PHOTOVOLTAICS I RURAL
Rural viability
One of the key early drivers for the global solar industry was to ensure electricity was accessible and available to all. The industry has now progressed to focusing more on the stocks and shares part of the economy so many assume working in isolated and rural areas means no profits for companies wanting to participate.
A number of programmes around the world have been providing information and feedback that such claims are nonsensical and for companies wishing to expand their global reach rural electrification is an economically viable business direction whilst saving lives. Simon Rolland, Secretary General of the Alliance for Rural Electrification presents a case study from Cape Verde that demonstrates isolation and need does not equal charity.
W
hile you were probably having a normal day’s work, on Thursday, 16 February, a small village
in Africa experienced its first 24 hours of electricity.
Monte Trigo is a small village in Santo Antão, Cape Verde’s most westernmost island. The 60-family community is only reachable by boat and is completely dependent on fishing and its trade with nearby villages. The need for ice, which so many of us take for granted, it’s a matter of survival for the inhabitants of Monte Trigo. They need it for conserving their fish as they have constant and frequent five-hour boat trip to the Sao Vicente Island (nearest main island) for ice purchase. It is a far from efficient process that uses precious time that could be used in other activities.
A reliable and clean source of energy, which would give way to a long-term sustainable and affordable electricity service, would not only respond to the extreme necessity of ice production, but also other basic needs like lighting, communication and community services.
Let there be light
It was in response to these needs that local entities came together to finance and develop an off-grid solar energy project. It was financed under the ACP-EU Energy Facility programme, lead by local water company “Aguas de Porta Preta” (APP), in consortium with the local Municipality (“Câmara Municipal de Porto Novo”, CMPN) and others entities.
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www.solar-international.net I Issue II 2012
The facility installed in Monte Trigo is a Multi-user Solar micro- Grid (MSG) based on a photovoltaic generator, a storage battery, an electricity monitoring, control and power conversion equipment and a LV distribution grid.
The 27.3 kWp PV generator is mounted on a wooden pergola that provides shade to the village’s schoolyard for added value to the community as shown in inset picture on the next page.
The PV power plant is based on a DC-bus configuration and MPPT charge controller, while the storage is done in two 48 V batteries with a total capacity of about 370 kWh. Two dual inverters, with a rated power of 7.000 kVA each, convert the DC electricity into 230V, 50Hz AC which is finally delivered through an 800m aerial distribution line to the 60 final end-users.
Among them there is a school, a church, a kindergarten, a health centre, a satellite DVB TV system (also visible in picture 1, on the left) and three general stores.
The previous genset will now be used as a backup supply and, if needed, to also charge the batteries, with the dual inverters operating in parallel with it.
Main picture: Pico de Fogo, Cape Verde, Africa Inset: The 27,3 kWp PV pergola in Monte Trigo – Cape Verde (Photo: APP)
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