Energy supply in Namibia - Rural needs and possible sustainable solutions
M.A. Thesis: KTH the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, (Machine Design) - "There are many factors creating difficulties with the electrification of Namibia. For instance, the country is very sparsely populated, and the inhabitants seldom have the money to pay for using the power-grid. 60 percent of the population has no access to electricity which could restrict the country’s development. The areas studied where how they cook food and illuminate their households. Both a qualitative and a quantitative analysis were made by interviews, observations and questionnaires. Two different types of households were included in the study; the traditional homestead and the township. These households are very different, but the people living in them have similar procedures for acquiring light and cooking food due to what they have in common – lack of electricity. All of the interviewees cooked their food over open fire and used wood as fuel. Wood can either be bought at the market, from friends or be collected from the surroundings. This is despite the fact that cutting down forest is regulated by law, and can result in fines. Candles and paraffin lamps are used for lighting. The importance of a thorough requirement analysis became clear during the field study. The product developer´s understanding of the current way of living in Namibia has to be the foundation for future product development projects in the area. To solve the problems of today, products need to be created with the user in focus, and the knowledge about consequences of today’s actions have to communicated to the population in a better way. It is also important to make sure that the knowledge about manufacturing and repair stays in the country to extend the product’s lifetime."
Jannicke Bjurselius, Heléne Ernow
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:542827/FULLTEXT01.pdf
KTH the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden,
2009
PDF
English
Feasibility study of biological treatment of organic waste in Tsumeb Municipality, Namibia.
M.A. Thesis: KTH the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden - "This study is part of a larger project in which the Tsumeb municipality, Falun municipality and Falu Energi & Vatten AB work together to change the currently used controlled waste dumping site in Tsumeb into a sanitary landfill. This study aims to recommend a MSWM solution that will divert the organic waste from going to the landfill. The study consist out of a literature study in order to establish a theoretical background for the MSWM solution; a field study in which the current waste flows of Tsumeb were quantified, by using current data, and characterized, by performing a hand-picking analyses according to the UNEP methodology; and an analyses section in which an appropriate MWSM solution was proposed. The current waste consist out of 70% sand and stones, 17% grass and leaves, 6% prunings and trimmings, 4% sewage sludge, 3% branches and stumps, and 1% of other waste. This paper concludes that 99% of the organic waste in Tsumeb can be recycled, by using it as covering material, as biofuel and turning it into compost. This paper also shows that there is a potential for Tsumeb to start economically sound composting facility."
Jesper Diebels
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A745781&dswid=-8720
KTH the Royal Institute of Technology,
2014
PDF
English
Need assessment of electricity in Namibia - Prerequisites for implementation of a small scale wind turbine
M.A. Thesis: KTH the Royal Institute of Technology (Machine Design) - "Namibia is one of the most sparsely populated countries with a total area of 825 600 km2. There are still many residents in the country without access to electricity, and with the present rapid technological development the need for electricity is increasing constantly. However, the expansion of the electricity grid is slow and costly, resulting in that many cannot afford to be connected and therefore a clear need for small scale electricity production has been identified. For this reason it was chosen to investigate this need closer and examine how a small-scale vertical axis wind turbine designed by InnovEd would meet the demand; also to identify suitable sites as well as purchase and maintenance schemes to promote wind turbines or other similar off-grid renewable energy solutions in rural Namibia. Additionally, an identification of possible variations and sensitivity of wind turbine performance and guidance and recommendation for future work were desired. In this study it was chosen to follow a grounded theory where the qualitative data was collected through interviews and general observations during a field trip in northern Namibia. The data were collected for two months in collaboration with the Creative Entrepreneurs Solutions. The results showed that the demand for electricity in rural areas was large but that a small amount of electricity can make a big difference to primarily run the most important devices. Lighting turned out to be most significant for the respondents, even if they would like to run all sorts of electrical equipment for everything if given a reliable and low-cost energy supply. This was in line with the literature that shows that it is normally the next step after meeting the most basic needs. It showed also that the price of electricity was of utmost importance for the local population. Finally, the authors recommend continuing to involve the users in the next stages of development where the major step would be to test the product with the users and to develop reasonable pricing and maintenance procedures. This should be followed by the creation of a local business and production plan for such products to reach a wider market as soon as possible."
Martin Koskela, Emil Uman
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A808505&dswid=8724
KTH the Royal Institute of Technology
2014
PDF
English