This study examines the viability of providing electricity to an un-electrified village in North-Eastern Nigeria using a mini-grid based off-grid solar photovoltaic system. The study employs the life-cycle cost to estimate a 25-year life-time cost of an off-grid electrification project using solar photovoltaic panels and compares with the cost of paying for grid-electricity within the same period. Comparing the cost of off-grid electrification with grid-extension is more appropriate; however, data on the cost of grid extension in Northern Nigeria are scarce. Thus, electricity tariff is used as a proxy since the Nigerian electricity market has been deregulated and the electricity tariff is expected to be market-reflective. The result shows that such project will not be economically viable at the prevailing commercial lending rate as it yields a negative net present value. However, the project becomes viable with adequate government support through the reduction in commercial lending rate for such projects and provision of start-up grants (as production subsidy). Such subsidy will not result in economic waste since the target is clearly defined. Apart from government financial incentives, creating necessary support mechanism in terms of legal and regulatory frameworks to encourage private investment will be necessary. In addition, engaging the community in the construction and maintenance of the project will ensure sustainability.
Traffic congestion especially at road intersections is becoming an issue for which road traffic users contend with daily. The conventional traffic light applies a fixed logic of allocating equal "GO" time to lanes of traffic at road intersections irrespective of the density of traffic on each lane. Using the PIC18F4550 microcontroller interfaced with infrared sensors, a new traffic light control system was developed to ease the flow of traffic at a particular troubled spot in Uyo Metropolis (Abak Road, Udo Eduok, Udo Obio streets intersection) in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Simulation of the proposed design was performed using the Proteus Software while implementation was carried out on a prototype. Performance evaluation of the prototype implemented showed that the 4 arrays (IR Transmitter and Receiver) of infrared sensors interfaced with the microcontroller using AND gates and strategically positioned to read the density of traffic on each lane at the intersection triggered when a vehicle comes between the transmitter and the receiver. Obtaining inputs from these sensors together with the logic from the microcontroller, a new traffic light control system was developed capable of controlling traffic based on the density of each lane of traffic. Results obtained from simulation and implementation of the design indicates that the traffic control system with the PIC18F4550 microcontroller and the infrared sensors gives a better performance compared to the conventional traffic light control system.
EDPRS (Economic Development and Poverty Reduction) II is one among Rwanda's strategies to achieve the MDG (Millennium Goal Development). One of its top priorities, is to focus on Energy Sector as stated in the sustainable development goal number 7 which is "Affordable and clean energy" [7]. As reported in [?], the government of Rwanda has the target to increase the access to electricity from 42% to 100% by 2025 by promoting the use of Renewable energy. However, it is shown that the energy consumption is increasing at the rate of 6% while production increases at the less rate and this might be a big challenge in meeting the demand and therefore making the MDG target difficult to achieve. This paper first discusses the current energy profile in Rwanda where it focuses on electrical energy status in order to evaluate the available power generation, transmission system and load growth for better future plan.The paper also continues to track the possible available and untapped renewable energy resources and outlines the credible Pathways for Rwanda's future of energy in the next 30 years and beyond by considering how much energy we might need and where it could come from and hence, how possibly the the different Electrical energy generation technologies could share in an effective way to satisfy the demand.To identify how the country needs to integrate the most renewable energy generation in its energy system,the results show that in 2050 fuel is free to be totally decommissioned which results in a remarkable drop in CO2 emission.
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