HARNESING SOLAR ENERGY FOR ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION TOWARDS ATTAINING MILLENI UM DEVELOPMENT GOALS BY AHMAD M.Y.

JUMBA , JAPHET DAUDA KONNI AND AHMAD YUSUF 1. ayjumba@yahoo.com, 2.japdauda@yahoo.com, 3.ayusuf@yahoo.com. DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL/ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC BAUCHI ABSTRACT The Millennium development goals (MDG) is a world wide effort to improve all Nat ions economy and speed development, the Electric energy is an essential ingredie nt for all round development of any country; the absence of steady, uninterrupte d electric power in Nigeria has a substantial negative impact and burden on all sectors of the MDG, NEEDS and Seven points agenda, since modern technology uses large amounts of electrical power. Therefore we need to increase electrical gene rating capacity; the present demand in the world is met by fossil and nuclear po wer plants. The use of carbon-based non-renewable energy is unsustainable, the e ffect of the resultant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions on the global climate. Alt ernative energy sources must be developed, with less or non environmental penal ties, but economically viable and also secure.This paper examines the effects of Electric Power Generation to the Economy and gives examples and recommendation s to solar due to its pollution free and sources of abundant power: Energy, Econ omy, Power, Solar, Steady.

INTRODUCTION The Millinium development goals (MDG) is a world wide effort initiated by United Nation (UN) to improve all Nations economy and speed develpoment and electric p ower industry is one of the basic industries that are vital to the economy of th e State and livelihood of its people.Since modern technology uses large amounts of electrical power; therefore it is the engine room of production processes us ed in production of goods and services; this is the fact in both manufacturing as well as service sector of the World economy. The absence of steady, regular, estimable, and reliable electrical power constit ute an impossible burden on the national economy and any modern economy for that matter, since it is one of the significant inhibitors of economic growths, one can easily see the retardation of the national development and progress. The development of Nigerian Power engineering sector is pre-requisite for growth in other sectors of the national economy. Its considerable production and scien tific-and-technical potentials have a strong influence in attracting foreign inv estments and enticing international companies to establish operations in the Cou ntry. Jumba and Konni (2007) It is not an over exaggeration if one said that electrici ty is the sine guenon necessary requirement for the operation of production proc esses, from design stage to manufacturing of goods, distribution and marketing. To meet this demand, we need to increase electrical generating capacity. Though most of the present demand in the world is met by fossils and nuclear power plan ts (as shown in figure 1 below). Many of these projects have caused unpleasant e nvironmental effects such as air or radiation pollution and the flooding of larg e areas of land. Figure1. U.S.A Electric Power Industry Net Generation, 2006 Alternative energy sources must be developed, with less or non environmental pen alties which are a highly efficient, clean energy and stable power supply system . On the basis of taking into overall consideration such factors as resources, t

echnology, environmental protection and the market. Environmental effect of Electric power generation Fossil fuel Most electricity today is generated by burning fossil fuels and producing steam which is then used to drive a steam turbine that, in turn, drives an electrical generator. Such systems allow electricity to be generated where it is needed, si nce fossil fuels can readily be transported. There are serious concerns about th e emissions that result from fossil fuel burning. Fossil fuels constitute a sign ificant repository of carbon buried deep under the ground. Burning those results in the conversion of this carbon to carbon dioxide, this is then released into the atmosphere. This results in an increase in the Earth's levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which enhances the greenhouse effect and contributes to global warming (Figure 2 shows the change in the Global warming). The linkage between i ncreased carbon dioxide and global warming is nearly universally accepted, thoug h fossil-fuel producers vigorously contest these findings. Figure 2 Global Temperature

Electricity generation produces a large share of World nitrogen oxides and sulph ur dioxide emissions, which contribute to smog and acid rain and the formation o f fine particulate matter. It is the largest uncontrolled industrial source of m ercury emissions. The Mercury vaporized in a power plant's boiler may stay suspe nded in the atmosphere and circulate around the world. While a substantial inven tory of mercury exists in the environment, as other man-made emissions of mercur y become better controlled, power plant emissions become a significant fraction of the remaining emissions. Power plant emissions of mercury in the United State s are thought to be about 50 tons per year in 2003, and several hundred tons per year in China. Fossil fuel-fired electric power plants also emit carbon dioxide , which may contribute to climate change. Fossil fuels, particularly coal, also contain dilute radioactive material, and burning them in very large quantities r eleases this material into the environment, leading to low levels of local and g lobal radioactive contaminations, the levels of which are, ironically, higher th an a nuclear power station as their radioactive contaminants are controlled and stored. In economic terms, pollution from fossil fuels is regarded as a negative externa lity. Some economists have tried to estimate the aggregate net economic costs of damages from climate change across the globe. Such estimates have so far failed to reach conclusive findings; in a survey of 100 estimates, the values ran from 1450 tonne of carbon (tC) ( 435 tonne of carbon dioxide) up to 50750/tC ( 13775 tonne carbon dioxide). One widely publicized report on potential economic impact is t he Stern Review; it suggests that extreme weather might reduce global gross dome stic product by up to 1% and that in a worst-case scenario, global per capita co nsumption could fall to 20%. Other economic sectors likely to face difficulties related to climate change include agriculture and transport. Developing countrie s, rather than the developed world, are at greatest economic risk. Nuclear power Nuclear power plants do not burn fossil fuels and so do not directly emit carbon dioxide; because of the high energy yield of nuclear fuels, the carbon dioxide emitted during mining, enrichment, fabrication and transport of fuel is small wh en compared with the carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuels of similar energy yi eld. A large nuclear power plant may reject waste heat to a natural body of wate r; this can result in undesirable increase of the water temperature with adverse effect on aquatic life. Emission of radioactivity from a nuclear plant is contr olled by regulations. Abnormal operation may result in release of radioactive ma terial on scales ranging from minor to severe. Secondly the amount of water usag e is often great concern when one compared the different power sources for elect ricity generating systems as shown below: Table 1 Water usage by Different Power plants Water usage (gal/MW-h) Power source Low case Medium/Average case High case

Nuclear power 400 (once-through cooling) 400 to 720 (pond cooling) 720 (cooling tow ers) Coal 300 480 Natural gas 100 (once-through cycle) 180 (with cooling towers) Hydroelectricity 1,430 Solar thermal 1,060 Geothermal 1,800 4,000 Biomass 300 480 Solar photovoltaic 30 Wind power 1 Source: World Energy Assessment, 2004 update Mining of uranium ore can disrupt the environment around the mining area. Dispos al of spent fuel is controversial, with many proposed long-term storage schemes under intense review and criticism. Finally, the structure of the reactor itself becomes radioactive and will require decades of storage before it can be econom ically dismantled and in turn disposed of as waste. Biomass Electrical power can be generated by burning anything which wills combust. Some electrical power is generated by burning crops which are grown specifically for the purpose. Usually this is done by fermenting plant matter to produce ethanol, which is then burned. This may also be done by allowing organic matter to decay , producing biogas, which is then burned. Also, when burned, wood is a form of b iomass fuel. Electrical generation has a typical efficiency of around 30%, but if heat is use d efficiencies can rise to more than 85%. In each type of plant, the overall rea ction for a fuel of mean composition: CxHyOz is given by: Cx HyOz + (x+y/4-z/2) O2 x CO2 + (y/2) H2O The total energy released by this reaction is independent of whether the fuel is burned in a combustion plant, paralyses (i.e. heated to decompose the fuel) or gasified (i.e. heated in a flow of a gas, usually air or steam). Burning biomass produces many of the same emissions as burning fossil fuels. However, growing b iomass captures carbon dioxide out of the air, so that the net contribution of t he cycle to global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is zero. The process of gro wing biomass is subject to the same environmental concerns as any kind of agricu lture. It uses a large amount of land, and fertilizers and pesticides may be nec essary for cost-effective growth. Another environmental issue, particularly with biomass and bio-fuels, is the large amount of land required to harvest energy, which otherwise could be used for other purposes most especially the issue of Fo od security. Hydro Power Hydroelectricity is produced by hydropower. It is a renewable source of energy, produces no waste, and does not produce carbon dioxide (CO2) which contributes t o greenhouse gases. Hydroelectricity now supplies about 715,000 MW or 19% of wor ld electricity (16% in 2003), accounting for over 63% of the total electricity f rom renewable in 2005. Although large hydroelectric installations generate most of the world's hydroele ctricity, small hydro schemes are particularly popular in China, which has over 50% of world small hydro capacity. However, there are several major disadvantages of hydroelectric systems. These i nclude: dislocation of people living where the reservoirs are planned, release o f significant amounts of carbon dioxide at construction and flooding of the rese

rvoir, disruption of aquatic ecosystems and birdlife, adverse impacts on the riv er environment, potential risks of sabotage and terrorism, and in rare cases cat astrophic failure of the dam wall. Geothermal power Geothermal energy is energy obtained by tapping the heat of the earth itself, us ually from kilometers deep into the Earth's crust, which can be tapped to produc e electricity in power plants. The underground steam sources are used to run a s team turbine. It is expensive to build a power station but operating costs are l ow resulting in low energy costs for suitable sites. Ultimately, this energy is driven from heat in the Earth's core. It should be stressed that the geothermal resource is not strictly renewable in the same sense as the hydro resource. Thou gh the International Energy Agency classifies geothermal power as renewable. While a geothermal power plant does not burn any fuel, it will still have emissi ons due to substances other than steam which come up from the geothermal wells. These may include hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide. Some geothermal steam so urces entrain non-soluble minerals that must be removed from the steam before it is used for generation; this material must be properly disposed. Any (closed cy cle) steam power plant requires cooling water for condensers; diversion of cooli ng water from natural sources, and its increased temperature when returned to st reams or lakes, may have a significant impact on local ecosystems. METHODOLOGY Solar Energy Solar power, which is a renewable source of energy, has been used as an alternat ive to fossil fuels, primarily in Germany (where the Government offers financial incentives) and in areas with an abundant amount of sun like Nigeria and other African Countries. Solar power works by converting the sun's radiation into DC p ower by use of photovoltaic cells. This power can then be converted into the mor e common AC power. Solar power offers a viable alternative to fossils fuels for its cleanliness and supply. Its negative impact on the environment lies in the creation of the sola r cells (which are made of primarily silicon and the extraction of this silicon requires the use of fossil fuels) and the storage of the energy (which usually r equires Lead-Acid batteries). It should be noted that solar power carries an upf ront cost to the environment via production, but offers clean energy throughout the lifespan of the solar cell. In this context, "solar energy" refers to energy that is collected from sunlight. Solar energy can be applied in many ways, incl uding: Generating electricity using photovoltaic solar cells or using concentrat ed solar power or by heating trapped air which rotates turbines in a solar updra ft toward or in geosynchronous orbit using solar power satellites. Sambo (2009) observed that the amount of solar radiation that is available to Ni geria, using only 0.1 percent of the land area is 3.5 7.0 KW/M /day (485.1millio n MWh/day, of which only 240Kwp of Solar PV or 0.01 million MWh/day is now being utilize. Renewable energy commercialization The cost of electricity production can be expressed as: C = ------------------------------------------1 P = ------------------------------------------------2 C= generation cost Naira/KWH. e= average monthly inflation rate during planning and construction periods. f= fuel cost, Naira per Btu at the generation site. k = annual load factor = -----------------------------------3 m= fraction of capital cost needed per year for operation and maintenance of the unit. n = number of years over which capital is amortized. P= adjusted value of capital investment in Naira per KW of installed capacity at year of commercial operation. pi = capital cost in Naira per KW at the start of planning (base year cost) r = annual interest rate per unit ri = monthly interest rate in per unit = r/12

t = lead time, months; includes planning and construction time. = overall efficiency of t e plant in per unit = RESULTS For solar electricity generation f is negligible: C = -------------------------------------------------4 T e cost of various renewable energy tec nologies in comparison wit t e prices of electricity production from a conventional coal-fired plant is as follows: Table 2 Cost of various energy tec nologies ENERGY SOURCE 2001 ENERGY COST POTENTIAL FUTURE ENERGY COST Wind 5.6-11.2 N/KWH 4.2-14 N/KWH Solar p oto voltaic 35- 224 N/KWH 7-35 N/KWH Solar t ermal 16.8- 47.6 N/KWH 5.6-28 N/KWH Large ydro 2.8- 14 N/KWH 2.8-14 N/KWH Small ydro 2.8- 16.8 N/KWH 2.8 14 N/KWH Geot ermal 2.8 14 N/KWH 1.4 11.2N/KWH Biomass 4.2 16.8 N/KWH 5.6 14 N/KWH Coal 5.6 N/KWH Source : World Energy Assessment, 2004 update Ac ieving furt er cost reductions as indicated in t e table above requires furt er tec nology development, market deployment, an increase in production capaciti es to mass production levels and of t e establis ment of an emissions trading sc eme and/or carbon tax w ic would attribute a cost to eac unit of carbon emitt ed; t us reflecting t e true cost of energy production by fossil fuels w ic t e n could be used to lower t e cost/kW of t ese renewable energies.

RECOMMENDATIONS 1. T ere s ould be general awareness of t e benefits of renewable Electricity. 2. T e Nation s ould ave a reliable resource database to assist investment deci sions for renewable electricity industry. 3. In order to attain sustainable Power generation t roug Private sector partic ipation, t e National Energy Policy and Master plan s ould be transformed into e nergy law t roug an act. Conclusion :In conclusion from t e above analysis wit t e modern tec nology it is possible to build a power station using eit er Solar or Wind to generate up t o 2000MW w ic is more t an installation capacity of any power generating statio n in Nigeria at lower cost and non environmental penalties, economically viable and also secure.

REFERENCES (1)Boot , E.S (1977): t e Electricity Supply Industry- yesterday, today, and tom orrow. Proceedings of IEE, Vol.124, No.1 (2)C endo, A.M (2001): Non Conventional Energy Source: Development, Diffusion and Impact on Human Index in Nigeria Journal of RE Volume 9 No.2. (3)Jumba, A.M.Y and Konni, J.D (2007): Impact of Electrical Power Provision on Industrial Development. National Annual Conference Sc ool of Engineering Federal Polytec nic Mubi. (4) Sambo, A.S (2009):T e C allenges of Sustainable Energy Development in Nigeri a.

Nigeria Society of Engineers Forum S e u Yaradua Centre Abuja. (5) United Nations Environment Programme and New Energy Finance Ltd. (2007).

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