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Title:
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Status and potential of photovoltaic (PV) systems in Rwanda.
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Author(s):
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Published by:
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Publication date:
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ECN
Policy Studies
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1991
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ECN report number:
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Document type:
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ECN-C--91-058
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ECN publication
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Number of pages:
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Full text:
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41
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Download PDF
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Abstract:
The conditions for solar home systems in Rwanda are favourable for a sustained take off. The resource, solar energy, is available in reasonable amounts. Most rural households live dispersed over the countryside and will not be grid-connected within the next 50 years. Rural areas are monetized already to some extent and a network of regional banks exists, which can play a role in financing rural photovoltaic electrification. Rwanda has ten years of experience in the use of photovoltaic systems in health centres, which has acted as a demonstration of the technology. Over the past two years, hundreds of solar home systems have been sold to households, bringing the number of photovoltaic installation in use to about 700.
A financial analysis shows that the currently marketed, locally assembled small PV-installations are relatively expensive. A system with considerably higher capacity can be imported and sold locally at an only slightly higher price. The analysis also concludes that households, investing in a PV-installation can expect savings from substitution of kerosene and disposable batteries which results in a Financial Internal Rare of Return of 15%. Wider-scale commercialization is hampered by a few barriers which have to be reduced first. As described in chapter 4, these are the high investment costs, unavailability of credit, maintenance and repair problems, and the relative dimensions of the system components.
An activity to reduce these barriers is outlined ~n chapter
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