SERC Scholarly Articles
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The impact of the SERC based solar PV outreach training program in Kenya
(Strathmore Energy Research Center, 2016-06-23)In this paper it is described how Strathmore Energy Research Centre developed an outreach project funded by USAID, National Science Foundation (NSF) to empower technical institutions to offer solar courses hence creatin ... -
Electricity from wood-fired gasification in Uganda - a 250 and 10kW case study
(IEEE, 2016-06)Wood gasification systems have the potential to contribute to the rural electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper presents an operational and economic analysis of two wood-based gasification systems (250 and 10 kW) ... -
Electricity production from energy plantations : results from a feasibility and impact scoping study in Northern Uganda for a 50 MWe grid model
(European Biomass Conference, 2007)Uganda currently faces an electricity crisis due to high fossil fuel prices and falling levels of lake Victoria affecting hydro power capacities. In this paper, we introduce a feasibility study for a 50 MW biomass fired ... -
Modeling the profitability of power production from short-rotation woody crops in Sub-Saharan Africa
(2012)Increasing electricity supply in Sub-Saharan Africa is a prerequisite to enable economic development and reduce poverty. Renewable sources such as wood-fueled power plants are being promoted for social, environmental and ... -
Reducing Carbon Emissions in a Third Level Educational Institution in Sub-Sahara Africa
(Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2015)The effort to reduce carbon emissions as the arguably most prevalent cause of global warming has been a positive trend in most African countries. One of the most successful strategies towards reaching that goal is the ... -
Analysis of induction generator controller techniques for Pico hydropower a case study of A 3kW Pico hydropower scheme in Kasese, Western Uganda
(IEEE, 2014)This paper presents a comparative analysis of control techniques used on induction generators for stand-alone Pico hydropower schemes. The techniques were tested on a prototype Pico hydropower system modeled for the site ... -
Innovative Energy Access for Remote Areas “The LUAV-Light up a Village” Project
(Springer Link, 2015-03-04)The Light-up a village (LUAV) program is a rural development initiative designed to improve access to modern energy solutions in remote areas of developing countries. The initiative addresses the challenge of Pico PV market ... -
Reducing carbon emissions in a third level educational institution in Sub-Sahara Africa
The effort to reduce carbon emissions as the arguably most prevalent cause of global warming has been a positive trend in most African countries. One of the most successful strategies towards reaching that goal is the shift ... -
Models for conductor size selection in single wire earth return distribution networks
The use of the ground as the current return path often presents planning and operational challenges in power distribution networks. This study presents optimization-based models for the optimal selection of conductor sizes ... -
Technical, Economic and Sustainability Considerations of a Solar PV Mini Grid as a Tool for Rural Electrification in Uganda
The challenges facing rural electrification in Uganda are diverse with less than 3% of the rural population having access to electricity. The establishment of mini-grids powered by renewable energy sources makes it possible ... -
Diffusion of solar energy technologies in rural Africa: Trends in Kenya and the LUAV experience in Uganda
The diffusion of Modern Energy Technologies Africa has been found to be very low especially for solar energy systems. The installed solar PV capacity in Africa is a major issue of concern globally. This low trend in ... -
Entrepreneurial capacity, government intervention and diffusion of technologies in Uganda: Comparing the supply side of modern types of energy and mobile telephony technologies
The diffusion of modern technologies plays a critical role in job creation. Mobile Telephony Technology (MTT) has been successfully diffused in Uganda, within a short time, and with minimal government intervention. However, ... -
A heuristic model for planning of single wire earth return power distribution systems
The planning of distribution networks with earth return is highly dependent on the ground's electrical properties. This study incorporates a load flow algorithm for Single Wire Earth Return (SWER) networks into the planning ... -
An M&E mobile based application for Pico PV lighting solutions for the “Kerosene Free Kenya” project
This paper describes the use of a mobile based application used as a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) tool to a pilot project supported by the National Council for Science and Technology of Kenya (NCST) which seeks to ... -
Using renewable energy in a sustainable and holistic manner as a tool to eradicate rural poverty in Africa
Rural poverty in developing countries is a social problem that is well recognized and causes concern globally. The UN recently met to review the MDG's and acknowledge that there was limited progress to date; a looming ... -
Small scale carbon sequestration using solar powered LED Lanterns: A case study in Uganda
The quest for reducing GHG emissions has got a great deal of opportunities in Africa. From the energy forests, short rotation coppice, to reducing paraffin use for lighting purposes we find a wide field of initiatives with ... -
Photovoltaic industry in Uganda : local manufacturers of PV components and imported products - efficiencies and national standards
Energy is a key factor for the development of a country. In many remote areas of the third world with good insolation such as Uganda, photovoltaic is one of the most suitable ways of providing energy to rural areas. ... -
Implementation of triple helix clusters procedure in the Sub-Sahara Africa energy sector
Penetration of decentralized power supply for households and commercial enterprises is low in Sub-Sahara Africa. Solar Home Systems (SHS), despite their widespread use in other continents have failed to attain much success ... -
Energy for social transformation : a study of the West Nile region of Uganda
This Paper presents the results of technical, financial, environmental and management feasibility studies into the provision of reliable, sustainable and environmentally-friendly supply of electricity to the north-west ... -
Standalone small level power systems based on utilization of agricultural residue (Benecke System)
Stand alone small level power systems as a route to low investment decentralized systems with low gestation period is a worthwhile proposition which is being considered and implemented in many third world countries. When ...