Solving Social Problems: Solar Energy in Rural India
The developing world grapples with the lack of access to electricity. Third world countries have poor electrical infrastructure which is still in the nascent stages of development. As a result, majority of people, especially those living in rural areas, have no access to electricity. The reach of the electrical grid in countries is limited to towns, and the poor who have access to electrical power supply suffer frequent and prolonged power blackouts. As a result, people in such countries result to unclean and unhealthy means of lighting, such as kerosene and diesel generators. The kerosene lamps cause respiratory problems while generators are noisy and expensive to run. Also, the quality of life is diminished for people without electricity. This research project will explore the use of solar energy to generate electrical power in rural India. The paper will also assess the potential success of the project and its implications.
How solar energy technology works
Solar is a renewable form of energy. Solar panels are used to convert electromagnet radiation from the sun into electricity. The panels are fabricated from interconnected solar cells, which are made from photosensitive materials. The most commonly used material in the manufacture of solar cells is silicon. Silicon is doped with an element, such as boron, to increase the number of free electrons. The doped silicon is then used to manufacture photosensitive p-n junction diodes. According to Benduhn (2009), when radiation from the sun hits the diode, the electrons gain energy and are able to escape from the electron rich “n” side to the “holes” rich “p” section of the diode. As a result, an electrical current is set up across the diode. Thousands of diodes are joined to form a solar cell while several solar cells are used connected to form a solar panel.
Solar panels generated a direct current, but electrical house appliances, such as fridges, and televisions require an alternating current. Therefore, the direct current has to be converted to an alternating current, a function that is carried out by an inverter. A solar inverter takes up solar generated electricity at a voltage of around 14 volts and converts it to a suitable alternating voltage and current, such as 230 volts and 13 amperes (Benduhn, 2009). However, solar energy is intermittent as it’s available only during the day. Therefore, batteries are used to store power for use at night or during cloudy day. Also, solar systems have components known as charge controllers. The controllers regulate the power flowing from the solar panels to protect the batteries from overcharging and consequent damage.
Application of solar in residential buildings in India
Solar systems installed in residential buildings, otherwise known as rooftop solar, are of two types, off-grid and grid-tie systems. Off-grid solar systems operate independently of the grid while grid-ties systems are connected to the grid. The type of systems proposed for this research project is of the off-grid type. Unlike grid-tie systems that can feed and receive power from the national grid, off-grid systems can only obtain power from the solar panels. Therefore, if the power stored in the batteries is depleted, the house goes without power. To prevent this, the size of the solar system installed is aligned with the load such that all the electrical appliances can operate smoothly for each charge cycle. Also, the system operates automatically without any intervention required. Figure 1 below illustrates the components of an off-grid solar system.
Figure 1: An offgrid solar system
According to Hande (1997), most of people living in rural areas in developing countries such as India are poor. Also, the upfront costs of solar systems are high and can go up to $5 per installed watt. Therefore, not many people in such areas can afford to install solar energy. In order to have a wider reach, the systems will be installed for free but the company installing the panels shall retain ownership of the systems. Then the system users shall pay for the power consumed at a subsidized rate such that even the poorest can afford to acquire the system. After a given period of time, the user shall have repaid or the total purchase cost of the system and at that time, the system ownership shall be transferred to the user.
Therefore, there is need to track the system user’s power consumption. To achieve this, the company responsible for the installations shall partner with local a telecommunication and to install power logging devices. The power loggers shall then channel the consumption data to a central server for billing purposes. After every month, the users shall be notified of their consumption by the telecommunication company and prompted to make the necessary payments. The payments can also be made through mobile money payments.
Quantitative analysis
The success of the rural India electrification project shall be determined by the capital cost required to implement the project. In India, 300 million people live without electricity (Sargsyan & World Bank, 2011). To provide power to this number of people, India is turning to renewable energy. But generating power to power millions of homes is a big challenge for the government. The project shall come as a big boost to the rural electrification process in India and will help save the government a lot of money and time.
Also, the project will help the country makes leaps in the development of energy infrastructure. For example, developing countries have to start out with the most rudimentary forms of energy and upgrade their technology as their economy improves. Lindeman (2012) posits that the common trend is where countries start out with biomass fuel then move to fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline. Afterward, the shift to nuclear energy, which helps them meet almost all of their power needs due its high efficiency. However, environmental concerns arising from the use of unclean fossil fuels and nuclear energy create the need for renewable energy such as solar. Therefore, the solar project will help India to fast track development in the energy sector.
Possible challenges to the program
The Indian solar program may face unanticipated challenges at the implementation stage. Such challenges can either be technical, financial, or policy related. For example, the project needs the cooperation of a for telecommunication company for it to function. Without the input of such a company, the infrastructure required for monitoring the power generation and consumption will not be available. Therefore, the project would stall as there would be no other means of data collection.
Also, financial challenges can stall the project. For example, since the beneficiaries of the project are not paying any upfront costs for the purchase of the solar equipment, the project’s executives will have to borrow funds from a development partner such as World Bank. In case such financial assistance is not available, there would be no resources to purchase the equipment and hence the project would not take off. In addition, some rural dwellers might be unable to pay for their power consumption, which would eventually affect the running of the program.
At the policy level, the project can be curtailed by local politics or the regulations set by national government. For example, politicians can incite their constituents to reject the solar program for their own selfish reasons or for political gains. Also, the government can implement bottlenecks to derail the program. For example, lawmakers can insist that the rural areas should be served by the traditional national grid and not decentralized off-grid systems. As such, it would be impossible to venture any further in the project implementation.
Possible unintended consequences of the solar program
The solar program can cause some unintended consequences. For example, the availability of solar generated electricity in the rural areas can encourage the government to relent on its rural electrification program. As such, the government would be reluctant to invest in electrifying areas that already have another form of electricity. Also, the monthly payments could place an extra load on the users of the solar systems. As a result, people would have to work harder to raise the extra money required to pay for the systems, which would eventually strain them psychologically and financially.
Implications of the program
The availability of solar energy can have many implications for the rural dwellers. For example, the electrical power generated will improve the quality of life in the countryside. The people will be able to watch television, operate computers, and charge their mobile phones. Also, access to electronic media will expose the rural dwellers to a wide range of educative information on fields such as health and business. Therefore, they will be in better position to better their lives by applying the knowledge acquired, which will go a long way in helping them combat poverty. Also, school going children will comfortably be able to complete their homework without the irritation associated with kerosene lamps. As a result, the students will get better grades in school and proceed to better high schools and colleges, which will help the prosper later in life. Furthermore, the improved quality of life will lead to better living standards as the people will become more contended and satisfied with their lives, which might lead to longer life expectancy.
Conclusion
Solar energy is a form of renewable energy used to generate electrical power. Solar technology is suitable for powering rural and far flung areas that are not served by the national grid. Developing countries such as India have large areas of rural settlement which are out of reach of the national grid. Decentralized solar system, referred to as off-grid solar, can be used to power such areas. Off-grid solar systems are mounted on rooftops and each rooftop powers a single home. Due to lack of access to electricity, people suffer from respiratory diseases due to prolonged exposure of emissions produced by kerosene lamps or diesel generators. Also, the people experience poor quality of life due to lack of electrical appliances such as fridges, computers, and air conditioning systems. Solar energy offers a plausible source of alternative energy. Poor people living in the rural areas cannot afford to purchase solar equipment, which cost several thousand dollars. Therefore, an innovative approach of pay-as-you-go will help them acquire the systems.
References
Benduhn, T. (2009). Solar power. Pleasantville, NY: Weekly Reader Pub.
Hande, H. H. (1997). Solar rural electrification in India.
Lindeman, T. (2012). 1.3 Billion are living in the dark. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/world/world-without-power/
Sargsyan, G., & World Bank. (2011). Unleashing the potential of renewable energy in India. Washington, D.C: World Bank.
