Download Resource - Global Engineering Initiative

Design of a Rural Energy System
Engineering Physics
Problem Statement
Pashane is a rural town in Zambia, populated by the Ngoni people. The town is composed of 61
households and a total population of 307 people. It is 17 km from the nearest urban centre, and
has no electrical grid currently. Most of the town is involved in subsistence agriculture, with the
staple crop being maize.
Energy concerns have started to surface recently. The main energy use is cooking with firewood
or charcoal. Women spend many hours searching for and gathering firewood throughout the
day just to cook meals. Other key energy uses are lighting and communications. Typical
lighting in the community consists of candles or kerosene lanterns. Villagers also need a source
of energy to power small wireless radios or televisions as a way to get information from the
outside world. These devices are typically powered by a motley assortment of batteries.
One of the possible energy sources is solar photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaics (PV) are a
technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity. Photovoltaic panels provide an
independent electrical power source at the point of use, making it particularly suited to remote
locations like Pashane. An array of PV panels is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Array of photovoltaic panels. Source: ITDG
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Project Scope
Your assignment is to evaluate the energy needs of the village, and design a possible
photovoltaic system. Approximate energy demands for several devices will be given in a
separate file on WebCT. Discuss the appropriateness and practicality of PV technology in this
application. Also, compare PV’s to other possible solutions like the diesel based multifunctional
platform. Data on these machines will also be made available to you in a separate file on
WebCT.
Your design should be based on the specifications of the solar energy available, presented in
Table 1.
Table 1.
Monthly Irradiation (Sum of Radiation over a month)
Month (2004 average)
Value (Wh/m2)
January
148800
February
154512
March
158875
April
150690
May
161758
June
145290
July
164920
August
172143
September
181200
October
183148
November
161220
December
119598
Source: Adapted from SoDa database for place near Chipata, Zambia (soda-is.com)
Provide a report to Engineers Without Borders outlining your approach to the problem, your
conclusions, and any further recommendations you feel should be considered.
You should organize your report into the following sections:
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Executive Summary
Problem Identification (include Constraints and Criteria)
Ethical Considerations about the Project
Proposed Solution and Justification
Expected Impact on the Community
Conclusion and Recommendations
Appendices (include Calculations)
References
Technical sketches or drawings
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