1. Around 1.1 billion people globally lack access to electricity, most living in rural areas of South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Some entrepreneurs are developing off-grid solar energy systems to provide power, with payments made via mobile phones in small, affordable installments.
2. Governments and utilities often cannot afford to expand power grids to rural areas. People are also reluctant to pay for electricity as a public good. New payment technologies and social programs aim to change attitudes and encourage payment.
3. Companies providing solar home systems on payment plans that are paid off over time are having success getting initially unwilling customers to pay for small amounts of renewable power. Their lessons could help make grid electricity more accessible and
What if some Utilities in Western Europe, Japan, Australia and USA by 2020 lost about 50% of their demands; and obviously the revenues associated with those operations? The Prosumers are here and they are looking for Regulatory Solutions!!!
What if some Utilities in Western Europe, Japan, Australia and USA by 2020 lost about 50% of their demands; and obviously the revenues associated with those operations? The Prosumers are here and they are looking for Regulatory Solutions!!!
Let's build a smarter planet energy and utilities americanabmarcoux
In the 1880s, Nikola Tesla invented the 3-phase 60 Hz technology still used in the North American electrical grid, which was then commercialized by George Westinghouse, who was competing with Thomas Edison.
One hundred and twenty five years later, the Smart Grid aims to solve this 19th century problem using 21st century systems. And the 21st century itself brought a new set of challenges to be met: energy efficiency, integration of distributed and renewable energy, charging of electrical vehicles, pressure on costs, environmental concerns, and consumer expectations.
This conference will define what is a Smart Grid, outline its main objectives, present how it is being deployed, and discuss some on-going technological and societal challenges that the industry is facing.
Solar Lighting is Transforming Lives in Rural East AfticaBill Nussey
I was excited to speak at the annual Net Impact conference on how the technology of solar lighting, solar home systems, and solar irrigation are transforming lives across Africa. The full document and notes from my presentation can be found at:
International Journal of Engineering and Science Invention (IJESI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of computer science and electronics. IJESI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Engineering Science and Technology, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Campus Power: Tapping Local Energy Toward a Sustainable FutureJohn Farrell
A presentation on the enormous opportunity presented by a transformation in the energy sector toward distributed renewable energy and how college campuses are particularly well suited to take advantage. Delivered as to a plenary session of the 5th UMACS Conference at Luther College on 11/8/13 by ILSR's Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell
Community Choice Aggregation comes to San Diego, CaliforniaKyle Knoebel
- What is the difference between Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) and Investor Owned Utilities (IOU)?
- What are the advantages and risks of CCAs?
- What are some examples of CCAs nationwide?
One of the miracles of the modern era is the reliability of the modern grid. An understanding of how a utility operates will not only allow a better understanding of how the electricity we use daily is generated and transported to our homes and businesses but will provide insight into how alternative technologies such as smart grid and demand response will change the way we think of power generation, transmission, and distribution
When blistering-heat pushed across the U.S. last week (July ‘11), the nation’s electric grid was stressed. Resonating from the southeast and spreading across the nation much of the U.S. grid is more than five decades old — leading to generous energy excess. Consequently, the ‘Smart Grid’ has roared into the forefront of the energy industry backed by major investments from private firms and the US government. Zpryme’s Smart Grid Insights, A Closer Look at DSM, Energy Storage & Distributed Generation zeros-in on insights surrounding: smart grid sector investment, demand-side management (DSM), distributed generation, customer-sited generation, and energy storage.
Compares what solar energy advocates want you to believe to how solar energy performs in real life. Covers costs, efficiency, impact on consumers, solar resources. Discusses Georgia's electricity rates compared to other states and energy mix, Georgia's Territory Act and the potential impact of deregulation, and HB 657.
LABC Solar Fit 4 LA presentation to MVCCSherri Akers
The LABC has made this presentation to the MVCC Green Committee and the following motion will be presented to the MVCC Board on Tuesday night Sept 14th.
The Mar Vista Community Council would like to extend our support to the Los Angeles Business
Council/UCLA’s proposed 600 MW Feed-in Tariff (FiT) program for the City of Los Angeles. We agree that the LABC/UCLA proposed program is an important step that our city can take right now to promote renewable energy in Los Angeles.
The LABC/UCLA Solar FiT program has already attracted the strong support of organizations
representing business, labor, the environment and numerous communities from around the city. We are pleased to join this extensive coalition of supporters because we believe the program offers great environmental and economic benefits for Los Angeles and its residents.
Discussion regarding developing a system that would allow regular people to participate in the generation, profitability, and administration of energy and power.
Development Challenges, South-South Solutions: September 2008 IssueDavid South Consulting
Development Challenges, South-South Solutions is the monthly e-newsletter for the United Nations Development Programme’s South-South Cooperation Unit (www.southerninnovator.org). It has been published every month since 2006.
Stories by David South
Design and Layout: UNDP South-South Cooperation Unit
Follow @SouthSouth1
Let's build a smarter planet energy and utilities americanabmarcoux
In the 1880s, Nikola Tesla invented the 3-phase 60 Hz technology still used in the North American electrical grid, which was then commercialized by George Westinghouse, who was competing with Thomas Edison.
One hundred and twenty five years later, the Smart Grid aims to solve this 19th century problem using 21st century systems. And the 21st century itself brought a new set of challenges to be met: energy efficiency, integration of distributed and renewable energy, charging of electrical vehicles, pressure on costs, environmental concerns, and consumer expectations.
This conference will define what is a Smart Grid, outline its main objectives, present how it is being deployed, and discuss some on-going technological and societal challenges that the industry is facing.
Solar Lighting is Transforming Lives in Rural East AfticaBill Nussey
I was excited to speak at the annual Net Impact conference on how the technology of solar lighting, solar home systems, and solar irrigation are transforming lives across Africa. The full document and notes from my presentation can be found at:
International Journal of Engineering and Science Invention (IJESI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of computer science and electronics. IJESI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Engineering Science and Technology, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Campus Power: Tapping Local Energy Toward a Sustainable FutureJohn Farrell
A presentation on the enormous opportunity presented by a transformation in the energy sector toward distributed renewable energy and how college campuses are particularly well suited to take advantage. Delivered as to a plenary session of the 5th UMACS Conference at Luther College on 11/8/13 by ILSR's Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell
Community Choice Aggregation comes to San Diego, CaliforniaKyle Knoebel
- What is the difference between Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) and Investor Owned Utilities (IOU)?
- What are the advantages and risks of CCAs?
- What are some examples of CCAs nationwide?
One of the miracles of the modern era is the reliability of the modern grid. An understanding of how a utility operates will not only allow a better understanding of how the electricity we use daily is generated and transported to our homes and businesses but will provide insight into how alternative technologies such as smart grid and demand response will change the way we think of power generation, transmission, and distribution
When blistering-heat pushed across the U.S. last week (July ‘11), the nation’s electric grid was stressed. Resonating from the southeast and spreading across the nation much of the U.S. grid is more than five decades old — leading to generous energy excess. Consequently, the ‘Smart Grid’ has roared into the forefront of the energy industry backed by major investments from private firms and the US government. Zpryme’s Smart Grid Insights, A Closer Look at DSM, Energy Storage & Distributed Generation zeros-in on insights surrounding: smart grid sector investment, demand-side management (DSM), distributed generation, customer-sited generation, and energy storage.
Compares what solar energy advocates want you to believe to how solar energy performs in real life. Covers costs, efficiency, impact on consumers, solar resources. Discusses Georgia's electricity rates compared to other states and energy mix, Georgia's Territory Act and the potential impact of deregulation, and HB 657.
LABC Solar Fit 4 LA presentation to MVCCSherri Akers
The LABC has made this presentation to the MVCC Green Committee and the following motion will be presented to the MVCC Board on Tuesday night Sept 14th.
The Mar Vista Community Council would like to extend our support to the Los Angeles Business
Council/UCLA’s proposed 600 MW Feed-in Tariff (FiT) program for the City of Los Angeles. We agree that the LABC/UCLA proposed program is an important step that our city can take right now to promote renewable energy in Los Angeles.
The LABC/UCLA Solar FiT program has already attracted the strong support of organizations
representing business, labor, the environment and numerous communities from around the city. We are pleased to join this extensive coalition of supporters because we believe the program offers great environmental and economic benefits for Los Angeles and its residents.
Discussion regarding developing a system that would allow regular people to participate in the generation, profitability, and administration of energy and power.
Development Challenges, South-South Solutions: September 2008 IssueDavid South Consulting
Development Challenges, South-South Solutions is the monthly e-newsletter for the United Nations Development Programme’s South-South Cooperation Unit (www.southerninnovator.org). It has been published every month since 2006.
Stories by David South
Design and Layout: UNDP South-South Cooperation Unit
Follow @SouthSouth1
Achieving Universal Electrification in India: A Roadmap for Rural Solar Mini-...The Rockefeller Foundation
Access to electricity has been an essential force in India’s recent growth and progress. If India is to become a true leader on the global stage, such progress needs to continue, particularly for low-income rural communities. Unlike in decades past, however, India can no longer provide electricity to its citizens purely from conventional sources like coal, gas and large hydroelectric dams. It is time to turn the page, and to embrace the new generation of clean technologies.
The sheer number of Indian citizens without reliable electricity underscores the magnitude of the challenge. At the same time, the scale of the Indian market presents a tremendous opportunity for innovative solutions. Solar power has made inroads into the Indian market, and can soon become cost competitive with conventional sources. However, a number of technological and business innovations are needed to make it affordable, especially for India’s rural poor. This report analyses the underlying challenges in making solar power a reality in rural
This report analyses the underlying challenges in making solar power a reality in rural India and identifies what actions can be taken to overcome them. In doing so, it lays a strong foundation for helping India achieve universal electrification. It also introduces a roadmap for helping India become a true global leader in clean energy, not just for itself, but also for the rest of the developing world.
Coupling Universal Energy Access with Financial Sustainability: the Case of L...Jacopo Pendezza
Modern energy access is an essential precondition for economic development. It is essential for poverty reduction, improvement of human health, women’s empowerment, education. With access to reliable and affordable energy services, local entrepreneurs and companies of any size can generate local jobs, income and, thereby, promote local development, in particular in rural and peri- urban areas. The major barriers toward improving rural electricity connectivity in Africa include: absence of national grid in large part of the country, high cost of delivering electricity to rural areas, high upfront investment costs; scattered settlements in the rural areas leading to long and costly distribution lines. Other challenges are harsh terrains and inaccessibility due to underdeveloped infrastructure leading to high cost of rural electrification projects; high operating costs of grids in rural areas due to low population density.
For these reasons, several experts suggest that the extension of the main grid is not the most economical viable solution to grant energy access to rural communities. In most of the case, and especially in Tanzania, the best option is the realization of renewable source powered mini-grid (both grid-connected and off-grid). This option, if carefully analyzed, allows to reach more and more rural clients and at the same time to increase the share of renewable energy production.
Experience, however, has shown that it is not enough to simply create a new mini-grid and hope for local economic activities to pick up just by themselves. Countless electrification projects have suffered from a low demand response from the commercial sector that ended up affecting plans and expectations. This usually determines two significant consequences: First, the hoped-for impact of electrification programmes on the development of local communities often struggles to materialize. Secondly, the electrification schemes suffer from a lack of new customers able to pay for their electricity connection and use the new availability of electricity for productive purposes. Such developments have undermined the entire economic viability, and thus sustainability, of many electrification programs in developing countries. This paper explores the concrete steps to be put in place in order to increase the financial sustainability of a mini-grid, in order to couple universal access to modern energy services with sound financial sustainability of the systems providing electricity. To show that, it will take in account a feasibility study that CEFA is doing the Luganga site, Tanzania.
The International Journal of Engineering & Science is aimed at providing a platform for researchers, engineers, scientists, or educators to publish their original research results, to exchange new ideas, to disseminate information in innovative designs, engineering experiences and technological skills. It is also the Journal's objective to promote engineering and technology education. All papers submitted to the Journal will be blind peer-reviewed. Only original articles will be published.
An efficient and improved model for power theft detection in PakistanjournalBEEI
This paper describes an improved model for the monitoring of power used by a party such as household users and different industries in Pakistan. The power theft detection was done using the intelligent internet of things (IoT) service system for calculating the user's power simultaneously. The power meter catches a theft detection device that is instantly transmitted to the central system which compares both the data by means of microcontroller and if there is any difference found, it informs the power utility about the hooking, meter relief or theft activities happen. Information of the theft detection through the global mobile communications system is transmitted and notified theft is displayed on the terminal monitor or won. As a result, although consumers continue to use excess fuel, the customer's power supply is cut in the electricity boards segment. The general radio package module system sends central circuit and meter data via an internet protocol address to a web server. GSM's IoT based perception is used to monitor the power supply and billing information calculated with a microcontroller continuously with the determination of the electricity table area. With this unit, the duplicate user can be located at the rear of the electricity office with the power meter status.
International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (IJERA) is an open access online peer reviewed international journal that publishes research and review articles in the fields of Computer Science, Neural Networks, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Plastic Engineering, Food Technology, Textile Engineering, Nano Technology & science, Power Electronics, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Computational mathematics, Image processing, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Environmental Engineering, VLSI Testing & Low Power VLSI Design etc.
Renewable Energy Power Projects for Rural Electrification in IndiaMohit Sharma
As demand for energy is increasing around the world & in India, there is a positive growth trend coming in the renewable energy sector also. There are many rural and remote areas which are energy deficient.
Private companies are encouraged by Government creating opportunities by various governmental schemes like Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna, Distributed Decentralized Generation and support in finance, distribution, technology, land, etc. As every area has its dynamics and differs from others in terms of topography, density of population and energy needs, there is a need of study for specific features related to a region (like a cluster of 19 villages in Gaya, Bihar requiring about 750kw Plant studied here) with the help of surveys, financial tools and earlier standards. Other renewable sources and areas are also covered in the book. The confidential information is edited-redacted.
Five megatrends (5Ds) will bring about changes to the Japanese
power/energy business. These changes are inevitable and
irreversible. We call them the 5Ds and they are: Deregulation,
Decentralization, Decarbonization, Digitalization and Depopulation.
Depopulation is the trend that Japan will likely face earlier than the
rest of the world, while the other 4Ds are global megatrends.
Pico solar PV systems development in Kenya as opposed to rural electrificationAugustine Okoth
Pico Solar homes systems use have greatly grown in Africa with Kenya taking the lead. Most rural areas do not have to electricity. Due to poverty most households cannot afford electricity either way, hence settling for kerosene or candle as their source of lighting. This can lead to health problems and is expensive in the long run. This study discusses power situation in Kenya. It explains why we need to embrace solar in the rural areas as compared to national grid rural electrification. Majority of Kenyans still use kerosene for lighting even though the Pico PV is very affordable. The government, donors and solar companies have a big role to play in promoting the use of green energy in the rural areas. This can be done by creation of awareness of the product and ensuring that the standards on the solar systems are met.
Electricity is one of the most important drivers of socio-economic development, yet up to 250 million Indians are not connected to the national grid, and the majority of rural consumers have grossly unreliable power supply. More than solar lanterns and home systems that power a few lights and fans, among the most efficient ways to provide reliable electricity in remote areas is through local mini-grids. India has several run by energy service companies and usually funded by philanthropic capital.
Most of these enterprises have not been able to scale-up their impact meaningfully because the risk of the national grid entering their markets can render their mini-grid unviable. Rather than seeing “grid versus mini-grid” as a policy choice, Beyond Off-Grid: Integrating Mini-Grids with India’s Evolving Electricity System explores ways we can encourage more of both: to have the grid operate in partnership with a network of distributed mini-grids to accelerate electrification.
What does the roadmap for this ‘interconnection’ of our energy system look like? How can we leverage both government and private investment? What are the different interconnection models and their commercial, technical and regulatory implications? Where do mini-grids go from here? This timely report – commissioned by the Asha Impact Trust in collaboration with Shakti Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation – provides a multi-layered perspective to address these questions based on extensive research, wide-ranging policymaker interactions, and our investment experience evaluating mini-grid operators.
Biological screening of herbal drugs: Introduction and Need for
Phyto-Pharmacological Screening, New Strategies for evaluating
Natural Products, In vitro evaluation techniques for Antioxidants, Antimicrobial and Anticancer drugs. In vivo evaluation techniques
for Anti-inflammatory, Antiulcer, Anticancer, Wound healing, Antidiabetic, Hepatoprotective, Cardio protective, Diuretics and
Antifertility, Toxicity studies as per OECD guidelines
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
Acetabularia Information For Class 9 .docxvaibhavrinwa19
Acetabularia acetabulum is a single-celled green alga that in its vegetative state is morphologically differentiated into a basal rhizoid and an axially elongated stalk, which bears whorls of branching hairs. The single diploid nucleus resides in the rhizoid.
Introduction to AI for Nonprofits with Tapp NetworkTechSoup
Dive into the world of AI! Experts Jon Hill and Tareq Monaur will guide you through AI's role in enhancing nonprofit websites and basic marketing strategies, making it easy to understand and apply.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
The French Revolution Class 9 Study Material pdf free download
Power to the powerless
1. Ending energy poverty Power to the powerless
A new electricity system is emerging to bring light to the world’s poorest. The key is persuading
customers to pay. Feb 27th 2016 | From the print edition
IMAGINE a country the size of India without power. No electric lights, mobile phones, radios crackling with
cricket or televisions blaring Bollywood hits. Its economy would be medieval: tailors without electric
sewing machines; metalworkers without power lathes; farmers without water pumps. Everyone would
rush to finish work by sundown. Nights would be lit only by the moon, cooking fires, candles and kerosene
lamps.
* This is reality for 1.1 billion people globally —not far short of the population of India. The biggest
numbers are in rural southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (see chart). According to the UN, 220m people
gained electricity between 2010 and 2012. But most of them were in urban areas, particularly in India. In
sub-Saharan Africa, a region that, excluding South Africa, uses less electricity than New York state,
electrification barely kept pace with population growth. Some 600m of its people are without electricity;
demography means that by 2030 the number could be even higher. What would it take to bring all these
people into the modern world?
Much as mobile telephony has helped the poor leapfrog landlines (ndp: traditional telephone lines) and
bricks-and-mortar (ndp: physical) banking services, a handful of tech-savvy entrepreneurs are seeking to
provide widespread access to clean, cheap energy with local systems, metered and paid for by mobile
phone. They hope to vault electricity grids, harvesting solar energy beamed down onto rooftops rather
than using fossil fuels, and connecting it to batteries to store the energy until nightfall.
Their offerings are likely to be best-suited to private customers in rural areas, whose energy needs are
low and who are expensive to connect to grids. But their evolving business models, and innovative
marketing and payment methods, also hold lessons for grid firms seeking to provide power to businesses
and urban households.
Beyond the pylons
Governments and utilities in poor countries are often too cash-strapped to extend their grids. Part of the
problem is widespread reluctance among users to pay for electricity. Customers who do not pay their
mobile-phone bills can have their connection taken away remotely; electricity is harder to cut off, and
easier to steal. This creates a vicious circle in which utilities lose money, reducing the funds available for
improving and expanding supply, and further sapping users’ willingness to pay. “The real threat to energy
access is that energy is not treated as a private good, but as a right,” says Michael Greenstone, an energy
specialist at the University of Chicago. “And the problem with a right is that no one wants to pay for it.”
Across the world efforts are under way to change such attitudes, using technology and attempts to tweak
social norms. In parts of Delhi, a utility has encouraged women to persuade neighbours to pay their bills
in order to secure better service for all. Mr Greenstone is part of a project, funded by the International
Growth Centre, a global research network with headquarters in London, that is looking for ways to
encourage people to pay for electricity in Bihar, where 64m people are without power—the highest share,
at 64%, of any Indian state.
Bihar has plenty of generating capacity, Mr Greenstone says, but gets paid for little more than half the
power it provides. The rest is pilfered, unmetered or unbilled. The state power company has promised to
provide electricity to “feeder” areas of 2,000-3,000 households that pay at least 60% of their bills. In a
few randomly selected areas, it will increase the supply of electricity in proportion to the share of bills that
are paid. The aim is to make people more aware of the value of their electricity supply and to encourage
payment. Mr Greenstone thinks that the results of the trial, due later this year, will underscore the need
for pre-paid electricity meters for households. These are similar to coin-fed meters in low-income housing
in the developed world, but can be topped up by mobile phone, rather than cash. Uganda, where only
15% of the population is connected to the grid, is an early adopter. Selestino Babungi, the head of
Umeme, the sole grid operator, says that half its 800,000 customers use pre-paid meters. Before 2005,
when it won the distribution contract, theft was ubiquitous. About 38% of electricity was “lost” because of
illegal hook-ups or non-payment; some big businesses went as far as flying in Indian engineers to rig
their meters. By making payments easier for clients and installing an automated system that detects
when a meter is tampered with, the firm has brought that share down to 18.5%.
Higher revenues will help the company reach its goal of tripling the size of its distribution network to
absorb additional power soon to be generated in Uganda. Most will go to industry and ag ribusiness, says
Mr Babungi, creating jobs that bring more people to the income level where they can afford to connect to
the grid and buy household appliances that consume more power. Customers in such areas are likely to
be better payers.
2. The power of progress
* Though Uganda’s government promises that eventually electricity will be rolled out to everyone, starting
with regions where jobs are likely to be created is an idea with a good pedigree. Vietnam launched its
post-war electrification in the rice-growing regions of the Red river and Mekong river deltas, helping the
country to become one of Asia’s biggest rice exporters. Then it moved on to less immediately profitable
areas. Access, which was under 50% in the late 1980s, is now almost universal. Thailand and Costa Rica,
which also quickly electrified rural regions, both prioritised areas where the potential for commercial
development was higher.
* Such rapid electrification, often using fossil fuels, may look like the cheapest way to bring power to
everyone. And replacing fires and wood stoves improves air quality. But overall the environmental
damage is severe, in terms both of adding smog to cities and accelerating climate change. Even the
poorest countries are increasingly aware of the risks of pollution, says Anita Marangoly George of the
World Bank. “Why lock them into choices that will turn Lagos and Nairobi into Delhi and Beijing?” she
asks.
Hence donors prefer to fund power projects that are green as well as profitable. Some worry that this
could saddle poor countries with pricey, intermittent energy. For instance a $24m utility-scale solar-
energy project in Rwanda generates electricity at 24 cents per kilowatt hour. Industry executives say they
could produce it at half the cost using natural gas.
Others fret that solar energy is still not reliable enough to power economic development. On February
22nd Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and now a philanthropist, published an open letter with his wife,
Melinda, drawing attention to poor people’s lack of energy around the world, and poor women’s lack of
time (in part because they lack powered labour-saving devices). He says that with current technology,
solar power and batteries are insufficient to satisfy Africa’s energy needs. The good news, he adds, is that
Africa has several other possible sources of fairly clean and reliable energy: geothermal in east Africa,
hydro in Ethiopia and central Africa, and natural gas in several countries, including Mozambique and
Tanzania. Unlike wind and solar power, these can be used for “baseload” power that operates constantly.
“If you want to attract manufacturing jobs you can’t have intermittent energy,” says Mr Gates. “If you
want energy at less than 10 cents per kilowatt hour that’s not some battery connected up to intermittent
forces.”
Regional transmission networks are an important part of the solution, says MsMarangoly George, since
they allow countries and regions to share power, thus making green energy more dependable. And she
notes that in recent wholesale power auctions in South Africa, wind and solar power have been as cheap
as other sources of energy. Soon auctions in Zambia and Senegal will show whether the cost of green
technologies has fallen as fast in poorer countries. Potentially the most promising approach to bringing
light to the 1.1 billion divides the task between traditional utilities and smaller, more entrepreneurial
firms. The former focus on cities and businesses, and the latter supply “off-grid” power to poorer
households in rural areas, individually or via neighbourhood “mini-grids”.
M-KOPA, which operates in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and Off-Grid Electric, in Tanzania and Rwanda,
offer packages of appliances, such as a few LED lights, a mobile-phone charger and a radio, all powered
by a solar panel and a battery. Payments are made via mobile phone. An upfront cost of $150-500 would
be prohibitive to most of their customers. So the firms charge in instalments, which are spread out
enough to bring the monthly cost below that of buying kerosene for lamps. Default rates are negligible; if
payments stop, the service is disconnected remotely by disabling the box that links the panel to the
appliances. Once the loan is paid off, there are no further payments, until a customer invests in a bigger
system with more appliances, such as a flat-screen TV. M-KOPA says it is introducing new customers to
electricity at the rate of 500 a day.
The trick, executives say, is to convince clients that they are buying appliances rather than electricity —
and to make the gadgets ever more sleek and efficient so that they can operate on the low voltage
generated by rooftop solar panels. The next step is to provide low-energy fridges that could help
customers open small restaurants or grocery stores. (Off-Grid Electric says it already powers hairdressers
and sports bars.) Meanwhile they seek to convince conventional power providers that they are not in
competition. “The main conversation we have with utilities is telling them: ‘We target your non-profitable
customers,’” says Xavier Helgesen, the boss of Off-Grid Electric.
Lighting the way
Neither of these firms is anywhere near the millions of new subscribers a year needed to make a dent in
(ndp: reduce) the 1.1 billion. But they show that if payments are sliced small enough and made via
mobile phone—and an army of sales staff is deployed to educate potential customers about the social and
economic benefits—poor people will pay for small but life-changing amounts of power. These lessons
could make grid-based electricity more accessible, too.
3. 1. Find the words or phrases matching the following definitions:
The word form used in the text is supplied in italics before the definitions. Paragraphs
beginning with * do not contain anyone of the solutions.
1. Gerund. Intransitive verb. To sound loud and strident
2. Infinitive. Transitive verb. Here: to avoid/evade a problem/obstacle. Comes from a children's game in
which one player bends down so that another player can leap over the back of the first player!
3. Adjective. Having practical understanding or knowledge of something
4. infinitive. Transitive verb. To leap over; especially : to leap over by or as if by aid of the hands or a
pole
5. Noun. A social unit composed of those living together in the same dwelling
6. Compound adjective. Lacking sufficient money
7. Gerund. Transitive verb. To gradually diminish the supply or intensity of. Comes from the fluid that
circulates through a plant!
8. Set phrase. In progress
9. Infinitive. Transitive verb. To make small changes in order to improve something.
10. Past participle. Transitive verb. To steal in small quantities.
11. Noun. A social unit composed of those living together in the same dwelling.
12. Infinitive. Transitive verb. To emphasize (something) or show the importance of (something)
13. Past participle. Phrasal verb. To make up to the full quantity, capacity, or amount. To replenish.
14. Adjective. existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered. Widespread.
15. Infinitive. Transitive verb. To manipulate or control usually by deceptive or dishonest means
16. Past participle. Intransitive verb. To interfere so as to weaken or change for the worse —used
with with
17. 2-word set phrase. A machine or piece of equipment that you have in your home, such as a washing
machine or a refrigerator.
18. Infinitive. Phrasal verb. To give someone something that is difficult to deal with. To burden (someone)
with.
19. Noun. Used twice in the text: first as part of a compound adjective and then in its plural form. A
business that supplies a public service (as electricity or gas) under special regulation by the government .
20. Infinitive. Intransitive verb. To be afraid of, to worry.
21. Noun. The business of selling things in large amounts to other businesses rather than to individual
customers
22. Adjective. These types of payments or costs are paid before you get the goods or services you are
paying for.
23. Noun. One of several payments that an amount is divided into, so that you do not have to pay the
whole amount at one time.
24. Noun. A failure to make a payment (such as a payment on a loan)
25. Adjective. straight and smooth in design or shape. Also: stylish and attractive.
26. Past participle. Transitive verb. to organize and send out (people or things) to be used for a particular
purpose.
2. With a partner, identify the main ideas in each paragraph.
3. Select the most important or "take-home" messages from the article and write them down
in bullet points.
4. In what ways is this article similar/dissimilar to the video we saw on solar technology?
5. What do you think the author of the article means by: "These lessons could make grid- based
electricity more accessible, too."
6. In regard to sustainability, what did you find encouraging/uplifting or on the contrary,
discouraging/disheartening in the article? What can we do as individuals to try and secure
access to reliable electricity for all human beings (in as near a future as possible) while not
further burdening our planet?
4.
5. CORRECTION: Ending energy poverty Power to the powerless
A new electricity system is emerging to bring light to the world’s poorest. The key is persuading
customers to pay. Feb 27th 2016 | From the print edition
IMAGINE a country the size of India without power. No electric lights, mobile phones, radios crackling with
cricket or televisions blaring Bollywood hits. Its economy would be medieval: tailors without electric
sewing machines; metalworkers without power lathes; farmers without water pumps. Everyone would
rush to finish work by sundown. Nights would be lit only by the moon, cooking fires, candles and kerosene
lamps.
This is reality for 1.1 billion people globally—not far short of the population of India. The biggest numbers
are in rural southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa (see chart). According to the UN, 220m people gained
electricity between 2010 and 2012. But most of them were in urban areas, particularly in India. In sub-
Saharan Africa, a region that, excluding South Africa, uses less electricity than New York state,
electrification barely kept pace with population growth. Some 600m of its people are without electricity;
demography means that by 2030 the number could be even higher. What would it take to bring all these
people into the modern world?
Much as mobile telephony has helped the poor leapfrog landlines and bricks-and- mortar banking
services, a handful of tech-savvy entrepreneurs are seeking to provide widespread access to clean, cheap
energy with local systems, metered and paid for by mobile phone. They hope to vault electricity grids,
harvesting solar energy beamed down onto rooftops rather than using fossil fuels, and connecting it to
batteries to store the energy until nightfall.
Their offerings are likely to be best-suited to private customers in rural areas, whose energy needs are
low and who are expensive to connect to grids. But their evolving business models, and innovative
marketing and payment methods, also hold lessons for grid firms seeking to provide power to businesses
and urban households.
Beyond the pylons
Governments and utilities in poor countries are often too cash-strapped to extend their grids. Part of the
problem is widespread reluctance among users to pay for electricity. Customers who do not pay their
mobile-phone bills can have their connection taken away remotely; electricity is harder to cut off, and
easier to steal. This creates a vicious circle in which utilities lose money, reducing the funds available for
improving and expanding supply, and further sapping users’ willingness to pay. “The real threat to
energy access is that energy is not treated as a private good, but as a right,” says Michael Greenstone, an
energy specialist at the University of Chicago. “And the problem with a right is that no one wants to pay
for it.”
Across the world efforts are under way to change such attitudes, using technology and attempts to
tweak social norms. In parts of Delhi, a utility has encouraged women to persuade neighbours to pay
their bills in order to secure better service for all. Mr Greenstone is part of a project, funded by the
International Growth Centre, a global research network with headquarters in London, that is looking for
ways to encourage people to pay for electricity in Bihar, where 64m people are without power—the
highest share, at 64%, of any Indian state.
Bihar has plenty of generating capacity, Mr Greenstone says, but gets paid for little more than half the
power it provides. The rest is pilfered, unmetered or unbilled. The state power company has promised to
provide electricity to “feeder” areas of 2,000-3,000 households that pay at least 60% of their bills. In a
few randomly selected areas, it will increase the supply of electricity in proportion to the share of bills that
are paid. The aim is to make people more aware of the value of their electricity supply and to encourage
payment. Mr Greenstone thinks that the results of the trial, due later this year, will underscore the need
for pre-paid electricity meters for households. These are similar to coin-fed meters in low-income housing
in the developed world, but can be topped up by mobile phone, rather than cash. Uganda, where only
15% of the population is connected to the grid, is an early adopter. Selestino Babungi, the head of
Umeme, the sole grid operator, says that half its 800,000 customers use pre-paid meters. Before 2005,
when it won the distribution contract, theft was ubiquitous. About 38% of electricity was “lost” because
of illegal hook-ups or non-payment; some big businesses went as far as flying in Indian engineers to rig
their meters. By making payments easier for clients and installing an automated system that detects
when a meter is tampered with, the firm has brought that share down to 18.5%.
Higher revenues will help the company reach its goal of tripling the size of its distribution network to
absorb additional power soon to be generated in Uganda. Most will go to industry and agribusiness, says
Mr Babungi, creating jobs that bring more people to the income level where they can afford to connect to
the grid and buy household appliances that consume more power. Customers in such areas are likely to
be better payers.
6. The power of progress
Though Uganda’s government promises that eventually electricity will be rolled out to everyone, starting
with regions where jobs are likely to be created is an idea with a good pedigree. Vietnam launched its
post-war electrification in the rice-growing regions of the Red river and Mekong river deltas, helping the
country to become one of Asia’s biggest rice exporters. Then it moved on to less immediately profitable
areas. Access, which was under 50% in the late 1980s, is now almost universal. Thailand and Costa Rica,
which also quickly electrified rural regions, both prioritised areas where the potential for commercial
development was higher.
Such rapid electrification, often using fossil fuels, may look like the cheapest way to bring power to
everyone. And replacing fires and wood stoves improves air quality. But overall the environmental
damage is severe, in terms both of adding smog to cities and accelerating climate change. Even the
poorest countries are increasingly aware of the risks of pollution, says Anita Marangoly George of the
World Bank. “Why lock them into choices that will turn Lagos and Nairobi into Delhi and Beijing?” she
asks.
Hence donors prefer to fund power projects that are green as well as profitable. Some worry that this
could saddle poor countries with pricey, intermittent energy. For instance a $24m utility-scale solar-
energy project in Rwanda generates electricity at 24 cents per kilowatt hour. Industry executives say they
could produce it at half the cost using natural gas.
Others fret that solar energy is still not reliable enough to power economic development. On February
22nd Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and now a philanthropist, published an open letter with his wife,
Melinda, drawing attention to poor people’s lack of energy around the world, and poor women’s lack of
time (in part because they lack powered labour-saving devices). He says that with current tec hnology,
solar power and batteries are insufficient to satisfy Africa’s energy needs. The good news, he adds, is that
Africa has several other possible sources of fairly clean and reliable energy: geothermal in east Africa,
hydro in Ethiopia and central Africa, and natural gas in several countries, including Mozambique and
Tanzania. Unlike wind and solar power, these can be used for “baseload” power that operates constantly.
“If you want to attract manufacturing jobs you can’t have intermittent energy,” says Mr Gates. “If you
want energy at less than 10 cents per kilowatt hour that’s not some battery connected up to intermittent
forces.”
Regional transmission networks are an important part of the solution, says MsMarangoly George, since
they allow countries and regions to share power, thus making green energy more dependable. And she
notes that in recent wholesale power auctions in South Africa, wind and solar power have been as cheap
as other sources of energy. Soon auctions in Zambia and Senegal will show w hether the cost of green
technologies has fallen as fast in poorer countries. Potentially the most promising approach to bringing
light to the 1.1 billion divides the task between traditional utilities and smaller, more entrepreneurial
firms. The former focus on cities and businesses, and the latter supply “off-grid” power to poorer
households in rural areas, individually or via neighbourhood “mini-grids”.
M-KOPA, which operates in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, and Off-Grid Electric, in Tanzania and Rwanda,
offer packages of appliances, such as a few LED lights, a mobile-phone charger and a radio, all powered
by a solar panel and a battery. Payments are made via mobile phone. An upfront cost of $150-500 would
be prohibitive to most of their customers. So the firms charge in instalments, which are spread out
enough to bring the monthly cost below that of buying kerosene for lamps. Default rates are negligible; if
payments stop, the service is disconnected remotely by disabling the box that links the panel to the
appliances. Once the loan is paid off, there are no further payments, until a customer invests in a bigger
system with more appliances, such as a flat-screen TV. M-KOPA says it is introducing new customers to
electricity at the rate of 500 a day.
The trick, executives say, is to convince clients that they are buying appliances rather than electricity —
and to make the gadgets ever more sleek and efficient so that they can operate on the low voltage
generated by rooftop solar panels. The next step is to provide low-energy fridges that could help
customers open small restaurants or grocery stores. (Off-Grid Electric says it already powers hairdressers
and sports bars.) Meanwhile they seek to convince conventional power providers that they are not in
competition. “The main conversation we have with utilities is telling them: ‘We target your non-profitable
customers,’” says Xavier Helgesen, the boss of Off-Grid Electric.
Lighting the way
Neither of these firms is anywhere near the millions of new subscribers a year needed to make a dent in
the 1.1 billion. But they show that if payments are sliced small enough and made via mobile phone —and
an army of sales staff is deployed to educate potential customers about the social and economic
benefits—poor people will pay for small but life-changing amounts of power. These lessons could make
grid-based electricity more accessible, too.