A PV System for Remote Power and Shea Nut Processing in Burkina Faso

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Résumé

This project developed a photovoltaics (PV) power hub for a remote village in Burkina Faso consisting of (1) a 1.5 kW array providing internet connection and WiFi hotspot, cell phone charging, office services (photocopy, scan/print, computer), and cafeteria (fridge, coffee machine) and (2) a separate 5.0 kW array with no batteries for a novel PV application: the grinding and milling of flour and shea nuts, as well as the production of shea paste by the village women’s co-operative. Shea “butter” – the paste mixed with water - is used in soap and cosmetic manufacture worldwide and is one of the major cash crops of the region. From June each year, the women work many hours per day to collect the nuts, and then to de-shell, roast, dry and mill them. Traditionally these tasks are done by hand and often last until the following February. The largest uncertainty in designing the system was in estimating the usage of the milling equipment, so the project includes an internet-gateway to provide data on PV production and energy usage to be analyzed by researchers and students at the University of Ouagadougou to improve the design of future systems.

Mots-clés

Nut, Brazil nut, Computer science, Power (physics), Environmental science, Engineering, Agroforestry, Physics, Mechanical engineering