Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research and Innovation Symposium 2018 (RERIS 2018)

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xii

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2. A Thermo-Economic Model for Aiding Solar Collector Choice and Optimal Sizing for a Solar Water Heating System

   • Tawanda Hove

   Pages 1-19Open Access

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3. Assessment of Decentralized Hybrid Mini-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa: Market Analysis, Least-Cost Modelling, and Job Creation Analysis

   • A. Okunlola, O. Evbuomwan, H. Zaheer, J. Winklmaier

   Pages 21-34Open Access

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4. Feasibility Study of Linear Fresnel Solar Thermal Power Plant in Algeria

   • Hani Beltagy, Sofiane Mihoub, Djaffar Semmar, Noureddine Said

   Pages 35-42Open Access

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5. Integrating a Solar PV System with a Household Based Backup Generator for Hybrid Swarm Electrification: A Case Study of Nigeria

   • Rolex Muceka, Tonny Kukeera, Yunus Alokore, Kebir Noara, Sebastian Groh

   Pages 43-58Open Access

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6. Overview of Economic Viability and Social Impact of Renewable Energy Deployment in Africa

   • A. Khellaf

   Pages 59-70Open Access

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7. Promoting Rural Electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa: Least-Cost Modelling of Decentralized Energy-Water-Food Systems: Case Study of St. Rupert Mayer, Zimbabwe

   • J. Winklmaier, S. Bazan Santos

   Pages 71-89Open Access

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8. Remote Sensing Techniques for Village Identification: Improved Electrification Planning for Zambia

   • Catherina Cader, Alin Radu, Paul Bertheau, Philipp Blechinger

   Pages 91-96Open Access

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9. Rural Household Electrification in Lesotho

   • M. Mpholo, M. Meyer-Renschhausen, R. I. Thamae, T. Molapo, L. Mokhuts’oane, B. M. Taele et al.

   Pages 97-103Open Access

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10. Simulation and Optimization of Renewable Energy Hybrid Power System for Semonkong, Lesotho

    • Leboli Z. Thamae

    Pages 105-115Open Access

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11. Storage as the Weak Link of the Biomass Supply Chain

    • S. Dumfort, C. Kirchmair, K. Floerl, C. Larch, M. Rupprich

    Pages 117-125Open Access

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12. Impacts of Electrification Under the Perspective of the Multi-Tier-Framework in Southern Tanzania

    • Annika Groth

    Pages 127-137Open Access

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13. Prosumers as New Energy Actors

    • Rafael Leal-Arcas, Feja Lesniewska, Filippos Proedrou

    Pages 139-151Open Access

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This open access book presents the proceedings of the 2nd Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research and Innovation Symposium (RERIS 18), held in Maseru, Lesotho in January 2018. The symposium aimed to foster research cooperation on renewable energy between Africa and Europe – in academia, as well as the private and public sectors. 

Addressing thematic areas such as

•  Grid-connected renewable energy;

•  Decentralised renewable and household energy solutions;

•  Energy socioeconomics; and

•  Promotion of energy research, innovation, education and entrepreneurship,

the book brings together contributions from academics and practitioners from the EU and Africa to enable mutual learning and knowledge transfer – a key factor in boosting sustainable development in the African renewable energy market. It also plays a significant role in promoting African renewable energy research, which helps to secure energy supply in both rural and urban areas and to increase generation capacities and energy system resilience. This book is an invaluable resource for academics and professionals across the renewable energy spectrum.

• Renewable Energy
• Research and Innovation
• Cooperation and Development
• Education and Entrepreneurship
• Decentralised Grid Development
• Open access proceedings of RERIS

• Energy Research Centre, National University of Lesotho, Roma, Lesotho

  Moeketsi Mpholo, Tonny Kukeera

• Swiss Academy for Development, Biel, Switzerland

  Dirk Steuerwald

Moeketsi Mpholo is the leader of the Energy Research Centre (ERC) at the National University of Lesotho (NUL). He is the chair of the 2nd Africa-EU Renewable Energy Research & Innovation Symposium (RERIS 2018) Scientific Committee. He served in the executive management of NUL as a Director of ICT before leading the ERC. He obtained his PhD from Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. He co-founded a Cambridge Lab on Chip start-up company based on PhD research in Cambridge, UK. He received a Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Award in 2005 for being the best candidate in Lesotho in a Physics related discipline. He has been featured in Marques Who’s Who In Science and Engineering in America since 2011. He has organised a number of national workshops on energy and climate change related matters on behalf of both the academic institutions and the private sector. He has published widely on energy matters primarily on Solar and Wind Resources. He continuously works with a number of institutions, companies and development partners on energy projects. He is currently working in the Cost of Service Study in collaboration with MRC Group of Companies for the electricity regulator (Lesotho Electricity and Water Authority). Moreover, he collaborates on research projects and teaching programs with a number of regional universities (University of Botswana, Namibia University of Science and Technology, etc.) and a number of international universities (University of Pennsylvania (USA), Case Western Reserve University (USA), Hochschule Darmstadt – University of Applied Sciences (Germany).

Tonny Kukeera is an energy engineer and researcher with experience in energy systems and bio processing. Tonny holds an MSc. in energy engineering from the Pan African University Institute of Water and Energy Sciences (PAUWES), and a BSc. in agricultural engineering from Makerere University. He has previously worked with R20 ¬¬- Regions for Climate Action and Microenergy International in the fields of energy efficient buildings, energy efficiency and management, bio waste management and energy recovery, energy access and off-grid systems. Tonny held a research position in the department of Agricultural and Bio systems engineering Makerere University (2014-2015). His current research focus is on energy efficiency in off-grid households through demand side management.


Dirk Steuerwald holds a PhD from ETH Zurich and did his Diploma at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, as well as at Universität Tübingen, Germany. He is working in development cooperation on higher education as well as on science teaching at schools in Southern Africa. He furthermore has work experience with entrepreneurship projects in Northern Africa as well as in Papua New Guinea and as a (science) journalist and editor. He currently works for the Swiss Academy for Development as well as for the Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme.

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