IMPLEMENTATION STAGE
Planning stage
CHALLENGES
Implementation model
Adequate information from site assessment
Organisational management and governance
Knowledge
Financial scheme and tariff rate
Local conditions
Future connectivity
Land acquisition and ownership
Legal and standard issues
DESCRIPTION
Inadequate feasible implementation models for sustainability , especially if the programme or project is Government-subsidised .
Most load demand assessments are conducted on assumptions about the hourly use of each appliance in a day . This approach is common practice as real load demand is rarely available on site . Thus , this could sometimes lead to an oversized or undersized system capacity .
Several stakeholders , such as the Government and private companies ( e . g ., utilities ), may be involved in several REP initiatives , which could lead to problems in co-ordinating them . Some may take credit for political mileage . Commonly , it is the quantity of implemented systems that is highlighted the most , while the quality of services once a system is operational , is neglected .
The concerned stakeholders , especially the consultants and project implementers , must have sufficient know-how in designing a system by adapting to social , economic and technological aspects .
Conflicts abound between making returns on investment , in particular if the project is privately financed , and ensuring affordable tariff rates which customers can pay , as most communities in rural areas are poor . Although there needs to be schemes that are suitable and affordable , financial institutions are reluctant to implement them in order to avoid the failure of REP initiatives .
Local conditions , such as weather and geography , must be taken into consideration at the very beginning of project planning in order to avoid delays . Involving local communities and understanding local culture are also essential .
Some rural areas will probably be supplied with electricity from the grid network in the future . It should be possible to integrate the chosen technology into the electricity grid network . Good coordination and planning among the electricity utility companies are crucial .
In many cases , land acquisition and ownership issues are challenging and time-consuming . The installation of a power supply system requires land , which could raise public concern and conflict with the land owner .
Regulatory enforcement and product standards need to be addressed clearly to ensure quality . Negligence in enforcing regulations can result in poor system performance and give a bad reputation to renewable energy technology as a whole . Costs of renewable components do not reflect retail prices . Non-existence of standard prices as references can be manipulated resulting in higher rates .
Table 1 . List of challenges in REPs [ 4 ], [ 10 ], [ 16 ]–[ 24 ].
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