About the biomass and waste. You need 100kg of waste for 1kg of hydrogen. Hydrogen can be stored relative easily at low pressure by chemicals or metal-hydrides. The catalyst or chemical carrier, is in closed loop recycled. So no chemical waste. High performance storage should be done when there is demand for car or other engine fuel. It is best done by compression, since cryogenic is quite expensive and cannot last for long periods as months without continuous cooling.

Hydrogen can be seperated out of biomass or waste in several ways, reversible fuel cells is good but expensive.

Biomass can easily produce methane by a process which is activated by addition of bacteria's. The production of combustibles can be very huge in agriculture areas. Don't underestimate this. A farmer can easily exceed the power demand of a complete village or community. The biomass can exist of feces of animals and humans, waste of crops, leaves, branches etc. The residing materials can be used as basics for animal food, so it returns to the food chain.

Gasification of waste is a good possibility also. the process needs fuel to start, but once it is started, it runs on a small part of its own production. The gas is like LNG and will have a very low CO2 footprint by combustion like with methane. The residing material is very useful as additives for construction materials like asphalt for roads or improvement of concrete. So it can be sold.

I am going to add an biomass generator with hydrogen separator next year and I will see how that works and if it is expensive or cheap, reliable, easy to operate, maintain and install.

This discussion is very interesting. I hope that I have clarified some aspects.

Best regards,

Leo de Vos PE

Give a look to this site www.owg.com.br

if you like we can discuss..

my best wishes

Biomass is photosynthetically renewable. Excellent,cost-effective technology is avaliable for biomass gasification and anaerobic digestion (to produce biogas). This shall be therefore the best option for rural areas. For technological details, you may consult literature or contact us indicating specific requirements.

Querida Luciana:

La extensa pregunta limita a los participantes: eo´lica o fotovoltaica. Donde se usen tienen problemas colaterales que se suscitan a rai´z de la instalacio´n. Como puede observar, la mayori´a opina en torno a estos incovenientes. No obstante, me parece que esa no debe ser la discusio´n central. Nos podemos integrar a la investigacio´n de un tipo de energi´a renovable que sea barata, simple, eficiente. Estos tres factores se podri´an cumplir si se diseñara una planta que combinara el uso del viento, el sol y el agua como opciones de la naturaleza. La preocupacio´n estriba en que alguna falla en un momento dado y complica el suministro. Esa planta funcionari´a en forma sincronizada. Es decir, si una fuente deja de funcionar, la otra la sustituye y no se interrumpe la produccio´n de kw/h.

Vuelva a contactarme...

For those who are interested and in the vicinity see the conference on BioEnergy:

Explore innovation, discover emerging ideas, learn from the experience of others, and do business in the wood-based bioenergy capital of Canada.

13th-june - 15th-june-2012

http://www.linkedin.com/csp/crd?v=1&cs=0_30OVyTbgF5uJv3Cc-nhQXxeR-PlE2Um53z_TmDV8R2969gvFy2aGhZJI0OVKHaA9sigIZmAt-9OcZrc6CSgkpE8WEyirTIiMvbday-RM_d64FtSw0Khb_ZSe4drq_t2lxwms37nV1Ml_i-jCVxDtENvoDotKwoiSk2f26O0ANESbFqgVLrkBCJbbLaSqoIpo48tLHXRLbHWfIojnQ3rQhf3oJVQkT4IWyGxzwJohCzbH-kJZ3hYYFoagZfM58l7Au_RIpGSZ4DM_v-iSfd6fIbr6pX1aiM2d7rnBBMHDX3XUti63OahUDjENuj4otSug4PrP0ayQlIzsxwne6tFww0c--330tJIvOoI3k07azD1_dDAzkjIuZXVZuglXoB_G8phnpdPE1sTLRtgypAOYshfhJsUbIT2bIElaaYr564QyavflhYL90GMdp9NudzXgTBQTyHd5oxrq6YQo_0Ue79NUVJHhomDsBspsn8M7D0qX5f53HkpqvkXDGD7Ep1KY7FgdIaTtoVqWkXCN5bCd9AVthNwyUyGu3BBqDteNJ96dvt5o-ivuatHL2Vj2HCxSKiEFlJiBwwPEPVStGXxAE9

@Julio Teixeira & @ Luciano Pesce:

Your links: "Luz para Todos" http://luzparatodos.mme.gov.br/luzparatodos/asp/

and

http://www.owg.com.br

are very interesting and informative. I am not currently aware of the details of Brasils rural areas. At least I thought I was, but recently I learned some other aspects I didn't knew before. So I will first learn some new facts for me, and I will come back to discuss.

My sincere appreciation for the linkage.

Dear All,

I thank you all very much for this discution, it is excellent!

My work on this renewable energy projec is finished, but now I feel like try and restart it with many new ideas that you gave me. I don´t know how the project is managing now, I will get informed soon.

All the ideas that you gave me are brilliant, I just need to focus on the ideas that spends less money and don´t require a frequent maintence to be working. As Leo de Vos exposed on his topics, there are a lot of implications to solve the problem of energy to isolated and poor communities, but it is a problem that government and society must worry, as Brasil is growing as a great economy and we stilll have a significant part of population that doesn´t even have basic conditions to live and develop.

There is the government program "Luz para todos" that Júlio Teixeira told us and I was already aware of. It is a great program and good people work on it, the problem is that its eficiency was not good, as there was no sufficient government support to maintain the program with a good quality. Unfortunately there´s a small investment on this type of problem, that´s why there´s the need to think of low cost solutions, wich are not the best solution in most of the cases.

Biomass is a great idea, I will get informed about its application on the areas of my study. I may soon have new information to show here.

I thank you again for this discution,

Best regards,

Luciana

You could also consider Hydraulic Microturbines, if communities have rivers

I think that hydraulic microturbines are a good alternative for most sites of Brazil. I work with these technologies and are very promising since they require only small rivers with low head (2-3 m) for producing some kW.

Regards,

Marcelo

Solar energy is good resource

This is a sample of a 400 W hydraulic microturbine working in a small river. This solution is economically comparable to a small wind generator, and cheaper than an equivalent photovoltaic installation.

Micro hydro-turbines exsist from 40cm diameter and upward. 40 cm has already a significant performance and very reliable in fast stream of the amazon rivers. something should be done as additional underwater architecture to avoid damage to the turbine, by influent mud, sludge and objects like tree trunks or branches, which are widely common in such rivers. But this shouldn't be a very complicated issue, and by theses means easy to resolve in a cheap and reliable way.

Thank you Marcelo Molina and Leo de Vos. The hydraulic microturbine looks like a great solution, it´s a very interesting renewable energy generator! I´ll get more information about the use of this apparatus for isolated communities of northest of Brasil and its viability.

obs: I couldn´t get informed about how is this project going up to now because it was carnival holiday. But until next week I may get informed about it, as I am not part of the project anymore, but maybe I get into it again.

I got some links about Solar and other renewable energy trainings and courses. I just thought it might be interesting.

http://www.renac.de/en/details/event/photovoltaic-training-for-technicians-und-installers-4//

http://www.solarenergy.org/

http://www.solar-aid.org/

http://isei.org/en.html

Biomass is the best choice for rural areas. Excellent cost - efficient technology is available for biomass gasification, anaerobic digestion to biogas. We have handled a no. of successful projects in this connection. You are welcome to contact us.

Rural areas are worldwide to find. So even in the high Himalaya, high Andes, Alaska, Northern Canada, Sub-Sahara, Greenland. There is no biomass by agriculture of crops or relative large cattle. If there is some cattle like raindears, the methane producing biomass is hard to harvest since the cattle is spread over a very wide area.

A combination with other energy conversion sources will be imminent and inevitable.

I'm in design and preparations of a remote agriculture range with a very small population in the Central American region. technically it can be connected with the main grid, but the several million dollars on the ties only (ex-works) and the environmental laws (not to destroy nature in that particular region) makes it way out too expensive to do so.

The region is relative wet, but is rather far away from a river, which can provide enough head pressure for a hydro turbine. The volume capacity for irrigation has to be provided by pumps. The areas are for rice, corn and other tropical crops and an amount of cattle. The rice requires irrigation by daylight, because of the evaporation of the water by daylight. So the energy balance is already shifted from night times to daylight. But at the other hand, the area for rice is not always used for rice. After 4 to 6 harvests, it will be used for corn crops, which uses other irrigation requirements.

In this particular case the energy management system which controls the balance between the energy scources, the conversion, storage, buffering and distribution to the consumption points, has to be flexible, to avoid any excessive media.

A part of the biomass is being used for food for the cattle (mainly cows, goats, sheep and chickens). The other part can be used as biomass together with the feaces of the cattle. I don't know right now how much that will be, but from the lessons learned from Belgium, it can be very good.

The entire system is quite large, because the shortage of biomass, will be complemented by solar-PV, heatpumps, wind energy. The storage will be batteries and conversion to gas (Biomass to biofuel) and hydrogen. Next to all this there has to be a water management system, for the dispatch of water volumes from the streams to the location of irrigation, a water purification and disinfection system for potable water, and a water re-use system.

For this particular tropical the biomass will be the suitable 60% to 80% main base and is indeed very practical, reliable and cheap. The other 20% to 40% is still al the other sources I mentioned in this comment.

Nevertheless, it is all together cheaper than generator plants and long distance grid tie connection.

Leo

I think decentralisation is an apt method for the disposal of our garbage, utilisation of energy.

A large quantity of wastes i.e. organic wastes that includes food wastes (including liquid forms), vegetable wastes etc., is generated in our society. This waste causes the contamination of drains thereby leading to infectious diseases especially such stagnated drains become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Hence new type of vector borne diseases like chikunguniya, dengue fever threaten the life of people. It is better to dispose this organic waste at source itself. This form of wastes is generated in houses, hotels, flats, markets etc. By installing a biogas plant in our residence, hotels, flats, and markets, it can take care of the organic wastes. The slurry produced from these plants can be utilised for irrigation, gardening as it is a good manure. The gas produced can be utilised for cooking purpose and in markets, canteen, etc., it can be used for street lighting purpose also. Thus we can see that biogas plants can effectively be used for the conservation of energy as well as for pollution control.

Similarly we are heading towards the depletion of our natural resources like petrol, coal etc. Solar, wind and rivers are renewable energy. But the difference is that solar energy is available everywhere. But wind mill and hydroturbine in rivers can be provided in a particular area. Hence why we are not giving importance to harnest this solar energy?

By installing photovoltaic cell in every house, every buildings, we can become self sufficient in the energy aspects. There is no threat by the use of solar energy also. Hence it is our duty to promote these type of decentralised methods. Subsidy/grant shall be provided as an encouragement. Thus we can make our world pollution free.

Today I got some informations about the project I was in. Informations like why the photovoltaic energy was choosen even with the problems that use to happen, what about the other types of renewable energy, what´s the biggest barriers to take energy to isolated communities, etc.

When we talk about isolated communities, we must have a good notion about the real situation of those communities. In Brazil, the isolated communities of northest are really far from important cities and this is really difficult to get to those areas. I think "community" is not even the right name because the families live relatively far one to another. Leo de Vos has a good notion of the problems that concerns isolated communities as he exposed in some topics.

Most of the renewable energy types are being tested in some pilot projects, but they are not working well: the eolic energy is not viable, there´s not enough wind and it is expensive. The water microturbines also doesn´t work when we have separeted families living not so next to rivers. Biomass has the problem of the necessity to be supplied all the times. In the end, They have also tested hibrid systems that showed problems by the time that technicians went away from the place. It´s really important that the energy system doesn´t have frequent technical problems as this is really difficult for technicians to go there frequently. I think the photovoltaic energy maybe is not the best option, but due to the conditions of the communities, this is maybe the only option.

The discussion about renewable energy is really great, the project of my study has some difficult conditions that limit the sort of solutions for energy, but different kinds of renewable energy can be used in some other cases here in Brazil, I must find out about other projects. We have a great hidric potential but it doesn´t mean we have 100% of hidric energy prodution. It´s important that we reach 100% of energy prodution with renewable energy, I think Brazil has a perfect potenctial to do this, with eolic, biomass and other types of renewable energy. As Sheela said, the world is going into depletion of natural sources like petrol, coal, etc, and it´s important to try and produce energy with renewable source.

It´s interesting to know about the information you have about other countries and their way to deal with renewable energy, sometimes I feel that in Brasil we don´t get informed about other parts of the world so easily. Thank you all for you contribution on this topic.

Best regards,

Luciana

Hi Luciana,

I am resarching with a quite similar question: local small rural comunities sources of energy.

I agree with your criteria. In any case, for Chilean communities I have chosen to research on biogas (of course is better to complement with other). It can be very simple, no complex mecanisms, and a simple design can be mantained by the people them self. .Regarding biomas-biogas I can add to the others comments that the system can store some energy and use it in the rate you need. In communities the gas can also be used for cooking/heating. It also contributes to sanity solving, as you can add different human organic wastes. To get electricity is a bit more complex than PV or hidro, as you need an biogas engine (might be a commong gasoline one) and a electricity generator. To buy them in a pack might be expensidve, so it just make sense in a concentrated comunity. Cheers

I think it would be appropriate to supply some articles about Renewables and Grid related issues, about the current status of development.

Proceedings Energy Storage & the Grid - From Characteristics to Impact

Proceedings Addressing the Intermittency Challenge: Massive Energy Storage in a Sustainable Future

Proceedings The Potential of Intermittent Renewables to meet Electric Power Demand - Current Methods and Emerging Analytical Techniques

@Roland Magiera:

I did a 187 kWh/day solar-PV installation with battery back-up facility for night time consumption. Calculated for 16 years of delivery at a normal grid rate of 0.27USD/kWh, the 16 year of power at 187 kWh would roughly estimated cost about 295,500.00 USD.

I have build the installation with a payback time of 6 years. The first 6 years the power was delivered at a rate of 0.18 USD/kWh. This means 66.7% of the normal grid rating. So even in the first 6 years the installation was already 33% cheaper than the normal grid.

Meanwhile grid delivery over 16 would have been costed 295,500.- USD (increasing oil prices not included in this calculation), the Solar-PV was about 95,000.- USD works, maintenance, battery replacement and training/education included.

the voltage output was 127Vac/60Hz 24/7 with loads between the 21.37A and 112.89A.

So the Solar-PV is at the end 3 times cheaper than the conventional grid alternative.

If you go to nuclear, you need to build a central plant and connect the wide spread small and poor rural communities with extensive power lines. A nuclear plant needs far more sophisticated controls to maintain safety, than renewables do.

Next to this the issues about recycling already were mentioned. If such areas experience issues about battery recycling, then what would it be with nuclear disposal? I think it will be a desaster.

It is already proven that depending on the specific local parameters, biomass- to energy conversion, Solar-PVs, wind turbines, hydro-energy etc. are very proficient and util for rural municipal and agriculture communities, with a minimum risk on environmental desasters. Local people can be trained to do the maintenance of such plants, while in the contrary it is most unlikely that a local farmer or inhabitant of such rural community can be trained as a nulear reactor maintainer/operator

E4C and the attached Journal of Energy for Southern Africa, spent some attention to energy usage in rural areas, which causes severe health issues on the long term. next to Water and Outdoor Air Pollution, there is also Indoor Air Pollution caused by coal or wood fired stoves. In general the hydrocarbons fueled plants are causing pollutions when the exhaust gasses are not displaced by high and expensive chimneys or otherwise in close loop systems captured and filtered, before returning to the environment.

E4C is a dynamic and growing community of engineers, technologists, social scientists, NGOs, local governments and community advocates whose mission is to improve quality of life in communities around the world by facilitating the development of affordable, locally appropriate and sustainable solutions to the most pressing humanitarian challenges. Read more about us. https://www.engineeringforchange.org/home

Journal of Energy in Southern Africa, in which Air Pollution and Health related issues are addressed to Energy Measures in rural areas.

Leo, thank you for all the useful information you have provided!

Yes, I agree, thank Leo. Cheers

I always agree and thank a lot Leo for the precious information he provides.

"ขอบคุณครับ" mean thank you in thai.

As far as India is concerned the photovoltaic is the best. Further the government of India is helping for the growth of photovoltaic power generation by providing subsidies for the purchase of solar panels with the goal of generating 20000MW of power by the year 2022 under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar MissionScheme.

Most of the developing/under developed countries are situated in the equatorial and tropical region. An immense amount of solar energy is received in this region, photovoltaic cell is the best suited. Solar concentration plant can be set up in deserts. Solar PV cell can be set up on roof tops. The developed countries like Germany are foremost in the installation of solar plant. Help may be availed from such developed countries for the installation of plants. The developed countries are to give technical assistance and financial assistance to developing/underdeveloped countries for the same because the ill effects of climate change like flash floods, storms are occuring all over the world.

Another technology is the installation of biogas plants using cow dung for farms and also using organic wastes especially for towns and cities for avoiding pollution problems. .biogas fuel and slurry can be used.Mini hydraulic turbines in streams are also good.

Hi Luciana. I think that Mateus is right. There isn't a best energy source in general. You first should analyse what you have and then choose the best solution. Photovoltaic, eolic, biomass combustion, hydro, anaerobic digestion, vegetable oils, etc., may all be a 'best' kind of renewable energy depending on the context.

In my opinion the use of very low cost robust design Solar LED lamps are your best solution for remote area use. These batteries last almost 5 years and the pollution in disposing them can be minimised by properly recycling them. http://www.dlightdesign.com/productline/ To dispose batteries some collection centers be created i the rural poor area and send the bulk for recycling -- http://www.waste-management-world.com/articles/print/volume-12/issue-4/features/the-lithium-battery-recycling-challenge.html

The information on Jawaharlal Nehru solar mission scheme can be obtained from the following website:http://www.mnre.gov.in/file-manager/UserFiles/mission_document_JNNSM.pdf.

Also you may go through the websites of ministry of non renewable energy, india,

ANERT, kerala, Biotech, kerala for getting some information on the matter.

Please check this link. http://www.solarpaces.org/News/Projects/Brazil.htm. Brazil can utilise solar energy since 40% of total area can produce 6 -7 kWh/m2/dia and combine with the wind energy.

Please check this link: http://solargis.info/doc/71#I

Wind generators do not scale down well. That is, the smaller the turbine, the more your costs go up proportional to the energy produced. A smaller turbine has the same generator that needs to be serviced. PV scales down very well; in fact, the smaller units are more efficient because they can be sited nearer the point of use. In first world countries, very large wind turbines feed into the power grid very efficiently. A small isolated poor community may not have the capital to erect a large wind generator on a mountaintop, run power lines, and train maintenance personnel. They can buy PV panels with microinverters and phase them in as the savings permit. There would be no need for battery backup until the old generator (probably a diesel) is shut down due to lack of use.

Luciana,

In order to get the most of a renewable energy installation , hybrid installations though a bit expensive in terms of the initial capital investment can offer a long term reliable installation . For Eg: If you decide to put up a wind turbine and it so happens that due to some adverse climatic conditions the wind speed profile varies from predicted profile , the installation will not help the community. Investing into multiple sources which at least can offer a minimum assured production would be a good bet .

Considering the fact that the Indian monsoons are at the most irregular or non -existant in the last few years and the fact that most of the current water resources have been tapped into or exploited , I would say Solar coupled with other sources depending on the geographic location is the best bet .

Uday

Hi Luciana,

I would also add that it is important to understand the demand of the remote village. Although Solar power is predictahrble one must use back up systems and storage for 24hr power supply a increases capital and O&M costs. however, the most abundant resource will likely lead to the most cost effective system.

2 and 3 possible options:

a) Wind turbines that generate compressed air, compressed air is more easy to manage than batteries has no environmental impact and through an air turbine connected to a generator air can be expanded and electric energy generated on demand.

b) Hydropower, small generators with high efficiency like this one http://www.zotloeterer.com/ can generate a lot of energy in villages without the need of high jump, dams and barriers. Easy to install and to manage

c) Small biogas plants; made of nylon bags; easy to build and install, methane offers many uses and the wastes can be used as fertilizers

Consumption as told before can be minimized through the use of led lamps and a correct management of the energy.

Wind energy can be used only where the wind is strong. Such strong winds can be available only in places like mountain gaps otherwise the investment for installation of windmill becomes a wastage.

Hydropower can be used in streams with adequate potential to produce energy.

Biogas plants are nice options where both biodegradable garbage and if possible sewage from toilets can be treated. Such biogas plant in every house will make our environment pollution free and reduce the use of on renewable resources of energy.

Solar energy is available every where and no pollution during energy conversion. Please think of the solar energy consumed by our plants for energy. I think its better to utilise solar energy and biogas for the conservation of our environment.

Hi Lusiana,

I am involved in a Centre in Göttingen (Germany) that developed the first enery autonomus Village in Germany: Juhnde

(you speak spanish, dont you?): http://video.latino.msn.com/watch/video/juhnde-primer-pueblo-aleman-que-se-abastece-con-sistemas-bioenergeticos/g9mzui0x

(if not): http://www.bioenergiedorf.de/con/cms/front_content.php?idcat=12&changelang=6

The village produce biogas from the agricultural surrounding, and from biogas produces electricity and heat for the households.

Today there is alredy 150 bioenergy villages ("bioenergydorf") .

Biogas have a regular suply (do not fluctuate as foto or wind energy), is relatively simple and safe technology. It can be a bit more expensive deppending on the technological level, and it does require agricultural land or source of organical waste.

The centre: http://www.bioenergie.uni-goettingen.de/index.php?id=52

Bioenergydorf (aleman): http://www.bioenergiedorf.info/index.php?id=startseite

Suerte!!

Alfredo

Livestock manures for biogas production have been evaluated in Greece (c.f. attached file).

Mr. Marcelo Molina, I 'm really interested about a 400 W hydraulic microturbine working in a small river. could you give me detail information about that, please?For instance:

1. What is the minimum head and there should be a minimum yield, or combination of both?

2. how much cost per wp?

3. Allow sent detailed drawings turbine?

thanks

do you know the potenbtial of renewables in the area, you work?

the answer to your question is depend on the answer to this question. there is a great investment in the world on Wind and also on Solar energy. both of them would have some impacts on environment, but you may use a hybrid system. economical aspects and technical would affect on the project.

solar systems would be some how an easy one, due to their low repairs (because they don't have mechanical parts), but almost very expensive.

wind turbines might be cheaper , but they would have so many technical problems and maintenance, due to their mechanical parts.

after checking the potential of the resources available in the region, you should see the technical level of the community. its better to use a technology which needs low repair-service or maintenance in a low techno-level of community.

wish it helps

Hi there Luciana! Normally in these conditions a hybrid system with more sources is the best solution. Building a local AC electrical grid is also a good idea. There are already solutions for this offered by some companies like SMA, Steca etc.

Good luck!

Eolic energy seems more likely to be used, due to its facility and lower costs. Please refer to a paper of mine which describes a case study.

Dear Luciana, A great clue to what local necessities and options are can be found in traditional building, agricultural, and other work-related methods. In Europe as well as in indigenous American and Eastern societies, pre-petrol society holds countless secrets as to local needs and solutions to climate control in housing and saving of vital resources. An applied case study of South-eastern Italy can be found in my paper, but it is in Italian (check bibliography if interested). My suggestion is that a historical research in local energy saving methods can go hand-in-hand with technology-based solutions based on geographical wind/sun/humidity/ecc. variables for best results.

I want to know how to prepare bio gas.hydropower ,wind mll power plants and solar energy in a simpler way along with sketches and related links and websites

The Householder biogas digester is the most succesuful system, example is China with more of 33.000 small bioreactor installated. Moreover, SNV work also in this way in Africa countryes.

according to me, water splitting process to generate electrons and hygrogen. It is going to be the fuel for future soon.

Well done Zahari, hybrid systems is the only way to go, you can’t rely on only one means of energy generation. Anyone who has tried to live off-grid, knows the first thing one needs to obtain is a generator, this is for the periods when own "microgeneration" is not producing sufficient power for the needs. Wind turbines have their own problems, position within local landscape, height, rotor size, wind speeds.

And in any case for one or two dwellings this is very uneconomic, best way forward is to create intelligent hubs, Alfredo has pointed to this, where combined efforts will give good results.

The best renewable energy can be used in a remote area is those with the highest potential and lowest implementation cost. It depends 100 % of site location.

Biomass energy would be a good solution with less limitation on geological location

I would say again,

Solution is Artificial Leaf.

according to me, water splitting process to generate electrons and hygrogen. It is going be the fuel for future soon.

Plz see this

http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/research-innovations/stories/an-artificial-leaf-can-heal-itself

Biomass, would fail eventually, mass problem and very poor eficiency

Its entirely depends on the load demand and location of remote place.......... Generally in remote areas we can micro hydro turbines in rainy session and photovoltaic as per sun light and wind turbines as per air flow and gas turbines as per availability of gas like this.........