Abstract
The economic growth of countries leads to an increase in energy demand. Energy consumption in most developing countries is likewise increasing due to their economic growth. This has raised a concern about meeting the energy shortage in their communities. The rising alert of air and environmental pollution has created opportunities for electricity access through renewable energy sources as a viable solution to meet the growing energy demand. Therefore, power generation through renewable energy can be a sustainable energy solution for developing countries. Considering the rate of developments in some countries (e.g. Zimbabwe), the extension of power lines from the main grid in a centralized manner to remote and rural areas is still economically challenging. This study addresses how to improve electricity access to rural areas in Zimbabwe. The overall electrification rate of Zimbabwe is 40.42% with approximately 85% urban population and 15% rural population, which has a deficit in rural electricity access. There is therefore a great concern to increase access to electricity in rural and remote areas...
M.Ing. (Electrical Engineering)