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23 - Off-grid solar in the developing world

from Part 3 - Renewable energy sources

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2012

By
Tiffany Tong ,
Wali Akande  and
Winston O. Soboyejo
Edited by
David S. Ginley  and
David Cahen
Tiffany Tong
Affiliation:
Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
Wali Akande
Affiliation:
Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
Winston O. Soboyejo
Affiliation:
Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The African University of Science and Technology, Abuja (AUST-Abuja), Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
David S. Ginley
Affiliation:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado
David Cahen
Affiliation:
Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
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Summary

Focus

This chapter introduces a wide array of sustainable approaches that use solar energy technology to address challenges faced by communities in developing regions of the world. Special emphasis is placed on how rural electrification efforts can provide communities with an off-grid power supply that can stimulate technological development through the improvement of a wide range of resources including infrastructure, health care, and education.

Synopsis

In many areas of the developing world, even basic energy access is still a privilege, not a right. Excessive demand from rapid urbanization often leads to unreliable electricity supplies in the urban areas. However, the problem is most acute in rural and nomadic communities, where lower population densities and income levels make it less practical to establish the necessary infrastructure to connect these communities to the electrical grids that power the cities and megacities. In this context, there is a growing need for innovative energy solutions tailored to the particular needs and demands of these communities, if wide-scale rural electrification that extends energy access to rural regions is to be possible.

Type
Chapter
Information
Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability , pp. 295 - 301
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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References

Martinot, E.Chaurey, A.Lew, D.Moreira, J. R.Wamukonya, N. 2002 “Renewable energy markets in developing countries,”Ann. Rev. Energy Environment 27 309http://pysolar.wordpress.com/world-solar-heat-map/CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, S.Ravallion, M. 2008 The Developing World is Poorer Than We Thought, But No Less Successful in the Fight Against PovertyWorld Bank Development Research GroupCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tong, T.Babatope, B.Admassie, S. 2009 “Adhesion in organic electronic structures,”J. Appl. Phys 106 083708CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Akande, W.Akogwu, O.Tong, T.Soboyejo, W. O. 2010 “Thermally induced surface instabilities in polymer light emitting diodes,”J. Appl. Phys 108 023510CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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  • Off-grid solar in the developing world
    • By Tiffany Tong, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, Wali Akande, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, Winston O. Soboyejo, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The African University of Science and Technology, Abuja (AUST-Abuja), Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
  • Edited by David S. Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, David Cahen, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
  • Book: Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511718786.027
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  • Off-grid solar in the developing world
    • By Tiffany Tong, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, Wali Akande, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, Winston O. Soboyejo, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The African University of Science and Technology, Abuja (AUST-Abuja), Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
  • Edited by David S. Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, David Cahen, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
  • Book: Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511718786.027
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Off-grid solar in the developing world
    • By Tiffany Tong, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, Wali Akande, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA, Winston O. Soboyejo, Princeton Institute of Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The African University of Science and Technology, Abuja (AUST-Abuja), Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria
  • Edited by David S. Ginley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado, David Cahen, Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel
  • Book: Fundamentals of Materials for Energy and Environmental Sustainability
  • Online publication: 05 June 2012
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511718786.027
Available formats
×