Re-mapping sub-Sahara Africa for equipment selection to photo electrify energy poor homes

摘要: Abstract This paper provides a missing integrated guide to budding middle class rural sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) homesteads trying photo-electrify. It first estimates bare minimum requirements for these homes start emerging from energy poverty. Guidance is given on optimal selection of the most important device such homes: light bulb. Along with other essential devices, this gives daily electrical load 500 W h, 42 A h at 12 V DC. Building earlier experimental work validating TRNSYS in Cape Town, it extends usage software rest SSA, aiming recommend panel and balance system component sizes meet above all year round. Use made slopes derived related piece formulate an optimisation model selecting panel–battery–charge controller combinations. A survey South Africa-made panels components done. Then, method solving demonstrated by example Uganda which selects surveyed satisfy two alternative technical objectives ‘least battery storage’ ‘smallest size’. At each 151 stations solved only objective. The overall results are then mapped using MATLAB®. concluded that perspective, usable storage capacities region range between 70 360 A h, biggest being equatorial/tropical rain forest areas Congo basin along mid-western coastal areas. Panel 160 275 Wp. dominant recommendation charge controllers 15 A.