Abstract:Following the increasing global awareness of the dangers posed by the present state of climate change, many countries such as Uganda have adapted long-term plans for a transition to decarbonised economies. A major strategy for decarbonisation is to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy (RE) sources as the fundamental energy source. Uganda has substantial RE resources for the provision of energy services and production, yet these resources remain untapped. It is therefore crucial that the use of these abundant resources should be heightened. This paper examines and discusses the potential and current RE utilization and development in Uganda from the perspective of sustainable development. The status of the different RE resources and their application/utilization, including details of existing projects in the country, are carefully explored and discussed. The possible drivers for a huge advancement of RE applications and development in Uganda are also discussed before elucidating the major barriers and challenges faced by the energy sector as regards RE. Measures and policies required to facilitate the utilization of RE in Uganda are proposed. These evidence-based policies could guide the delivery of affordable and sustainable energy solutions for all by 2030 in Uganda.

In this paper, the surface morphology of textured silicon substrates is explored. Prior to the surface morphology analysis, textured silicon substrates were obtained by KOH anisotropic texturing of polished silicon wafers. This was achieved by investigating of the dependence surface texturing on the process parameters; etchant concentration, etching time and temperature. The surface morphology of the textured silicon samples was obtained using atomic force microscopy that was operated in the tapping mode. The resulting atomic force microscopy (AFM) images were analyzed using the Nanoscope and Gwyddion software packages. The AFM analysis revealed more surface details such as the depth, roughness, section, and step height analysis. The analysis was limited to a length scale of a few micrometers, which carefully reveals the number of individualities of the initial stages of pyramid growth. The average roughness was found to be 593nm for an optimally textured silicon wafer. The implications of the study are then discussed for potential light trapping application in silicon solar cells.