ENERGY POVERTY IS NOT JUST A KITCHEN PROBLEM

To think that energy poverty just ends in the kitchen, is a mistake; Energy poverty can be one of the causes of marriage breakdowns, violence agaisnst women , spread of HIV and increased number of orphans.

MARRIAGE BREAK DOWN

In an african culture, it is usually women who do the cooking and every man expects well cooked food from his wife. Not well cooked food prepared by a wife may result in family squables which may translate into breakup. But the cuase of the uncooked food may not be that the wife is not a good a cook but becuase sha had no enough firewood.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

Just like illustrated above, some husbands can bit their wives becuase of not well prepared meals yet the reason is lack of firewood.

Another case is where women go to distant forests to fetch firewood, some forest guards can entice the women to exchange sexual services for firewood.

SPREAD OF HIV AND INCREASED NUMBER OF ORPHANS

Marriage breakdown as already illustrated can lead to the spread of HIV in a case where one remarries without knowing his/her HIV serostatus.

Incidents where women can be raped in forests while fetching firewood or cases where women are enticed to exchange sexual services for firewood; can lead to the spread of HIV which may again result in an increased number of orphans.

WAY FORWARD

We need to think seriously about the issue of energy poverty. Deforestation issue is beyond climate change...even before climate change is immense, lives may have already been claimed.

FUNDAMENTALS OF SOLAR ENERGY

THE SUN

• The source of solar energy
• Our nearest star
• Produces 3.8 x 1023 kW of power through
nuclear fusion reactions.
• Most of the energy we use derives from
the sun e.g. wind, hydro, wood, petroleum

USES OF SOLAR ENERGY
• Heating
• Drying
• Cooking
• Distilling
• Producing steam
• Generating electricity

CONVERSION OF SOLAR
ENERGY
• Solar » Chemical
This is done in plants through a process
called photosynthesis.
• Solar » Heat
This is done in heating devices such as
solar heaters and crop driers.
• Solar » Electricity
This is done by solar cells which convert solar light
energy into DC electricity.

SOLAR RADIATION PRINCIPLES
• Not all the solar energy reaches the earth
• Part of the sun’s energy is lost in the
atmosphere through reflection, refraction and
absorption.
• Solar energy varies over the day, month and
year.
• Solar energy is maximum at noon over a day
and in summer over a year.
• Areas between tropical of Cancer and Capricorn
receive more solar energy than areas outside
the tropics.

ANGLE OF INCIDENCE
• The angle at which the sun rays hits a surface have an
effect on the amount of energy reaching the surface.
• The closer the incident angle to 90 degrees the higher
the amount of energy received by surface. Solar devices
have a specific orientation and angle of installation to
make sure the devices capture as much energy as
possible.
NOTE: All panels in the south of the equator are supposed
to face north and those in the north of equator are
supposed to face south. The tilt angle depends on
latitude of specific site where the installation is taking
place.

SUN PEAK HOURS
• The number of hours of effective sunlight in a day is very
important. We can have 6 hours of effective sunlight
during some days of the year and 4 hours of sunlight
during some days of the year.
• Solar equipment converts energy only when the sun is
available.
• It is important that solar energy systems are designed to
work effectively even when sun peak hours are less. For
example, a solar PV system should be sized such that it
can provide enough power in October as well as in
June.
• It is always wise to verify with meteorological data on
sun peak hours for reliable solar PV systems

THE BEAUTY OF MALAWI

This is the beauty you can enjoy as you go round Malawi doing your research.

MZUZU UNIVERSITY LUANCHES THE CHOMA-CHIGWERE BIOGAS PROJECT

It was the British High Commissioner himself who luanched the project.The Vice-Chancellor of Mzuzu University, Prof. Landson Mhango, watches him cutting the ribbon.

It was exciting to witness the fire coming from the biogas.It was amazing to see that cowdung is a source of heating energy.

Yes, what you consider a waste should be a resource in another way.

MZUZU UNIVERSITY COMPLETES A DEMONSTRATION BIOGAS PLANT

When we talk we do it. Our aim is to bring change to the community. Education is useless if it can not benefit man and woman on this earth.

The system you see in this picture on the left is a biogas plant.

The plant uses cow dung to produce methane which is used for cooking.

The plant supplies three kitchens. The Mdhlanga's can sigh for relief; no more long distances to fetch for firewood.All they do is open a gate valve and light a match.

This was done with funding from the Malawi British High Commision. Eleven other plants are to be constructed in the Choma-Chigwere area.

The objective of the project is to mitigate climate change through promotion of biogas from cow dung.

The use of biogas will reduce deforestation thereby saving the trees and other fuel vegetation which are carbon sinks.

At the same time, the project will reduce the emissionof methane(21 times stronger than Carbon Dioxide in causing global warming) from cow dung into the atmosphere. When metahne is burnt by the beneficiaries as they comfortably cook in their kitchens, the products are water and carbon dioxide( Carbon Dioxide is used by the plants in the process of photosynthesis). Thus the emissions are reduced.

Mzuzu University Appraises Kamkwamba's wind Turbine

The system you see is what William Kamkwamba developed after he dropped out of school due to lack of School fees.

Despite being a school dropout, he managed to turn science theories into practical and provide electricity for his home in Kasungu-Wimbe.

With a wooden tower, a bicycle dynamo (now replaced by a 48V DC grenerator) and a tractor fan to which he attached wooden blades, he is able to watch TV, play DVDs, listen to radio, and provide electric light to his home.

The boy is also currently developing another turbine for water pumping and the system is just awaiting commissioning.

Mzuzu University, in particular the department of energy studies team comprising of
Collen Zalengera, Fredrick Munthali and Maxon Chitawo went to see the system early July.

Mzuzu University is now working with Kamkwamba in trying to improve on the technology and add in more professional and techincal aspects for promotion of the wind energy system.

Mzuzu University has just finished an appraisal report for the system and the report is the foundation of the long term parternership between the two parties.

Mr. Kamkwamba is now happy to have a solar/wind hybrid system after securing some funding from well wishers. He now also has a solar water pumping system which provides piped water to his family members.

Mr. Kamkwamba has now gone back to school after well wishers realised his potential of helping the world more especially when the world is about renewable energy.

Geothermal Potential in Malawi

These waters amid which I am standing are boiling and I tell you it is nothing but heat from inside the earth.. the mantle.

These waters can scald you, they run a long distance but still with high temperatures.

The site is in Malawi as we go to Karonga.It is a potential research site.