“Productive use of electrical energy” (PUE) has been the buzzword within the African photo voltaic business for the previous two years. The African Photo voltaic Business Affiliation (AFSIA) has ready a catalog of solar-based PUE options for the continent, together with a plethora of recent photo voltaic off-grid and on-grid programs.
PUE has grow to be a buzzword within the African photo voltaic business within the final two years, because it permits the usage of electrical energy to empower individuals dwelling in rural areas to extend their revenue. For a decade, rural electrification has centered on offering entry to lighting and primary leisure providers via photo voltaic house programs (SHS) and minigrids, that are essential however don’t present financial empowerment.
PUE options come in numerous varieties, however their primary purpose is to present the person extra money to spend. PUE can result in diminished prices, elevated income, or each. The fishing business is a superb instance, the place photo voltaic freezers can cut back fish loss and improve fish high quality, leading to higher costs for fishermen.
PUE options can be utilized in lots of sectors, similar to agriculture, industrial and small industrial actions, public infrastructure, and well being providers. It may also be utilized in a wide range of conditions, together with off-grid areas, minigrids, and grid-connected areas. At AFSIA, we give attention to solar-based PUE options.
Our hottest options embrace photo voltaic irrigation and photo voltaic cooling. Photo voltaic irrigation presents a novel enterprise case for the top person, as a result of it permits year-round cultivation, will increase the yield per hectare considerably, and reduces the full price of possession by as much as 90 % in comparison with diesel powered irrigation. Photo voltaic refrigeration, which incorporates fridges, freezers, and chilly rooms, reduces post-harvest losses, will increase bargaining energy for farmers, and is the best accomplice for photo voltaic irrigation.
AFSIA will unveil the primary “PUE Catalog” in a web-based occasion on Might 4, which goals to establish all accessible solar-based PUE options, listing the businesses that distribute of those options, and share the main points of the enterprise case for every answer. This catalog will assist many photo voltaic stakeholders understand the potential of PUE to unlock financial exercise and enhance livelihoods in Africa.
AFSIA will maintain a webinar on PUEs on Might 4, 2023, at 2:00 pm (CET). Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4516820637960/WN_k63FqgQUREuFhydPiZIrlQ
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