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Off-grid electrification with solar home systems: An appraisal of the quality of components

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  • Chowdhury, Shahriar Ahmed
  • Mourshed, Monjur

Abstract

Solar home systems (SHS) are seen as an attractive option for off-grid electrification in rural areas in developing countries. The combined effect of declining photovoltaic module costs and success in micro-finance has resulted in increased SHS installations in emerging economies in Asia such as Bangladesh. Majority of the SHS components are now manufactured locally with the exception of PV cells. Considering the role of component quality in SHS performance, technical quality of four key SHS components: solar panel, battery, charge controller and lamp circuit (inverter) from market-leading manufacturers were evaluated in this study in laboratory settings, against national and international standards. All of the tested components met some evaluation criteria in their respective categories but none met all. Key performance failures were found to be related to inverter efficiency, reverse polarity protection in charge controllers and battery capacity, which are critical for optimum performance of the system. Findings in this study point towards an ineffective regulatory mechanism for quality assurance and the protection of consumer rights, which needs to be rectified for maintaining public confidence and sustaining the growth of SHS based off-grid electrification.

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  • Chowdhury, Shahriar Ahmed & Mourshed, Monjur, 2016. "Off-grid electrification with solar home systems: An appraisal of the quality of components," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 585-598.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:97:y:2016:i:c:p:585-598
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2016.06.017
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    3. Zhang, Zumeng & Ding, Liping & Wang, Chaofan & Dai, Qiyao & Shi, Yin & Zhao, Yujia & Zhu, Yuxuan, 2022. "Do operation and maintenance contracts help photovoltaic poverty alleviation power stations perform better?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 259(C).
    4. Andrea A. Eras-Almeida & Tatiana Vásquez-Hernández & Merlyn Johanna Hurtado-Moncada & Miguel A. Egido-Aguilera, 2023. "A Comprehensive Evaluation of Off-Grid Photovoltaic Experiences in Non-Interconnected Zones of Colombia: Integrating a Sustainable Perspective," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-27, February.
    5. Thomas, P.J.M. & Sandwell, P. & Williamson, S.J. & Harper, P.W., 2021. "A PESTLE analysis of solar home systems in refugee camps in Rwanda," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    6. Andrea A. Eras-Almeida & Miguel Fernández & Julio Eisman & José G. Martín & Estefanía Caamaño & Miguel A. Egido-Aguilera, 2019. "Lessons Learned from Rural Electrification Experiences with Third Generation Solar Home Systems in Latin America: Case Studies in Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-24, December.

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