Rural photovoltaic electrification program in Jordan

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Abstract

The photovoltaic (PV) technology potential for Jordan is high, based on the fact that many remote and isolated sites are located far away from the national electric grid and cannot be connected to it in the near future. Therefore, a rural PV electrification program—driven by quality-of-life improvement for the users—was launched in Jordan in 2002. An important element of the program is the access of low-income, rural consumers to essential electricity.

This paper discusses and analyses the first stage of this program that is the electrification of a remote and small Jordanian village. Nine PV solar home systems (SHS) were installed in this village in order to provide lighting and power for radio and television.

Feed back from the users of the installed systems indicates that the PV based electricity has been providing very satisfactory service to the consumers, and that it is an appropriate technology suitable for dissemination in the rural Jordanian areas.

Introduction

Rural electrification of isolated areas is a necessary condition to accomplish their socio-economical development. Unfortunately, because of some economic and technical considerations, several remote sites in Jordan are not connected to the national electric grid until now. Electricity generation units using diesel generators form the basis of energy supply systems for many remote and isolated communities [1], [2], [3]. But the utilization of diesel powered systems was combined with pollution and they needed frequent maintenance and repair. This caused interruption in operation for long periods and resulted in high costs [4].

On the other hand, many remote and isolated areas in Jordan are blessed with high potentials of solar energy [5], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10]. To supply electricity with quality light, reliable service and long term sustainability, PV technology is an important emerging option [11], [12], [13]. PV systems not only would provide reliable, clean, and environment friendly energy, it could also create employment opportunities in the vicinity of its operation [14], [15]. Therefore, in 2002 the Jordanian Government launched a project regarding the utilization of PV generators instead of diesel motors for the electrification of rural sites.

Fig. 1 shows the remote and isolated Jordanian villages, which were selected for PV electrification based on the following factors:

  • The selected villages are not—and cannot be—supplied from the national electric grid, even in the long term.

  • The selected villages are in the focus of the Jordanian Government’s rural development program.

  • The selected villages are blessed with high potentials of solar energy.

At the first stage of the rural PV electrification program, the target was the electrification of one site (Rawdet elnabdan village). Based on the technical results obtained, and the impact on local population, a decision will be made whether to disseminate the project in the rest sites or not.

In this paper, the first stage of the rural PV electrification program in Jordan is discussed and the model for installation and maintenance including the social impact of the new technology on the local population is analyzed.

Section snippets

PV system components and installation

The selected site for installation of the PV system—Rawdet elnabdan village—is located at 22 km away from electric grid. It contains eight households and a school with a population of about 113.

The household electricity demand of Rawdet elnabdan village was assessed by interviews with the village’s inhabitants and observation. It was noted that the electrical load for one house is as follows:

  • 70 W for a TV, operating for 6 h/day.

  • 100 W for five energy saving lamps, operating for 8 h/day.

  • 15 W for

SHS performance

After the SHS installation, there was a problem with only one of nine systems, which was not used for two weeks. In this system the charge controller was damaged, but it was quickly repaired.

Although initial results of the installed systems are favorable, their performance over longer periods of time is still being evaluated. Currently the systems are in perfect technical function. The only maintenance work required is filling up of distilled water in the batteries.

After installation of the

Conclusions

Users’ satisfaction indicates that the PV systems are capable of supplying the basic electricity needs with an acceptable level of quality. Improvement of children’s education, entertainment, and information through TV and radio are the prominent effects of PV electrification in the village.

The PV systems installed in Rawdet elnabdan village demonstrated that such systems are an appropriate technology suitable for dissemination in the rural Jordanian areas for electrification, thus contributing

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