African Energy News - volume 1: African Energy News, #1

By Dr Paul Sagala

African Energy News is written by Dr Paul Sagala PhD, and focuses on energy inovations and developments with a focus on Africa.

• Language: English
• Publisher: African Publisher
• Release date: Apr 10, 2014
• ISBN: 9780992229221

Book preview

Introduction

African Energy News is written by Dr Paul Sagala PhD, and focuses on energy inovations and developments with a focus on Africa.

http://www.energynewz.net

Publisher Information

Published by African Publisher

All rights reserved

Copyright 2014

www.africanpublisher.com

contact: [e-mail]

E-Book ISBN: 978-0-9922292-2-1

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

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ABOUT AFRICAN PUBLISHER

African Publisher was established in 2007 by Pieter van Vuuren. It was created to give authors an economical option to display their work. African Publisher converts authors’ manuscripts into e-books and traditional books, and makes them available to readers.

Table of Contents 

Introduction

Publisher Information

Table of Contents 

Biogas Should Be Attractive As It Is Affordable

Sir Winston Churchill Called Uganda The Pearl Of Africa

Trees and Vegetation As Good Environmental Agents

Perceptions Of Energy

All Eyes On Doha UN Climate Talks

Energy – Perspectives On Factors In Play

Power of The Sun – Lighting Applications

How Much Is Firewood Still In Use?

Energy – What Responsibilities Does Each One Of Us Have?

Energy Requirements for Adults - Daily Energy Requirements for Men-18-29.9 Years

Energy Requirements for Adults - Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Energy Requirements for Adults - Classification of Physical Activity Levels (PAL)

Energy Requirements for Different Ages - Growth of Adolescents

Recommendations for Physical Exercises

Energy Needs of a Population - Purposes of Energy

Recommendations for Energy Needs

Energy Needs of a Population - Background, Levels of foods

Energy Requirements for Humans - Some Basics

Walking: Environmental Impact in Comparison to Other Transport Energy Demands Impact of numbers

Walking - Environmental Impact in Comparison to Other Transport Energy Demands - Emissions

Walking: Environmental Impact in Comparison to Other Transport Energy Demands - Modes

The Gift of Walking For Life!

Great News from CSP Technology - New Solar Tapping Potential

Reducing My Carbon Footprint: Transport

Reducing My Carbon Footprint: Waste Disposal

Reducing My Carbon Footprint: Utilities

Low Heating for Tropical Weather

Reducing My Carbon Footprint: Food Component

Tropical Weather Favourable on Heating

Prospects of Reducing Solar Energy Storage

Cooking Today Would Amaze Our Ancestors

Solar Energy Features

Solar Energy Growing More Competitive

Bravo to Ghana's New Solar Generation Project

Near-Total Dependence On Petroleum

Poor Countries lead Population Explosion

Domestic Energy Self Sufficiency

Domestic Energy Self Sufficiency

From Waste To Biogas and Fertilizers

Motivation for Energy Efficiency - Long-Term Saving

Motivation for Energy Efficiency - Cutting Losses

Motivation for Energy Efficiency - Spend Less

Motivation for Energy Efficiency - Using Less for Every Unit of Output

Motivation for Energy Efficiency - Population Growth

Solar Cell Efficiency Jumps above-20% -New Swiss Innovation

Motivation for Energy Efficiency - Background Concepts

Energy Efficiency The Human Shelter Factor

Solar Stirling Plant: A New Revolution for Generating Power with Short Payback Period and Potential to Sell to Grid

Efficiency in Using Energy - A  Historical Perspective

Energy Efficiency - Its Justification

Biogas Should Be Attractive As It Is Affordable

http://energynewz.net/biogas-should-be-attractive-as-it-is-affordable/

According to Wikipedia free encyclopedia, biogas is a gas produced when organic matter is broken down in the absence of oxygen. It goes further to add that biogas is a result of anaerobic digestion or fermentation of biodegradable matter, such as plant material, biomass, manure, sewage, municipal waste or plant material, even crops. It mainly comprises of methane and carbon dioxide, with traces of hydrogen sulphide and moisture, beside others. As can be seen, the main component in the names of methane can be burnt in a process referred to as combustion with oxygen, releasing energy. Biogas therefore is a good source of energy that can be generated once appropriate conditions are setup on a site. Further, given the many primary input materials which man can assemble easily, and, the abundant oxygen in the air, biogas can be produced literally anywhere. This should from one perspective make it attractive, given the increasing difficulty to access affordable and abundant supplies of energy.

The next consideration, and a very important one at that is, the process is required. Technology in use for a biogas plant in a snapshot summary uses a ‘closed housing in which a mix of inputs is placed and conditions for the digestion in absence of air with a means of collecting the emitted gases and arranging appropriate storage’. Necessary conditions need to be setup with some degree of precision, along with adequate safety precautions in order to have a sound process.

At this juncture, one can say that it is affordable, based on abundantly available inputs, and, a technology that is relatively much more affordable than those for many other competing sources of energy.

In some instances, biogas is collected from landfills, with appropriate collection of emitted gases, thereby creating a useful output from the otherwise detested dump sites. On a smaller scale, homes are able to generate the gas from a host of sources, ranging from food waste, human excreta through zero grazing, where a cow may be kept in an enclosure, fed on grass, collecting its excreta for gas generation.  At a more sophisticated level, sewage is directed to thermal generating plants that produce grid electricity. Sewage is piped down to the facility while electricity is wheeled away on transmission lines.

Other benefits of such a facility include generation of manure, a byproduct of the process. For a homestead in an isolated setting, biogas may provide the answer to all the domestic, and possibly small-scale industrial needs. The gas may be used for cooking or lighting, with a possibility of a surplus being used to run a generator for electrical needs!

Biogas can be used for cooking, lighting, and used for a host of other applications, including but not limited to substituting petrol for car use. Many users in the developed world have taken advantage of these facets for years now. There are also relatively small efforts of taking advantage of this energy sources by states, but mostly through donor funding in the upcoming economies.

One may pose to ask, why is there limited exploitation of this lucrative form of energy? Agreed, there are more precautionary measures required in its use, but, its dissemination in poor countries still falls far short of potential, not to mention prospects.

In our quest for better living standards, easier access to affordable energies, poorer communities need to be challenged to espouse its adoption, putting in place dissemination and implementation roll-out programs.

Sir Winston Churchill Called Uganda The Pearl Of Africa

http://energynewz.net/sir-winston-churchill-called-uganda-the-pearl-of-africa/

Winston Churchill was a very famous statesman, having twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. These two time frames were 1940-45 and 1951-55. His rule rings sweet memories especially during the Second World War. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, according to Wikipedia, was bestowed with several honors, including but not limited to, Knight of the Garter, Order of Merit, Her Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council, and, Fellow of the Royal Society, beside others. Sir Churchill was also the first person to be bestowed the title of Honorary Citizen of the United States.

As an outstanding statesman and orator, it is said he made reference to Uganda as ‘The Pearl of Africa’. A land-locked plateau at around 3,900ft above sea level astride of the equator (between 4 degrees North and 2 degrees South), Uganda is endowed with very good weather, tropical vegetation, a number rivers including the Nile that flows northwards to Egypt, and Lake Victoria, a freshwater lake, beside others. It can be argued that his statement on this high – plateau state was indeed appropriate, considering energy alone, as partly cited below.

The weather is my main interest, enabling many residents to enjoy a natural setting void of the need for heating and cooling, even for those that can afford it! Extreme temperatures for Kampala the capital city are a low of 12(54) to a high of 36(97) degrees centigrade (fahrenheit) across the year, according to BBC Weather, August 2009. Compared to several countries, Uganda has an enviable climate, amenable to good farming with possible multiple short-term crops.

For many countries, heating consumes the bulk of domestic energy needs, at order of 60% share for US alone. This feature has many implications for architecture. First, being able to place vents freely above doors and windows in general, there is often no need for forced air circulation. Secondly, heat insulation ceases to be a matter for consideration, thereby allowing a latitude for selection of construction materials without heating considerations. This also means that save for need for protection from the likes of mosquitoes, it is easier to sleep without the need for several layers for protection against the cold. Cold weather dressing gear is literally unheard of!

Unfortunately, many still use firewood for most of their heating needs. Coupled with the population explosion, a lot of pressure is exerted on the wood lots, leading to deforestation, and, desertification. In addition, charcoal burning to meet the urban needs adds to the pressure on deforestation, a lucrative source of income for the rural community, and, a more attractive source of cooking energy for the urban lot.

Although gas is currently the most economic source of energy for cooking and heating water, it is still less accessible to many. It is also mistakenly presumed to be more expensive by many.

Access to electricity is still very poor, and, the more traditional source of it - hydro-power, was until very recently overtaken by thermal power, with low conversion efficiency, and utilising very highly priced diesel or heavy fuel oil. The completion of the Bujagali 250MW hydro-power station recently has somewhat helped, although electricity still