Sustainable Off-Grid Electricity Generation System for Low Power Lighting in Remote Locations

Abstract

This paper proposes an environmental friendly and sustainable approach to generate electricity for small lighting applications in rural and remote locations. In the proposed system, human muscle energy, abundantly available in rural and remote locations, has been converted into electrical energy to be stored in an alternative energy storage device, e.g. a supercapacitor. The usual bicycle with a minor modification is plugged to a charging platform. The charging platform has a power processing circuit and a Permanent Magnet Direct Current generator. The system has the ability to power up a 1 W white LED lamp for a duration of approximately 60 minutes, when the bicycle is pedaled for 4 minutes. The proposed system is not only eco-friendly, but also effectively caters to the challenges posed by seasonal variations and locational disadvantages and is targeted specifically for locations which are not having access to the power grid. © 2020 IEEE.