Electricity has been named by many Tanzanians as the biggest inhibitor for success.
Tanzania has the largest population in East Africa, estimated at 52,482,726, with a very high annual population growth rate of 2.77%. 31.6% of the population resides in urban areas, leaving an estimated 35,897,237 people in rural areas. Access to improved drinking water sources is available to 55.6% of the total population, with nearly three-quarters of these people living in urban areas. Approximately 46.8% of Tanzanians have access to unimproved drinking water sources, with the majority residing in rural areas. Regarding improved sanitation facilities, 1% of the population utilises them, leaving 84.4% of Tanzanians with access to only unimproved sanitation facilities.
Access to safe drinking water and the use of improved sanitation facilities are used as measures for the development and overall well-being of a country. Improved drinking water sources include piped household water collection, as well as access to protected dug wells, springs, and rainwater collection. Unimproved drinking water sources include unprotected dug wells and springs, as well as bottled water and tankered truck water.
Compared to the world average of 89% of the total population having access to improved drinking water, Tanzania has fallen majorly behind. While considering the use of improved sanitation facilities as a measure of development, Tanzania also faces challenges because the majority of the population is unable to ensure the hygienic separation of human excretion from human contact. Finally, just over 75% of Tanzanians live without electricity and rely on toxic kerosene or diesel generators for lighting.
Current National Grid and Electricity Access
The current national power system in Tanzania is summarised as inefficient because of its inability to provide power to the majority of the population. Powered by fossil fuels and hydroelectricity, the lines exist in the northern and eastern parts of the country, and are sparsely present in the south, but are nonexistent in the more rural west. Increased access to the national grid is growing at an extremely slow rate of 1% per year. Furthermore, in many cases, people whose homes are connected to the national grid still do not have access to electricity. With the expansion of the national grid, many sites have unreliable energy supplies and poor quality of supply as significant problems. Furthermore, it is expensive to extend the national grid and distribution systems due to a lack of government funding.
Over three quarters of the population live without access to electricity, and many Tanzanians rely on charcoal for cooking and firewood collection. Currently, one of the most significant threats to deforestation in Tanzania is the collection of firewood for fuel. Additionally, the smoke emitted from charcoal fires is often dirty, leading to various chest and lung problems. Many Tanzanians have identified electricity as the biggest hindrance to success. This takes into account the fact that shopkeepers have to close their doors early due to a lack of light, schools can not operate outside of daylight hours, and many medical facilities have to send patients to farther locations for specific tests and operations.
A Solution for Development
Off-grid solar panels are small and durable. They can manage enough power to charge cell phones, lights, and other necessities. The main advantage of off-grid solar panels is their flexibility, both geographically and economically. Off-grid solar panels can also be integrated into improved drinking water consumption through solar water purifiers and sound systems with solar-powered pumps. Solar panel cookers will also help reduce the use of nonrenewable fuel sources, thereby significantly improving Tanzanians’ standard of living.
The environmental advantages of implementing solar panels are numerous. Tanzania as taunique opportunity to rapidly reduce tits reliance ononnonrenewable energy source, bytransitioningnsitioningdirecsolar-poweredar-poweredfuture. With their rapidly growing population, a new market of energy consumption will emerge that could be fulfilled entirely through solar panels, as opposed to largely contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Solar is dropping in price and beginning to compete with nonrenewable forms of energy. The World Bank’s data indicate that solar energy costs 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, compared to 25 cents for utilising larger off-grid solar panels. Utilising off-grid solar panels fits the budgets of rural Tanzanians. People can put the money that would have originally been spent on fuel to finance their solar organisations. They are now leading the way to allow householders to buy solar panels. The total installation
of the average off-grid solar panel can cost up to $1,000. However, locals can pay smaller instalments through their mobile phones to eventually cover the entire cost. Payments such as these average around 20 cents a day, or can be made into larger monthly instalments.
Establishing off-grid solar panel networks also provides a range of employment opportunities for locals. Over the next decade, it is predicted that the renewable energy sector will become one of the largest employers in Africa. The leading seller of off-grid solar panels is creating, on average, 40 new jobs per month. Companies such as Solar Sister are offering more opportunities to women and developing communities by levelling gender inequality. Furthermore, out-of-town utilities often utilise means of transportation to get their products to rural areas. The local jobs created through installation and equipment distribution are significantly contributing to Tanzania’s development.
Challenges
As with any new program, challenges will arise. The primary concern for new solar panel companies is securing loan payments from customers. This can be achieved through mobile payments, which enable financiers to receive small, regular instalment payments. After paying the installation fee, the customer can continue to pay for the remaining balance over time. This ensures that lenders will not lose money because they can remotely lock and unlock the solar panel systems based on the customer’s repayments. Offering the option to lease the solar panels further enhances the customer’s willingness to pay the smaller fees, while allowing lenders to have collateral. With nearly every Tanzanian having access to a cell phone, mobile payments for solar panels are a viable and effective solution. The sustainable operation of solar panels is another issue that must be addressed initially. To ensure a sustainable operation, it is essential to establish infrastructure at the locations where the solar panels will be used. To cut costs, it is viable to use already
existing modes of transportation to deliver the product. Various solar panel companies have installed trackers in their products, ensuring that the panels reach their destination while travelling through third-party delivery systems such as trains, city buses, and local delivery people.
Maintenance must be upheld through the education of local employees. While training local people on the installation and upkeep of the solar panels, awareness of the product would also expand. This, in turn, would create more jobs and boost local Tanzanian economies. Overall, when solar panel companies work with local citizens, they not only save money but also contribute to the country’s development.
There are many innovations regarding anti-theft lock devices for solar panels. These lock devices can be purchased separately or included in the initial solar panel purchase and often consist of bolts or locks to secure each solar panel. Through the expansion of more secure solar panels, the reduction in stolen products is expected to be substantial, and the security of investments will be significantly improved.
The final problem is managing parts of the solar panels after they are no longer functional. The biggest issue is recycling old GEL-type, lead-type, and smaller lithium-type batteries. Dar es Salaam City alone produces around 3,000 tons of waste per day. With this in mind, recycling old products is essential for the environmental sustainability of installing solar panels.
The Recycler, Tanzania’s primary source of recycling, can collect and store electronic waste. A local organisation would be a convenient option. In addition to this, some organisations produce products using solar panels. Companies such as PV Cycle are operating on a non-profit business model worldwide. They often establish global markets and may prove helpful in recycling solar panel batteries in Tanzania.
Furthermore, the implementation of solar panels and their usage of batteries could open a new market in Tanzania, one focused on the recycling of solar panel products. This market can be both highly profitable and environmentally conscious, as approximately 90% of the material recovered from solar panels and their batteries can be recycled into valuable products.
Current Fund Fund organisations received funding from a variety of sources. The Rural Energy Agency of Tanzania, operating under the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, works to promote access to modern energy in rural locations throughout the country. They provide resources for grants, technical assistance, and financial assistance in the form of investments for different renewable energy projects. This agency spends approximately $400 400million a year on supporting various clean energy sources.
International donors also help offset the cost of development and installation of solar panels Organizationsnzania. Organisations such as the World Bank, Overseas Private Investment Corporation, USAID Development Innovation Ventures Program, and the International Finance Corporation have made significant investments in this growing industry. The IFC has so far provided $7 million to reach over 100,000 households in Tanzania. Private international investors worldwide are starting to see the benefits of investing in solar panel technology. In 2014, private investment companies invested more than $45 million in the off-grid solar sector, and this number has continued to grow.
As a result of the numerous ways in which solar power contributes to development in line with globalisation, it is clear that investing in and supporting off-grid solar panels is a profitable venture.
Text: Stephanie Grey
Environmental Sustainability Intern, Art in Tanzania
Sources:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html
https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/assessing.html
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/tz.html
http://blogs.worldbank.org/africacan/only-14-of-tanzanians-have-electricity-what-can-be-done
http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/Brief-Digitally-Financed-Energy-Mar-2016.pdf
http://www.pvcycle.org/services/global/
http://phys.org/news/2014-08-recycling-batteries-solar-cells.html
http://rea.go.tz/Projects/TheRuralEnergyFund/tabid/150/Default.aspx
http://fortune.com/2015/12/22/off-grid-solar-africa-booming/
