Book & Author
Professor Dr Salahuddin Qazi: Standalone Photovoltaic (PV) Systems for Disaster Relief and Remote Areas
By Dr Ahmed S. Khan
Chicago, IL
“ We cannot stop natural disasters, but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness. ” - Petra Nemcova
Technological advances of the 21 st century have transformed the world to the lowest common denominator in terms of information sharing of events around the globe, but when in terms of sharing resources for eliminating human sufferings, the people of the world still remain galaxies apart. The magnitudes of devastation from natural disasters exposes the limits of scientific and technological knowledge and lack of cooperation among nations in using sophisticated tools to alleviate human suffering.
The heterogeneous nature of global power infrastructure makes it vulnerable to natural disasters like cyclones, earthquakes, river and coastal floods, extreme heat, droughts, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and wildfires. In the event of a natural disaster one of the key challenges is to get the power system back up and running fast. But the transportation of electrical distribution equipment requires time and resources.
The Sun was the major source of energy before the Industrial Age. In today’s Nano and Quantum industrial age, it still remains a vast reservoir of energy that can fulfill today’s and tomorrow’s energy demands. The average intensity of solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere directly facing the Sun is about 1,368 watts per square meter. At Earth’s surface the energy density is reduced to approximately 1,000 watts per meter square. For disaster response, time is the most critical factor. Standalone Photovoltaic (PV) systems offer the most viable option for disaster relief.
Standalone Photovoltaic (PV) Systems For Disaster Relief and Remote Areas by DrSalahuddinQazi is a timely addition to literature on managing natural disasters in an efficient and effective manner. The book features the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to bring electricity for disaster relief and for general power supply in remote areas of the world. The author was inspired to write this book after realizing that the sunlight reaching earth’s surface in just one hour delivers more energy than the energy consumed by the entire world in one year. Unfortunately, presently the countries which receive the maximum amount of sunlight, are using a fraction of it to generate electricity. Many of such countries also suffer from unreliable electrical grid supply with frequent power outages commonly known as “load shedding,” which leave people more prone to natural disasters. The author grew up in Pakistan and has the first-hand experience of such problems.
Professor DrSalahuddinQazi has unique credentials to pen this manuscript. This book reflects his more than four decades of experience in higher education; he has worked, conducted research, and taught for over forty years in the UK, Middle East, East, and USA. He is a professor emeritus, and past chair of the electrical engineering technology department at State University of New York Polytechnic Institute, Utica, New York. He received his PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Technology, Loughborough, UK. He has worked on an NSF funded project on developing instructional materials for "Visualization and Manipulation of Nanoscale Components using Atomic Force Microscopy" as a Principal Investigator (PI). He is currently involved in consulting activities for emerging technologies and higher education, and serves as a member of an industrial advisory board for the Engineering Technology Department for the University of Maryland Eastern Shores, Princess Anne, MD. He has participated as an invited speaker and presenter in several international conferences and workshops. He was a CO-PI for the US-Pakistan conference on “High-Capacity Optical Networking and Enabling Technology,” (HONET) for three years, which was jointly sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF) of USA and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan. His philanthropic activities involve providing books for needy students at academic institutions in the developing world. He is a senior life member of IEEE.
Discussing the magnitude of human and economic cost of natural disasters, in the preface of the book DrQazi observes: “In 2013 the United Nations reported that in the past year approximately 4.4 billion people have been affected by natural disasters that claimed 1.3 million lives and cost the world $2 trillion in economic loss. In the aftermath of these disasters, the PV systems can bring natural, reliable power to places recently devastated. PV systems in standalone mode can provide electricity for more than 1.3 billion people worldwide who do not have access to grid electricity. For increasing the affordability and cutting the cost of rather expensive PV systems, some countries in the developing world are giving incentives through micro-financing institutions and solar companies that couple their solar products with financing plans, based on customer income. In the United States, new partnerships are emerging between citizens, electrical utilities, and governments to deliver electricity for low-income households at a reduced cost. In 2015, the White House announced that 68 cities, States and businesses have signed up for an initiative to promote community solar with an emphasis on low- to moderate-income households.”
The author has comprehensively covered various facets of PV system in seven chapters: Photovoltaics for disaster relief and remote areas, Fundamentals of standalone photovoltaic systems, Mobile photovoltaic systems disaster relief and remote areas, Portable standalone PV systems, PV system affordability and community solar microgrids, and Solar thermal electricity and solar insolation. The book also has comprehensive appendices on building dye-sensitized solar cells, assembling one’s own PV module, Results of solar insolation/radiation using different databases, and standards for PV systems.
As the global energy demand continues to increase along with the need for new and cleaner energy sources, solar energy is fast becoming a vital source for meeting peak demand and is a solution for energy demand in disaster and remote areas and meeting energy security needs. The book illustrates the differences and requirements for stand-alone, mobile, and portable PV systems, and presents plans for PV system deployment and transportation to remote areas.
The book provides a blueprint for assembling various PV systems that can meet the immediate needs - heating, cooling, and lighting homes and businesses – in the aftermath of a disaster. It also illustrates various ways in which PV systems can deliver electricity to remote areas for everyday living needs like pumping water, purifying water, powering medical clinics, cell phones, mobile base-station, and other facilities for off-grid areas.
The book’s unique feature is its non-mathematical hands-on approach. The author has done an excellent job of providing examples and applications of PV systems vis a vis case studies, software tools, databases, and relevant websites. The book is a good reference, and an essential read for all technical and non-technical stakeholders of renewable energy and disaster management: PV system designers and installers, students and faculty, policy makers, non-government organizations, and all people working in disaster recovery programs.
Author’s Interview:
Q: What are the key challenges for using PV systems to provide fast and temporary power to remote devastated areas caused by natural disasters?
A: The difficulty in transporting large solar systems, inconsistent availability of PV systems and unpredictability of natural disasters are some of the challenges to provide power to remote devastated areas. Work is being done to design Rapid Roll panels which roll up like a carpet allowing them to be easily transported to the remote areas.
Q: Why are global NGOs and charity organizations slow in adopting PV systems for natural disaster relief?
A: Since global NGOs and charity organizations do not store PV systems, they are not ready to transport the system to the affected areas when a natural disaster happens. In many cases, these NGOs rely on other private corporations to make donations and provide necessary resources. The lack of knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle of preparation, response and recovery takes away valuable time to help disaster survivors.
Q: Where did you receive your higher school and university education?
My education was completed at Panjab University, Pakistan, Wales University and University of Technology, Loughborough, United Kingdom.
Q: What is your take on the current state and status of higher education in Pakistan?
A: The status of higher education in Pakistan is changing. Many educational institutions of higher education, both government and private, have lately sprung up to address the educational needs of the country’s growing economy with nearly two-thirds of the population who are 24 years old or under. The shortage of qualified senior faculty and insufficient resources, however, are affecting the quality of educational systems which is ranked weak by the international ranking standards. Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, the Government agency which facilitates the development of higher education, is trying hard to improve the quality of higher educational systems by establishing accreditation councils, offering scholarships to pursue PhDs, and accrediting the higher education institutions among other obligations.
Q: What service was rendered to the education sector by your family?
A: My ancestors were responsible for establishing Islamia Schools in the early 1900s during the British rule in the Indian subcontinent which ended in August 1947. Many of these schools have been converted to institutions of higher education in Pakistan.
Q: What are the key challenges and obstacles for the development of the solar energy sector in Pakistan?
A: The lack of financial resources and inability of the Government to accelerate the implementation of subsidies, Feed in Tariff (FIT) and net metering have been key challenges and obstacles for the development of solar energy in Pakistan. Shortages of qualified personnel, accredited solar testing labs, and lack of bank financing for solar energy are other challenges.
Q: What recommendation would you make for the promotion of PV systems in Pakistan and in developed and developing countries?
A: The Government of Pakistan should make its population fully aware of the benefits and availability of FIT, net metering and subsidies which have been introduced in the previous decade. The use of subsidies should enable solar energy to be affordable in major portions of the population to set up PV systems. The Governments in the developing countries should redirect resources from large-scale investments into new energy producing technologies. Developing countries should make full use of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) program that was introduced at the Kyoto Protocol which entered into force on 16 February 2005. This CDM program allows for industrialized nations to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries.
(DrAhmed S. Khan --- dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org --- is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar, 2017-2022).
