Rooftop solar energy as an alternative source of energy for daily use by local communities from Kamdini sub-County, Oyam district, Uganda

Volume 5, Issue 2, April 2021     |     PP. 46-62      |     PDF (359 K)    |     Pub. Date: April 26, 2021
DOI: 10.54647/environmental61220    99 Downloads     6492 Views  

Author(s)

Daniel Ameny, School of Sciences, Nkumba University, P.O. Box 237, Entebbe, Uganda.
Alex Barakagira, School of Sciences, Nkumba University, P.O. Box 237, Entebbe, Uganda; Faculty of Science, Kyambogo University, P.O. Box 1, Kyambogo, Kampala, Uganda.

Abstract
In Uganda, most parts of the country are not connected to the national grid that supplies hydroelectricity and those that are connected, occasionally face intermittent power supplies that stagnate smooth running of daily household activities and some microbusinesses. This prompted some members of the local community to start utilizing rooftop solar energy as an alternative source of energy for their household use. A total of 63 households and 67 microbusinesses were randomly and systematically selected respectively, to determine the distribution and reasons for the use of rooftop solar energy; the reliability of roof top solar energy to meet the people’s energy demands; and to explore the cost implications members of the local community incur while utilizing rooftop solar energy. It was revealed that rooftop solar energy is utilized by most (95%) of the respondents for lighting, charging mobile phones, air conditioning among others, because it is reported to be reliable. A fairly positive relationship (γ= 0.492; P<0.05) between previous and present use of rooftop solar energy by members of the local community implies the continuous use of rooftop solar energy in the study area. The respondents incurred expenses for acquisition of solar panels, inverters, stabilizers and other solar accessories. The study revealed a relationship between the individual’s income and acquisition of roof top solar energy accessories (γ= 0.057; P=0.560). This implies that the more the income of the respondents, the higher the purchasing power of the solar power accessories. There was no association between the level of education of the respondents and use of rooftop solar energy (χ2=37.38; df=1; P=0.05) in the study area. In addition, household size of the respondents was not associated with the use of rooftop solar energy (χ2=71.48; df=1; P=0.05). In a long run, rooftop solar energy once installed is more reliable, less costly and it is more preferred to be used compared to other energy sources.

Keywords
Alternative Energy Demands; Energy Costs; Power Reliability; National Power Supplies; Uganda

Cite this paper
Daniel Ameny, Alex Barakagira, Rooftop solar energy as an alternative source of energy for daily use by local communities from Kamdini sub-County, Oyam district, Uganda , SCIREA Journal of Environment. Volume 5, Issue 2, April 2021 | PP. 46-62. 10.54647/environmental61220

References

[ 1 ] Razykov, T. M., Ferekides, C. S., Morel, D., Stefanakos, E., Ullal, H. S., and Upadhyaya, H. M. 2011. Solar Photovoltaic Electricity: Current status and future prospects. Solar Energy 85, 1580 – 1608.
[ 2 ] IRENA and IEA-ETSAP. 2013. Solar Photovoltaics. Technology Brief E11.
[ 3 ] Muloni, I. N., and Kaliisa, F. A. K. 2013. Energy efficiency in demand for Uganda. World Finance, Kampala, Uganda.
[ 4 ] Tushabomwe, K. C. (2006). Causes of Small Business Failure in Uganda. A Case Study from Bushenyi and Mbarara Towns. African Studies Quarterly (8):4
[ 5 ] MOEMD. 2012. Uganda National Energy Balance. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MOEMD), Kampala, Uganda
[ 6 ] Renewables Portfolio Standard. 2014. Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency. Retrieved April 19, 2015, from California: Renewables Portfolio Standard.
[ 7 ] Sherwood, L. 2014. U.S. Solar Market Trends 2013. Interstate Renewable Energy Council (IREC).
[ 8 ] Halper, E. 2014. Rules prevent solar panels in many states with abundant sunlight. Los Angeles Times.
[ 9 ] D’Urso, J. 2015. Akon Launches Academy to help provide electricity to 600 million people in Africa. Retrieved May 22, 2015, from huffpost.
[ 10 ] FAO. 2002. Assessing Wood Fuel Supply Potentials. GIZ HERA Cooking Energy Compendium. A practical guide book for implementers of cooking energy interventions.
[ 11 ] Umar, O. U., Nura, S., Dahiru, M., and Isa, M. A. 2016. Effects of fuel wood exploitation on the environment: A Case Study of Nasarawa Local Government Area, Nasarawa State Nigeria. Dutse Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences. 2(1). Page 195-201.
[ 12 ] Cerutte, O. P., Sola, P., Cherovoy, A., et al. The Socioeconmic and Environmental Impacts of Wood Energy Value Chains in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic map protocol. Environmental Evidence. 4(12).
[ 13 ] Mercer, D., and Soussan, J. 1992. Fuel Wood Problems and Solutions. Managing the World’s Forests. Geography.
[ 14 ] FAO-RWEDP. 1999. Wood Energy and Environment. Regional Wood Energy Development Programme. webmaster@rwedp.org.
[ 15 ] Muteti, F. M. 2005. Wood Fuel Impact on Environment in Kenya. A Case of Dadaab Refuge Camps. A Research Paper Submitted to Economics Department, University of Nairobi in Partial Fulfillment for the Award of Master’s Degree in Economics Policy and Management.
[ 16 ] Adanu, S. K., Schneider, T., Stimm, B., and Mosandl, R. 2009. Effects of wood fuel production on the environment and people in Adaklu Traditional Area, Ghana. Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment. Vol.7(1): Page 241-247.
[ 17 ] Wood, T. S., and Baldwin, S. 1985. Fuel Wood and Charcoal Use in Developing Countries. Volunteers in Technical Assistance, Arlington, Virginia. Annual Reviews Energy. 10. Page 407-29.
[ 18 ] Grainger, A. 1982. Desertification: how people make deserts, how people can stop and why they don’t. London International Institute for Environment and Development.
[ 19 ] UBOS. (2002). Uganda Population and Housing Census. Uganda Bureau of Statistics, Kampala, Uganda.
[ 20 ] Yamane, T. 1967. Statistics. An Introductory Analysis, 2nd Ed. New York. Harper and Row.
[ 21 ] Sarantakos, S. 2005. Social Research. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y.10010 Palgrave MacMillan.
[ 22 ] Lindlof, T. R., and Taylor, C. B. 2011. Qualitative Communication Research Methods. 3rd Ed. SAGE Publications, Inc. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, California, 91320.
[ 23 ] Hoggart, K., Lee, L., and Davies, A. 2002. Researching Human Geography. London, Arnold.
[ 24 ] Sarndal, C. 2003. Stratified Sampling. Model Assisted Survey Sampling. New York. Springer. ISBN 0-387-40620-4.
[ 25 ] Jurich, L. 2018. Affordable, Clean, Reliable Energy. A better system created by the people, for the people. Sunrun Inc.
[ 26 ] Paulos, B., and Paulos, A. 2017. Bringing the Benefits of Solar Energy to Low-Income Consumers. A guide for States and Municipalities. U.S Department of Energy.
[ 27 ] UNEP. (2014). Light for Life: Identifying and Reducing the Health and Safety Impacts of Fuel-Based Lighting. United Nations Environment Programme.
[ 28 ] SEFA. 2010. Solar Energy for Africa. http://www.solarafrica.org/why-sefa.html.
[ 29 ] Mwanje, R. 2003. Power Costs High for Rural Businesses. The Daily Monitor, Kampala, Uganda.
[ 30 ] Saundry, P. 2013. Energy Profile for Uganda. The Encyclopedia of Earth.
[ 31 ] Pickrell, K., DeBenedicts, A., Mahone, A., and Price. S. 2013. Cost-Effectiveness of Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems for Consideration in California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards. Energy and Environmental Economics Inc. 101 Montegomery, CA 94104.
[ 32 ] FAO. 2010. Planted Forests Uganda. http//:www.fao.org/forestry/country/18316/en/uga.
[ 33 ] Sebbit, A., Bennett, K., and Higenyi, J. 2014. Household Energy Demand Perspectives for Uganda in 2025. Makerere University, Department of MechanicalEngineering, Kampala, Uganda.