DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

CHEM 552:Special Topics in Physical Chemistry IIPresentation

Group members:Hamidou KeitaCivan AvciFatma Tuba YasarNisa Yesilgul

POSSIBLE SOLAR ELECTRICITY IN THE GAMBIA

OVERVIEW The Gambia is a relatively small state with a total

surface of only 11,300 km² and is located on the Western African coast. Totally surrounded by its neighbour Senegal. It has a population of 1.8million people.

Due to its location, the country enjoys year-round sunshine ideal for tapping solar energy for commercial and domestic purposes.

Over the years, a lot of solar PV systems have been installed for applications such as :

o water pumping,o refrigeration,o telecommunications ando community lighting

ENERGY SECTOR IN THE GAMBIA The major sources of

energy, according to the Energy Data (1996 – 2006) are:

Fuelwood and its derivatives,

Petroleum products electricity and renewable energy

STATUS OF POWER SECTOR IN THE GAMBIA The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC), is the sole

producer and distributor of commercial electricity throughout the country.

NAWEC’s electricity production is marked by a number of problems.vizo under-capitalization(20% coverage)o a rigid tariff system,o escalating fuel priceso transmission and distribution losses

The company have great difficulties in meeting its operational costs, replace obsolete equipment and to invest in generation capacity expansion.

As a result of the above, solar electricity is becoming a viable and most promising form of energy in The Gambia.

In addition to solar electricity, other forms of renewable energy like wind power are seldomly used.

GAM-SOLAR GAM-Solar Energy is the leading solar energy company in

The Gambia. GAM-Solar was founded in 1998 and is dedicated to

providingprofessional solar energy designs and installations for efficiency and sustainable power supplies.

GAM-Solar consist of highly qualified engineers and technicians that not only install but also train locals in the solar business.

They play an important role in 3 key sectors of development.

1. ELECTRICITY,2. WATER 3. FOOD through agricultural irrigation projects.

GAM-SOLAR To date approximately over 80 village solar

pumping stations are installed and in full operation

Providing clean potable water to more than 300,000 people in the rural setting of The Gambia.

In collaboration with the Department of Water Resources, a five year contract scheme has been put in place for the maintenance and sustainability of these installed solar systems.

GAM-Solar is working closely with NGO’s, community based organisations and the Gambian Government to realize the full potential of solar energy in the Gambia.

http://www.gambia.com/gam-solar-energy-amp-engineering-company-ltd

SOLAR ELECTRICITY IN THE GAMBIA The Gambia's geographical location gives it plenty of sunlight

hours.

The country receives 2,500 hours of sunshine yearly and the daily solar energy potential is an average 2.5 kJ per square centimetre area (2.5KJ/cm2).

As a result, the government is encouraging the use of solar PV cells to complement the scarce electricity generated from the power stations.

COST OF SOLAR CELL IN THE GAMBIA Despite the fact that solar electricity is all the

more promising and effective, The deterring factor in the widespread utilization

of solar electricity is the initial cost of investment, which is beyond the reach of average Gambians.

The cost of the systems is tied to foreign exchange fluctuation.

A 55 Wp solar PV costs about $300 while a 75 Wp costs about $400.

The cost of accessories and installation maybe somewhere around $100 depending on the type of solar cell.

APPLICATIONS OF SOLAR ELECTRICITY IN THE GAMBIA Solar electricity find many uses and

applications in The Gambia as an alternative to grid electricity.

The provision of solar electricity to rural areas derives an important social and economic benefits to communities.

Example: Solar Home system in remote houses

or villages, electrification of the health care

facilities, Electrification of schools irrigation and water supply Telecommunication. Refrigeration etc

A TYPICAL SCHEME FOR SOLAR ELECTRICITY IN RURAL AND PERI-URBAN HOMES IN THE GAMBIA

SOLAR HOME SYSTEM Stand-alone solar home supply

systems are commonly encountered in remote villages and homes

The size range varies from 20 Wp to 5 kWp depending on the existing standard of living.

Typically larger systems are used in remote locations where household appliances include refrigeration, television and lighting.

Small systems (20-200 Wp) are used for lighting, radio and television in individual houses.

HEALTH CARE Extensive vaccination programmes are in progress

throughout the developing world in the fight against common diseases and Gambia is not an exception.

To be effective, these programmes must provide immunization services to rural areas.

All vaccines have to be kept within a strict temperature range throughout transportation and storage.

The provision of refrigeration for this aim is as important as the vaccine itself.

For this reason many remote hospitals are equipped with solar cells for both refrigeration and lighting.

And there are hospitals that carry out surgery using solar power.

SULAYMAN JUNKU GENERAL HOSPITAL Sulayman Junkung General

Hospital is one of the tertiary care hospitals in The Gambia located in Bwiam.

SJGH sees over 20,000 patients every year and has a catchment area of over 100,000 Gambians .

SJGH used to operate on generators for only 8-10 hour a day upto 2007.

In 2008, GamSolar,a leading solar contractor was contracted to installed 108 solar panels of 24volts or 130watts.

SJGH with a state of the art solar tracking system

The panels were installed with a tracking system for improve efficiency.

The total cost of the project was ~$300,000

90 panels are now used for electricity and 18 for water supply to the hospital.

SJGH now has 24/7 electricity to carry out surgery, store vaccines, air conditioning, water supply etc.

In the light of the above, the Gambian government has recognized SJGH as a successful model to replicate in other parts of the country.

ELECTRIFICATION OF SCHOOLS Solar power is proving to

be an excellent source of light and power to schools especially in the rural areas

Schools that are not connected to grid station find solar panel a convenient option.

Solar PV are use in schools to power computer labs, water supply, lighting etc.

Solar pumps brought running water to Bijilo Lower Basic School

IRRIGATION One the largest problems for farmers is

getting sufficient supply of water to their fields and the other is the cost of fuel.

As farming is practice mostly in the countryside where electricity is not usually available, Gambian farmers are investing in PVs for irrigation.

Although solar irrigation is done in a small scale, it proves to be an opportunity for constant supply of farm products during Gambia’s long dry season.

Solar system supplying power to the water pump on a banana farm in Fatoto in 2008. They never had a better harvest!

WATER SUPPLY Although the National water and electricity

company(NAWEC) has low coverage of electricity, its role in water supply is satisfactory.

Rural communities have access to clean drinking water with the massive aluminum water tower powered by arrays of solar panels.

With solar power, water supply by NAWEC is decentralized to the romodest part of the country unlike grid electricity.

Private own water tank power by solar are also common for area not connected with the main supply sysytem.

NAWEC solar integrated community water supply system

SOLAR ENERGY IN TELECOMMUNICATION Telecommunication is one of the most crucial aspect of

development in rural Gambia. It has transformed businesses, education system and even

standard of living.

Solar electricity has been used extensively in radio broadcasting, mobile GSM and internet communication.

With over 70% of rural population depending on alternative energy source,

The benefits of telecommunication would not have been realized by people in remote areas without solar energy.

MOBILE GSM OPERATORS In other to obtain full network

coverage across the country, telephone companies install relay transmitter in different regions.

The installation is done with regardless of presence of grid electricity.

The relay transmission antenna are powered by modules of solar panel.

This has brought quality mobile communication to the door step of every Gambia.

CYBER CAFE Solar powered cyber cafes are helping to

bridge the digital divide in rural settlements. In 2009,the first solar powered internet café

was installed by Focus energy solution in Lamin Village.

WHY USE SOLAR?Advantages: Long term cost saving Efficiency and economical than conventional

generators for low power consumption. Environmental soundness Minimal transportation (onetime),simple, low

cost maintenance, and easy to operate. Users can control their power as it is

decentralized. You don’t have to worry about fuel shortages, NAWEC being out, or political situations.

Disadvantages Initial Cost Limited suppliers of good quality products

and minimal human resources base for maintenance and installation.

Systems need often expensive and shortlived batteries for most applications.

CONCLUSION Solar electricity is simple and cost-effective

source of power once installed. It enables decentralization of electricity and

water supply. It is environmentally sound and minimize

dependency on forest resources for energy.

REFERENCES http://www.accessgambia.com/information/energy-sector.ht

ml http://powerupgambia.org/projects/sjgh The commonwealth rural African connectivity report/2011 Sanneh.E.S & Hu A.H, Lighting Rural and Peri-Urban Homes

of the Gambia Using Solar Photovoltaics(PV); The Open Renewable Energy Journal, 2009, 2, 00-00.

Ahadzie Y, Hyland D & Lezzi J;Civil Engineering and International Development Summer Internship: The University of Western Ontario,2011.

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