Energy System Analysis of Captive Solar PV systems in Kenya's Textile Industry

Abstract

The textile industry is an energy-intensive industry that depends on reliable power supply for production. Meanwhile, the Kenyan national power grid experiences frequent outages, failing to deliver continuous supply. This thesis examines how the installation of solar PV, a battery and an electric boiler can address the challenge of an unreliable power grid in the textile industry. This is done through a case study of Rivatex East Africa Limited textile factory.

Using energy system analysis, this thesis shows that captive solar PV systems have great potential to reduce both dependency on the national power grid and system cost, even in the absence of governmental support. From analyses of four scenarios, it is shown that when a factory’s energy consumption exceeds the energy production from solar PV, only the solar PV system decreases system cost and dependency on the power grid. However, in cases when solar PV production at times exceeds energy consumption, the flexibility offered by a battery system and an electric boiler improves the energy system of textile factories. Thus showcasing the synergistic benefits of combining the three technologies.

Due to the benefits of captive solar PV systems in the textile industry presented, this thesis initiates a discourse on the factors contributing to the limited adaption of solar PV in the Kenyan industries. The results show that the regulatory framework is not the main problem, whereas high investment costs seem like a more plausible explanation.