International Journal of Energy and Environmental Science

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The Status and Determinants of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Utilization by Rural Households in Gozamin Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia

Received: 27 May 2019    Accepted: 02 July 2019    Published: 12 July 2019
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Abstract

Solar Photovoltaic technology has been advanced in the world as a renewable energy source many years ago. The progress of the technology is due to its social, economic and environmental benefits. However, utilization of solar photovoltaic technology by rural households in Ethiopia is a recent phenomenon with low rates of use. Hence, this study was conducted to meet the aim of exploring the status and determinants of solar photovoltaic technology utilization by rural households in Gozamin woreda. Three kebeles were purposively selected to conduct the study. Simple random and stratified sampling methods were used to get representative samples. Primary data and secondary information were also collected from households and reports, magazines, journals, etc. A total of 190 representative household samples were selected. Binary logit model was used to analyze the correlation between utilization of solar photovoltaic technology and explanatory variables. Descriptive statistics was also conducted to analyze the functionality, patterns and constraints of SPV technologies. The result of descriptive statistics showed that all the diffused technologies were functional. Despite this, 23.4 percent of SPV technologies fail to function once or twice per month due to weather conditions and technical incapability. Lighting was the major pattern of use by all (60) users. Additionally, 78.3 and 18.3 percent of the users use the technology for mobile charging and making petty trades respectively. The major constraints of SPV utilization were awareness gap, price increment and SPV providers shortage comprising of 70, 26.7 and 3.3 percent respectively. Moreover, the result of the binary logit model showed that age and income affected utilization of solar photovoltaic technology significantly with (P<0.01 and P<0.1) respectively. Similarly, wealth status, awareness creations made, providers of the technology, house quality and price of the technology also affected utilization significantly (P<0.05). Conversely, family size, agricultural land size, education level, market access, human capital and quality of technology explanatory variables were assumed to affect utilization, but they do not affected utilization of the technology. Suggesting distribution, financial and government institutions to make awareness, encourage more individuals to be provider of SPV technologies and avail long term credit access in order for the technologies to be bought.

DOI 10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11
Published in International Journal of Energy and Environmental Science (Volume 4, Issue 2, March 2019)
Page(s) 27-34
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Adoption, Ethiopia, Gozamin, Solar Photovoltaics, Utilization

References
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[11] Mohanty, P., Sharma, K. R., Gujar, M., Kolhe, M. and Azmi, A. N., 2016. PV System Design for Off-Grid Applications. In Solar Photovoltaic System Applications (pp. 49-83). Springer, Cham.
[12] Admasu, A. A., 2011. Solar PV based rural electrification in Rema rural village.
[13] Mazengia, D. H., 2010. Ethiopian Energy Systems: Potentials, Opportunities and Sustainable Utilization.
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[20] Khandker, S. R., Samad, H. A., Sadeque, Z. K., Asaduzzaman, M., Yunus, M. and Haque, A. E., 2014. Surge in solar-powered homes: Experience in off-grid rural Bangladesh. World Bank Publications.
[21] Qureshi, T. M., Ullah, K. and Arentsen, M. J., 2017. Factors responsible for solar PV adoption at household level: A case of Lahore, Pakistan. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 78, pp. 754-763.
[22] NG’ENO, N. C., FACTORS AFFECTING THE ADOPTION OF SOLAR POWER FOR DOMESTIC USAGE IN KAJIADO COUNTY, KENYA.
[23] Vasseur, V. and Kemp, R., 2015. The adoption of PV in the Netherlands: A statistical analysis of adoption factors. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 41, pp. 483-494.
[24] Feron, S., 2016. Sustainability of off-grid photovoltaic systems for rural electrification in developing countries: a review. Sustainability, 8 (12), p. 1326.
[25] Chaurey, A. and Kandpal, T. C., 2010. Assessment and evaluation of PV based decentralized rural electrification: An overview. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 14 (8), pp. 2266-2278.
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Author Information
  • School of Environmental and Natural Resource Studies, Hawassa University, Wondo Genet, Ethiopia

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    Yared Alazar Alehegn. (2019). The Status and Determinants of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Utilization by Rural Households in Gozamin Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. International Journal of Energy and Environmental Science, 4(2), 27-34. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11

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    ACS Style

    Yared Alazar Alehegn. The Status and Determinants of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Utilization by Rural Households in Gozamin Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Int. J. Energy Environ. Sci. 2019, 4(2), 27-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11

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    AMA Style

    Yared Alazar Alehegn. The Status and Determinants of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Utilization by Rural Households in Gozamin Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. Int J Energy Environ Sci. 2019;4(2):27-34. doi: 10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11,
      author = {Yared Alazar Alehegn},
      title = {The Status and Determinants of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Utilization by Rural Households in Gozamin Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia},
      journal = {International Journal of Energy and Environmental Science},
      volume = {4},
      number = {2},
      pages = {27-34},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijees.20190402.11},
      abstract = {Solar Photovoltaic technology has been advanced in the world as a renewable energy source many years ago. The progress of the technology is due to its social, economic and environmental benefits. However, utilization of solar photovoltaic technology by rural households in Ethiopia is a recent phenomenon with low rates of use. Hence, this study was conducted to meet the aim of exploring the status and determinants of solar photovoltaic technology utilization by rural households in Gozamin woreda. Three kebeles were purposively selected to conduct the study. Simple random and stratified sampling methods were used to get representative samples. Primary data and secondary information were also collected from households and reports, magazines, journals, etc. A total of 190 representative household samples were selected. Binary logit model was used to analyze the correlation between utilization of solar photovoltaic technology and explanatory variables. Descriptive statistics was also conducted to analyze the functionality, patterns and constraints of SPV technologies. The result of descriptive statistics showed that all the diffused technologies were functional. Despite this, 23.4 percent of SPV technologies fail to function once or twice per month due to weather conditions and technical incapability. Lighting was the major pattern of use by all (60) users. Additionally, 78.3 and 18.3 percent of the users use the technology for mobile charging and making petty trades respectively. The major constraints of SPV utilization were awareness gap, price increment and SPV providers shortage comprising of 70, 26.7 and 3.3 percent respectively. Moreover, the result of the binary logit model showed that age and income affected utilization of solar photovoltaic technology significantly with (P<0.01 and P<0.1) respectively. Similarly, wealth status, awareness creations made, providers of the technology, house quality and price of the technology also affected utilization significantly (P<0.05). Conversely, family size, agricultural land size, education level, market access, human capital and quality of technology explanatory variables were assumed to affect utilization, but they do not affected utilization of the technology. Suggesting distribution, financial and government institutions to make awareness, encourage more individuals to be provider of SPV technologies and avail long term credit access in order for the technologies to be bought.},
     year = {2019}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - The Status and Determinants of Solar Photovoltaic Technology Utilization by Rural Households in Gozamin Woreda, Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia
    AU  - Yared Alazar Alehegn
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    JF  - International Journal of Energy and Environmental Science
    JO  - International Journal of Energy and Environmental Science
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2578-9546
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijees.20190402.11
    AB  - Solar Photovoltaic technology has been advanced in the world as a renewable energy source many years ago. The progress of the technology is due to its social, economic and environmental benefits. However, utilization of solar photovoltaic technology by rural households in Ethiopia is a recent phenomenon with low rates of use. Hence, this study was conducted to meet the aim of exploring the status and determinants of solar photovoltaic technology utilization by rural households in Gozamin woreda. Three kebeles were purposively selected to conduct the study. Simple random and stratified sampling methods were used to get representative samples. Primary data and secondary information were also collected from households and reports, magazines, journals, etc. A total of 190 representative household samples were selected. Binary logit model was used to analyze the correlation between utilization of solar photovoltaic technology and explanatory variables. Descriptive statistics was also conducted to analyze the functionality, patterns and constraints of SPV technologies. The result of descriptive statistics showed that all the diffused technologies were functional. Despite this, 23.4 percent of SPV technologies fail to function once or twice per month due to weather conditions and technical incapability. Lighting was the major pattern of use by all (60) users. Additionally, 78.3 and 18.3 percent of the users use the technology for mobile charging and making petty trades respectively. The major constraints of SPV utilization were awareness gap, price increment and SPV providers shortage comprising of 70, 26.7 and 3.3 percent respectively. Moreover, the result of the binary logit model showed that age and income affected utilization of solar photovoltaic technology significantly with (P<0.01 and P<0.1) respectively. Similarly, wealth status, awareness creations made, providers of the technology, house quality and price of the technology also affected utilization significantly (P<0.05). Conversely, family size, agricultural land size, education level, market access, human capital and quality of technology explanatory variables were assumed to affect utilization, but they do not affected utilization of the technology. Suggesting distribution, financial and government institutions to make awareness, encourage more individuals to be provider of SPV technologies and avail long term credit access in order for the technologies to be bought.
    VL  - 4
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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