Justin Shearer ENVS 225 5/11/10 White Paper: Alternative Energy in Kenya Currently, the continent of Africa is faced

with a dilemma. It is a conclusive predicament that is directly related to the lifestyles of every living human on the planet. To sum it up in a few words, the problem that Africa faces is that there are not enough natural resources to sustain the continually growing population of Africa in the long run. Specifically, the Sub-Saharan region has been plagued with disputes over natural resources for many years now. Much of the civil unrest in this region has been due to quarrels over water, food, sources of energy, and valuable minerals. The scarcity of such resources within the Sub-Saharan Africa region has also helped to institute some corrupt political establishments within the various countries of the region. One country that displays such setbacks is The Republic of Kenya. Situated in Eastern Africa, along the equator and bordering the Indian Ocean, Kenya is surrounded by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the northeast, Tanzania to the south, and Uganda and Sudan to the west. Currently, Kenya has an estimated total population of 39 million people. At present, life expectancy is estimated to be between 47 and 55 years. Additionally, the country is enduring an ongoing drought that greatly limits the abilities of the people in nearly every way. Furthermore, one particular environmental problem that restricts the ability of Kenya to improve their quality of life is a limited access to sustainable energies. This is especially true when considering the quality of living within the remote and rural areas of the

country in relation to those areas access to electricity. Therefore, it is fundamentally imperative that cleaner, more efficient, and renewable methods of generating energy are adopted by the people of Kenya. Kenya, much like the rest of sub-Saharan Africa, has little to no electric energy supply available in isolated, rural, and lower-class suburban areas. As of 2006, only fifteen percent of the population in Kenya had access to electricity leaving eighty- five percent without it (Kenya Power and Lighting). Currently, there is a large dependence on firewood and biomass charcoals for cooking and heating in these areas, with ninety percent of the rural population dependant on firewood and fifty percent of the urban population dependant on the use of biomass derived charcoal (Bailis). Because of this dependence, wood is illegally harvested for firewood and charcoal production in many areas of the country. Additionally, because both firewood and charcoal are extensive carbon emitters, respiratory health issues are a direct result of using such dirty fuels for cooking and heating. At the same time, methods for transforming the raw lumber into charcoal are often highly-inefficient, leading to low percentage-yields of charcoal and excess waste. Currently, the charcoal industry is a dominant force within Kenya. Both legal and illegal charcoal production is active in the country. Because so many people depend upon charcoal for cooking and heating it has become a multimillion dollar industry with over 100,000 Kenyans involved and 400,000 tons of charcoal produced every year (Kamau). Presently, much of the charcoal is produced in inefficient kilns which are often illegally operated. Furthermore, the

people of Kenya are dependent upon charcoal because it is a cheap source of fuel with over half of Kenyas population living in poverty and a single bag of charcoal only costing $6 US dollars. Along with charcoal, firewood is a prominent source of fuel for the people of Kenya. With ninety percent of the rural population dependent on firewood for working, heating, cooking, and providing light, it is becoming more and more difficult to obtain as timber resources continue to be depleted. The use of firewood helps contribute to air pollution as well as the destruction of biodiversity. Furthermore, the employment of firewood for cooking and heating within rural homes is a leading cause of respiratory health issues. Because of the resource and health complications associated with using firewood as a source of fuel, it is imperative that alternatives are implemented. Although charcoal and firewood make up the majority of energy in Kenya, there are a couple sources of electricity available in select parts of Kenya. One major producer of electricity in the country is the Kenya Electricity Generating Company, which is a state owned corporation. The company operates fourteen hydropower stations, three thermal power plants, two geothermal power plants, and one wind farm. On the lighter side of things Kenya has continued to be an active marketplace for solar systems for over a decade. Additionally, the government of Kenya has also identified the northern town of Marsabit as a future potential wind generated electricity site (Recipes). Despite this, only 0.5% of rural households have access to electricity (Recipes). One of the most important factors that will need to be addressed in implementing cleaner energies is the expensive cost that comes with switching from cheap bio-fuels to solar

and wind. The cost of installation as well as the cost for purchase will provide a hurdle to the Kenyan people. Currently, it is estimated that the average Kenyan makes less than $1 US dollar a day (Wikipedia). At the same time, a corrupt political establishment contributes to too little positive change for the Kenyan people. Utmost cooperation and coordination between the remote, rural areas and the governments will be absolutely necessary in order for an implementation of alternative energies to be successful. A reform of the entire countrys energy acquisition methods, as well as the processes by which energy is consumed will need to occur. Addressing the energy issue will be complex as there are various stakeholders that would be involved in such actions. The citizens of Kenya, primarily the rural and lower-class suburban residents, are the object in this proposition. Providing cleaner energies also has a direct regard to the women of Kenya, who are most often responsible for collecting firewood and cooking for the family. Furthermore, the charcoal makers, both legal and illegal will have to be included in the assessment. In addition, the political establishments at both the local and national levels will have to be involved in implementing whatever plan of action that is agreed upon. In which case, the government will most likely be asked to provide subsidies for the desired alternative energies, allowing the cost to be competitive with the cheap, dirty fuels currently used. Moreover, solar and wind energy companies will need to be included as a significant stakeholder. Lastly Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) will play a large role in the training, supplying, and development of clean energies.

One particular NGO that could help jump start a renewable energy movement in Kenya is Winrock International (WI). WI is involved all around the world promoting sustainable use and management of natural resources, as well as a direct emphasis on clean energies. Their clean energy programs help to improve economic maturity, enhancements in health care, education, and standard of living. Winrocks work focuses on improving the abilities of communities and organizations, and the operational structure needed in order to fully utilize the opportunities electric power has to offer. So far, Winrock has helped to establish 70,000+ portable renewable energy systems in developing nations across the world (Winrock International). WI is just one particular example of how NGOs could help make a significant difference in establishing alternative and renewable energies in Kenya. A more suitable means of providing electricity to the people of Kenya could be found in solar and wind technologies. The further implementation of alternative energies such as solar and wind will allow for a better quality of life to be accessible to the Kenyan people. Presently, much of the biomass that is consumed is burned for cooking and lighting. If solar and wind technologies were to be provided to these people, healthier and cleaner ways of life would be possible. The construction of solar ovens is one possible solution to the respiratory-health issues that incur due to lack of ventilation to wooden stoves within small huts. As a side benefit, jobs can be created for young men in solar panel construction factories. This will be a concern as the charcoal industry will be greatly impacted if alternative energies were to become successful. At the same time, wind powered water pumps could help to provide more clean drinking water to the rural and remote areas of the country. Along with being a healthy choice,

establishing wind and solar sources of energy is an economically feasible means of producing energy because they are sustainable, renewable, and clean. Though initial costs of founding renewable energies may be expensive, adopting them would be worth it in the long run simply because of the fact that they are sustainable and clean. Not having to pay for the cost of fossil fuels or biomass productions, costs for basic energy needs would be cheap. Making cheap energy available to the large percentage of people without electricity in Kenya is socially and culturally acceptable because it will allow for a better quality of life. One such thing electricity would allow is the lighting of homes at night; in which case reading and other education practices would be possible after sundown. Getting the people to use the electricity in productive ways is another challenge in itself. Current users of solar and wind energy generally arent using the energy to alleviate themselves from poverty. These users tend to be middle-class and the energy they capture is more commonly used for leisurely activities such as watching television or listening to the radio (Jacobson). Furthermore, solar captured electricity is being used for marketing and communication between rural and suburban areas rather than for poverty alleviation (Jacobson). In addition to capturing the energy, the people will need to be educated on efficient and effective methods of electricity usage. One direction that the people of Kenya could go that would illuminate the human judgment factor in energy consumption would be that of solar passive architecture. Solar passive architecture would allow for the natural energy of the sun to heat the building. At the same time, solar passive architecture would entail planning of buildings in

climate comfort zones, or areas within the country where the typical weather is more suitable and comforting to human occupation. Much like the solar ovens (which I will discuss in more detail further down), this would help to create cleaner, more desirable housing circumstances by eliminating fires prepared for heat inside buildings. Solar ovens, which are convertible boxes lined with a highly reflective foil, convert the natural energy of sunlight into cooking heat. Implementation of solar ovens in rural and remote areas would help improve the quality of living in multiple ways. First, solar ovens would eliminate the use of charcoal and firewood cooking indoors, which would help to reduce respiratory illnesses. Second, solar ovens would help to generate more free time for the woman by reducing the amount of firewood that would have to be collected, and provide even more free time while the food slowly cooks in the oven unattended. However, it is not just photo-voltaic solar energy that offers solutions to the energy problems of Kenya. There are other various ways in which Kenya has the scientifically proved potential to establish renewable forms of energy. Supplementary alternative energy forms need to be considered and receive more consideration than just PV solar energy. In order to address the growing electricity demand and quality of life problems in Kenya, the renewable energy potential that is available to them must be harnessed wisely and efficiently (Rabah). The consistent wind patterns of the area surrounding Marsabit, Kenya provide a suitable environment for wind powered electrical grids, as well as generators for uses such as water pumping (Kamau). Developing wind energy in Kenya would be an extremely helpful addition to solar for creating energy.

When addressing the issue of supplying electricity to the country, all possibilities and routes must be considered. One potential course The Republic of Kenya could take in electrifying the country would be the further establishment of hydroelectric and fossil fueled power plants. Currently, hydroelectric generated power accounts for sixty-nine percent of the total electricity output (Recipes). At the same time, oil accounts for twenty-nine percent of the total electricity output (Recipes). Of this generated electricity the consumption is as follows: sixty-one percent by industry, one percent by agriculture, twelve percent by commerce and public services, and twenty-six percent consumed by residential (Recipes). In order to provide electricity to the eighty-five percent currently without access, many more hydroelectric and fossil fueled power plants would need to be established. Such large scale implementation would help to provide electricity to a large portion of the country. However, initial expensive costs and the negative side effects of a coal fired power plant or a hydroelectric dam I feel would only further hinder the country in the long run. Additionally, such forms of electricity would most likely be privatized by large corporations and therefore sold to the people at an expensive cost that most would not be able to afford. In taking the clean energy route of solar and wind, Kenya could establish small-scale power grids as the funds become available. Also, by establishing smaller electric grids the people who benefit from such networks would have more control on exactly how that power is distributed, instead of leaving it in the hands of a large corporation. Further justification for solar and wind energies lies in scientific based statistics. Kenyas geographic location provides significant amounts of sunlight throughout the year. Secondly, the northern region of Kenya has been proven to have great wind potential (Rabah). What's more important is the applicability of

solar and wind energy to remote and rural areas. The function of solar and wind technologies is simply more practical to people who are already connected to their surrounding environment. It is in a combination of solar, wind and the improvement upon the current charcoal production system that my solution lies. I would ideally like to see the use of charcoal and firewood be phased out of the picture. However, because of the large dependence on such, it is necessary to leave the system intact until clean energies are fully implemented and made readily available to everyone throughout the country. In order to address the problems that come with charcoal production, improved charcoal kilns must be implemented and illegal production must be eliminated. Efficient charcoal production technologies could save lives as well as having significant climate change and development paybacks. Still, I see no reason for large scale electrification through coal fired power plants or hydroelectric dams, when even developed countries like the United States of America are searching desperately for ways to get away from such harmful and expensive sources of energy. With cooperation and coordination between the people, non-governmental organizations, local and national governments, plus solar and wind development companies, a success story is in reach for Kenya. As the world continues to develop and grow at a rapid pace it will truly be those countries with the cleanest, most sustainable forms of energy that will be leading the way. Kenya has the potential to be electrified and powered in an entirely sustainable and renewable fashion. For that reason, in order for Kenya to improve the quality of life for its residents as well as guaranteeing a successful outcome for its future generations to

come, it is essential for Kenya to begin employing cleaner, more efficient, and renewable methods of generating energy.