Photovoltaics in government services in rural areas of tropical developing countries [Elektronische Ressource] : with special consideration of East Africa and Tanzania in particular / by Kamugisha A. W. Byabato

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• Publié par: technischen_universitat_dortmund
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2009
• Nombre de lectures: 34
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 13 Mo

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DORTMUND UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
Chair of Environmental Architecture
Dortmund, Germany



PhD
RESEARCH THESIS


PHOTOVOLTAICS IN GOVERNMENT SERVICES
IN RURAL AREAS OF TROPICAL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES:
WITH SPECIAL CONSIDERATION OF EAST AFRICA
and TANZANIA in PARTICULAR


by

Kamugisha A.W. Byabato, MSc.; Dip. Ing. Exp.; DESS

from

Ardhi University (ARU), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania


under supervision of
Prof. Dr. Ing. Helmut F.O. Mueller












Dortmund, Janary 2009

DEDICATION

This work is dedicated my dear departed loved ones,
my mother Ma Domitilla Mukakurasi, my father Ta William Kaiza Byabato,
and my sister Stella-Matutina Yakiilira
who did not live to see me finish it.

page I
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am greatly indebted to my supervisor, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Helmut F.O. Mueller, for his multifaceted
support, notably academic guidance, material support, love and patience, without which this
achievement would not have been reached. My heartfelt thanks must also to Prof. Dr. Wolfgang
Willems, my co-supervisor. I am also greatly indebted to the different researchers, academic
institutions and authors whose work I have quoted or referred to in my work.
I also thank my colleagues at the Chair of Environmental Architecture, of Dortmund University
of Technology, notably Dr. Umit Esiyok, Dr. Fazia Ali-Toudert, Joerg Schlenger, Oliver Klein,
Roswitha Piesch, Gudrun Mijalski, Andreas Preißler, Sven Boetcher, Alexander Gutman and
Lisa for their invaluable support in many ways during the accomplishment of this work. I am
also grateful to Annet Emembolu, Hacene Bengrid, Khaled, Soylu, Eva, Anneke Bintig, Nina
Hartwig for their friendship and help at different times during the execution of this work.
I am also grateful to the whole administration of Dortmund University of Technology, especially
the Faculty of Building for admitting me to this venerable Institution and the International Office
(AAA) for their support in many ways throughout the whole time of my studies here.
My thanks are also due to the administration of Ardhi University, and its predecessors Dar es
Salaam University and UCLAS for encouraging me to undertake PhD studies and for their mate-
rial support to me and my family during the fulfilment of this task.
My special thanks are due to my teachers and colleagues at the AStA Language School and the
Languages Center (Sprachenzentrum) of Dortmund University of Technology, from whose pa-
tient effort I managed to acquire the communication skills that were invaluable in the acquisition
of the knowledge I gained in this country.
My personal friends in Germany deserve special mention, notably Sigi Stange of Erneuerbare
Energien Eichlinghofen e.V and his family, Dr Joerissen and his family, who introduced me to
them, Ralf Maenhoefer and his family, Dieter Tillman and his family, Brita and Frank Hage-
meister, Prof. Martin and Mrs Adelheide Geck, Dr. Yusufu Kyeyune and his family, Dr. Adreas
Breuer and his family, Cliff Mugenyi, Justice Kamakwa, Veye Tatah of Afrika Positive and Kili-
manjaro, her working teams and her kids, Vicky Kamukara and her family, the East African and
Tanzanian community in Duisburg-Essen and last in this list but not least in value, my landlady
Frau Freia Moeller and her friends. They all supported me in many ways, socially and even ma-
terially and by inviting me to their houses and social gatherings elsewhere, supported me psycho-
logically and comforted me through times of personal difficulties, loneliness, homesickness, un-
certainty and near despair. In short, they introduced me to the best side of life in this country.
I am also grateful to the church communities, especially the Maria Konigin Catholic Congrega-
tion and Evangelical Congregation of Eichlinghofen, Dortmund, as well as the African Catholic
Community of Essen for their spiritual uplift and support through all the ups and downs. May the
Almighty God multiply their blessings a thousand times more.
I am also grateful to the Dortmund Medical Community and do hereby request Dr Edmund Tis-
chler to convey my gratitude to all the medical professionals and their workers with whom I
came into contact and who made their best to maintain my health in good condition throughout
my stay here.
Last but not least, I thank all members of my family, my wife, kids and other dependants, who
endured my absence for four years as I pursued this work.


page II
Nations both rich in energy and in energy technologies are rare.
Today, Switzerland, Japan and Germany, absolutely poor in en-
ergy sources inside their borders, belong to the wealthiest na-
tions of the world. Energy technologies are [therefore] more im-
portant than energy raw materials. Energy policy is energy tech-
nology politics.

Carl-Jochen Winter (2006)
Senior Chairman,
Int-l Hydrogen Associaltion

I. ABSTRACT
This work is intended to be a policy reference paper for governments of tropical Developing
Countries aiming at stimulating interest in application of Solar Electric systems i.e. or Photovol-
taics (PV), (either alone or in combination with other energy resources) in rendering their ser-
vices to their people. It is a PhD research thesis presented at Dortmund University Germany. As
summarised in its title “Application of Photovoltaics in Government Services in Rural Areas
of Tropical Developing Countries, with special consideration of East Africa and Tanzania
as a typical example” this work deals with analysis of the current practices and existing poten-
tials in the application of Solar Electric Systems, i.e. Photovoltaics (PV), in the provision of
Government services, especially in rural and disadvantaged periurban areas of Tropical Develop-
ing Countries, where conventional grid electricity is either currently unavailable or erratic and,
therefore, unreliable. The major part of field studies for this work was conducted in Tanzania but
there are few case studies from other countries as well. It started at the end of 2004 end ended in
2008. In this research, we have been able to show that Photovoltaics (PV), either alone (stand-
alone or island PV system solution) or in combination with other electric energy sources (Hy-
brid PV systems), is not only possible but is also a viable way of providing electric energy for
Government Services provision in tropical developing countries. The “other” electric energy
resources combined with PV can include such renewables as wind, mini-hydro and biofuels such
as plant oil from Jatropha curcas seeds, other biodiesels and bioethanol that can be used either
alone or in combination with non renewable fossil fuels such as ordinary diesel and petrol in
modified or standard internal combustion engines coupled to ordinary generators. It has been
shown that use of these methods can enhance and simplify provision and administration of Gov-
ernment services in some areas especially where costs of grid extension are not justified by the
existing electric energy demand, or other financial and logistical considerations such as those
encountered in the running of a small power generation and distribution system in a remote area
running purely on diesel and/or other fossil fuels alone, where bulk fuel and lubricants procure-
ment, transport and storage as well as equipment maintenance, safety and security are associated
with special hurdles. Crowning all those considerations is the global necessity to preserve our
earthly environment by employing PV either alone or in combination with other renewable
energy resources and energy efficiency measures as a clean development mechanism (CDM),
contributing to reduction in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while enhancing peo-
ple’s quality of life, by empowering their governments to be able to effectively and efficiently
guide and supervise their development towards achieving at least the Millennium Development
Goals (MDG’s) by providing them with the required government services at minimal cost to
the environment.

page III
II. TABLE OF CONTENT
1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................1-1
1.1. The energy picture in Africa, East Africa and Tanzania...............................................1-1
1.2. Electricity generation and utilisation.............................................................................1-3
1.3. Keywords and Concepts................................................................................................1-6
1.3.1. Photovoltaics (PV) ............................................................................................1-6
1.3.2. The Tropics and Tropical Countries..................................................................1-6
1.3.3. Microclimates in the tropics..............................................................................1-8
1.3.4. Tanzania as an example of tropical country......................................................1-8
1.3.5. The Concept of “Developing Countries” ........................................................1-11
1.3.6. S