ICT4D Rural Electrical Power Solutions
In many developing regions, the electrical power supply is erratic. Power swings, dips, blackouts, and brownouts can disrupt the operation of ICT devices, limiting their usefulness. In addition, many rural and under-served areas do not have access to any type of gird electricity.
Here are off-grid rural electrical power solutions used in ICT4D projects to support computer hardware infrastructure. These solutions play a crucial role in enabling the deployment of ICT4D initiatives in areas with limited access to traditional electricity grids.
1. Batteries
12 Volt Batteries are a popular off-grid power solution. These batteries are rechargeable and can be used to store energy from solar panels or other renewable sources. Deep cycle and lithium batteries are the most common solutions.
2. Renewable Energy Sources
In the context of ICT4D projects, various renewable energy sources such as solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric power are utilized as off-grid solutions for rural communities to supply electrical power for information and communication technologies in remote areas.
3. Microgrid Systems
Microgrid systems are another off-grid power solution used in ICT4D projects. These systems are interconnected collections of loads and distributed energy sources, including wind, solar, diesel generators, and energy storage.
More ICT4D Power Examples
Congratulations to Malawi’s Barefoot Solar Engineers
At the Africa Energy Awards 2010, the Barefoot Solar Engineers of Malawi won the Best Rural Electrification Project category, highlighting their positive impact...
Battery Backups: How Nepal Works Through Load Shedding
All across Nepal, and especially in Kathmandu, there is daily electrical system “load shedding” – which is a polite way of describing 10-14 hour...
The 3 Reasons Why Kenya is Beating Nigeria in Internet Business Opportunities
I was IM’ing with Possicon this weekend about the difference between online business opportunities in Nigeria and Kenya. We both agreed that Nigeria could...
Win $250,000 for Innovative Solar Power and Customer Financing Systems
Solar energy provides a clean, sustainable, and reliable electrical source. Yet solar power is expensive and in the developing world, buyers often do not have the...
Knowledge + Power: ICT Impact on Climate Change
At this year’s Development Marketplace 2009 (DM2009) finalist event at the World Bank, I was asked a challenging question: What’s the impact of ICT...
Kenya Blackout: Internet is Up When KPLC is Down
tweetmeme_source = 'ICT_works';
Last week, there was a countrywide blackout in Kenya. The electrical authority, KPLC, took the national electrical grid offline...
Xantrex TR1524: The Most Fraudulent Solar Inverter-Charger Ever
Buying solar power equipment for Africa is often a challenge. First, the USA runs on 110V, so most of the equipment here will not work with the 220V standard common...
Barefoot Women Solar Electrification Engineers
Here is an interesting video from the Barefoot College solar program in which they’ve trained illiterate women from African villages to be solar engineers...
Solar-Powered Solutions to Support Mobile Phones
While there is an explosive growth of mobile phone usage in Africa, there has not been a corresponding growth in the national electric grid to support these phones....
Interview: Samuel Okwiri of Lebra Solar Technologies
During a Inveneo Business Training, we interviewed Sam Okwiri about his new solar power company, Lebra Solar Technologies:
Sam, who used to work for WinAfrique,...
About Us
ICTworks™ is the premier resource for international development professionals committed to utilizing new and emerging technologies to magnify the intent of communities to accelerate their social and economic development.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Enter your e-mail to get ICTworks 3x a week!:
Become an ICTworks Writer
Our team gladly accepts outside contributors for ICTworks articles. If you would like to publish an article on our website, please see our Guest Post Guidelines
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.