Browsing by Author "Volk, T"

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    Designing decentralized small-scale bioenergy systems based on short rotation coppice for rural poverty alleviation
    Da Silva, Izael; Buchholz, T; Volk, T; Tennigkeitb, T; Da Silva, I. P
    Access to electricity is crucial for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals of poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. In East Africa, increasing environmental degradation and modern energy supply are a major obstacle to sustainable rural development. Small-scale bioenergy systems can supply clean, renewable and affordable energy to rural communities while at the same time creating new job opportunities and having beneficial impacts on natural resources especially when fed from Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). However, bioenergy systems are complex because their three components feedstock supply, conversion technology and energy allocation are influenced by environmental factors simultaneously with economic and social factors. Assessing these factors and their interdependence is essential to determine the project’s contribution to sustainable development as failure of one component can lead to failure of the entire system. Decision Support Tools (DST) structure the collection and evaluation of quantitative and qualitative information about social, economic and environmental impacts at scales ranging from local to national level. DSTs enable transparent and informed decisions even when limited information is available and many participants with different expertise and interests are involved to consider all relevant criteria. This paper introduces an approach to develop a DST assessing sustainability of bioenergy systems.
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    Economics of a Gasification Based Mini Grid - a case study of a 10 kW Unit in Uganda
    (2007-01) Da Silva, I. P.; Buchholz, T.; Volk, T; Tennigkeit, T; Da Silva, Izael
    Small-scale wood gasification systems have the potential to contribute to the rural electrification in Uganda. This paper presents an economic analysis of a 10 kW gasifier unit and its minigrid installed on a Ugandan farm. The bioenergy system has been running stable on a six hour daily base for seven months. When the gasifier is operated close to the rated capacity, the gasifier system is economically attractive compared to diesel generated electricity Results indicate that replicating successful wood gasification systems stipulates integration of sustainable fuelwood supply and viable business models.