

@mastersthesis {6515,
	title = {Studies of the performance on a photovoltaic power plant in a southern {African} environment},
	year = {1996},
	note = {C574477},
	school = {University of Northumbria at Newcastle (United Kingdom)},
	type = {phdPh.{D}.},
	address = {Ann Arbor},
	abstract = {Photovoltaic (PV) technology is now sufficiently mature so that it can play a significant role in providing energy services in rural and remote areas of developing countries. Photovoltaic conversion of solar energy is intimately linked to the natural environment. Therefore, a good understanding of the effect of environmental parameters in situ upon the operation of the technology is essential for its efficient use. In Europe, in the United States and in Japan extensive programmes of monitoring photovoltaic systems have been carried out since the beginning of the past decade. In southern Africa, however the lack of monitoring activities in photovoltaics is almost absolute. This situation does not contribute to an effective deployment of the technology in most regions, as both the natural environmental conditions and the socio-economic context vary from place to place. This work reports a research programme undertaken since 1991 whose aims were to design, install and monitor a photovoltaic water pumping plant, with a capacity of 848 \${\textbackslash}rm W{\textbackslash}sb\{p\},\$ in the region of Maputo, Mozambique. The pumping plant has been installed in 1993 and a monitoring system integrated into it in 1994. The monitoring activities have been carried out during a period of six months, from 1st January to 30th June 1995, to characterise the performance of the plant under local environmental conditions. This characterisation comprised a detailed analysis of the performance of the plant{\textquoteright}s major components, namely the PV array, the inverter and the motor/pump unit. The costs of the energy services provided by the plant were also-determined. Since this work was the first research activity in photovoltaics carried out in Mozambique, one major output expected was that it should facilitate the promotion of photovoltaics in the country. The average global efficiency of \$(3.6{\textbackslash}pm 0.2){\textbackslash}\%\$ for the pumping plant observed during the period of analysis is an indication that the natural environmental conditions in the region of experimentation are appropriate for an effective deployment of photovoltaic solar energy. The reliability of the plant is very high: no unique fault has been registered during the period 1993-1996. The cost of PV electricity has been determined as varying from 35 up to 72 cents/kWh, if import taxes are not included. Although this is three to four times the cost of electricity provided by the National Power Utility, PV is attractive in most cases where grid extension or diesel generators are required, as grid extension costs about 8,000-12,000 US\$/km in Mozambique. Of particular importance is the water pumping application, where the unit cost of water (of about 31 cents per cubic metre, if import taxes are not included) is very competitive to that provided by the National Water Utility (of 26{\textendash}38 cents per cubic metre) in Mozambique. Both the environmental conditions and the socio-economic context in this region are appropriate for the deployment of Photovoltaics. More monitoring activities, involving other enduses, are required in order to create the necessary basis for an efficient deployment of the technology. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)},
	keywords = {0543:Civil engineering, 0607:Electromagnetism, 0791:Energy, Applied sciences, Civil engineering, Electromagnetism, Energy, Mozambique, Pure sciences},
	url = {http://search.proquest.com/docview/304364424?accountid=14270},
	author = {Cuamba, Boaventura Chongo}
}
