Abstract
Power production and distribution in the developing world is a significant challenge for local and national governments. The high cost of distribution and the low reliability of production result in intermittent availability of electricity which hampers economic development. One means of alleviating this intermittency is through local production, storage and distribution that would avoid reliance upon a national grid system.
There are many potential energy sources that can be used for small-scale, localized electrical production including wind, hydro, solar, and biomass as examples. The selection of energy depends on the local geography and must be suited for the specific situation.
In this project, a small-scale solar power system was designed to electrify a village in a remote region of Uganda. The system was designed to provide lighting to approximately 50 homes, one school, and one pharmacy. In addition, four electrical outlets were included to allow charging of cellular phones and other small electrical devices. The success of the project demonstrates that similar small-scale solar-powered systems can be implemented in the developing world where grid-connected power is unavailable.