A Low-Cost Sustainable Energy Solution for Pristine Mountain Areas of Developing Countries

Abstract

The rise in energy requirements and its shortfall in developing countries have affected socioeconomic life. Communities in remote mountainous regions in Asia are among the most affected by energy deprivation. This study presents the feasibility of an alternate strategy of supplying clean energy to the areas consisting of pristine mountains and forest terrain. Southeast Asia has a much-diversified landscape and varied natural resources, including abundant water resources. The current study is motivated by this abundant supply of streams which provides an excellent environment for run-of-river micro vertical axis water turbines. However, to limit the scope of the study, the rivers and streams flowing in northern areas of Pakistan are taken as the reference. The study proposes a comprehensive answer for supplying low-cost sustainable energy solutions for such remote communities. The suggested solution consists of a preliminary hydrodynamic design using Qblade, further analysis using numerical simulations, and finally, experimental testing in a real-world environment. The results of this study show that the use of microturbines is a very feasible option considering that the power generation density of the microturbine comes out to be approximately 2100 kWh/year/m2, with minimal adverse effects on the environment.

Equal allocation, demand priority or negotiated allocation? How to allocate water resources in the Tigris and Euphrates River Basin efficiently

“…Conclusion 5 suggests adopting a negotiated allocation mode in water-scarce areas when developing water resources is costly to maximize benefits. This contrasts with Sheikh et al's [ 33 ] findings. Sheikh et al [ 33 ] considered micro-turbines as a very feasible option to solve the transmission problem in remote areas.…”

“…This contrasts with Sheikh et al's [ 33 ] findings. Sheikh et al [ 33 ] considered micro-turbines as a very feasible option to solve the transmission problem in remote areas. They addressed the cost issue of developing water resources through technical means.…”

Colour as a behavioural guide for fish near hydrokinetic turbines

“…VATs are a suitable solution to produce power in remote communities out of reach of the main grid because of their low cost, ease of installation and wide range of operating conditions [ 9 ]. VATs have been deployed in remote areas all over the globe and across all continents and applied to a diverse range of water bodies, from irrigation channels to large river systems [ [10] , [11] , [12] , [13] ]. Little is known, however, about their impact on fish movement and welfare, posing the question whether VATs present a migration barrier.…”

Jatropha Curcas Biodiesel: A Lucrative Recipe for Pakistan’s Energy Sector

“…To overcome these problems, it is necessary to use renewable [14], reliable, and pollution-free energy sources that can combine social and economic progress along with pollution control [15,16]. Such renewable energy sources are primarily biofuels [17][18][19], waste fuels [20,21], wind [22,23], solar [24], and hydro. Biofuels from these resources are biodegradable, easy to use, and they are aromatic-and sulfur-free [25].…”