Design of an Emergency Energy Module

SELECT Project of the Year 2010/11

Awrasa Montrichok Fahid Riaz Muditha Abeysekera Nanda Kumar Vincenzo Capogna Supervised by Associate Professor Viktoria Martin, KTH 5/30/2011

This document is submitted as the final written report of the work phase 2 of SELECT Project of the Year 2010 2011 In the Erasmus Mundus Masters program in Environomical Pathways for Sustainable Energy Systems, KTH, Sweden.

Abstract
Natural and manmade disasters result in emergency situations with many helpless people each year. Providing energy solutions in these emergency situations is a challenging task. This project envisions to design an Emergency Energy Module (EEM) which will be fuel flexible, reliable, cost effective, easy to transport and simple in operation and maintenance fulfilling the basic energy-related needs of people and relief aid units in emergency situations. This report explains different kinds of emergencies as well as their result and the different response activities. It also identifies people's needs in these different situations. The report compares various energy technologies, analyzes a selection of these technologies for the EEM, and provides a detailed design of the EEM. Case studies are included in order to validate this design. A preliminary business model for the EEM is discussed along with its supporting detailed study of finances, logistics, customers, etc. used to gain a competitive advantage over competitors in capturing the market.

Table of Contents
1 Introduction .........................................................................................................................5 1.1 Objectives ........................................................................................................................5 1.2 Methodology ....................................................................................................................6 2 Emergency Situations ..........................................................................................................7 2.1 Emergency Response Protocols .........................................................................................7 2.1.1 U.S Army An Emergency Response Protocol Example ............................................7 2.1.2 Non-profit Organizations and Other Resource Agencies .............................................8 2.2 Basic Human Needs ..........................................................................................................8 2.3 Natural Disasters ...............................................................................................................9 2.3.1 Risk Statistics of Natural Disasters .............................................................................9 2.3.2 Population Density.................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Concluding remarks on the challenges to be met at an emergency/disaster ....................... 12 3. Problem formulation .......................................................................................................... 13 3.1 Water requirement analysis.............................................................................................. 13 3.2 Auxiliary Energy Services to be catered .......................................................................... 16 3.3 Load profile for the Emergency Energy Module .............................................................. 19 3.4 Energy conversion technologies available to provide the need in context of an EEM ....... 20 3.5 Problem Statement .......................................................................................................... 26 4. Pre-Design of the EEM...................................................................................................... 27 4.1 Energy Flow Model for the Conceptual EEM .................................................................. 27 4.2 HOMER as a Techno economic Optimization Tool ......................................................... 28 4.3 Component Selection ....................................................................................................... 32 4.4 HOMER Simulation for Base case of the D Brick EEM................................................... 34 4.5 Results for the Base Case Simulation ............................................................................... 35

4 4.4 Control System and Standard Container........................................................................... 37 4.4.1 Energy Management and Control Strategy ................................................................ 38 4.5 Container Solution .......................................................................................................... 40 5 Case studies ....................................................................................................................... 41 5.1 Bangladesh Kutubdia Island ......................................................................................... 41 5.2 Uganda-Nakivale Refugee Camp case study .................................................................... 47 6. Market Analysis and Business Plan ................................................................................... 50 6.1 Logistics plan and Ware house locations .......................................................................... 52 6.2 Web Application Strategy ................................................................................................ 54 7. 8. Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 57 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 57

Nomenclature ............................................................................................................................ 58 Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................... 60 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 61 Appendix A............................................................................................................................... 64 Appendix B ............................................................................................................................... 72

1 Introduction
All across the globe natural hazards menacing humanity are on the rise. When earthquakes, floods, storms, draughts, other events are combined with circumstances such as poor urban governance, vulnerable rural livelihoods, and the decline of ecosystems, not only are there economic losses that can cripple nations but, more tragic, the massive loss of human lives and the creation of large-scale human misery. We as SELECT engineers aspire to design a mobile and flexible rescue unit that provides energy for clean water supply and electricity required by relief aid teams to assist the victims of a natural disaster. In autumn 2010, we completed Phase 1 of the Project of the Year, which comprised of extensive background research on current rescue methodologies, modular renewable energy conversion technologies, and water purification methods. Our preliminary concept of the Emergency Energy Module (EEM) was also developed in Phase 1 and details regarding this design are explored in depth in our Emergency Energy Module Phase 1 Written Report. The start of 2011 marks the beginning of Phase 2, where we further sculpt our design concept along with a preliminary business plan. Our aim in this phase was to make concrete our unique approach that will appeal to relief organizations focusing on delivering a strategy in a timely manner with a solution based on simplicity. This written report describes our concept development and summarizes the final design and findings of the project. It begins with a summary of the background research we have done so far as well as our objectives. A detailed explanation of our problem formulation and design methodology is then followed by an analysis of our results. This report is concluded with an overall discussion of our solution, approach, and business objectives.

1.1 Objectives
The objectives of this years project of the year is to come up with a design and preliminary business plan for an emergency energy module that could withstand harsh conditions of a natural disaster and provide relief for the effected people as well as for relief aid units operating in relief response activities. In the context of this preliminary phase of the project the main challenge was to decide on the best combination of technologies that should go into a module that can be easily transported to the disaster location and can start operation as soon as possible. However the considerations of technologies should also incorporate economical viability apart from the technical capability of the module as it is important when we think of a business strategy that could get this design to compete in the open market for similar kind of solutions. Therefore the objectives of this phase of the long running project was understood to be able to consider all options of available technologies that could support a disaster situation with providing emergency energy at an affordable price for the consumer as well as the personal who will bear the initial costs of having the unit operating. Also a strategy was required to have such a business operating and be profitable in a challenging situation such as providing for emergencies which was also identified as an objective of this phase of the project.

1.2 Methodology
To start the design process of EEM the first step is to understand the practical needs of the people of in an emergency situation with respect to the different time frames after the occurrence of disaster. From the background study of emergency situations and the case studies of different kinds of disasters in different parts of the world we have realized that it is not easy to understand the complexities of real scenarios developed after the disaster. The situations vary with respect to different kinds of disasters and locations. Therefore it was understood that it will be difficult to find out a general solution for a variety of situations caused at a range of locations. After the initial 1-2 weeks of rescue operations, the analysis of the volume of damage done by the disaster becomes apparent and local, national and international actors join hands to help the affected people. At this stage people are very much in need of external help. They need shelter, food, clothes, water, lighting, heating, security etc. to sustain their lives. Obviously, a single design cannot accommodate all of these needs. From our understanding of the practical situations, we have concluded that the most important use of the energy at an emergency situation is the purification of water. Because either this factor is ignored or very expensive ways are used to provide water like bottled water which also require a structured transportation services in many cases. Also energy or electricity can be used for communication (charging of mobiles etc.), lighting to ensure security in nights especially, thermal comfort of relief teams and running refrigerators for preserving vaccines. The severity of any of these needs varies with different situations. To start off with the design process of an emergency energy module we envision ourselves as a company that provide energy services for these kinds of challenging environments. We call ourselves D-Brick aligned with the containerized module we plan to provide for these situations. The design process started off with a thorough background study of emergency situations and their energy requirements which was carried out in autumn 2010. With that understanding a load demand was formulated for an average no of 5000 people to be served at a refugee camp. The demands were calculated to support a Reverse Osmosis Water Purification system, a communication unit for a relief aid team, a medical refrigerator and Lighting units for the camp area. A rigorous discussion on the viable technologies to support the function of an emergency energy module was carried out. Thereafter using HOMER (1), which is a micro power system modeling software, the optimum combination of different technologies for varying resource conditions were found. This enabled us to narrow down the configuration of technologies and the component mix that can go into the containerized module that was envisioned. Two case studies were done, one at a disaster prone location in Bangladesh and the other at a long term refugee camp in Uganda to test the model and to come up with an optimal solution for each location. Finally a preliminary business plan was put together that could realize the findings of this project to be brought into a marketable product.

2 Emergency Situations
The United Nations defines an emergency situation or a major disaster as a serious disruption of the functioning society, causing widespread human, material, or environmental losses that exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using only its own resources. (2) In the classification of the emergency one important element is the time extension, and there are three main types of emergencies (2): Sudden-Onset Emergencies, such as the earthquake in Haiti; Slow-Onset Emergencies, like the child hunger crisis that plagues parts of Africa; and Complex Emergencies illustrated by the various civil conflicts and warfare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our Emergency Energy Module, however, will focus mainly on providing energy for sudden-Onset Emergencies that result from major natural catastrophes but allowing the flexibility to be a good solution for refugee camps as well.

2.1 Emergency Response Protocols

Depending on the nature and location of the disaster, various organizations focus on and carry out different protocols when responding to specific crisis. However, an emergency response can generally be categorized into four separate and broad phases (2): Emergency preparedness and contingency planning or mitigation; Acute emergency response; Chronic humanitarian response; and Transition and recovery. In the context of this project, we will narrow our scope to address the second and third phases, which are the acute emergency response phase and the chronic humanitarian response phase. The Acute emergency response phase corresponds with the immediate response operations to save lives, protect property, and meet basic human needs. These basic needs will be described in more detail in section 2.2. Long-term refugee camps are examples of a chronic humanitarian response, which will be described in more detail in the subsequent sections.

2.1.1 U.S Army An Emergency Response Protocol Example

When a disaster strikes in the U.S, the federal government responds after local and state resources and capabilities have been exhausted (3). In a catastrophic disaster, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can mobilize federal resources for search and rescue, electrical power, food, water, shelter and other basic human needs. Federal assistance can also take many other forms, including financial assistance, technical assistance, and most often, logistics. National voluntary organizations work alongside federal agencies to help provide disaster relief goods and services as well. The U.S government created the Federal Response Plan (FRP) (4) to establish a process and structure to coordinate this federal assistance to address the consequences of a major disaster. The FRP covers the full range of complex and constantly changing requirements following a disaster: saving lives, protecting property, and meeting basic human needs (response); restoring the disaster-affected area (recovery); and reducing vulnerability to future disasters (mitigation). FEMA steps in with initial coordination with

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national and international volunteer organizations to provide more long-term aid and reconstruction. Our EEM design concept specific to refugee camps can address this stage. Sometimes, military support is necessary since the Department of Defense maintains significant resources (personnel, equipment, and supplies) that may be available to support the Federal response to a major disaster or emergency (5). Take for instance, the U.S Army Corp of Engineers (5) whose purpose is to provide public works and engineering support to assist the State in need related to lifesaving or life protecting and major property protection following a major disaster. This includes providing emergency power and potable water. Our EEM design concept goal is to provide an organization like the U.S Army Corp of Engineers(USACE) with a solution to their energy and potable water needs.

2.1.2 Non-profit Organizations and Other Resource Agencies

When a major disaster strikes, various organizations and agencies step in to provide relief and aid to disaster victims (5). Usually, these organizations work in parallel with a nations military, where both parties rely on each other for support. Non-governmental and/or humanitarian organizations are likely to have more local knowledge about the people, region, and situation whereas the military can provide security, technical assistance, and access to remote areas. Besides military organizations like the USACE, the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) are also our target market. We aim to provide both temporary and long-term energy for water, and other practical needs that the major players of a disaster require to support the people in need. We also aim to provide a strategy to these potential clients with our userfriendly web application similar to the Table of Organization and Equipment the U.S Army relies on (4). Unlike the U.S Army Corp of Engineers, for instance, who must be strictly monitored by FEMA according to the FRP, NGOs and other relief organizations are not monitored and enforced with set rules by any kind of authority. However, there are several standards and guidelines that these organizations adhere to in order to ensure that proper relief and attention are given to disaster victims and that their basic needs are met and their dignity maintained.

2.2 Basic Human Needs

The very basic human need for survival starts with water, followed by food and shelter (6). Electrical power is needed for heating, cooking, lighting, refrigeration, and sometimes water purification. In our design, we will focus on designing an EEM that can supply electricity for clean water and electrical power. But first, we need to determine the basic water and energy needs of a person at such a disaster condition. The Sphere Project was created by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement (6). The Code of Conduct 6 for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief, was developed by eight of the world's largest disaster response agencies. It lays down ten points of principle that all humanitarian organizations should adhere to in their disaster response

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work. The Handbook for Emergencies (7) published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees also provides guidelines for maintaining the well being of refugees during displacements due to emergencies. As an overview, from these guidelines and studies (6) (7), the minimum drinking water requirement for an average person has been estimated to be approximately 3 liters per day, given average temperate climate conditions and coping levels. In addition to drinking requirements, water is usually used for sanitation purposes, basic hygiene needs, and for food preparation. This increases the water requirement to 7-15 liters a day. Details regarding water needs, the various technologies that exist today to provide clean water, and our EEM solution will be discussed in more detail in the subsequent sections pertaining to water. Electrical power is needed for heating, cooking, refrigeration (for medical and food preservation purposes), lighting, and sometimes water purification. In the Energy section of this report, more details about the amount required, the technologies out there to produce electricity sustainably, and our solution will presented. The purpose is to identify the Minimum Standards to be attained in disaster assistance, in each of five key sectors: water supply and sanitation, nutrition, food aid, shelter and health services. Most of the water and sanitation requirements that our project will use as our baseline come from The Sphere Project study as will be discussed in more detail in the Water section of this report.

2.3 Natural Disasters

Major natural catastrophes can happen anywhere at any time. Although our EEM concept will satisfy the requirement of flexibility with regards to handling a variety of emergency situations in various geographical locations, our design and focus will center on regions where the highest number of catastrophes have occurred. It is a great advantage, in terms of compatibility, to be able to reduce the range of locations and therefore, situations with which our module has to face. It will also take into account where the population is dense in relation to these disaster hot spots.

2.3.1 Risk Statistics of Natural Disasters

A study titled, Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (2009) (8), details where the highest risks for natural disasters lie. This study integrates the areas of the globe that have been affected most by natural calamities, the density of the population, the level of development of the region, as well as the GDP. The map below illustrates the level of disaster risk based on the risk of mortality across the globe.

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Figure 2.1: Disaster Risk Regions (9)

In a report titled Natural Disaster Hotspots (10): A Global Risk Analysis, the global risks of two disasterrelated outcomes are assessed: mortality and economic losses. Risk levels are estimated by combining hazard exposure with historical vulnerability for two indicators of elements at riskgridded population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per unit areafor six major natural hazards: earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, floods, drought, and cyclones. The following two diagrams depict some of the results from this report.

Figure 1.2: Global Distribution of highest risk disaster hotspots by hazard type with regards to mortality risk

(10)

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Figure2.2 : Mortality hotspots and the top 20 recipients of humanitarian relief (1992-2003) (10)

The highest-risk areas are those in which disasters are expected to occur most frequently and losses are expected to be highest. Many countries highlighted in Figures 2.1,2.2 and 2.3 have high proportions of population, GDP per unit area or land surface within areas classified as multi-hazard, high mortality and total economic loss risk hotspots, respectively. Presumably, as disasters continue to occur, these and other high-risk countries will continue to need high levels of humanitarian relief unless their vulnerability is reduced. Figure 2.3 above illustrates the top 20 countries with highest mortality risks that receive the most humanitarian relief.

2.3.2 Population Density

The map below illustrates the world population density in 1994 (10). Although outdated, a correlation can be made between the mortality risks of a natural disaster and the density of the population. This correlation will help us to focus our project scope on regions that have the highest risk of mortality.

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Figure 2.4: Population density in 1994 (9)

An observation of disaster risk patterns and trends at the global level allows a visualization of the major concentrations of risk described and an identification of the geographic distribution of disaster risk across countries, trends over time and the major drivers of these patterns and trends. We have derived from the above-mentioned reports and studies that: o Disaster risk is geographically highly concentrated, in particular, the tropical region, central Africa (most of all for the wars and the drought), and in the highly populated sub tropical region like the south-central Europe and America. o Disaster risk is very unevenly distributed. Hazards affect both poorer and richer countries, but in addition to hazard severity and exposure a range of other risk drivers related to economic and social development play a crucial role in the configuration of disaster risk. o Disaster risk is increasing driven by the growing exposure of people and assets because vulnerability decreases as countries develop, but not enough to compensate for the increase in exposure.

2.4 Concluding remarks on the challenges to be met at an emergency/disaster

Coming up with our EEM solution will not be without challenges. One of the major challenges faced deals with social issues that can be unique to each location. For example, a solution for a refugee camp may have to consider the threat of locals removing parts of the module to sell for cash. Other issues can be financial, for instance the lack of adequate funds of an organization to purchase an EEM solution. This issue could potentially affect the motivation of an organization to opt for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution than a more inexpensive solution relying solely on diesel. Then, once the module is put in place and operating, the module may face harsh weather conditions that could impact various aspects to the unit. Designing a solution to address the varying needs of a location and utilize the varying resources for energy is another challenge. Our web application discussed later in this report aims to minimize this challenge as much as possible. However, after the conceptual solution has been determined, we will face the challenge of ensuring smooth logistics with a proper and timely set up of the EEM.

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3. Problem formulation
As explained in the previous paragraphs, extreme living conditions, like the refugee camps or the natural disaster ones, are often characterized by scarcity or absence of the clean water and the lack of electrical energy for the failures in the grid or complete absence of grid connection (7). At the same time, in these situations, essential concerns are represented by the access to clean drinking water and food together with the electricity which is the most common and diffuse energy vector for the operation of all the primary emergency devices. In fact, electrical power is needed for heating, cooking, refrigeration (for medical and food preservation purposes), lighting, communication and sometimes also for the water purification itself. To design of a flexible and cost-effective product it is necessary to prioritize these needs in order to provide a satisfactory relief response in a range of different disaster condition. At the same time, it should be a cost efficient and a reliable emergency solution that are compatible with the low budget of refugee camps. The module is structured as a stand-alone electrical energy generator, mainly powered by a mix of renewable energy sources. The main problem addressed by our module is the supply of electricity to run a water purification system. In fact, we defined this as the first priority; the access to clean drinking water because it is the most essential need for the human survival (7) and because its lack is the first cause of diseases that can easily create widespread of epidemics or fatal illnesses. The module also should also supply electricity for low intensive power purpose as internal and external lighting (a priority to assure a safely conditions in the camp) communication devices, (necessary to coordinate the organization and logistical activities) and medicine conservation (e.g. vaccine refrigeration) that can strongly help to support the medical care facilities. However, the module is envisioned as a flexible and an autonomous power generator so that it will be possible to connect to it also different kinds of loads (e.g. a camp hospital) just through adjusting settings of the programmable control system for a different load profile in order to have an optimized system.

3.1 Water requirement analysis

Quickly start the immediate measures to protect human life must be needed while first few days and week after the emergencies. Especially water hygiene is important to prevent epidemic diseases like diarrhea, malaria, cholera etc., For example below fig shows the causes of death, all ages, kohistan district, Afghanistan at 26 November 2000 to 4 April 2001 (Total number of persons died = 108). (11)

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Causes of death, all ages, Kohistan District, Afghanistan

November 26, 2000 to April 4, 2001 Diarrhoea 25% Scurvy Measles 7% 16% Respiratory Tract Infections Other

33%

19%

Figure 3.1: Causes of deaths in Kohistan District Afganistan (26th November 2000 to 4th April 2001)

Here the major portion is diarrhea of about 25 %. It was mainly due to unhygienic water. Recently in Haiti Jan 2010, WHO announced that Haiti people were at risk of epidemics due to bad sanitation especially through water. (12) Quality of water required for different uses at a disaster The required water qualities for different uses at emergency conditions are important to know and to satisfy required water quantity as well as quality. World Health Organization (WHO) discussed and documented water requirement quality and quantity during emergency conditions.
(13)

Figure 3.2: Hierarchy of water requirements (13)

15 When we go through fig 3.2, hierarchy of water requirements, required water quality for drinking is higher than sanitation purposes for example washing clothes. (13) Short term Survival (drinking and cooking): The water quality for short term survival is mentioned in Guidelines for drinking water quality by World Health Organization (WHO) published at Geneva 2004 Guideline for water quality for different uses A water quality guideline given by WHO for different purposes. (14)
1. Microbiological quality of drinking water

Any 100 ml sample should not have Escherichia coli or thermo tolerant coli form bacteria.
2. Treatment of drinking water

Unprotected water sources are treated to produce drinking water to ensure microbiological safety.
3. Chemical and Radiological Quality of drinking water

The water quality should meet either National standards concerning chemical and radiological parameters or WHO guidelines for drinking water quality
4. Acceptability of drinking water

The water should not contain any color or odor or taste.

5. Water for other purposes

Water is not for drinking and it can be used only for cleaning, laundry and sanitation. For cleaning, laundry and sanitation dont required drinking quality water but for hand washing, bathing, dishwashing needs to be in drinking water quality. Similarly for food preparation and washing utensils the drinking water quality must be used. Technologies for Water Purification and the electrical/thermal needs Water needs to be purified effectively especially during emergency period to avoid epidemic diseases. As technologists reverse osmosis is best option for purifying water effectively. But it requires pre filtration to remove any suspended particles which choke the reverse osmosis filter. The emergency energy module conceptualized by D-Brick uses the specifications of the following RO water purification unit to be supplied. Electrical requirement for the reverse osmosis based water purification equipment is 3 KW. The technical specification is attached on the appendix B. Table 3.1: Specifications of the water purification unit

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3.2 Auxiliary Energy Services to be catered

Apart from the dire need of drinking water in disaster/emergency situations, the need for electrical power also increases as the worst has passed by. Electrical power is usually required by the following applications at an emergency (2) 1. Communication equipment used by relief aid units for sending and receiving information 2. Operation of medical facilities Setting up hospitals and for refrigeration of medicines and vaccines 3. Indoor and outdoor lighting of camp areas Ensuring security in camps 4. Thermal comfort and ventilation 5. Food preparation 6. Charging laptops and mobile phones However, it should be understood that there will be limitations on how much a self sustaining energy module can provide to fulfill the energy needs at such a challenging situation. Therefore in the context of our Emergency Energy module we restrict ourselves to provide for selected electricity requirements of a relief aid team operating in a disaster/emergency situation. Our aim will be to provide power for communication equipment, a refrigerator for storing essential medicines and vaccines, lighting around and inside the EEM and power for laptops and mobile phone charging of the relief aid team. Communication Equipment Communication from and to the disaster striken area is almost always a common problem after a disaster occurrence. This is due to large infrastructure damages caused by disasters. Therefore having access to communication equipment becomes important for relief aid units working in these areas to improve their efficiency and to plan their activities according to instructions given by main base stations. A typical communication unit at a remote base station will include a High frequency (HF) transceiver, a HF modem, a laptop or a PC with email, fax and data system software and a mains power supply unit (15). Typical loads of such equipment are as tabulated in the following table.

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Table 3.2: Communication equipment needed by a remote base station (15) Equipment Typical load / (W) 125 25 10 Operating current/ (A) < 0.5 0.4

HF transceiver (2-30 MHz) HF modem Laptop or PC with e mail, fax and system software

Refrigerator for essential medical storage Medical facilities play a major role in the recovery period of a disaster. Large scale medical centers will be operational as soon as the threat of the situation is no more apparent (16). However in the scope of our module we will not accommodate power supply for the operation of medical units but rather will have the capacity to power small refrigerator units that can be used for the purpose of storing essential medicines and vaccines for use by relief aid units. Specifications of possible alternatives of medical refrigerators to be used in the EEM are provided below. Table 3.3: Specifications of medical refrigerators to be used in the EEM Product Name Net Volume Dimensions Voltage Frequency Power Energy Consumption Refrigerant type Figure R600a LR110 GG Refrigerator (17) 92 Litres 820mm x 560mm x 580mm 220-240 V 50 H 80 W 0.75 kWh/day
o

RFVB-134a (Sunfrost) (18) Freezer-34Litres & Refrigerator55Litres

12 V ~60W @32 C 0.44 kWh/day

18 Lighting inside and outside the EEM Lighting becomes an important requirement for a unit operating in an emergency situation as we cannot rely on other methods of illumination to be already operating in the locality. The EEM should be able to provide for lighting inside the conceptualized module as well as outside, mainly for security reasons and also for facilitating refugee camps. Nowadays, it is possible to find energy efficient lighting mechanisms that are being widely used for residential and outdoor lighting purposes which will suit our application. LED technology is one such promising improvement in the lighting industry which provides bulbs that are capable of producing the same luminance of the conventional bulbs but at a much less energy consumption. Specifications and data of lighting products to be used in the EEM are given below.
Table 1.4: Product specification for Indoor lighting of the EEM Product name Dimensions LED Source Input Voltage LED power consumption Initial Luminous Flux Color Temperature (Custom available) Color Rendering Index Dim ability Efficacy Ambient Temperature Viewing Angle Rated Life Warranty Coverage Diogen Bulb 800 (19) Dia. 6.75 x 11.34 cm H 158 PCS 120V/60HZ 12 W 560Lm

Warm White 3000-4000K Cool White 5000-6000K

62 Dimmer Safe 48.8 Lm/W -20 to 40 C Omni Directional 50000 hours 2 years

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Table3.5: Product specification for outdoor lighting of the EEM Product name Input Voltage LED power consumption Initial Luminous Flux Weight Efficacy Ambient Temperature Rated Life Warranty Coverage WP LED20 (20) 120V-277V/60HZ 20 W 1401 Lm 2.76 kg 65 Lm/W -30 to 50 C 50000 hours 5 years

3.3 Load profile for the Emergency Energy Module

Considering the aforementioned needs to be supported at an emergency, we can formulate a rough load profile which the emergency energy module should be able to provide. In context of the EEM we have considered supporting a refugee camp of 5000 resident people. After identifying the equipment to be supported by the EEM, we should propose a strategy to optimize the use of this equipment throughout the day. In the base case the following loadings are assumed. 1. The reverse osmosis water purification unit will run through 08:00hrs to 21:00hrs (13 hours per day) 2. 6 units of LED lights will be used to illuminate inside the container throughout the day 3. 5 units of outdoor lights will be operated from 19:00hrs in the night to 08:00hrs in the morning (13 hours per day) 4. An HF transceiver will be operational throughout the day while the PC for e-mail and fax will be operating from 08:00hrs to 20:00hrs (12 hours per day) 5. A medical refrigerator for storage of medicines will operated throughout the day 6. Membrane Distillation Water purification will be carried out when co-generation equipment is in operation It should be noted here that this is a sample case scenario to formulate the load profile for the EEM, but this will vary according to needs at a specific location as well as with resource availability to produce power in any given time. Also the peak load will vary as we will operate the water purification unit as a deferrable load. We have used an excel worksheet to formulate the load profile and is attached with the appendix. The maximum electrical load to be supplied was 3kW between 19:00-20:00hrs. Total daily

20 energy consumption was accounted to be around 37kWh/day. Typical daily load variation in this case would be as presented in Figure .

Total Electrical Load (kW)

3.5 3 2.5

2
1.5 1 0.5 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Total Electrical Load (kW)

Figure 3.3: Load profile for the Emergency Energy Module

3.4 Energy conversion technologies available to provide the need in context of an EEM
There are different energy resources/technologies available which can be used in an emergency energy module (EEM) for example: Fossil fuel (Diesel Engine/Micro Gas Turbine), Solar Energy (PV/Solar Dish), Wind Energy (Micro Turbines), Bio Fuels / Bio Gas (Gasification/Digestion), Hydro Power (Run of river turbines) etc. All the different technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages. The selection of the most suitable technology or the combination of technologies is the most important aspect of the design of EEM. For this purpose there are different features (which are required to be defined and understood) on the basis of which different technologies can be compared. So these features act as our criteria of selection. For the emergency or disaster response the priority is to provide the services for the immediate relief of affected people. Therefore, EEM must be: fuel flexible, reliable, easy to transport, easy to operate, and cost effective. These features are the main criteria for comparing different energy technologies.

21 Fuel Flexible Considering the availability of different energy resources in the locality of a disaster suggests that it is advantageous to have the designed solution to be fuel flexible. Fuel flexibility in relation to EEM is the ability to utilize various energy sources, subjected to availability, to provide a continuous, reliable power output. Reliable Reliability is of utmost importance in the EEM as the module is to be placed under demanding conditions of a disaster and should not fail to provide its services. Reliability refers to the long term operation of the unit without any maintenance requirements and problems. SustainableEven though it would be difficult to think on sustainability at a disaster response activity, this project challenges the energy engineers to develop an energy module that will be independent of fossil fuel supply in the long run and utilize local renewable energy sources for power. Sustainability also considers the fact that the unit leaves minimum effect on the environment it operates in. Easy to transport As experience and research show, one of the devastated functions after a disaster is the transportation sector and the ability to reach the destination with relief supplies. Therefore, it is important that the disaster relief equipment should be manageable with weight and size. The specific power (Power produced per unit weight) of EEM should be maximized. Easy to operate It is recommended that EEM should not require highly trained personnel for its installation and operation. The system should be simple to operate and require very little and simple interactions from the outside. Cost effective Cost effectiveness means that the cost of module itself (initial capital investment), cost of operation and cost of transportation should be less. This feature will enable us to compete in the market and hence to be successful with our business and social goals of capturing more and more market. After defining different features as criteria for comparison of different technologies now we will proceed to the analysis of different technological option for EEM.

22 Fossil Fuels: Fossil fuel systems like diesel engine are reliable, easy to transport, easy to operate and cost effective (21).We need to provide continuous supply of fuel to run our fossil fuel based system. These are compact systems and do not need any kind of installation before they start their operation. These systems are very suitable for meeting the base load with continuous supply. If our system is required to provide energy to big area with lot of people then fossil fuel based system might be the only solution. Most of the worlds emergencies and catastrophes have been handled by using a suitable diesel generator. If we want to use our system more effectively, we can use the exhaust of the engines (which is usually at a quite high temperature) to run a thermal water cleaning unit or thermal heating or cooling (vapor absorption cycle). Diesel engines are capable to use the biofuels without any major modification. So biomass gasifier can be added in the system if we want to reduce the dependence on the transport of fossil fuels in the areas where abundant biomass resource is available. Solar Energy (21): There are two kinds of solar power systems; solar thermal and photovoltaic panels. Solar thermal systems like solar dish (Stirling Engine) are suitable for high solar intensities. PV panels on the other hand can even utilize the diffused solar radiations to produce power. They are required to be cooled constantly for high efficiencies. The disadvantages of solar power are that it is expensive energy and is not available in the night. Either we need some energy storage mechanism or some other means of energy production during the night time. Solar power is suitable for water cleaning system because the use of clean water is not affected by the intermittent nature of the solar system. Clean water can be produced using solar PV panels to produce electric power which is used to run pumps to clean water through reverse osmosis. Solar insolation is not constant everywhere so the usability depends on location. At the locations where solar radiation intensity is high solar dish can be a good option. The usability of solar systems is also dependent on the available season because in many parts of the world solar energy is not available in the winter season. For very high radiation intensity areas like Sudan, solar cookers have also been used to cook the food in emergency situations. For the solar systems to meet the base load a strong storage system should be used. Batteries can be used but batteries are expensive and have shorter life comparatively but in the recent years there has been a lot of development in this area. Hydrogen is another way to store energy. Electricity is used for the electrolysis to water to produce hydrogen and then hydrogen is used in a fuel cell to produce electricity again. Solar PV panels are stand alone systems and are used for long term requirements. In a location where utility power can be restored in a short period of time PV may not be the correct solution. If the disaster is big scaled and hundreds of kilowatts are required then PV is not the right choice because large areas of open space would be required and the cost will be very high to make it highly unsuitable.

23

Wind Power: The cost of wind power production depends on the available wind speed (22). For good wind speeds the wind power is the most cost effective renewable technology, which can compete with the conventional energy resources. Wind production is intermittent because it depends upon velocity of wind, which is not constant at a location. This is why the capacity factor is always less than 1 and a typical value is 0.3. So just like solar system we need some storage system for wind energy systems as well. If the wind power is remarkable at the disaster location, wind power can be used to produce power. Again in this case of wind power the problem of storage can be solved if the production of clean water is the main load of EEM. Biomass: As explained earlier in the fossil fuels section if abundant supply of biomass is available in the vicinity of the emergency location, small biomass converters can be used to produce biofuel (liquid) or biogas. This fuel can be used in a diesel engine to produce electricity and heat. Similarly, biogas can be used in some gas engine or micro gas turbine. The good thing about biomass is that it is not intermittent and can be used to meet the base loads so it does not require any special storage system. Biomass is a very good form of renewable energy and it has been used for centuries by humans to meet their energy demands for cooking, heating and lighting. While developing biomass power production systems it should be critically analyzed that the biomass to be used should not replace or reduce the food production in any way. Municipal wastes, wastes from different industries like paper and sugar, and sustainable production of wood in forests are very good examples of biomass to be used for power production. Biomass can be directly burned in boilers or can be converted to liquid or gaseous fuels to be used in conventional systems like cars. Biomass power production is continuous and sustainable as long as the supply chain is closely monitored and biomass is only obtained from certified producers. Hydro Power: Hydro power technology is very much developed and tested by time. In terms of reliability and control no other technology can compete with hydro power (21). Hydro power is fairly cheap as well. Small hydro power is a very good and cheep resource of energy which can be installed on the run of the river but it requires the selection of special locations and the installation time and cost are high. This is the reason hydro power is unsuitable to be used in an emergency situation. Similar is the case with geothermal, Ocean thermal, tidal and wave energies. These are developing technologies but are highly unsuitable for emergency situations.

24 To get the quick idea on some basic energy technology efficiencies and their reliability and robustness the following table has been developed. Table 3.6: Comparison of different technology options

Efficiency

Reliability and Robustness Solar power is not constant and rely on

Solar PV

10-15 % El. Eff. W.r.t. Weatherly irradiation

and

seasonal

variations,

Equipment is not very huge so can with stand difficult situations The variation of power is remarkable therefore, detailed wind data is needed

Small Scale Wind

40 % at the design speed

before the decision of using wind, as they are vertical structures so storms can damage the equipment but quite robust designs are also available in the market. Hydro turbines are very much developed technology and are reliable in operation

Micro Hydro

50-60%

but depend on the flow of water. The system should be designed for floods etc. which make it a little expensive.

Diesel/Gas Generator

35-40 % fuel

Very

reliable

and

very

robust.

Technology is fully developed. Gas turbines are a developed technology

Micro CHP

80% total, 20 % El.

but for micro gas turbine there are not many suppliers available because it is a new concept.

Fuel Cells

50 % max. for Solid oxide FC

The technology is not very much developed and improving with the research going on.

25 Selection of the Technologies for the EEM Now after defining the criteria for selection of energy technology for EEM and then analyzing different sorts of available energy technologies we are in position to decide which energy technology will be the correct option to put inside an EEM. We have reached to the following energy flow diagram which indicates the combination of technologies and their interaction with each other to produce Power and Water output form EEM.

Figure 3.4: Energy Flow Model for the Emergency energy Module

The solar power from PV and wind power from micro wind turbine are main renewable technologies. Diesel engine or Micro gas turbine is the main fossil fuel system. The combination of both renewable and fossil technologies will allow us to harvest the positive features of both and to manage the negative features. The main feature of our strategy is the customized solution for every situation. So the basic control system will allow us to design a specific module for specific location and the type of disaster. This means that the number of wind turbines, PV panel and energy auxiliaries will decided to optimize the performance for unit input cost. Micro gas turbine will be preferred for the location with high variation of input fuels and the possibility of finding biomass inputs in the gasifier. The electricity will be used to produce clean water using

26 reverse osmosis system and to run other electrical utilities. The heat will be utilized to run membrane distillation unit for cleaning water. The use of both electrical and heat energy make the system a co generation system increasing the overall efficiency. The battery usage is for the operation of inverter and control and for very small electrical energy usage. The fact that the clean water is the main load makes this possibility of using less storage because it is not a continuous load so the production of clean water can be increased or decreased depending of the availability of the renewable power which is always varying.

3.5 Problem Statement

After identifying the essential needs at an emergency situation, we have narrowed down the support functions to providing drinking water for a refugee camp of around 5000 people, and to provide electricity for a relief aid team to operate in such a challenging situation independently. The relief aid team will be equipped with a remote base station communication unit, a medical refrigerator for essential medicines and vaccines storage and outdoor lighting equipment in the case of having to provide illumination to a refugee camp area. The problem to be solved can be identified as to provide for these requirements (Energy load profile-Figure 3.3) with a simple and robust power conversion solution which will be flexible in terms of resource supply, independent of fossil fuel availability, cost effective and environmentally friendly in its operating life cycle. And also this solution should be flexible/customizable according to location of application and should be delivered within a few days after the incident occurrence to support the relief aid units operational in the area.

27

4. Pre-Design of the EEM

The main design problem in the context of this project work was to decide on the best combination of energy conversion technologies that would be most effective to support the load demand formulated for a disaster setting. There are various important parameters/factors to be considered when we design for such a challenging situation. One of the most important considerations is the technical feasibility of the combination of these technologies to support the minimum energy requirement of the situation. Therefore a technical solution is of prime importance. The technical parameters to be optimized would be 1. Maximum Capacity shortage 2. The power capacity of the system 3. Storage capacity In a more pragmatic approach when designing for a business some of the parameters to be optimized in the design solution should be 1. Total Net Present Cost ($) 2. Initial Capital Investment ($) 3. Cost of Operation and Maintenance ($/year) 4. Requirement of fossil fuel (Liters/month) 5. Reliability and robustness (Maintenance cost and maintenance intervals) However there are some intangible factors such as the maturity of technology that should also be considered when selecting a particular technology onboard the energy solution.

4.1 Energy Flow Model for the Conceptual EEM

According to the reasoning provided in section 3.4 we narrow down the technologies we consider for use in the EEM to Solar PV systems, Small wind turbines, Diesel Engines, Microturbines and Micro CHP engines. To construct the energy model of the proposed EEM we take into account the energy sources that are available to be utilized, the energy conversion technologies, and the energy loads to be served. Figure 4.1 shows the technology options that will be considered for application.

28

Figure 1: Energy System Model

Figure 4.1: Energy Flow diagram for the Emergency Energy Module

According the location of application the optimum combination of technologies and also the capacity of components assembled will vary. This is due the fact that different locations will have different resources available to be utilized. This optimization routine as explained above should be able to solve for the technical feasibility as well as economical effectiveness in its function. For this purpose HOMER which is a micro power system modeling software was used due to its flexibility in terms of the diversity of systems it can simulate. HOMER simulations will be carried out to determine which technology options should be selected in different applications of the EEM.

4.2 HOMER as a Techno economic Optimization Tool

A fitting tool to ease the burden of this otherwise complicated optimization procedure is HOMER. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) developed HOMER to meet the renewable energy industrys system analysis and optimization needs (1). HOMER is a computer model that simplifies the task of evaluating design options for both off-grid and grid-connected power systems for remote, stand-alone and distributed generation (DG) applications. HOMER's optimization and sensitivity analysis algorithms allow the user to evaluate the economic and technical feasibility of a large number of technology options and to account for uncertainty in technology costs, energy resource availability, and other variables. HOMER models both conventional and renewable energy technologies (22). Therefore HOMER was decided to be used as the optimization tool in this project to compare system configurations and optimize the combination of technologies to meet the load demand of the proposed energy module.

29

Functionality of the Software (22) HOMER performs three principal tasks: simulation, optimization, and sensitivity analysis. In the simulation process, HOMER models the performance of a particular micropower system conguration each hour of the year to determine its technical feasibility and life-cycle cost. In the optimization process, HOMER simulates many different system congurations in search of the one that satises the technical constraints at the lowest life-cycle cost. In the sensitivity analysis process, HOMER performs multiple optimizations under a range of input assumptions to gauge the effects of uncertainty or changes in the model inputs. Optimization determines the optimal value of the variables over which the system designer has control such as the mix of components that make up the system and the size or quantity of each. Sensitivity analysis helps assess the effects of uncertainty or changes in the variables over which the designer has no control, such as the average wind speed or the future fuel price. Figure 4.2 illustrates the relationship between simulation, optimization, and sensitivity analysis. The optimization oval encloses the simulation oval to represent the fact that a single optimization consists of multiple simulations. Similarly, the sensitivity analysis oval encompasses the optimization oval because a single sensitivity analysis consists of multiple optimizations.

Figure 4.2: Conceptual relationship between simulation, optimization, and sensitivity analysis. (22)

To limit input complexity, and to permit fast enough computation to make optimization and sensitivity analysis practical, HOMERs simulation logic is less detailed than that of several other time-series simulation models for micro power systems, such as Hybrid2, PV-DesignPro, and PV*SOL (22). On the other hand, HOMER is more detailed than statistical models such as RETScreen, which do not perform time-series simulations. Of all these models, HOMER is the most flexible in terms of the diversity of systems it can simulate.

30

Formulate a Question

Build the Schematic

Enter project details and constraints

Enter load details

Examine optimization results

Enter resource details

Enter component details

Refine the system design

Add sensitivity variables

Examine sensitivity results

(A)

(B)
Figure 4.3: (a) Process of running a simulation in HOMER (b) Schematic of a HOMER model

Creating a model in HOMER Figure 4.3 shows the procedure of creating and running a micro power system model in HOMER. After a clear question that should be answered is formulated, we use the built in user interface of the software to form the schematic of the power system (Figure 4.3b). The project details such as lifetime of the project and the annual real interest rate along with technical constraints such as maximum annual capacity shortage are fed to the model through user friendly command windows. Next the load demand particulars and the component details (PV panel technical specifications, Wind turbine efficiency curve etc.) along with their cost information are fed into the model. HOMER allows the modeler to enter multiple values for each component capacity or number which becomes a decision variable for the optimization routine. The resource details available at the operating location, such as annual hourly wind variation or the solar irradiation variation details are

31 either provided through a user created file that could be imported to the model or by meteorological databases that are linked to the software available on the World Wide Web. Simulation (22) HOMER models a particular system conguration by performing an hourly time series simulation of its operation over one year. HOMER steps through the year one hour at a time, calculating the available renewable power, comparing it to the electric load, and deciding what to do with surplus renewable power in times of excess, or how best to generate (or purchase from the grid) additional power in times of decit. When it has completed one years worth of calculations, HOMER determines whether the system satises the constraints imposed by the user on such quantities as the fraction of the total electrical demand served, the proportion of power generated by renewable sources, or the emissions of certain pollutants. HOMER also computes the quantities required to calculate the systems life-cycle cost, such as the annual fuel consumption, annual generator operating hours, expected battery life, or the quantity of power purchased annually from the grid. The quantity HOMER uses to represent the life-cycle cost of the system is the total net present cost (NPC). This single value includes all costs and revenues that occur within the project lifetime, with future cash ows discounted to the present. The total net present cost includes the initial capital cost of the system components, the cost of any component replacements that occur within the project lifetime, the cost of maintenance and fuel. Optimization (22) Whereas the simulation process models a particular system conguration, the optimization process determines the best possible system conguration. In HOMER, the best possible, or optimal system conguration is the one that satises the user-specied constraints at the lowest total net present cost. Finding the optimal system conguration may involve deciding on the mix of components that the system should contain, the size or quantity of each component, and the dispatch strategy the system should use. In the optimization process, HOMER simulates many different system congurations, discards the infeasible ones (those that do not satisfy the user-specied constraints), ranks the feasible ones according to total net present cost, and presents the feasible one with the lowest total net present cost as the optimal system conguration. The goal of the optimization process is to determine the optimal value of each decision variable that interests the modeler. The overall optimization results table in particular tends to show many system congurations whose total net present cost is only slightly higher than that of the optimal conguration. The modeler may decide that one of these suboptimal congurations is preferable in some way to the conguration that HOMER presents as optimal. Sensitivity Analysis The HOMER user can perform a sensitivity analysis with any number of sensitivity variables. Each combination of sensitivity variable values defines a distinct sensitivity case. One of the primary uses of sensitivity analysis is in dealing with uncertainty. If a system designer is unsure of the value of a

32 particular variable, he or she can enter several values covering the likely range and see how the results vary across that range. The optimal solution under a set of varying conditions can then be figured.

4.3 Component Selection

For use in the pre design of an EEM we resolve to use the aforementioned technologies available in the market or similar. It should be noted here that no agreements or only preliminary communication were made with the manufacturers and suppliers of these components. The selected components (Table 4.1) will represent a growing market for distributed energy technologies. Most of the data provided were extracted from official web sites maintained by manufacturers and suppliers of these products while some are only average values in the present day distributed generation technology scene. The following technologies were considered. 1. Diesel Generator 2. Microturbine (Compower) 3. Micro CHP (Senertec DACHS HR 5.3) 4. Solar PV 5. Small Wind Generator More information of the selected technologies and specifications of products selected for the application are attached with appendix.

33 Table 4.1: Specifications of technology options for HOMER simulations

Technology/Equipment
(21)

Capacity considered

Initial Capital Cost USD 800 /kW

O&M Cost USD/kWh 0.02

Lifetime hours 15000

Other comments

Diesel Generator Emergency Energy

Per 1 kW

O&M considered to be every 200-400 hours Capital cost predicted for 10000 units/y production

Compower Microturbine Mini CHP Senertec HR5.3 (23) Solar PV (24)

5kWe/17kWt 5.5kWe/12.5k Wt Per 1 kW Per 1 kW Per 1 kW 300 Ah

6000

0.02

10000

2670/kW 2000 /kW 3000/kW 1000/kW 300

0.02 1% of Initial Capital/yr 0.007 10 / year 20

20 years 20 years 15

RET BOS

Micro Wind Generator

(25)

Converter (21) Electrochemical Cells (26) Li-Ion Batteries

34

4.4 HOMER Simulation for Base case of the D Brick EEM

These technological options were modeled in HOMER to analyze the cost effectiveness of each and to come up with the best combination that would work in term of economic feasibility. Question formulated for HOMER To analyze the variations in optimal combination of technology options to supply the load demand at varying resource conditions. Schematic of the Energy Model The base model for the D-Brick EEM considers a Diesel Generator, a Compower type Microturbine, 2 types of Micro Wind Turbines and Solar PV panels as its core electricity producing components. An electrochemical cell storage system for energy storage and a converter for switching between AC and DC were used in the model. Specifications of these components are appended. Three types of loads were modeled wherein the major electrical load which is the water purification unit was modeled as a deferrable load and the auxiliaries were modeled primary (Deferrable load modeling will be explained in the load sections). A thermal load demand was given to make use of the available thermal energy in case of the microturbine being used. The specifications of these loads were described in section 3.2 and 3.3. The thermal energy demand was not considered primary.

Figure 4.4: Schematic Model of the HOMER Simulation for the Base case D Brick

Project details and constraints A project lifetime of 15 years at an annual real interest rate of 6% was used for the optimization. This was in alignment with the background research on projects of this nature. No capacity shortage was allowed.

35 Load details The Auxiliary electrical loads as described in section 3.2 were served as primary loads which require to be served at specific times. The water purification unit was modeled as a deferrable load which allows flexibility in the control of the system. A deferrable load is an electrical demand that can be met anytime within a defined time interval. Water pumps, ice makers, and battery-charging stations are examples of deferrable loads because the storage inherent to each of those loads allows some flexibility as to when the system can serve them. The ability to defer serving a load is often advantageous for systems comprising intermittent renewable power sources, because it reduces the need for precise control of the timing of power production (22). If the renewable power supply ever exceeds the primary load, the surplus can serve the deferrable load rather than going to waste. Therefore a water purification unit in the context of this project can be served as a deferrable load which allows maximum use of resources available. Component and Resource Details As per the resources a base location in Dhaka, Bangladesh was considered and a sensitivity analysis was done to see the variations in the optimal combination of components with varying solar irradiance and wind potential. The component specifications were as described in section 4.3. Sensitivity variables Wind Potential and the Solar Irradiance were considered as sensitivity variables to observe the variation of the optimal combination of components.

4.5 Results for the Base Case Simulation

The core result of the optimization routine on the base case is the figure 4.5 depicting the optimal combinations of components in varying resource conditions. As seen from the figure, 3 types of configurations are predominant, which are
1. PV Panels-Diesel Generator and Battery Backup system (Red Coloured Area) 2. Micro Wind Turbines-PV Panels-Diesel Generator and Battery Backup system (Green Color) 3. Micro Wind Turbines-Diesel Generator and Battery Backup system.(Blue Color)

Even though it should be noted that the configuration of Micro Wind Turbine-Diesel Generator and Battery backup system is only optimal when the wind potential is very high.

Figure 4.5: Optimal System type of the Base Case D-Brick EEM for varying resource conditions

36 It was observed that this variation is aligned with resource availability which suggests that in areas of high annual solar irradiance and low wind potential a PV/Diesel/Battery system is the best solution while the wind potential increase pushes the system configuration to have a micro wind turbine onboard. This result is one of the key findings of this project work which allows us to map different locations of the world into this figure allowing approximating the best combination of technologies that should go into the D-Brick EEM when operating in these different locations. While analyzing the component mix of the two dominant configurations the following results were shown.
(a) For the PV-Diesel-Battery Backup system

(b) For the PV-Wind-Diesel-Battery Backup system

Figure 4.6: Results of the optimization for the base case EEM

37 The three dominant optimal results could be summarized as given in table 4.2. Table 4.2 : Three main configurations of the base case design
Configuration 1 3-6 3-3.5 4.5 3 3 4 ~15600 ~4216 56544 Configuration 2 3-4.5 3-4.5 3 1.8 3 1 4 ~16000 ~4519 59891 Configuration 3 4.5-6 3.5-6 4.5 2 3 8 3 ~27598 ~1418 41367

Solar Irradiance (kWh/m2/day) Wind Potential (m/s) Solar PV Panel (kW) Micro Wind Turbines (kW) Diesel Generators (kW) Converter (kW) No of Batteries (Li Ion 300Ah) Initial Capital (US $) Operating Cost Total Net Present Cost

These 3 main configurations will serve as base designs for configurations where
1. Solar PV panels are the dominant Renewable Technology 2. Solar PV Panels and Micro Wind Turbines both having small capacities where the resources are scarce 3. Solar PV Panels and Micro Wind Turbines both used in large capacities due to high resource availability

This base simulation also emphasizes and proves the fact that it is difficult to design an EEM that can be used to the same effect at every location. Therefore it is essential that we have the flexibility in our design to accommodate these changes in the optimal combination of components when we serve different locations. To suit this challenge we envision the use of a control system that can adapt to different plug in of electricity producing components and also to use a method to optimize a combination for each application of use. To test the developed model for these specific locations we have carried out 2 case studies which will be elaborated in the following sections.

4.4 Control System and Standard Container

The SELECT Emergency Energy Module represents the integration on different energy conversion systems (micro wind turbine, PV panels, diesel generator and batteries). The control unit is necessary in order to manage the different components of the energy system and their power flow. A well design control system permits to match the fluctuating energy conversion from renewable energy with the specific load profile maintaining voltages and the currents in their operational limit,

38 optimizing the system resources and preserving the battery life time. The main controller receives the values obtained from the measurements on the different devices. As showed in the fig. 4.7 all the devices composing the overall system is integrated with the necessary presence of the power electronic and of the switching and control unit. Hence, the control system is an essential and important component in the EEM in particular to ensure a high reliability of the system limiting as much as possible the charge-discharge cycles for the battery pack.

Fig. 4.7 Overall System Diagram with Switching and Control Unit

4.4.1 Energy Management and Control Strategy The SELECT EEM has three main different combinations and for every of these there are different energy conversion systems integrated. Consequently, the control system will be programmable in order to be adapted to the particular configuration and, moreover, to be shaped on some particular requirements. The main controller provides the autonomous operation with the required measurements, decisions and controls by collecting data through the sensors and producing the commands for the power converters connected to the inputs/outputs of the components used in the hybrid system (27). The main operating strategies used in the controller will be the following:

39
The power generated by the renewable conversion system (PV panels and/or wind turbines) has the priority in being used to satisfy the power demand; The water purification system (if it is present) will be used as a deferrable load so its power demand will increase when the power generated by the renewable conversion system (PV panels and/or wind turbines) exceed the base demand; However, a certain supply of clean water (definable by the costumer) has to be ensured so the water purification system can be run also in a fixed setting, running the backup system, when clean water it is necessary and no enough power can be generated by the renewable conversion system (PV panels and/or wind turbines); If no deferrable load is available the extra energy from the renewable conversion system (PV panels and/or wind turbines) will be storage in the battery stack; A dumping power system will be considered in the (extremely rare) case no other load can be turn on and the battery bank will be fully charged; If the power generated by the renewable conversion system (PV panels and/or wind turbines) is less than the demand the difference will be supply by the storage system, further increase in the demand will be covered by the back-up system (diesel generator); To increase the life of the batteries, over charges (higher than 80% of the total capacity) and deep discharge (lower than 20% of the total capacity) will be avoided.

The following flow chart shows the control logic of SELECT EEM for the three main configurations:

Fig. 4.8 SELECT EEM Control Logic Flow Chart

40

4.5 Container Solution

Figure 4.9: Containerized Solution of the Emergency Energy Module

The two drawings above are the top and side views of the inside of container. These drawings show how and where different equipment will be placed for the transportation. The cross sectional door of the container will be used while moving the different equipments in and out of the container. The small 3 feet wide door will be used by the people to move in and out when the container is in operation. All the dimensions of different equipments have been taken from the products available in the market except for control system and tool box. Some gaps have been given in between some equipment to ease movement of equipment and to provide practical adjustments. The extra space can be used for additional equipments which are not shown in the drawings like water storage vessels and water supply pumps etc. The drawing shows the wind turbines with the capacity of 5 KW at 5.4 m/s wind speed (28) and at the same time it shows PV panels with total peak power capacity of 5 KW. This means that if we want and if our simulation results show us the possibility then we can adjust up to 10 KW of renewable power very easily. In the side view, the dotted lines show the hidden objects behind some other objects. The numbering of wind turbine shipping boxes makes it easy to understand the side view. The numbering of the hidden boxes is also shown in dotted way in the side view.

41

5 Case studies
5.1 Bangladesh Kutubdia Island
Bangladesh is a frequent disaster occurring area because of its geographical location at the Bay of Bengal which is most vulnerable area for storm and flood. (29) The below fig 5.1&5.2 shows statistics from Prevention web (29), that explains frequencies of disaster. Drought: Earthquake: Epidemic: Extreme temp: Flood: Insect infestation: Mass mov. dry: Mass mov. wet: Volcano: Storm: Wildfire:
Figure 5.3 Average disaster per year (29)

0.10 0.23 0.87 0.61 2.19 ... ... 0.06 ... 3.48 ..
Figure 5.4:Natural disaster occurrence reported (29)

The frequent occurrence of disaster shows us the need of an emergency module at Bangladesh to be ready at all times for service. Water Requirement in Bangladesh Bangladesh is a nation gifted and cursed with plenty of water. Rain, Storm, Flood in the rivers are common in Bangladesh. The Ganges and Brahmaputra are carrying of about 795000 m3 and 2m rainfall annually. But groundwater is contaminated in 60 out of 64 districts by natural arsenic. (30) Therefore water treatment is one of the most essential requirements for Bangladesh. Our EEM module will provide electrical energy for water purification during emergency situations. Resources availability: Bangladesh located at a tropical, sea shore region is sunny, windy and have good biomass resource availability.

42 But after few days of flood, there will be very less dry biomass. (31) (32) (33) So Solar and wind energy will be good at the initial time and after few weeks biomass can be implemented depending on resource availability. Wind Potential Bangladesh is having 724 km of coastal line and situated at a latitude between 20.34 - 26.38N and longitude between 88.01 to 92.4E. The flood and storm happens at monsoon period (March to September) (31). The wind blows mainly from march to September (monsoon wind) with an average speed of 3 m/s to 6 m/s and maximum wind speed occurs on June and July. The wind data analyzed at 4 main coastal areas namely Teknaf, Kutubdia Island, Sandwip Island, Kuakata, Mongla which is predominant for flood and storm are given in Figure 5.3. (33)

Figure 5.3: wind variations for disaster prone locations in Bangladesh

Table 5.1: Average wind potential data for disaster prone locations in Bangladesh (33) Location Mean wind speed (m/s) 3.22 Teknaf 5.17 Kutubdia 5.12 Sandwip 3.58 Kuakata 3.44 Mongola .

43 Solar potential Annual amount of solar irradiation varies from 1575 to 1840 Kwh/m2 which is 50 to 100 % higher than Europe (31). So we can utilize the solar PV panels with the EEM. Biomass Potential Bangladesh has a high potential for biomass resources. Commonly known biomass fuels in Bangladesh are fuel wood from reserved forest 2% , animal dung 16%, homesteads 14% and agricultural residues 68%. (32) Biomass utilization is difficult after few days of flood and storm but can be used after few weeks. For this simulation due to its complexity of arranging a regular supply we will not consider bio mass as an option. Kutubdia Out of 5 studied places, we took Kutbdia Island as it was a place with available data for simulations. It is covered with sea and located at the neck region of Bay of Bengal where the frequent storm occurring area. At least 4 to 5 storms per year are attack Kutubdia. High tide is always a threat along with monsoon floods. It is also located close to Chittagong which is earthquake prone region. (30)

Figure 5.4: Kutubdia Island on a map of Bangladesh

Results from HOMER Simulation Figure 5.5 depicts the optimal results obtained by running the energy model for Kutubdia in HOMER..

44

Figure 5.5: HOMER Simulation results for Kutubdia-Bangladesh

The optimum combination of components for an application of the EEM at Kutubdia appeared to be (Details of the simulation are attached with appendix c) Solar PV Panels 3.5 kW Micro Wind Turbine 1 turbine- 400 W Diesel Generator 3 kW Li Ion Batteries 8 no. of 300 Ah capacity Converter- 3 kW Economic Feasibility of a D-Brick solution We calculated economic viability for the D-Brick solution by comparing with a standard solution. We took the standard as Diesel + Battery solution which is the most predominantly used technology and assumed values for it based on current market values (21). Below the table 1 shows the investment cost and operating and maintenance costs for the D Brick Solution and the standard (Diesel +Battery) solution. Table 5.1: Cost comparison of initial investment cost for a D-Brick Solution and Diesel Solution Energy solutions Standard (Diesel+Battery) D-Brick Solution Initial cost (USD) ~7800 ~19000 Operating and maintenance cost (USD/month) ~800 ~400

45 Table 5.2: Economics comparison of D-Brick Solution and Diesel Solution Parameters Diesel+Battery Pack Solution 7800 800 0.704 7233 D- Brick Solution 19000 420 0.46 3596

Initial Capital Cost US $ Operating Cost US$/month Cost of Energy US $/kWh Diesel Consumption (L/yr)

Above table 5.2 comparing the initial cost, operating and maintenance cost, cost of energy, and diesel consumption for D-brick energy solution and standard (Diesel + Battery) energy solution. It explains that the standard solution (Diesel + Battery) require less investment cost and high operating and maintenance cost compared with D-Brick solution.

Figure 5.6: Cash flow for the standard diesel+Battery solution

Figure 5.7: Cash flow for the D-Brick energy solution

46

Figure 5.8:5 Cash flow comparison for Standard solution Vs D-Brick Solution

Fig 5.6 and Fig 5.7 shows us the cash flow over the years for the standard solution as well as DBrick solution. Fig 5.8 shows us the time when D-Brick have an economic advantage over standard solution. It clearly shows that after 2 years of purchase D-Brick energy solution has the economic advantage and as well as its a more sustainable and environmental friendly solution than a standard energy solution. Finally as a conclusion for this case study, the D-Brick solution gives the better way of operating an emergency energy system with more sustainability, reliability and is also the most economically viable solution for Kutubdia to provide electricity for water purification, lighting, communication etc, at a disaster.

47

5.2 Uganda-Nakivale Refugee Camp case study

Uganda has 1.6 million internally displaced refugees (34). These are not refugees from the Sudan or the Congo. They are Ugandan citizens who have had their possessions stolen, their homes and villages destroyed, and their loved ones kidnapped or killed. They have fled to the safety of these refugee camps, which have been informally and spontaneously organized on church or public land as safe havens, so they have some modicum of protection and some chance of survival. Their life in the refugee camps is very tenuous. While some have huts, many refugees live under plastic tarps provided by relief organizations. (35)

Figure5.9: Natural disaster occurrence report for Uganda (36)

Compared with the natural disaster prone location in Bangladesh, Uganda is threatened with a completely different form of an emergency. Refugee camps which are long term settlements are one of the main problems for Uganda (35). As observed in figure 5.9 we see that in these situations widespread of epidemics are a much bigger threat than natural disaster. Therefore this can be considered as an emergency that needs a long term solution that could improve the hygiene standards at the camp. Thus our belief is that a D Brick Energy Module will be able to cater for the improvement of the living standards of these people that are threatened with epidemics. Water Availability Renewable water source (1960 2007) per capita availability is 2133 m3 / person / year. (35) So there is ample amount of water source available but hygienity is the problem. Our EEM will

48 provide electrical energy for water purification to get drinkable water so that we can avoid the Epidemic diseases during emergencies. Sources availability Uganda located at Africa. It contains lakes like Victoria, Kyoga, Kwania, Albert which provides good water for its surroundings so very good biomass sources are available. And it is located nearer to equator so plenty of solar energy available. (37) Wind source In general average wind speed at Uganda is about of 1.8 to 4 m/s at 10 m height. And average wind speed 3 to 6 m /s has been recorded at flatter areas near Lake Victoria in Uganda. The metrology department collected above data and it shows that small wind turbines can be useful to make a hybrid between wind turbines and solar PV panels to produce electricity. (38). Though it is very rarely economical to use wind turbines to generate electricity. Solar source Uganda endowed with plenty of solar irradiation ranging from 4 to 5 Kwh/m2/day at the horizontal surface. This clearly shows that high amount of solar energy available throughout the year. This is favorable condition for a solar PV panels. Already many PV panels installed successfully at Uganda. Another added advantage is the Uganda government also removed taxes of solar PV panels. (38) Biomass Source Uganda has a very high biomass potential. Traditionally people at Uganda used this biomass like fire wood for heating and cooking. Biomass is based power production is cheaper than fossil fuel especially at Uganda. The below fig 5 clearly shows that the availability of biomass distribution at Uganda. (38)

Figure5.10: Bio Mass distribution in Uganda

(35)

49 Uganda-Nakivale Refugee camp Uganda Nakivale refugee camp has population of 14400. In which UNHCR (United Nations high commissioner for refugees) has a requirement to provide water of about 18000 liters for 2500 people (35). To provide drinkable water they need an electrical energy solution along with a water purification unit. Therefore our D-Brick solution can provide energy for a water purification unit of 18000 lit. Results from HOMER Simulation The HOMER model run for the Nakivale Refugee camp conditions gave several design configurations that should be considered. Due to the high bio mass availability and the long term operation of the refugee camp a Microturbine with Gasifier becomes an interesting option. The 2 main configurations that were analyzed are given in table 5.3 Table 5.3: Optimal component configuration for Nakivale Camp-Uganda
Combination 1 5 kW 2 kW 8 nos 3 kW Combination 2 3 kW 4 kW 8 nos 3 kW

Microturbine with Gasifier Diesel Generator Solar PV Li-Ion Batteries (300 Ah capacity) Converter

Table 5.4 summarizes the economics of the different solutions applicable to Nakivale. Here also a Diesel with PV Panels becomes the most economical solution due to the lower operation and maintenance cost realized. However if the unit cost of Bio Mass feedstock could be brought down to low levels the use of a Microturbine will become a more economical and a sustainable solution for Nakivale refugee camps. Table 5.4: Economics of Different configurations of component mix
Diesel +Battery Pack Solution Initial Capital Cost US $ Operating Cost US $/month Cost of Energy US $/kWh Diesel Consumption (L/yr) 10200 1200 0.949 7233 Microturbine with PV (50 USD/tonne) 21417 1050 1.01 Microturbine with PV (20 USD/tonne) 21417 720 0.6 Diesel with PV

15517 620 0.6 5702

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6. Market Analysis and Business Plan

The proposed idea is to start up a company which is able to supply an energy relief module (supplying electricity for drinking water purification or desalination and other purpose) to an urgent request for a disaster/emergency situation. The module design is focused on the effectiveness, so the simplicity and the reduction of the cost are the main aspect of our analysis and optimization. Consequently, the main attributes of the product design are the ease of operation and maintenance, the simple design, the dependability, the ease to ship and to install, the robustness, the sustainable fuel supply and the customizability in the long run. Our module can be assemble in some different standardize configurations in order to be suitable for the different specific applications (emergency situation, location, season, etc.).The concept of the emergency energy module is to have a standard 20 container with a hybrid controller in a place that could accommodate several combinations of power converting components (PV panels, Micro Wind Turbine, etc.) and loading with minimum modification. By this method the standard container could be organized in a manner that will be optimized for the specific location and the requirement to be served. A software interface (based on the energy modeling software Homer) is provided to select the right design and to estimate its performance and costs for the required application. The costumer (disaster relief agencies, nonprofit organizations, companies involved in natural and humanitarian emergencies but also communities in remote areas) will have access to this software through a web-site that will also represent our cheap and useful market tool. The company plans to settle agreements with some local firms in order to be able to assure the availability of the module in short time for most of the places in the world. In fact, at the beginning we are considering to have at least 4 main locations in the areas of the world where the occurrence of natural and humanitarian disasters used to be the highest (like: Bangladesh and Burundi). Emergency situations are generally characterized by necessity of fast response and low budget solutions, so the simplicity and the reduction of costs become central for the success of the DBrick modules. The necessity to provide a reliable solution and to assure a rapid availability requires of having the module itself or at least all its components already stored in a warehouse to be always ready to be rapidly assembly in case of emergency. This is an element that can represent a big obstacle for a low budget solution, in particular for renewable energy technologies which are characterized by relative high capital cost. We have considered differentiating the sources of income related to our product in order to face successfully with the above mentioned problems. Some parallel strategies will be implemented

51 to reduce some operative costs and to be able to have a cost-competitive and high quality product. First of all the renewable energy components of the module (wind turbines and PV panels) will be utilized to supply electrical energy in the warehouse location. By having a commercial enterprise own the solar and wind systems on different areas in the world, the company would be able to depreciate the equipment and benefit from the selling of electricity, the CO2 credits and in some countries also from the tax savings. Moreover also advertisements on the web-site will be sold to reduce its administrative and updating costs. The combination of these elements would allow the firm to offer our module to the end customer in a short time for a lower price. Upon the request of a customer, the company has the ability to respond immediately through any of these warehouses which is closest to the disaster location. The renewable energy component systems will be disassembled and packed in the standard container modules with the hybrid energy control system in place. Depending on the location of the disaster, probable climatic changes that may have occurred due to the disaster and other specific requirement of the customer the company will combine the components of the energy module purchased from local suppliers which will enhance the reliability of the unit to a greater extent. Then all the new and necessary components will be ordered in order to replace the shipped modules with new ones. It is important to underline that this process will not represent a critical element for the reliability neither a high depreciation factor because. In fact, thanks to the strategic position of the warehouses, we consider to supply our modules for emergency conditions at maximum every three years. So, the selected renewable energy technologies characterized by a life of fifteen years and sometimes longer than twenty, will be still in perfect condition and with a relative long life. The company will also provide an uninterrupted service for the customer in order to customize the emergency energy module according to requirements that might change in the long run operation of the unit. An example is a situation that the energy module has to serve a disaster at a different setting with a different load. A detailed preliminary business plan is attached with the appendix. Market Analysis The market of energy services represents a big and growing opportunity in particular way in these last few years since access to electricity and clean water are key elements in the police of development of many developing countries and the renewable energy technologies implemented in the module have already become cost-competitive in particular for grind off applications. Moreover, the SELECT EEM is characterized by and high flexibility that allow it to be suitable

52 for different conditions and applications in different areas. Consequently, the company will be potentially able to compete in the global and diversify market with a product able to meets a relatively large and growing market. However, it is essential to form partnerships in order to enter the market and to obtain the credibility and the connections to reach our costumers segments. For a new company like DBrick these partnerships will represent a key element of its strategy, it is important to be able to form them with the suppliers of our modules components (like PV panels, micro wind turbines, etc.) but, most of all, with the companies and the agencies that could represent our customers in order to receive direct feedback on our service and to obtain a privileged contact with them in our business. To enter in the market, the first step will be to establish good partnerships and launch or web site that will contain all the information about us and our service and products. The web site is thought to be a powerful marketing tool, it will also permit the costumer to get a pre-design of the module through the specification of operative conditions and needs, and directly to evaluate the performances and the different possibilities available to access the require service (sale, leasing, etc.) and their prices. A preliminary business plan is presented in more detail in Appendix .

6.1 Logistics plan and Ware house locations

Response time is critical in emergency relief activities so it is important to design logistics plan in such a way that the logistics does not take more than two weeks after the disaster happens to reach the stricken area and start operation. We have designed the module and developed our business strategy Keeping this thing is mind. So we have confined our technology in one standard container in order to make transportation easy, quick and standardized. Similarly we have decided to select three different locations in the world to have our presence to make our reach more feasible in less time. The main idea is to have three warehouses or relocation centers one in America, one in Europe and one in Asia. The selection of specific locations within the continents is important. The criteria to select a specific location includes: the frequency and vulnerability of the of different disasters at the surroundings, the availability of potential customers, infrastructure required for transportation of containers both within the country and abroad, interest and support of local and state governments, possibility of selling electricity to the local grid, availability of skilled workers, and the possibility to find local suppliers for different components of our module. All these three selected centers will be having containers with all the components of EEM ready to be assembled with respect to different locations and situations. It should not take more than three days after the receiving of order for the supply of EEM to assemble them and make them

53 ready to be transported. Transportation time will depend upon the means of transportation like railway, trucks or may be air lifts by helicopters in severe situations. The presence in the three locations in the world will make access easy and take less time. The flow of events is; when disaster hits some area the first step is the rescue operation, after the rescue operation there are people in need of external help, then different government bodies, NGOs and welfare societies come in action to help those people, then someone from these helping institutes contacts us to provide our EEMs or we approach them ourselves, we take at most three days for analyzing the location, climate, possibilities of supply, assessment of renewable, finding out the best combination of components for optimized performance and then assemble it ,which will again take maximum three days, and make it ready to be transported. So after the green signal is shown to us for the need of help we will take no more 6-7 days to make our module ready to be transported. The rest of the time will be taken by transportation and it will depend upon the ways of transportation and infrastructure availability etc. As the EEM is having standard container size so its easy to transport it to other places safely and efficiently. Our trained personnel will travel to the location of installation to make it properly in operation which should not take more than one day. The role of local suppliers is very important. Local suppliers reduce the transportation cost and help developing good relationships with local players. Better contracts with local suppliers will help reduce the stock which is needed to be maintained in the warehouse. The deciding factor in this regard is again the maximum time limit which we have for the supply. If there is some component, say PV panel or control unit, which take more time than our tolerance than we will have to maintain some stock of that component. In reference to business it is not feasible to invest in the components of EEM at three different locations and then wait for some disaster to occur so that we can earn some profit. It is not justified to bind the capital like this. As a solution to this problem is we will not let our EEM remain idle at our warehouses. As these are machines which can be run for power production so what we will do, we will assemble the component and make them operational and start producing electricity. We will sell this power to the local utility. This possibility is not available everywhere so as explained earlier this factor is going to be an important decision variable for the selection of warehouse. Influence from the disaster control department can also be used to make utility company buy our electricity because mainly EEM are for the welfare of people. So when we are not having any disaster, we will be producing electrical power and earning money by selling it. One module is having 5 KW installation of micro gas turbine and 5 KW of renewable power. The fossil fired Gas turbine can operate 24 hours so in one day it will produce 120 KWh of electrical power. For the renewable part, wind turbine should operate all the time but solar panels can only operate in day time also in special case biomass the possibility again is of 24 hours. Just to estimate let us assume that renewable power is produced for 10 hours in one day so in one day we will have 50 KWh from renewable energies. In total we can produce 170 KWh (120+50) per day. Let us assume an average cost of electricity of 10 Euro cents per unit (39) so per day earnings

54 will be 10*170/100= 17 Euros. So if there are 10 modules in one location so the earnings per month will be 17*10*30= 5100 Euros. As the life of equipment is long enough so it is estimated that it is an economically feasible solution. Another way to generate income will be the consultation for renewable technology installations in the local area. Because our presence will enable us to have contacts with local suppliers and the understanding of energy market so we as a company will provide consultation services for renewable energy solutions as we already have the technical capability.

6.2 Web Application Strategy

The flexibility of an energy emergency response system depends on the effective availability of its energy sources and on its components reliability. So, the module must be easy to build and have replaceable components (to increase reliability) but, more importantly, it should be able to maximize the diverse potential energy sources local to the region of interest. From this point of view one of project goals and challenges of the EEM concept design is to be able to define a proper energy system for varying local environments. Therefore, in order to better meet the needs of our clients, we developed the idea to provide a strategy via a software tool that determines the optimum solution of renewable energy technology based on the resources available at that particular location. A web application was decidedly the best way to represent this tool. The accessibility of the Internet allows people from all over the world to use our application and, for those with administrative rights, update our databases. With a web application, they can do this without the need to download any special applications that may require additional software to be installed on their computers. Another advantage to developing a web application is the possibility of generating profit with relevant advertisements. Just as a relief agency can use our web application to help them determine the best solution for their energy needs, individuals who are interested in setting up a renewable energy system for their own uses can utilize our tool as well. This wide range of users can appeal to various green energy technologies and motivate them to buy advertisement space with us. The idea behind this web application is that it must be linked to a database containing climate information including solar irradiation, monthly wind speed, and other information needed to determine the power that can be generated with renewable energy technology. It will also have the ability to cost the resulting optimum module and provide any special instructions that could be stored in our database regarding social, cultural, and political situations and issues. Again, only certain key parties will have access to update the databases with the aim to keep them current and applicable. There already exists software that provides an optimization of renewable energy technology called HOMER developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). We plan to use this

55 software in aiding us with the optimization aspect; however, HOMER does not contain updated wind speed data for any location, which is where our website can be useful in obtaining this necessary data. One other feature that our website can provide to clients is priceless information regarding social, cultural, and political situations that is current. The benefit of developing this tool as a web application is that we can take advantage of the ability to update our databases from all over the world almost in real time. Since each disaster situation is unique, current information about local weather and social situations can help organizations in providing useful and direct relief. How this website will operate is as follows: A relief organization (client) will enter our website if a disaster has struck leaving people displaced and in need of clean water, energy services, and other aid. This website will ask as inputs location, estimated number of people affected, length of time module will be used for, whether there is current infrastructure for energy services, and any current weather and/or notable social or political information. As outputs, the website will provide a configuration (based on solar and wind data) consisting of a combination of PV panels, micro wind turbines, and micro turbines. The output will also provide a cost estimate, the power output provided, and the time needed to ship the units to the particular location. (6) Screen shots of our web page is shown in figure 6.2. There will be a description of our mission objectives, some photos of the module, as well as space for relevant advertisements. A schematic of how the web application will work is depicted in the figure below (Figure 6.1).

Figure 6.1: Schematic of the web application functionality

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Figure 6.2: The homepage and some of the user active pages of the envisioned web site of D-Brick

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7. Discussion
The results obtained by the base case simulation and on the 2 case studies carried out suggest that there will be variations in the optimal types of technologies and the component mix that goes into a container module that supports a specific location at an emergency situation. Therefore further work should be carried out predominantly in the development of a control system that could accommodate plug in of different technologies of electricity generating equipment of different capacities. This would allow greater flexibility in the use of an emergency energy module in different parts of the world through the suggested strategy. Thus the next phase of the project should focus mainly on the development of a control system for the envisioned module. Also it was understood that different resource conditions prevalent at different locations of application influences the economical viability of the EEM. Therefore it is required to develop a database with meteorological information of locations throughout the world with a high accuracy. Optimization software that could be linked with a database as such will allow the decisions of the optimal combination of technologies to be taken quickly which will in turn accelerate the process of deployment of the module to the affected area. Further research work should also focus on the arrangement of the container module to be flexible in its adaptability to different configurations. As the envisioned container module will be used in a multitude of configurations the adaptability of the container itself will play a big role in becoming a flexible solution for disaster situations. The business plan should be reinforced with numbers for cost details and sound proof of the economical viability of the business which will only realize after the design of the controller system is finalized. The flexible container module with the adaptable control system will serve as the major strength of our business and therefore will require further research and development work before we form ourselves as a spinoff company.

8. Conclusion
In alignment with the objectives of this project phase we have been able to come up with a preliminary design concept for the emergency energy module and a business strategy that would allow us to be cost effective and competitive in an open market for supplying energy for emergency conditions. However further research and development work is required in the areas of developing an adaptable control system, a flexible container solution and putting together a comprehensive database of meteorological information for locations throughout the world. A preliminary business concept was developed for the launch of the product that needs to be further refined and supported with quantitative data as the project evolves to realization.

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Nomenclature
BOS EEM FEMA FRP GDP NGO NREL RET RO WHO USACE Balance of system Emergency Energy Module Federal Emergency Management Agency Federal response plan Gross Domestic Product Non Governmental Organizations National Renewable Energy Laboratory Renewable Energy Technology Reverse Osmosis World Health Organization United States Army Corps of Engineers

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List of Figures
Figure 2.1 Figure 6.2 Figure 2.7 Figure 2.4 Figure 3.1 Figure 3.2 Figure 3.3 Figure 3.4 Figure 4.1 Figure 4.2 Figure 4.3 Figure 4.4 Figure 4.5 Figure 4.6 Figure 4.7 Figure 4.8 Figure 4.9 Figure 5.8 Figure 5.9 Figure 5.3 Figure 5.4 Figure 5.5 Figure 5.6 Figure 5.7 Figure 5.8 Figure 5.9 Figure 5.10 Figure 6.1 Figure 6.2 Disaster Risk Regions Global Distribution of highest risk disaster hotspots by hazard type with regards to mortality risk Mortality hotspots and the top 20 recipients of humanitarian relief (1992-2003 Population density in 1994 Causes of deaths in Kohistan District Afganistan Hierarchy of water requirements Load profile for the Emergency Energy Module Energy Flow Model for the Emergency energy Module Energy Flow diagram for the Emergency Energy Module Conceptual relationship between simulation, optimization, and sensitivity analysis (a) Process of running a simulation in HOMER (b) Schematic of a HOMER model Schematic Model of the HOMER Simulation for the Base case D Brick Optimal System type of the Base Case D-Brick EEM for varying resource conditions Results of the optimization for the base case EEM Overall System Diagram with Switching and Control Unit EEM Control Logic Flow Chart Containerized Solution of the Emergency Energy Module Average disaster per year Natural disaster occurrence reported-Bangladesh Average wind data for disaster prone locations in Bangladesh Kutubdia island on a map of Bangladesh HOMER Simulation results for Kutubdia-Bangladesh Cash flow for the standard diesel+Battery solution Cash flow for the D-Brick energy solution 10Cash flow comparison for Standard solution Vs D-Brick Solution Natural disaster occurrence report for Uganda Bio Mass distribution in Uganda Schematic of the web application functionality The homepage and some of the user active pages of the envisioned web site of D-Brick

60

Acknowledgement
This project would not have been possible without the guidance and help of several individuals who in one way or the other have extended their valuable assistance at different stages of the project. Our first and utmost gratitude to Prof. Viktoria Martin, SELECT programme director and our supervisor for this project, for motivating us all the time, guiding us at every stage, bringing people from industry, media, business and relief agencies to inspire us, train us and keep us on the right track to reach a solution which will work practically. Her untiring efforts have brought a lot of difference in the output of this project and we have learned a lot from her in both academic and human perspective. We thank Prof. Massimo Santarelli and Prof. G.V. Fracastoro from Polito Italy, for their valuable inputs to our project and following the project through all the phases and specially for hosting our project presentations at Bardonecchia, Italy. We would like to forward our gratitude to Mr. Anders Malmquist for his help to understand practicalities about Micro Gas Turbines which are being developed by him in the energy department at KTH. We are very thankful to Prof. Torsten Fransson as head of the department of Energy Technology at KTH for providing us all the facilities available in the department. We thank Mr. Babak Rezapoor for being available all the time for daily matters and making the available resources reachable for us. We would also like to thank the SELECT partner universities and Consortium for giving us this task and helping us fulfill it successfully.

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63 31. Alternative eergy situation in Bangladesh - A country review. Akter, Nasima. 1, Manila, Philippines : Approtech Asia Philippine social development center, July 1997, Vol. 1. 32. Trends of biomass energy consumption in Bangladesh. Aktar, Jarin. 2, Chittagong, Bangladesh : Bangladesh renewable energy newsletter, Dec 2002, Vol. 1. 33. Journel of Mechanical Engineering - Analysis of wind characteristics at the coastal areas of Bangladesh. A.N. M. Mominul Islam Mukut, Md. Quamrul Islam and Muhammad Mahbubul Alam. 1, Dhaka, Bangladesh : The Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh, June 2008, Vol. ME30. 34. AID UGANDA. [Online] http://aiduganda.home.comcast.net/~aiduganda/. 35. Uganda water and sanitation profile. Development, U.S. Agency for International. s.l. : USAID 36. Nations, United. Prevention Web - Saving information for the needs of the disaster reduction community. [Online] March 23, 2011. [Cited: March 02, 2011.] http://www.preventionweb.net/english/countries/statistics/?cid=14. 37. Mongabay. www.Mangabay.com. [Online] March 15, 2011. [Cited: May 02, 11.] http://www.mongabay.com/reference/country_studies/uganda/GEOGRAPHY.html. 38. Regulatory, Authority Electricity. Developmets and Investment Oppurtunities in Renewable energy resources in Uganda. Authority Electricity Regulatory. 1, May 2009, Vol. 1. 39. Logistics. [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity_pricing. 40. UNHCR. UNHCR-UN refugee agency. [Online] [Cited: May 20, 2011.] http://www.unrefugees.org.au/our-stories/stories-from-the-field/juliet-mwebesa,-unhcr-water41. Save the Children. Emergency Response: Protecting Children from Harm. Save the Children. [Online] <http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6151613/k.C6C4/Emergency_Response.htm>.

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Appendix A

D-Brick

BUSINESS MODEL and Project Background

Vincenzo Capogna Awrasa Montrichiok Fahid Riaz Nandakumar Vadivelu Muditha Abeysekera

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Project Background
Extreme living conditions, like the refugee camps or the natural disaster ones, are often characterized by scarcity or absence of the clean water and the lack of electrical energy for the failures in the grid or complete absence of grid connection. At the same time, in these situations, essential concerns are represented by the access to clean drinking water and food together with the electricity which is the most common and diffuse energy vector for the operation of all the primary emergency devices. In fact, electrical power is needed for heating, cooking, refrigeration (for medical and food preservation purposes), lighting, communication and sometimes also for the water purification itself. To design of our flexible and cost-effective product it is necessary to set a priority in these needs in order to provide a satisfactory relief in a range of different disaster conditions but, at the same time, with a cost competitive with the traditional emergency solutions and compatible with the low budget of refugee camps. The module is structure as a stand-alone electrical energy generator, mainly powered by a mix renewable energy sources. The main problem addressed by our module is the supply of electricity to run a water purification system. In fact, we defined as first priority the access to clean drinking water because it is the most essential need for the human survival and because its lack is first cause of diseases that can easily become epidemic or fatal illnesses. Moreover, the water purification system as deferrable load helps to reduce the battery storage system and to match the power generation and usage. The module supplies also electricity for low intensive power purpose as internal and external lighting (a priority to assure a safely conditions in the camp) communication devices, (necessary to coordinate the organization and logistical activities) and medicine conservation (e.g. vaccine refrigeration) that can strongly help to support the medical care facilities. The utilities, like the water purification system or the lighting, are not considered as part of the module whose purpose is just to supply the energy to run them. This choice is the consequence of the limit in the dimension of the module, that have to be contained in a standard container for logistic reasons, and the fact that these devices are often already present in the camp or they are provide by different specialized providers and with different logistic strategies. However, the module is a flexible and autonomous power generator so it is possible to connect to it also different kind of loads (e.g. a camp hospital) just taking care of setting the programmable control system for a different load profile in order to have an optimize system.

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Business Model Canvas

1. Customer Segments
The SELECT EEM module, which represents the product offered by D-Brick, is oriented to different customer segments. This diversification is made possible by the flexibility of our module which allows it to be suitable in a wide range of applications. Our Customer Segments share the common need of energy supply for water purification and/or essential devices (like communication, lighting, in remote areas or in emergency situations. They represent a wide range among them it is possible identify Segmented CS with slightly different needs and problems.

etc.) and

A first distinction can be made on the basis of the time length of the EEM use and consequently on the sale or lease of the product. Some situations will require a relatively short time installations (from some days to some months) like ONGs active in the relief operations in areas where the grid is damage by the effects of natural disasters but it will be restored or armies engaged temporarily in remote areas. On the other hand, other customers require our module for longer period (some years), like agencies and companies that operate in situation of complete absence of the electrical grid, from the ones who manage the refugee camps, to communities without grid connection or companies who need stable energy supply in region where the grid used to fail often. A further distinction is represented by the power generation request in the installation. We distinguish between small installation for customers who need one EEM (until 3kW of average power) and large for installation of two or more modules in the same area.

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2. Value Proposition
The Access to electrical energy is not just recognized as a fundamental driving force for the progress but, nowadays, it is also an essential need for the survival and the life. Providing electrical energy for water purification and essential needs in a more sustainable and flexible way in extreme and critical conditions as natural disasters and refugee camps means not just to assure a well design product and logistic but also, and most of all, to be able to face the relatively low-budget conditions of these situations. The simplicity and the reduction of costs become central for the success of the EEM modules, in particular way when the necessity to provide a reliable solution and to assure a rapid availability requires of having the module itself or at least all its components already stored in a warehouse, an element that can represent a big obstacle for a low budget solution (considering also that renewable energy technologies are characterized by relative high capital cost e depreciation). So, to build a sustainable product it has to be sustainable both from the technological and economic point of view. The value of our company is the capacity combine a performance and customize module with an innovative and efficient logistic strategy in order to offer a cost-competitive product and an effective service. Some parallel strategies will be implemented to reduce some operative costs (in particular the logistic ones) and to be able to have a cost-competitive and high quality product. The combination of these elements would allow the firm to offer a customize product in a short time for a lower price and with a tailored service that allow the customer to access it in the more desirable way: buying it (for long time installation) or just lease (short time need). To sum, high performance, easy and cheap customization and accessibility, innovative design and competitive price are elements that contribute to the value creation and that will allow us to satisfy our customer problems.

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3. Channels
For a new company as D-Brick one of the main challenges is reach, communicate and get feedback with the customers, in other words, to build right and sufficient channel to deliver our value be able to the customers. First of all, D-Brick will focus on building partnerships in order to establish effective and profitable connections with agencies and companies that operate in disasters and refugee camps conditions and to get the necessary credibility in our field. These partnerships will also represent an indirect channel to let us be known and to propose directly our product to our ideal customers. This strategy will allow us to make easily agreements with them and to use partners channels as their web-sites and logistics to reach other customers. At the same time, D-Brick will have some direct channel like a web-site, where the costumer (disaster relief agencies, nonprofit organizations, companies involved in natural and humanitarian emergencies but also communities in remote areas) will have access to a software interface (based on the energy modeling software Homer) is provided to select the right design and to estimate its performance and costs for the required application through a web-site that will also represent our cheap and useful market tool. Moreover, the company plans to settle agreements with some local firms in order to be able to assure the availability of the module in short time for most of the places in the world and to deliver the product. In fact, at the beginning we are considering to have at least 4 main locations in the areas of the world where the occurrence of natural and humanitarian disasters used to be the highest (like: Bangladesh and Burundi). The company will also provide an uninterrupted service for the customer in order to customize the emergency energy module according to requirements that might change in the long run operation of the unit and to provide assistance and support.

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4. Costumer Relationship
Our company will combine two different kind of costumer relationship: - An automated service and self-service one through the web site which is both a design and marketing tool, so it is suitable to acquire customers; - Personal and dedicated personal assistance, once with have established a contact with the potential customer through the web-site or with a direct partnership, D-Brick will offer accurate assistance to design the product and to take care of all the phases until the installation.

5. Revenue Streams
To be able to reduce the cost of the SELECT Energy Emergency Module we design a strategy able to diversifying the sources of revenue. The main Revenue Streams are expected to be related to the asset sale, id est the sale of the EEM for medium-long installation, and to the leasing of the EEM for shorter ones. These sources of revenue are also the ones associated with the high costs to maintain the warehouses, to buy and assemble the devices and to run the company itself. The pricing of these can be negotiated with the customer and it is variable in relation of the particular module design and other characteristics. Other sources of revenue are created in order to reduce the impact of the warehouse and stock depreciation costs on the sale and leasing prices. Advertising on the web-site can cover the expenses of the web site while the renewable energy components of the module (wind turbines and PV panels) will be utilized to supply electrical energy in the warehouse location. By having a commercial enterprise own the solar and wind systems on different areas in the world, the company would be able to depreciate the equipment and benefit from the selling of electricity, the CO2 credits and in some countries also from the tax savings. The combination of these elements would allow the firm to offer our module to the end customer in a short time for a lower price.

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6. Key Resources
To make our business model work some essential assets are required: - Financial resources or lines of credit, to start the business, to buy the physical assets (all the devices for the EEM), to hiring the key employees, to anticipate all the cost related to the shipping of the module and the installation. - Physical resources, as possible it is necessary reduce them as much as possible, but our company needs all the components of the module and the containers, the warehouses. - Intellectual resource, as already explained, for D-Brick is necessary to build and keep strategic partnerships so, probably this represents one of the most essential resource.

7. Key Activities
The essential activities to make the business model work properly are:
EEM systems design and optimization (problem solving) Web site updating and promotion (platform/network) Buy components and model construction (production) Managing the warehouses and the RET power production (platform/network) Building Partnerships

8. Key Partnerships
Partnership in our business represents a determinant and essential element. First of all, strategic alliances with agencies and companies which operate in disaster conditions or in the refugee camps and that can represent our ideal customers are important in particular at the beginning of our business (but they can always be consider strategic) in order to develop project together, to improve the module and to get credibility. Other key partnerships are the relationships with the suppliers to assure reliable supplies and with the shipping company which are constitute a determinant and central step in our business.

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9. Cost Structure
The D-Brick company has tangentially a cost-driven business model oriented to the minimization of the cost of the product, in fact, the strategy is oriented in this direction to deliver a module that can be cost competitive with a traditional fossil fuel power generator or affordable in those situations characterized by lack of access to electricity. The main costs related with our business are: - Cost of devices (a variable cost that it is expected to be reduce with a economy of scale and with the technological progress) - Warehouse costs (leasing of the building + inventory + manpower) - Costs of the Employees - Cost of shipping and Logistic - Cost for the Editing and the updating of the website

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Appendix B

Component Specifications

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