Sustainability and Circularity Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Electricity Hubs for Rural Villages in sub-Saharan Africa

该项目旨在提高离网太阳能发电系统的可持续性，并确定离网太阳能发电的生产性用途，从而鼓励撒哈拉以南非洲农村社区的社会经济发展。将考虑经济、社会、技术和环境的可持续性，目的是在马拉维设计和建造一个可持续的离网太阳能系统，并开发一个可以应用于整个南南非的结构。这样做将降低离网太阳能系统的风险，吸引投资，并加速世界上最缺电地区的电气化。由于马拉维农村电气化率低，因此被用作研究的重点。目标-加速撒哈拉以南非洲的电气化和鼓励社会经济发展-制定一个框架，以增加经济、社会、在撒哈拉以南非洲建立一个可持续的离网太阳能系统。主要研究问题：-在撒哈拉以南非洲采用离网太阳能的主要障碍是什么？-如何在撒哈拉以南非洲实现离网太阳能发电系统的经济、社会、技术和环境可持续性？-如何将循环经济的主题融入撒哈拉以南非洲的离网太阳能市场？-离网太阳能的哪些生产性用途可以帮助马拉维的社会经济发展？方法:1。文献综述：撒哈拉以南非洲离网太阳能的循环经济-评估整个SSA离网太阳能市场当前的资源管理和寿命终止实践-确定可以改善离网太阳能产品材料循环的机会和政策建议-确定环境可持续的离网太阳能系统的标准2。访谈：学者、非政府组织、政治家、太阳能公司-与当地利益相关者接触，确定马拉维采用离网太阳能的障碍，并讨论潜在的解决方案-确定社区能源使用的优先事项-确定马拉维离网太阳能的潜在生产用途3。马拉维实地考察-与当地利益相关者的进一步接触和访谈-确定社区能源项目的社会可持续性要求-评估用户如何与离网太阳能产品互动-评估引入太阳能产品循环倡议的机会-评估离网太阳能社区能源系统的要求和可行性4。设计一个离网太阳能社区能源系统——与曼彻斯特大学电子与电气工程系合作生命周期评估-评估拟议的离网太阳能系统设计对环境的影响-评估我们的设计在减少温室气体排放方面的潜力。循环分析-在循环经济的背景下评估所提出的设计的性能新颖：废物管理的话题最近在离网太阳能行业得到了极大的关注。尽管如此，在此之前还没有对SSA离网太阳能市场进行循环经济绩效评估。马拉维的太阳能市场不发达，几乎没有关于马拉维离网太阳能的研究发表，也没有关于循环经济或太阳能电子废物管理的研究。该项目的另一个目标是确定离网太阳能的生产利用的新机会，并在曼彻斯特大学电子和电气工程系的帮助下，为离网能源系统制定和评估一种新的可持续设计。

The project aims to improve the sustainability of off-grid solar power systems, and to identify productive uses of off-grid solar power that can encourage socio-economic development in rural communities in sub-Sharan Africa (SSA). Economic, social, technical and environmental sustainability will be considered, with the intention being to design and build a sustainable off-grid solar power system in Malawi, and develop a structure that can be applied across SSA. Doing so would de-risk off-grid solar systems, attract investment, and accelerate electrification in the most electricity deprived area of the world. Malawi is used as the focus of the study due to its low rate of rural electrification.Objectives- Accelerate electrification and encourage socio-economic development across sub-Sharan Africa - Make a framework for increasing the economic, social, technical and environmental sustainability of off-grid solar systems in sub-Sharan Africa- Highlight potential approaches to addressing solar electronic waste across sub-Sharan Africa - Build a sustainable off-grid solar system in Malawi Key research questions:- What are the key barriers to the uptake of off-grid solar power in sub-Sharan Africa?- How can economic, social, technical and environmental sustainability be achieved for off-grid solar power systems in sub-Sharan Africa?- How can themes of a circular economy be integrated into the off-grid solar market in sub-Sharan Africa?- What productive uses of off-grid solar power can aid socio-economic development in Malawi?Methods: 1. Literature review: the circular economy of off-grid solar in sub-Sharan Africa- Assess the current resource management and end of life practices in the off-grid solar market across SSA- Identify opportunities and policy recommendations that can improve the material circularity of off-grid solar products - Identify the criteria for an environmentally sustainable off-grid solar system2. Interviews: academics, NGOs, politicians, solar energy companies- Engage with local stakeholders Identify barriers, and discuss potential solutions, to the uptake of off-grid solar in Malawi- Identify community priorities for energy use- Identify potential productive uses of off-grid solar in Malawi3. Field trip to Malawi- Further engagement and interviews with local stakeholders- Identify the requirements for the social sustainability of community energy projects- Assess how users interact with off-grid solar products - Assess the opportunities for introducing circular initiatives for solar products - Assess the requirements and feasibility of an off-grid solar community energy system4. Design an off-grid solar community energy system- Collaboration with the university of Manchester's department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering5. Life cycle assessment - Assess the environmental impacts of the proposed off-grid solar system deign - Assess our design's potential for greenhouse gas emission mitigation6. Circularity analysis- Assess the performance of the proposed design in the context of a circular economy Novelties:The topic of waste management has recently gained significant attention within the off-grid solar industry. Although, a circular economy performance assessment of the off-grid solar market in SSA has not been carried out before. Malawi has an undeveloped solar market, almost no research has been published on off-grid solar in Malawi, and none relating to circular economy or solar electronic waste management. Another aim of the project is to identify new opportunities for productive uses of off-grid solar energy and, with the help of the University of Manchester's Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, a new sustainable design for an off-grid energy system will be made and assessed.