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Solar Technology: An Alternative Source Of Energy For National Development
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
1. The
development of a nation brings an effective transformation of its
socio-political, economic, cultural, technology and industrial bases.
More so, within the particular conception of socio-economic processes
which underscores every economic system, economic development, globally,
resolves around the issues of the character, structure, pattern and
evolution of desirable inter-personal relations of production,
allocation and utilization of available resources in any country.1
2.
In order to achieve these and put national development on course,
modern operational technologies with respect to production, allocation
and utilization is designed and tied strictly to the use of energy in
one form or the other.2 Based on the above, it is seen that the quest to
rapidly and firmly put the Nigerian state on course of sustainable
development is technically a function of adequate and sustained supply
and distribution of energy. According to the present Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi, the Nigeria economy will continue to
take a wrong course until the power sector of the nation is put on the
right track.3 This underlines the need of an adequate supply of energy
to the nation in general and the industrial sector in particular.
3.
The above synopsis indeed, explain the major reason why one of the
frustrating and disturbing issue in Nigeria national development today
is that of epileptic power supply particularly since the late 1980’s.
The situation of the emerging electricity outrage from the supply
inadequacy, especially in the late 1990’s was that of persistent
electricity power shortage at alarming rates.4 This is in the face of
abundant primary electricity resources- coal, natural gas, geothermal,
tide, solar, biogas, and biomass to mention but the few. This period was
a period that could by tagged the “Dark days†in Nigeria.
4.Apart
from economic and political crisis that grounded socio-political and
economic activities in the country, the period of the 1990s was defined
as a period of serious electricity crisis. This period was also tagged
to be a crucial or decisive moment; an undesirable turning point; a time
of difficulty and distress. To cap it, the ugly situation of
electricity shortages and inadequacy shows the emergence of a crisis
situation in which electricity supply could not catch up with its high
demand. The use and need of alternative power generators then becomes
the order of the day. The use of generators has however cost the nation
in ways of air pollution in the form of carbon monoxide which has
resulted to death especially of member of households. Some other cost
has been noise pollution, and the expensive cost of maintaining some of
these generators which has at one time or the other stalled industrial
production and high cost of production.5
5. This has thus created
the need for other safer and less expensive alternatives of power
supply. The adoption of solar energy as an alternative power supply then
becomes most necessary. This involves the use of lenses or mirrors and
tracking system to focus a large area of sunlight into a small beam and
then converts light into electric current using the photo electric
effect, while PV is a device that converts light into electric current
using the photo electric effect.6
6. Solar power has great
potential. In 2008, solar power supplied about 0.02% of the world total
energy supply.7 The technology is now been popular following the energy
crisis that engulfed that world system in the 1990’s. There are many
competing technologies, including fourteen types of photo electric
cells, such as thin film, mono crystalline silicon, polycrystalline
silicon, and amorphous cells, as well as multiple types of concentrating
solar power. This creates the bases for many alternatives and
options even in the solar power energy technology.
7.The adoption of
solar technology in Nigeria especially in recent times has been rather
dramatic with its increasing role especially in household usage. The
Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) director, Dr. Onyebuci Onyegbule,
in a fundraising expressed that the NCF considered the introduction of
Photo Voltaic (PV) technology a necessity. The consensus was that GWU
Solar should consider rural communities by fabricating small power
machines for agriculture, the running of cottage industries, and the
introduction of demonstration centres for raising awareness.8
8.
The tropical climate makes solar energy the most viable alternative
source of renewable energy in Nigeria. Harnessing the sun's energy to
produce power is an imperative for rural areas where the hope of being
connected to the national grid is very remote and extremely expensive.
It is however unfortunate that in spite of the inherent high potentials
for solar technology in Nigeria and the immense benefits of the use of
solar technology Nigeria is yet to take full advantage it.
CHAPTER ONE -- [Total Page(s) 2]
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]This research was carried out to understand solar technology: An alternative source of energy for national development. The study was based on the pursuance of basic objectives to ascertain the present state of power generation and supply in Nigeria, to examine the possibility of reviving the energy sector of Nigeria, highlight the advantages of solar technology as it affects national development. In essence the study sets out to contribute to the advancement of knowledge on solar energy in Nige ... Continue reading---
