Cost evaluation of sustainable solar: diesel hybrid power for water pumping in refugee camps in Dadaab, Kenya

Pumping water from boreholes can be a very expensive endeavour in refugee settings. UNHCR and partners intended to solve this problem by decreasing water extraction and investing in PV solar-diesel generator systems in Dadaab Refugee Camps, Kenya. By analysing the costs before and after the solar implementations, it is possible to evaluate if the investments reached expectations. The results show that 10 PV solar-diesel generator systems in this study save up to 16,000 litres of diesel a month, or 25% of the camps total fuel demand. For the boreholes with PV solar-diesel generator systems, almost 40% of the diesel could be reduced. With 2016 diesel prices in Kenya, the estimated return period would be 6.25 years.