In the first part of the above titled article, we established that for any African country to be self-sufficient and industrialized, it is necessary to have a sound energy policy and embark on a diversified energy strategy.  A diversified energy is necessary to improve the quality of lives of citizens.  The diversification may include, among other possibilities, Biomass, energy from fossil, hydroelectric, micro-hydroelectric, Solar, Ocean waves and wind and last but not the least, Nuclear.  The option of nuclear energy must be carefully considered especially fro a developing world because the by-products are difficult to dispose of (ask US and Russia).  A country that embarks on a diversified energy will improve its quality of life through good healthcare delivery, improve its industrial base, enjoy increased foreign investments, indirectly discourage brain drain and hence enjoy advance technology transfer.  To this end, there need to be a paradigm shift in governmental energy policies toward industrialization in the 21^st century, a re-thinking of her energy and industrial strategies that can lead to stellar capacity utilization.

The idea of seeking helping hands from government other than sound energy policies must be discouraged, not from inefficient government and political leaders that see politics as a way for self aggrandizement.  In Nigeria, for example, every achievable business success is tied to who one knows in government.  For Nigerian energy professionals to divorce their success from a tie to government, they must work with anti-corruption agencies to rid the nation of corruption and begin to challenge those enemies of Nigeria that tag more that 140 million citizens as corrupt for the sins of a few citizens.  It is only through these efforts that the professionals can discuss with those trusted investors colleagues in Diaspora and in Nigeria that Nigerian energy sector is the next frontier to conquer and were gazillion Naira or dollars will be made on a FIFO basis.

Although citizens should not expect too much helping hands from their government, currently, successes in every the industrial sectors in Nigeria depend partly or wholly on Federal and state government inputs.  The only demand by energy professionals from any reliable, and people-focused government (Federal and States), should be sound energy policies.  Once good energy policies are established, public and private sectors will have confidence in attracting both national and foreign investors who will be willing to pump investment funds into the energy sectors just like in the communication sector.  But first, government policies must address: a) Institution’s finance and markets; b) the endemic corruptions that has stifled the nation’s growth and infrastructural developments; c) The nation’s capacity utilization; c) Energy sector’s management and efficiency; d) Local and Regional Environmental Impact of Energy; and e) Climate Change impact.  Most individuals and corporations in Nigeria currently depend on noisy and environmentally degrading generators to produce services and products and this must stop.

Stable energy sector will bring about industrial development.  Industrial development always follows the progressive establishment of primary, and secondary and tertiary industries.  Primary industries process can add values to agricultural or natural resources, while secondary industries utilize the products of primary industries with or without natural resources. Tertiary industries are of later developments and they depend on the output of secondary industries among other inputs.  At the onset, primary industries are mainly on small scales because of limited infrastructure, capital, technical expertise and managerial skills.  At this point in time, the growth of small-scale primary industries holds the key to industrial development in Nigeria.

On the other hand, appropriate small-scale industries will add value to local resources; promote the development of artisans, technicians, engineers and managers.  These industries will provide employment; foster economic growth and could sustain the economy when the Nigerian oil sector is depressed.  The choice of small-scale industries will depend on local resources that could be commercialized.

THE DISTURBING ATTITUDES OF NIGERIAN PROFESSIONALS

Nigerian professionals have never understood what cooperation contributes to the bottom line, take off of businesses, research implementation, and for the development of a nation.  If anyone has ever interacted with most Nigerian professionals, they seem to have ideas but when it comes to implementation, there are more chiefs than Indians.  All want to be the CEO of a corporation that is generating zero revenue.  In my own view, I believe there must be a change of attitude of those willing to work for the success of a system and allowing identified goal getters to stir the ship for greater financial and national success.  In the oil and gas sector, for example, there are so many small companies providing menial services in the upstream and downstream sectors instead of two or three smart and energetic Nigerians joining together, hiring an independent but active CEO to move the company forward, they settle for being MD in a Mom and Pap store type of business. What I am leading to in this article is that Nigerian professionals need to trust themselves write an enforceable by-laws, and run credible, globally recognized corporation.  The energy sector should take a lead in this venture.

SOLAR/PHOTOVOLTAIC ENERGY GENERATION, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Some African countries are exploring solar or Photovoltaic (PV) energy to augment the energy generated from fossil fuel or to use solar energy as a stand-alone in rural and even urban residential and industrial complexes.  Energy professionals who will be guided by sound energy policies from Federal and State governments must help Nigeria in: a) establishing realizable standards; b) Becoming a beckon of hope in erasing dark days; c) Frustrating the generator and diesel cabals efforts in stopping the wheel of progress in the nation for selfish reasons; d) Encourage hard work and industry; and e) become a true gateway to industrialization.

In Kwara state which is my state, as in most neighboring States, agriculture is the main stay and it should be focused on during the initial industrial development.  Developing this sector aligns well with existing social structure and needs, and paves way for a smooth transition to long-term industrialization.  When it is all said and done, sustainable energy of which solar energy is a part, is still the key to industrialization in developing countries.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SOLAR ENERGY

There are obvious advantages and disadvantages of solar energy.  The advantages of solar or Photovoltaic (PV) are

a)       ECONOMIC IMPACT

·         Solar energy provides superior lighting at the least cost when compared to utility power or generators.  Monthly payments for solar home system are often below what a family would pay for kerosene, dry-cell batteries and candles.

·         Solar electric systems can extend the productive work-day.  It is dark by 6:00 PM year round in equatorial latitudes and electric lighting only allows families extend their work-day to evening hours.

·         Solar energy helps to foster micro-enterprise development.  Enterprises in local towns and small shops can benefit by using the system to provide light during power outages and especially when utility power is not available.  For example, small businesses utilizing electric sewing machines, water pumps, and computers to provide services to the locals can benefit from solar electric system.  For these types of businesses, there would be no need for storage system because the businesses are operated during high sun hours.

·         Solar can create direct and indirect employment opportunities in the Nigerian States.  For instance, local businesses that sell and service solar home systems can spring up thus providing employments for local residents.  Dealers, regulated technicians via standardization can be employed selling and servicing solar home systems.

·         Solar energy system can facilitate the development of micro-lending programs.  Revolving credit funds and other financing mechanism may be utilized for the purpose of purchasing solar home systems.  Such credit servicing can become a vehicle for local financial institutions to set aside small funds such as loans to rural businesses for quick turn around.

·         Solar also helps to conserve foreign exchange.  As much as 90% of the export earnings of some developed countries are used to pay for imported oil and spare parts, mostly for generators.  Capitals saved by not building large power plants can be used for investing in health, education, economic development, and industry.  Expanding solar rural electrification creates jobs and business opportunities based on an appropriate technology in decentralized marketplace.

b)   EDUCATIONAL IMPACT

·   Solar electrification improves literacy by providing high quality electric reading lights.  Electric lighting is far brighter than kerosene or candle lightening and it can prevent house burning.

·   Solar increases access to news and educational programming through television and radio broadcasts.  With the advent of television and radio people who were previously cut off from electronic information, educational and entertainment can be reconnected at minimal cost.

·   On going education classes and adult literacy can be encouraged and held during the evening hours in solar-lit community centers when other days work is completed.

·   Solar lightening can provides residential lights so that men of the underworld who need darkness to work will be discouraged fro operating and might even be encouraged to take on genuine works that are legal and assuring;

·   Solar electricity, when coupled with wireless communications can encourage rural phone and data communication services to remote villages.  It can also help in reporting of accidents to area emergency medical centers thus saving valuable lives; and more importantly,

·   Imagine how beautiful an environment, and proud our students would be when placed in an environment well lit, air-conditioned primary, secondary, and other tertiary schools with modern telecommunication technologies.  A healthy educational environment provides a healthy mind and a sound research vision.

c)   HEALTH IMPACT

·   Kerosene lamps are serious fire hazard in developing world killing and maiming tens of thousands of economic productive citizens each year.  Kerosene, diesel fuel and gasoline when stored for use in powering lamps and small generators are often safety hazards, whereas, solar electric lamps are entirely safe.

·   Solar improves indoor air quality and environment.  Fume from kerosene lamps in poorly ventilated homes are serious health problem in much of the world where electric light is erratic or unavailable.  The World Bank estimates that 780 million women and children breathing kerosene fumes inhale the equivalent of smoke from two packs of cigarette a day.

·   The use of solar electric lighting systems by rural health centers increases the quality of healthcare provided.  Solar electric systems improve patient diagnoses through task lighting and use of electrically lit microscopes.  Photovoltaic system can power televisions and VCRs in order to educate healthcare workers and patients about preventive care, medical procedures, and other healthcare provisions.

·   Finally, solar electric refrigerators have a higher degree of temperature control than kerosene units and this leads to lower vaccine spoilage rates and increased immunization effectiveness.

d)      ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

·         With decrease in the amount of kerosene use for lighting there is corresponding reduction in the amount of local pollution produced.  Solar rural electrification also decreases the amount of electricity needed from small diesel generators;

·         Solar offsets greenhouse gases.  Photovoltaic systems produce electric power with no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.  Carbon emission offset is calculated at approximately 6 tons of CO2 over the twenty-year life of one PV system;

·         For developing world, solar is an effective energy conservation program because it allows costly conventional power for urban, town market centers, and industrial and commercial uses and leaves decentralized P–V generated power to provide lighting and basic electrical needs of the majority of rural populations; and

·         The small cell batteries used for flashlights and radios provide source of energy for un-electrified world.  Most of these batteries are disposable lead-acid cells which are not recycled.  Lead from disposed dry-cells is absorbed into the ground thereby contaminating soil water.  Solar rural electrification decreases the lead absorbed due to less battery use since over fourteen million batteries were sold in 2003.

ADVANTAGES OF SOLAR POWER OVER GENERATORS

·         Solar is passive and eliminates the noise that results from generators;

·         Solar power contains no moving parts and hence there is little or no maintenance required;

·         Solar is modular which implies that one can start with a small system and later add to it as one’s needs increase.  A generator, on the other hands, will not allow this flexibility;

·         Unlike generators, solar systems do not create pollution;

·         Solar eliminates the need for diesel and/or petrol which are often in short supply and renders both residential and industrial complexes useless for days and even weeks;

·         Unlike a generator, solar only needs battery bank to store excess energy which can be used at a later time and date;

·         To run a generator, the same amount of diesel/petrol is required even if one is powering a 10-Watt bulb; and

·         Solar panels are warranted for a minimum of 25 years.

One disadvantage that many refer to is the fact that solar technology is still in its infancy.  This is partly true but many scientists are working to correct the shortcomings in solar system.  In fact, many nations are designing homes that are solely solar powered.  Even, the disadvantage of any system provides future research and improvement for capable scientists.  Rather than always focusing on the negative and why an idea will not work, it may be equally important to discuss how the system can improve.

For a start, communities can begin to integration of solar systems by powering streetlights in their subdivisions.  If this works, many may decide to employ solar energy to power their lamps, fans, outdoor lights, and for solar power pumping.  Any short fall in the solar system output can be corrected by professionals.  This is how we can integrate solar energy into the never working NEPA and force NEPA to be efficient.

Finally on the solar system, the energy Wattage derived will be a product of required use and the capacity of the storage.  This will be discussed if specific design needs are presented.  Moreover, the strategy in this write up is to provide general ideas for the renewable energies before discussing the feasibility studies and economic impact necessary to give investors ideas of the opportunities inherent in any chosen renewable energy system.  The knowledge presented here will also give an investor idea on how he can achieve a good return on his investment. The studies needed may be funded by interested parties and even sometimes governmental agencies as in the case of the Internet which private companies are enjoying today.

Robot  Villager

# 1 var sbtitle2825=encodeURIComponent(Rural Elect...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 06.01.2008 13:07

emj  Villager

# 2 Hmm...will wait to read from the other Experts in the house...and hope that those in the helm of affairs and our Reps back home will read and digest this well with the hope of doing something positive with it. About time something is done to alleviate all da sufferings and neglect. ........also to have a sound energy policy and embark on a diversified energy strategy. Posted by emj| 06.01.2008 16:34