Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for Malawi
The United Nations Sustainable Goal 7, access to affordable and clean energy, is unlikely to be achieved, with an estimated 600 million people still without access to electricity by 2030. One potential route to support this goal is through the use of mini-grids to provide electricity in densely popu...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-07-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/14/4227 |
| _version_ | 1797527258656669696 |
|---|---|
| author | Jacquetta Lee |
| author_facet | Jacquetta Lee |
| author_sort | Jacquetta Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The United Nations Sustainable Goal 7, access to affordable and clean energy, is unlikely to be achieved, with an estimated 600 million people still without access to electricity by 2030. One potential route to support this goal is through the use of mini-grids to provide electricity in densely populated rural areas for which grid connection is not possible. This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment of a mini-grid, designed for construction in Malawi. It analyses the cradle to end of use for this mini-grid configuration, for a grid sized for lighting, refrigeration and phone charging, and for a grid sized for electric cooking (e-cooking). The results suggest that for lighting configuration, the main contributors to environmental impact are the poles, the overhead cabling, and the PV panels. The use of a chromium-based preservative is the main issue for the poles, and a switch to concrete poles can deliver significant benefits. When the grid is sized for e-cooking, the PV panels become the greatest contributor. Adding a diesel generator to the mini-grid configuration can reduce number of panels required and hence the environmental impact, but only if the generator is used for no more than 2 h per day. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:40:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bcf3bff8ffd7445bbf7f460976894a42 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:40:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-bcf3bff8ffd7445bbf7f460976894a422023-11-22T03:42:11ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-07-011414422710.3390/en14144227Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for MalawiJacquetta Lee0Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UKThe United Nations Sustainable Goal 7, access to affordable and clean energy, is unlikely to be achieved, with an estimated 600 million people still without access to electricity by 2030. One potential route to support this goal is through the use of mini-grids to provide electricity in densely populated rural areas for which grid connection is not possible. This paper presents the results of a life cycle assessment of a mini-grid, designed for construction in Malawi. It analyses the cradle to end of use for this mini-grid configuration, for a grid sized for lighting, refrigeration and phone charging, and for a grid sized for electric cooking (e-cooking). The results suggest that for lighting configuration, the main contributors to environmental impact are the poles, the overhead cabling, and the PV panels. The use of a chromium-based preservative is the main issue for the poles, and a switch to concrete poles can deliver significant benefits. When the grid is sized for e-cooking, the PV panels become the greatest contributor. Adding a diesel generator to the mini-grid configuration can reduce number of panels required and hence the environmental impact, but only if the generator is used for no more than 2 h per day.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/14/4227PV mini-gridPV hybrid mini-gridlife cycle assessmente-cooking |
| spellingShingle | Jacquetta Lee Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for Malawi Energies PV mini-grid PV hybrid mini-grid life cycle assessment e-cooking |
| title | Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for Malawi |
| title_full | Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for Malawi |
| title_short | Environmental Hotspot Assessment for a PV Mini-Grid Design: A Case Study for Malawi |
| title_sort | environmental hotspot assessment for a pv mini grid design a case study for malawi |
| topic | PV mini-grid PV hybrid mini-grid life cycle assessment e-cooking |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/14/4227 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jacquettalee environmentalhotspotassessmentforapvminigriddesignacasestudyformalawi |