**6.4 Solar**

66 Renewable Energy – Trends and Applications

With all of the technologies already in place and some underdevelopment, there are still many challenges and barriers that need attention. Some of the barriers are presented in section 6.

Renewable energy technologies are still perceived as "niche" energy resources by many Tanzanian. Barriers to their enhancement and development are on all levels i.e. cognitive, perceptual, policy attitudes and in the economic sphere. Renewable energy technologies are perceived by many Tanzanian as complementary energy not main, hence, still in the learning curve phase in their developments. They are viewed as relatively new, not sufficiently field proven, somehow expensive to purchase, to install and to maintain. They are often viewed as small, dispersed resources, of unstable output, and incapable of providing sustainable energy for the future. They lack base expertise, information on cost

The economic barriers are both real and perceived. The real economic barrier is influenced by unfair competition from fossil-fuels or conventional energy sources. Economically, renewable energy technologies project suffers from high up-front capital requirements, high interconnection costs, and lack of financing mechanisms from financial institutions e.g. commercial banks, etc. Financial institutions in Tanzania still perceive investment in development of renewable energy technologies as high economic risk; their entire economic

The general barriers for development of renewable energy technologies are summarized

Lack of financial resources to finance research and development of wind turbine in the

Lack of human resources for servicing and maintenance after installation of the system

**6. Barriers to promoting renewable energy technologies in Tanzania** 

is imprecise and thus there are high impediments to possible capital investment.

structure is viewed as poor, with long amortization.

 Competition from higher value applications Not sufficiently mature, therefore, risk to investors

 Minor influence on Tanzanian energy supply Not modern enough for mass utilization

In case of Bioenergy, it is land-intensive

Difficult due to collection in some areas and transportation

Uncompetitive technology in the short and medium run

Low load factors, hence it tends to increase energy system costs

Lack of good wind conditions i.e. speed in many part of the country

Resource handling problems such as resource depletion, corrosion, etc

according to resources as follows:

 Dispersed form of energy, Variety of technological solutions

**6.1 Biomass** 

**6.2 Wind** 

country

**6.3 Geothermal** 

 Drilling technology difficulties High up-front investment

