Developing a smart solar energy platform for families and fleet operators

为家庭和车队运营商开发智能太阳能平台

• 批准号: 10048381
• 金额: $ 26.1万
• 依托单位: OPEN ENERGY LABS LTD
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Feasibility Studies
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10048381
• 关键词: Developing; smart; solar; energy; platform

The number of people without access to electricity in Africa dropped from almost 860 million in 2018 to 770 million in 2019 (IEA et al., 2021). However, without more sustained efforts, it is predicted that 650 million people will still live without access to electricity in 2030, despite universal access to affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity by 2030 being a key Sustainable Development Goal (United Nations, 2015). Grid expansion is necessary, but unconnected individuals remain difficult to reach as they're mainly rural, poor and marginalised. Not only this, but those connected via off-grid solar technology are facing issues with the lifespan of their systems. A study carried out in Kenya found that Nearly one-fifth of solar products stopped working within 18 months despite a 25-year predicted lifespan, with the majority of these products, being kept unfixed in the home (Cross and Murray,2018). Therefore, presenting issues with the maintenance and lifespan of current solar home systems.Solar Home Systems are stand-alone units that include a photovoltaic panel (electricity generator), a battery and charge controller (energy storage and distribution), and electrical appliances (the energy load), providing at a minimum "Tier 1" electricity access for task lighting and phone charging (ESMAP, 2015). Solar panels with 1 -- 10 W output can be used to power lights to replace kerosene lamps in households. However, deployed solar panel systems have high failure rates (Feron, 2016); for example, reported failure rates of 65% in Laos (IRENA, 2014). These high failure rates result from a lack of maintenance or after-sales service, and harsh operating conditions (Van Diessen, 2008).With funding from Innovate UK, Open Energy Labs (UK SME), Fam Studios (UK Innovation agency), will develop a MVP smartphone application/hardware to support remote/rural users to control, monitor, maintain and expand the functionality of a Solar Home System (SHS). Whilst also developing a strategy to support HE/FE students to become fleet entrepreneurs that can maintain/repair any type/brand of SHS. Thereby directly lowering the barrier to the uptake of renewable energy technology in Rwanda and sub-Saharan Africa; namely, lowering the skill level required for people to design, install, operate, manage, and maintain household systems. We will assess the feasibility of this innovation during this project with the aim of developing an alpha prototype to use for further testing.

非洲无电的人数从2018年的近8.6亿降至2019年的7.7亿人（IEA等，2021）。但是，如果没有更多的持续努力，可以预测，尽管到2030年普遍获得负担得起，可靠和可持续的电力，但仍将在2030年无法使用电力，这是一个关键的可持续发展目标（联合国，2015年）。需要扩展网格，但是由于主要是农村，贫穷和边缘化，无关的个体仍然难以实现。不仅如此，通过离网太阳能技术连接的人正面临其系统寿命的问题。在肯尼亚进行的一项研究发现，尽管有25年的寿命，但近五分之一的太阳能产品在18个月内停止了工作，其中大多数这些产品都被固定在家里（Cross and Murray，2018年）。 Therefore, presenting issues with the maintenance and lifespan of current solar home systems.Solar Home Systems are stand-alone units that include a photovoltaic panel (electricity generator), a battery and charge controller (energy storage and distribution), and electrical appliances (the energy load), providing at a minimum "Tier 1" electricity access for task lighting and phone charging (ESMAP, 2015).具有1-10 W输出的太阳能电池板可用于电灯以替代家庭中的煤油灯。但是，部署的太阳能电池板系统的故障率很高（Feron，2016年）；例如，老挝报告的失败率为65％（Irena，2014年）。 These high failure rates result from a lack of maintenance or after-sales service, and harsh operating conditions (Van Diessen, 2008).With funding from Innovate UK, Open Energy Labs (UK SME), Fam Studios (UK Innovation agency), will develop a MVP smartphone application/hardware to support remote/rural users to control, monitor, maintain and expand the functionality of a Solar Home System (SHS).同时还制定了一项策略，以支持他/FE学生成为可以维护/修复任何类型/品牌的SHS的车队企业家。从而直接降低了卢旺达和撒哈拉以南非洲可再生能源技术的障碍；也就是说，降低人们设计，安装，操作，管理和维护家庭系统所需的技能水平。我们将在该项目中评估这项创新的可行性，目的是开发用于进一步测试的alpha原型。