This presentation outlines the different options for energy storage in solar pumping – batteries vs tanks. The presentation demonstrates the following points:-
The case study was done by Eng. Philip Holi.
Click here to download the presentation
Davis & Shirtliff (D&S), Kenya’s leading Water and Energy equipment provider, have brought together some of the world’s leading German solar equipment companies for a Solar Seminar to focus on the technology of Solar Power Electricity Generation for both off and on grid applications.
The sweltering afternoon heat took its toll on the 12 year Kevin Ooko as he rode the battered family bicycle along the Kisumu Kisian road. With five-20 liter jerry cans precariously loaded on the bicycle carrier, the teenager struggle to keep his balance.
Leading water and energy solutions provider, Davis & Shirtliff, recently partnered with the Water Services Providers Association (WASPA) to provide training on emerging water & energy technologies to water utility heads who face a myriad of challenges in their operations.
Electricity prices in Kenya are among the highest in East Africa; only Rwandans pay more. Yet despite the high cost, Kenyans do not enjoy a high quality service, with power cuts and power rationing all too frequent, and changing weather patterns adding to the problem. Hydro-electric power provides over 60 per cent of the national electricity supply, but repeated failure of rains and environmental damage of watersheds has badly affected generation capacity. No wonder then that the Government is prioritising the exploitation of more reliable sources of power. And with international finance available for renewable energy technologies, wind power is high on their list.
Mega projects for Megawatts
Kenya's wind energy capacity is considerable; the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has estimated it could reach 3,000 Megawatts (MW), more than double the current national demand. Northern districts like Turkana and Marsabit have the greatest potential, and wind farm construction here is proceeding apace. A Dutch consortium, the Lake Turkana Wind Power Company (LTWC) has leased 70,000 hectares for construction of a 380 turbine wind farm, one of the largest in the world. When completed, the Lake Turkana wind farm is estimated to generate over 20 per cent of national electricity supply, and be the cheapest source of electricity in the country. A 300 mile transmission line will connect the wind farm to the national grid.
Other projects approved by the Ministry of Energy include a 300MW project in Marsabit in Kenya's Upper Eastern province, 350MW from various sites in Lamu Coast province and a 60MW facility in Kinangop, north of Nairobi. All these are due to be in operation by the end of 2013 or sooner, with the Government planning to offer US$8 billion in incentives for private sector investment. Patrick Nyoike, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy, is passionate about the need for that investment. "We realize that power rationing and prohibitive electricity charges only end up doing more harm than good to our economy and our people," he says. "This has inspired us to look into alternatives, chief among them wind. We have to get everyone on board to light every corner of the country and get our people out from the darkness."
Key to these ambitions is the Scaling-Up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries (SREP), which operates through the Climate Investment Fund, with financial support from bilateral partners, notably the UK Department for International Development and the Government of The Netherlands. International carbon trading markets are also set to provide considerable funding; the Lake Turkana wind farm is estimated to be eligible for over €7 million in carbon credit payments, once completed.
Power for the people
While the government is supporting construction of mega projects, thousands of individual Kenyans are also choosing to invest in wind power. Surveys by market research company Synnovate have shown a 30 per cent increase in the number of companies selling renewable energy devices over the last five years. Norman Chege, Solar Division Manager at equipment firm Davis and Shirtliff, can attest to the growing popularity; in the same period, sales of household wind turbines by his company have tripled.
Customers have been attracted by the potential to generate their own power and avoid spiralling bills, as well as by the small amount of space needed to install a turbine. "It means I still have space for growing more in my garden and for anything else I want to set up. Space is everything around here," says Lincoln Omondi, a 35 year old bank teller who lives in Isinya, a semi arid area to the south of Nairobi. His 1,000 Watt generator, bought for around US$1,500, provides enough power to light his home, operate his appliances, power a small pump in his house and produce a surplus he can store in a battery.
Rural electrification
In Isinya, Omondi is not alone in his enthusiasm for wind turbines. The area is exposed to consistently strong winds, but is far from the national grid, and these combined factors have led to a massive uptake in household generating devices. According to Davis and Shirtliff, 45 per cent of households in the area rely on wind energy for one or more activities, whether for farming or household needs. "That is a huge number, which has baffled us," says Norman Chege. "But it has also allowed us to spread the message of wind energy adoption at household level to other areas that have strong winds, using Isinya as a success story. Already in areas like Kajiado the response is promising," he says.
Recently, the government's Rural Electrification Authority (REA), in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has embarked on a pilot project to promote wind turbines among communities, institutions and individuals. The project is installing wind turbines for domestic electricity supply, with the surplus being sold to the Kenya electricity generating company Kengen. "It is a very promising and ambitious project," says Nathan Kabue a senior engineer at the REA, "One we anticipate will spur installation of more windmills and other renewable sources of energy like solar, so that we can reduce the over reliance on hydro power as we accelerate electricity connectivity across the country."
Click here to download the article
In 1946 Davis & Shirtliff was founded as a water supply contracting company in Kenya. During the 67 years of its existence, it has grown into one of the leading distributors of water-related equipment in East Africa. And as infrastructure projects expand and demand for convenient access to water increases, the company is certain to see its products and brand reach an even greater level of success.
Click here to download the article
Lodwar Water Services Company (LOWASCO) has partnered with leading water and energy solutions provider, Davis and Shirtliff, and the Japanese Aid Agency (JICA), in a Sh16m project to install solar hybrid borehole pumping systems in three of its seven borehole fields in Lodwar, which will lower the cost of water supply by 33 per cent and improve reliability.
The exorbitant cost of electricity has kept the cost of supplying water in the area high, with LOWASCO spending Sh45 to supply each cubic meter of water while charging its clients just Sh33 per cubic meter – consequently incurring a loss of Sh12 per cubic meter supplied. The boreholes will now pump water using solar energy by day and switch over to mains power by night, when the demand for mains power is at its lowest. Until now, water from the boreholes has been pumped solely with mains electricity, which was not only unreliable, but also extremely expensive.
Through the installation of the solar hybrid borehole pumping system, the water service provider will now incur a cost of Sh30 for each cubic metre of water.
“Supplying water to Lodwar had been costly due to the large amount of electricity used in pumping water from the boreholes. We wanted to keep the tariffs low and as such it was imperative that we found solutions to lower our costs to under Sh33 per cubic metre to at least break even,” said Rtd. Col. John Esekon, LOWASCO Managing Director.
With the desert town of Lodwar receiving an average 9.6 hours of sunshine a day, higher than most towns in Kenya, according to the Kenya Meteorological Department, drastically lowering the reliance of the three boreholes on mains power through the use of solar energy was deemed a viable alternative in improving water supply to the business hub of Turkana County.
To achieve this, Davis and Shirtliff installed 94 solar panels on one borehole and 144 solar panels on each of the other two and added hybrid generators, so that each borehole supplies between 125 and 250 cubic metres of water a day.
The installations feature a remote monitoring mechanism that measures the rate of flow of water, current consumption and available radiation. This is vital for the timely repair and regular maintenance of the systems so that they operate at their full capacity where they pump 675 cubic metres of water daily.
“Each pumping system is fitted with a tracking system so that we can keep tabs on the performance of the solar hybrid pumping systems. We can, therefore, run the diagnostics necessary to keep them at optimum performance by facilitating timely post-installation support,” said Anthony Karunguru, Davis and Shirtliff’s senior technician for the Lodwar project.
Turkana County has been the focus of concerted investment due to the recent oil exploration in the county. Lodwar, the business hub of the region, has seen sizeable growth in the hospitality and trade sectors, as a spillover effect, increasing the need for a reliable and affordable water supply to meet the demands by businesses.
With the installation of the solar hybrid borehole pumping systems having facilitated the maintenance of water tariffs at Sh33 per cubic meter, LOWASCO now plans to convert its remaining four boreholes to hybrid pumping systems to further improve the reliability of water services in the town.
Davis and Shirtliff has previously undertaken similar installations in Wajir, Isiolo, Machakos and Moyale counties. The five-week project in Lodwar has, however, been a different kind of experience for the Davis and Shirtliff team, which had to hire four protection officers as escorts from Kainuk to Lokichar and onwards to Lodwar, with visitors highly susceptible to attacks by gangs in Turkana County.
Transporting essential parts of the pumping system proved to be complex. “It would take three days for equipment to arrive from Nairobi, 684km away, due to the poor road network. At one point, we had to airlift a motor from Nairobi due to the urgency with which it was required and its delicate nature” said Mr. Karunguru.
The role of the project in transforming lives, however, weighed more on the team, seeing the triple project eventually successfully delivered.
Davis and Shirtliff Limited is a Kenyan multinational, operating through a network of Kenyan branches and regional subsidiaries in Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Burundi and DRC. Founded in Kenya in 1946, it is the leading supplier of water-related and alternative energy equipment in East Africa.
Click here to download the article