ProblemStatement:Currentmodernenergysourcesareincapableofaddressingtheenergycrisisinmany

geographicallocationsaroundtheworld.In2015,1.3billionpeoplewentwithoutaccesstoelectricity,
primarilyinAfricaandIndia.Inlightofthisstatistic,ithasbecomeabundantlyclearthatasolutionis
necessaryintheseareas.
StatementofPurpose:Toidentifyandfeasiblyaddresstheneedforenergyinenergystarvedgeographical
locationsoftheworld

Theneedforfeasibleandrenewableenergysourcesinmanygeographicallocationsaroundthe
worldisextremelyprevalent.Approximately1.3billionpeoplearecurrentlylivingwithoutaccessto
electricityworldwide(ModernEnergy2015),thisnumberrepresentsabout18%oftheworldpopulation.
TakeAfricaforexampleApproximately600millionpeoplelivewithoutaccesstoelectricity(Energy
Overview2015),anumberequaltonearlytwotimestheentireUnitedStatepopulation.Oneoftheeffects
ofthisisthatmanypeoplechoosetocookonbiomassstovesratherthanuseelectricalalternatives.Many
timesthetypeoffuelusedinthesestovesispoorquality,andcarcinogenicwheninhaled.Infact,air
pollutionfromthesebiomassstovesresultsin4.3milliondeathsayearworldwide(EnergyOverview
2015).Changeisnecessary,andanincreaseinelectricityaccessibilitycouldreducetheamountof
biomassstovesused.Evenatthemoment,thoseconnectedtoelectricalgridsarenotguaranteed
continuouspowerinAfrica.Blackoutsandbrownoutsarecommonaspectsoflifeandwhetherornotyou
haveelectricitythenextdayisnotguaranteed(TheGlobalist2014).Thishasmuchtodowiththefactthat
thecurrentinfrastructureisoldandoutdated(TheGlobalist2014)andthatthepopulationiscurrently
growingataratelargerthantheimplementationofelectricalutilities.Asaresult,alargeamountofthe
populationchoosestorelyonbiomass(upto730million)(EnergyAccessDatabase2014),aformof
energywhichrequirestheuseofarableland.Consideringonlyabout1%ofAfricaslandisarable(United
Nations2011)itisdifficulttogrowthisbiomassinsufficientquantitieswithouttakingawayfromfood

stores.So,anysortofproposedsolutionwouldeitherhavetomakeuseofadifferentformofenergy,or
useunarableland.
Sources

TheGlobalist.(2014,April13)

Africa'sElectricityPoverty.RetrievedSeptember30,
2015,fromhttp://www.theglobalist.com/africaselectricitypoverty/

InternationalEnergyAgency(2014)

Energyaccessdatabase.RetrievedOctober1,2015,
from
http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/resources/energydevelopment/energyaccessdatabase/

ModernEnergyforAll.(2015).RetrievedOctober1,2015,from
http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/resources/energydevelopment/

EnergyOverview.(2015,September16).RetrievedOctober1,2015,from
http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/energy/overview#1

UnitedNationsBiofuelsVitalGraphics.(n.d.).RetrievedOctober1,2015.