Renewable Energy Alternatives

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Browsing Renewable Energy Alternatives by Subject "University of Eldoret"

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  • Publication
    Publication
    ASSESSMENT OF WIND CHARACTERISTICS AND POWER POTENTIAL AT KESSES LOCATION - UASIN-GISHU COUNTY, KENYA
    (University of Eldoret, 2015) Cheruiyot, Wilkins
    Wind energy is increasingly becoming popular all over the world as a green energy source for electricity generation since it is renewable and environmentally friendly. Pioneer wind turbines for electricity generation in Kenya were recently installed at Ngong Hills and Lake Turkana, and more is expected to be initiated in different parts of the country. Wind turbines extract the kinetic energy carried by the flowing wind and this energy is directly proportional to the cube of wind speed. Thus, the wind speed is the most important parameter to consider in designing and selecting an efficient wind energy conversion system. Meteorological Department (MET) and some learning institutions in Kenya have been collecting and storing climatic data for several years, including wind speeds and most of them have not been analyzed. Precise knowledge of availability of wind at any given location is a pre-requisite for the effective planning and implementation and speed analysis is useful for the assessment of wind characteristicsand power potential at a location. In this work, analyses of five years (2009-2013) wind speed data collected at a meteorological unit at Moi University, Kesses area, Uasin Gishu County- Kenya, was done. The station measures wind speed at a height of 2 m and were extrapolated to the standard height of measurements of 10 m and typical hub heights of 40 m, 70 m and 100 m for purposes of characterization and determination of energy potential respectively. The extrapolated results revealed that the average annual wind speed at the height of 10 m is 3.86 ms-1, meaning that the location wind speed can be classified as class IV with a maximum wind power density of 100 Wm-2. The average annual wind speed at the hub heights of 40 m, 70 m and 100 m were 5.48ms-1, 6.33ms-1and 6.93ms-1, giving corresponding power densities of 115.563Wm-2, 175.395Wm-2and 228.917 Wm-2respectively. Weibull distribution model was used in the analysis of wind speed distribution. The Weibull scale parameter range from 2.543 ms-1to a maximum of 3.046 ms-1. The Weibull shape parameter was peaked at 5.902 in the year 2012. Both cumulative and probability density function were assessed and graphically presented.Results showed that the site has potential for harnessing wind energy for electricity generation and both small and medium scale wind power turbines are recommended for installation at the site.
  • Publication
    Publication
    FUELWOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS IN MBARALI DISTRICT, SOUTH-WESTERN TANZANIA
    (University of Eldoret, 2015) Kegode, Sayo
    Biomass fuels account for much of domestic energy consumption in many developing countries. Despite the significance of these fuels in domestic energy provision, their unsustainable consumption often occurs at the expense of environmental conservation. Agroforestry has often been cited as a possible intervention to reduce high dependence on natural resources, which is a characteristic of many developing countries. This study aimed to analyze the determinants of choice of sources of fuelwood and fuelwood consumption, with a view to contributing to policy discussions on reducing environmental degradation through agroforestry interventions. Cross-sectional data was obtained from two hundred and fifty four (254) randomly selected households from Mbarali district in south-western Tanzania. Household data was complemented with information from focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Multinomial logit regression model was used to identify the determinants of choice of fuelwood sources while the ordinary least squares regression model was used to identify determinants of household consumption of fuelwood. The results show that 88% of households consider fuelwood to be the most important fuel especially for cooking and that 74% of households that consume fuelwood depend on natural forests as the main source. The choice of fuelwood sources was influenced by species composition of the source and some household characteristics. Significant determinants of fuelwood consumption included age of the household head, income and price of kerosene. The results show that consumers, both households and other end users preferred Faidherbia albida for fuelwood which is the key agroforestry tree species in the area. Thus, fuelwood consumption maybe a threat to the success of agroforestry interventions that promote Faidherbia albida for soil fertility and environmental conservation. To exploit the potential of agroforestry, alternative sources of energy should be made available and affordable to the community; in addition to fostering strategies to promote adoption of efficient use of available energy. Cultivation of tree species with characteristics similar to the preferred fuelwood species, for instance, Acacia tortilis is also recommended to divert long term fuelwood demand away from natural forests and to reduce competition with Faidherbia albida. To the extent that consumer preferences are likely to change over time, further research using panel datasets is necessary to reveal inter temporal preferences for fuelwood sources.
  • Publication
    Publication
    The State of Renewable Energy in Kenya with a Focus on the Future of Hydropower
    (African Environmental Review Journal, 2022-06) Chemengich, S. J.
    The rise in global energy demand and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have necessitated the transition to renewables. Many previously unelectrified countries in Sub-Saharan Africa have joined the race to provide their people with clean, reliable, and affordable energy. Kenya is amongst the countries that are leading in powering their energy demands from renewables with over 80% of its energy being green. As economic development advances toward fulfilling Vision 2030 targets, the country's electricity consumption, as well as the end-use of energy, has increased significantly during the last decade. To achieve universal access to electricity and a complete transition to renewables, not only must energy sources be diversified, but they must also be fully exploited. This study aims to highlight Kenya's current energy situation, with a focus on how hydropower could be fully utilized to meet the country's long-term energy demands sustainably.