Thesis

Addressing sustainability of off grid power in developing countries : a case study of Malawi

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Creator
Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2013
Thesis identifier
  • T13514
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • The research literature on rural electrification in developing countries shows that sustainability still remains a major challenge. Interest in the developing countries of sub-Saharan Africa is often focused on solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in line with the abundant solar resource. Furthermore, because of the lack of access to electricity grids to the majority of the population in many of these countries off-grid power systems for rural communities are acknowledged as an important aspect of rural electrification strategies. Many planners and decision makers agree that the off-grid PV system has become a valued and straightforward source of electricity for these communities. However, there are several challenges that need to be addressed to realize the potential of PV as a sustainable solution. These challenges include many reported cases of poor sustainability/longevity, low rates of electrification for the poor/rural communities and a lack of local community participation in the ownership and management of the solar PV systems. The research reported in this dissertation includes a substantial literature review of PV systems in off-grid applications in Africa and this shows that there is inadequate information and data (technical, economic and social) on how these sustainability issues for solar PV systems can be addressed. This research is supported by real case studies of off-grid PV installations in Malawi which are part of the Community Rural Electrification and Development (CRED) project supported by the Scottish Government with academic and government partners in Malawi. As well as the results of the literature review, this thesis also presents results from a case study of five PV installations in rural communities in Malawi and links this to the Government of Malawi growth strategy and the ongoing efforts to bring electricity to the rural areas of the country. Analysis of social, economic and technical data from the five communities is provided and conclusions are drawn on key sustainability metrics for rural electrification. These are discussed with reference to emerging sustainable development frameworks so that the merits (and limitations) of the approach in this project are clear. Added interest in this dissertation lies in addressing sustainable development issues for energy in a broader sense than simply renewable technologies and also in viewing sustainable energy from a global perspective rather than taking a narrower view of developed countries only.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2013
Former identifier
  • 996353

Relations

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details PDF of thesis T13514 2021-07-02 Public Download