University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Developing a contextualized design framework for rural electrical infrastructure

Chattopadhyay, Abhiroop

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CHATTOPADHYAY-DISSERTATION-2024.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124376

Description

Title
Developing a contextualized design framework for rural electrical infrastructure
Author(s)
Chattopadhyay, Abhiroop
Issue Date
2024-04-26
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Witmer, Ann-Perry
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
  • Witmer, Ann-Perry
  • Haran, Kiruba
Committee Member(s)
  • Dominguez-Garcia, Alejandro
  • Dong, Roy
  • Bhatt, Rakesh
  • Kaufman, Brett
Department of Study
Electrical & Computer Eng
Discipline
Electrical & Computer Engr
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
contextual engineering, rural electrification, off-grid solar systems,
Abstract
Renewable energy systems show great promise in addressing issues of electricity access in non-electrified regions of the world. However, their long-term success and sustainability are by no means guaranteed. The socio-political context of communities has a great bearing on the willingness to adopt or accept technological solutions, arguably more than the technical merits of the technology itself. Designing energy systems in such contexts requires a systematic study of non-technical factors and their influence on technical aspects of system design. The central objective of this research investigation is to understand how rural energy systems should be conceptualized, designed, and planned so that they best address the needs of the communities for which they are designed. A contextually appropriate design framework is conceptualized that combines technical and nontechnical disciplines in a mixed methods approach for the design of rural remote energy infrastructure. The proposed framework will draw upon elements from ethnography, sociology, engineering analysis, and decision making for contextually-appropriate decision making. Descriptive strategies for contextual analysis through self-reflection, observation, and interviews throughout the project development process are provided. The framework is applied in a pilot project involving the design of renewable energy systems in the Navajo Nation, and the lessons learned provide the basis to fine tune the conceptualized framework. The framework finds that programmatic aspects of technological deployment – including notions of productive use, focus on institutional continuity, support networks, and trust building – are key to deploying enduring energy systems. Equity explorations of energy equity also provide insights that illustrate how positionality, role, mandates, and perceptions affect the achievement of energy equity objectives. The finalized conceptual framework is expected to be a systematic and descriptive process which incorporates societal contexts into mathematical design formulations and decision making. It should guide design practitioners in approaching the design of rural remote energy infrastructure so that it aligns most closely to both the technical site conditions as well as the human capabilities, constraints, and expectations of the communities for which they are being built.
Graduation Semester
2024-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124376
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2024 Abhiroop Chattopadhyay

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