Chapter -2
What is off-grid and why?
Definition. In general understanding off-grid power systems are those which provides electric power when and where nationalize power is not available or unavailable. The source of power may differ like solar, wind, biogas hydro-electric, diesel generators or combination of two or more mentioned above. It can be stand alone or connected to the main grid. The simple example of off-grid power generation is the diesel generators we use in the house holds when there is a power cut. There are other forms of off grid stand-alone system mostly popular in rural areas those are solar PV system. This stand- alone solar PV or SHS generates a very small amount of power that only can light a small house hold consisting of 2-3 rooms up a limited scale. But when we talk about lighting a village
Mini-grid power stations or power generation systems are gaining more popularity in present days in remote areas of Bangladesh. As per Wikipedia the definition is , “A mini grid, also sometimes referred to as a "micro grid or isolated grid", can be defined as a set of electricity generators and possibly energy storage systems interconnected to a distribution network that supplies electricity to a localized group of customers. This power delivery architecture can be contrasted to a single customer system such as in the case of a solar home system (SHS). Where there is no distribution network interconnecting customers it can be connected to a centralized grid systems, where electrical energy is transmitted over large distances from large central generators where local generators are generally not capable of meeting local demand.
Advantage of mini grid over stand-alone Solar Home System.
Though the SHS has gained much popularity in rural Bangladesh but due to the introduction of mini grid power generation system a declining trend of using SHS is observed among the users. Followings are may be few of the reasons:
a. User-based
Denying yourself and your family things for comfort or survival is not self-sufficiency. Being self-sufficient simply means you are now the one providing what you need to survive and be comfortable, and not someone else.
There are a lot of valid reasons why going off grid is a great idea. You will be your own boss as there is no longer a need to worry about a 9-5 life. Your monthly payments will also be reduced and means you will eventually
The definition of a Microgrid by the U.S. Department of Energy Microgrid Exchange Group (MEG) is: “A Microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. A Microgrid can connect and disconnect from the grid to enable it to operate in both grid-connected or island-mode.” [DOE12]
Palmieri, Nancy. “Off the Grid or on, Solar and Wind Power Gain.” USA Today 12 April 2006. Print.
Energy is the basic necessity of daily life. Nowadays, dependence on fossil fuels for energy needs becoming lower in numerous countries due to the potential of renewable energy to supply sustainable energy to the huge populations in many developing countries who are short of clean and continues energy. Generally, renewable energy can be defined as energy that is derived from natural resources which are constantly replenished and theoretically inexhaustible. Fossil fuels on the other hand can be described as energy that cannot be renewed and will eventually diminish. Thus, in many developing countries renewable energy is the alternative energy to replace non-renewable energy or commonly known as fossil fuels. In addition, according to Sorensen (2004), there is a greater demand for renewable energy sources nowadays due to the uncertainty of fuel price rise in living expenses. Commonly, there are many types of renewable energy available in our world such as wind power, biomass energy, solar energy, hydroelectric power and geothermal energy. However, the main three example of renewable energy are hydroelectric power, solar and biomass energy (Refer to Figure 1 in Appendix 1).
Urban area has been defined as a terrain with a population of 50,000 or a bunch of 2,500 to 50,000 people according to the US Census Bureau. Rural is later defined as anything external to that definition. Particular challenges are faced by rural areas when matter is of energy and water usage. For instance, utilities have to pay higher costs to modernize their energy groundwork and often find it stiffer to implement cleaner technologies because of the great distances between customers and crooked patchwork of reliable resources. Moreover, many system organizers and thought leaders for ground breaking energy know how live in suburban or urban areas and may discover it tougher to relate to the particular challenges of rural locations.
There are two types of grid systems, which operate off of solar panels, “off-grid” or “grid-tied”. My mom chose an...
Plants range from small systems, for a house or whole village, to big projects creating electricity for all kinds of utilities.
As I have previously stated earlier in the evaluation PV systems, or Solar Home Systems (SHS), and many other solar power systems play a significant role in the harvesting of solar energy. But, the most used solar energy systems are Grid-connected systems, Stand-Alone Grid-tied Systems, Off-Grid systems, Stand-Alone Off-Grid Systems, and Stand-Alone Off-Grid Hybrid Systems. In grid-connected or grid-tied systems, solar energy is used during the day by the system owner. At night, the owner makes use of the previously harvested electricity grid. A huge bonus of having the grid-tied system is that the solar system does not need to be sized to meet peak loads, overages can be taken from the grid. In most cases, left over energy generated during the day can be sent back to the grid. Grid-connected systems must meet utility requirements. Most importantly, inverters must not emit noise that can interfere with equipment reception. Inverters must also switch off in cases of grid failure. Lastly, they must retain voltage quality and current output waveforms. Grid-connected systems can be applied to residential installations. Stand-alone grid-connected systems are the same as grid-connected systems, except with battery storage added to allow power to be generated even if the electricity grid fails. Stand-alone grid-tied systems can be applied to residential and business systems that require unlimited and uninterrupted power that’ll keep generating day and night. Off-grid systems are not connected to the electricity grid. The output of an off-grid system depends heavily upon the intensity of the rays being given off by sun. The more intense the sun exposure, the greater the output.They can also be used for water pumps and greenhouse vent...
"Sustainable Energy for Your Home: Small Scale Hydro Systems." The Environment Centre: Promoting Sustainable Lifestyles in the South. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. .
Electricity is taken for granted in the twenty-first century. Appliances make our life easier and lighting allows our days to extend longer into the night. Electricity is increasingly making its way into, and point to point.
When you make your very own solar energy, you will be free of the grid. You may choose to be impartial should you be completely ready to get your location. It is possible to bid farewell to your power supplier if you wish to stay unbiased.
Nuclear energy is generated by a process called fission. Fission occurs within the reactor of a nuclear power plant when a neutron is fired at an atom of uranium causing it to split and release subsequent neutrons.1 These are able to crash into other uranium atoms causing a chain reaction and releasing a great deal of heat energy.
According to DTI (Descon Technical Institute) decentralized energy can be defined by the technology used as electricity generated by hydro, wind, PV systems, biomass and combined heat and power generation which are renewable energy resources.[3] Proper efficient usage of renewable energy resources and fossil is to be achieved by decentralized system with combined electrical power and heat. [4]
Understanding the environment would help you recognise the appropriate energy production system to use. Renewable energy is an alternative natural source to fossil fuels like sunlight, wind and geothermal heat. Wind turbines and photovoltaic panels are examples of energy production systems where the conditions of a particular environment has to be taken into account. If a building is located alongside or near