Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda
The energy sector of today’s Rwanda has made a remarkable growth to some extent in recent years. Although Rwanda has natural energy resources (e.g., hydro, solar, and methane gas, etc.), the country currently has an installed electricity generation capacity of only 226.7 MW from its 45 power plants...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Photoenergy |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5515513 |
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| author | Noel Hagumimana Jishi Zheng Godwin Norense Osarumwense Asemota Jean De Dieu Niyonteze Walter Nsengiyumva Aphrodis Nduwamungu Samuel Bimenyimana |
| author_facet | Noel Hagumimana Jishi Zheng Godwin Norense Osarumwense Asemota Jean De Dieu Niyonteze Walter Nsengiyumva Aphrodis Nduwamungu Samuel Bimenyimana |
| author_sort | Noel Hagumimana |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The energy sector of today’s Rwanda has made a remarkable growth to some extent in recent years. Although Rwanda has natural energy resources (e.g., hydro, solar, and methane gas, etc.), the country currently has an installed electricity generation capacity of only 226.7 MW from its 45 power plants for a population of about 13 million in 2021. The current national rate of electrification in Rwanda is estimated to 54.5% (i.e.; 39.7% grid-connected and 14.8% off-grid connected systems). This clearly demonstrates that having access to electricity is still a challenge to numerous people not to mention some blackout-related problems. With the ambition of having electricity for all, concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) systems are regarded as solutions to the lack of electricity. The production of CSP has still not been seriously considered in Rwanda, even though the technology has attracted significant global attention. Heavy usage of conventional power has led to the depletion of fossil fuels. At the same time, it has highlighted its unfriendly relationship with the environment because of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, which is a major cause of global warming. Solar power is another source of electricity that has the potential to generate electricity in Rwanda. Firstly, this paper summarizes the present status of CSP and PV systems in Rwanda. Secondly, we conducted a technoeconomic analysis for CSP and PV systems by considering their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The input data of the SWOT analysis were obtained from relevant shareholders from the government, power producers, minigrid, off-grid, and private companies in Rwanda. Lastly, the technical and economical feasibilities of CSP and PV microgrid systems in off-grid areas of Rwanda were conducted using the system advisor model (SAM). The simulation results indicate that the off-grid PV microgrid system for the rural community is the most cost-effective because of its low net present cost (NPC). According to the past literature, the outcomes of this paper through the SWOT analyses and the results obtained from the SAM model, both the CSP and PV systems could undoubtedly play a vital role in Rwanda’s rural electrification. In fact, PV systems are strongly recommended in Rwanda because they are rapid and cost-effective ways to provide utility-scale electricity for off-grid modern energy services to the millions of people who lack electricity access. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-14a1353d283b464da7ecd8b80799f06c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1110-662X 1687-529X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Photoenergy |
| spelling | doaj-art-14a1353d283b464da7ecd8b80799f06c2025-02-03T07:23:30ZengWileyInternational Journal of Photoenergy1110-662X1687-529X2021-01-01202110.1155/2021/55155135515513Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in RwandaNoel Hagumimana0Jishi Zheng1Godwin Norense Osarumwense Asemota2Jean De Dieu Niyonteze3Walter Nsengiyumva4Aphrodis Nduwamungu5Samuel Bimenyimana6Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Automotive Electronics and Electric Drive, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, ChinaFujian Province Key Laboratory of Automotive Electronics and Electric Drive, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, ChinaUniversity of Rwanda, African Centre of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development, Kigali 4285, RwandaFujian Province Key Laboratory of Automotive Electronics and Electric Drive, Fujian University of Technology, Fuzhou 350118, ChinaLaboratory of Optics, Terahertz and Non-destructive Testing, School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, ChinaUniversity of Rwanda, African Centre of Excellence in Energy for Sustainable Development, Kigali 4285, RwandaHuaqiao University, Intelligence and Automation in Construction Provincial Higher-Educational Engineering Research Centre, 361021 Xiamen, ChinaThe energy sector of today’s Rwanda has made a remarkable growth to some extent in recent years. Although Rwanda has natural energy resources (e.g., hydro, solar, and methane gas, etc.), the country currently has an installed electricity generation capacity of only 226.7 MW from its 45 power plants for a population of about 13 million in 2021. The current national rate of electrification in Rwanda is estimated to 54.5% (i.e.; 39.7% grid-connected and 14.8% off-grid connected systems). This clearly demonstrates that having access to electricity is still a challenge to numerous people not to mention some blackout-related problems. With the ambition of having electricity for all, concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) systems are regarded as solutions to the lack of electricity. The production of CSP has still not been seriously considered in Rwanda, even though the technology has attracted significant global attention. Heavy usage of conventional power has led to the depletion of fossil fuels. At the same time, it has highlighted its unfriendly relationship with the environment because of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, which is a major cause of global warming. Solar power is another source of electricity that has the potential to generate electricity in Rwanda. Firstly, this paper summarizes the present status of CSP and PV systems in Rwanda. Secondly, we conducted a technoeconomic analysis for CSP and PV systems by considering their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The input data of the SWOT analysis were obtained from relevant shareholders from the government, power producers, minigrid, off-grid, and private companies in Rwanda. Lastly, the technical and economical feasibilities of CSP and PV microgrid systems in off-grid areas of Rwanda were conducted using the system advisor model (SAM). The simulation results indicate that the off-grid PV microgrid system for the rural community is the most cost-effective because of its low net present cost (NPC). According to the past literature, the outcomes of this paper through the SWOT analyses and the results obtained from the SAM model, both the CSP and PV systems could undoubtedly play a vital role in Rwanda’s rural electrification. In fact, PV systems are strongly recommended in Rwanda because they are rapid and cost-effective ways to provide utility-scale electricity for off-grid modern energy services to the millions of people who lack electricity access.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5515513 |
| spellingShingle | Noel Hagumimana Jishi Zheng Godwin Norense Osarumwense Asemota Jean De Dieu Niyonteze Walter Nsengiyumva Aphrodis Nduwamungu Samuel Bimenyimana Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda International Journal of Photoenergy |
| title | Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda |
| title_full | Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda |
| title_fullStr | Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda |
| title_full_unstemmed | Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda |
| title_short | Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda |
| title_sort | concentrated solar power and photovoltaic systems a new approach to boost sustainable energy for all se4all in rwanda |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/5515513 |
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