Off-grid electrification with solar home systems: An appraisal of the quality of components

Abstract

a b s t r a c tSolar home systems (SHS) are seen as an attractive option for off-grid electrification in rural areas in developing countries. The combined effect of declining photovoltaic module costs and success in microfinance has resulted in increased SHS installations in emerging economies in Asia such as Bangladesh. Majority of the SHS components are now manufactured locally with the exception of PV cells. Considering the role of component quality in SHS performance, technical quality of four key SHS components: solar panel, battery, charge controller and lamp circuit (inverter) from market-leading manufacturers were evaluated in this study in laboratory settings, against national and international standards. All of the tested components met some evaluation criteria in their respective categories but none met all. Key performance failures were found to be related to inverter efficiency, reverse polarity protection in charge controllers and battery capacity, which are critical for optimum performance of the system. Findings in this study point towards an ineffective regulatory mechanism for quality assurance and the protection of consumer rights, which needs to be rectified for maintaining public confidence and sustaining the growth of SHS based off-grid electrification.

Supercapacitor‐assisted LED (SCALED) technique for renewable energy systems: a very low frequency design approach with short‐term DC‐UPS capability eliminating battery banks

“…• Higher ETEE with SC banks acting as lossless droppers • No high frequency DC-DC converters required thus eliminating RFI/EMI issues • Short term DC-UPS capability for irradiance fluctuations, by over-sizing the SC banks, thus eliminating the need for battery banks Compared to the high frequency switching converters coupled with a complex processor algorithm to achieve MPPT in a battery based system achieving an ETEE around 90% [34], SCALED technique is able to achieve efficiencies in the range of 88.9-94%, while maintaining the switching frequency in an extra-low range such as few Hz to fractional Hz.…”

“…Compared to the high frequency switching converters coupled with a complex processor algorithm to achieve MPPT in a battery based system achieving an ETEE around 90% [34], SCALED technique is able to achieve efficiencies in the range of 88.9–94%, while maintaining the switching frequency in an extra‐low range such as few Hz to fractional Hz.…”

Lessons Learned from Rural Electrification Experiences with Third Generation Solar Home Systems in Latin America: Case Studies in Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia

“…In order to reduce electricity costs and contribute to the deployment of the solar market and create confidence, the quality assurance of SHSs is a crucial factor to be taken into account, especially in rural areas [20][21][22][23][24][62][63][64], where the lack of an effective quality and the application of standards has been a weakness [18,19]. The purchase of an off-grid product or SHSs can represent a large investment for a rural family, which cannot afford to waste money on something that does not work well or will not last [65].…”

Evaluation of the reliability of solar micro-grids in emerging markets – Issues and solutions

“…Quality requirements and quality control of renewable power systems are still in their infancy in many countries, such as in India [40] [41] which poses a threat for long-term durability and life-long lasting of new energy systems. There is evidence that along with the global solar boom, products of an inconsistent quality are being sold and used in markets in developing countries [42] [43] [44]. Indeed, technical quality problems have led micro-grid customers to drop the service in northern India [45], and in some countries, the lack of equipment quality has destroyed the population's trust on a renewable energy technology [46] or the whole renewable sector [47].…”