energy in the third world?

Question

surely the peoples of the developing counteries need a source of energy to work with. when setting up schools and villages, would it not be logical to solar panel the roofs and incorporate wind mills etc. all this captured energy can be stored as hydrogen via fuel cells and released as needed for hot water, lighting, cars etc.

this is the future we are looking at ourselves and i think that this is what the developing nations deserve to be helped with.

i also understand that it is one of many factors but sustainability must be at the heart of all projects. agree?

Answer 1

you are quite right, sustainability is of prime importance.

i read the other answers before i decided to answer myself and noticed that there some people think that this is an expensive approach to take but the cost of incorporating this technology into new developments is typically 2.5-3% of the overall cost.

for many of these projects there is no grid to speak of and diesel generators provide all the power which means a reliance on diesel supply and the ongoing costs of diesel. of course diesel can be refined from vegetable oils used in cooking and should be included as part of all the energy options.

to sum up, these people are often the richest in natural renewable energies and like farming your own crops, capturing your own energy frees one from dependance.

Answer 2

But the majority of folks don't care about the planet, and sustainable energy sources are very expensive to build - big up front cost.

Most folks in China want air-con, dishwashers and cars, they have cheap brown coal, and don't want to wait 30 years for the new mod cons, so they build one power station every week, rather than hundreds of small renewable ones.

The third world wants to be the first world, not to learn from the first world's mistakes, especially when the largest economy in the first world, America - 12% of the worlds population continues to use 26% of the worlds resources.....

wouldn't it be better to clean up our own act, before we try to persuade the third world to do likewise?

Answer 3

I fear the solar cells and wind turbines will be dismantled and sold off as scrap as soon as the "We feel good about ourselves because we went to Africa and put a windmill and solar station on their power grid" crew turn their backs and leave. Giving stuff away rarely fixes the problems in the world's poorest countries.

Answer 4

Try doing this to just your own home. I think you will find that cost is quite a issue.

Answer 5

what's this 'deserve' idea you have and how does it fit in with modern economic theory?

we're over here burning grain to get rid of it. you don't see us burning solar panels to get rid of them.

Answer 6

yes it would be a good idea, in practice though they havent got access to the technology