Sustainable development using renewable energy to boost aquaponics food production in needy communities

It is a well-known fact that stand alone photovoltaic systems operate inefficiently due to overheating or once the batteries reach their charged capacity excess energy is dumped. More efficient use of such systems is required to make this technology more affordable which led to the development of the Modular Solar Powered Aquaponics System (MSPAS). MSPAS makes use of solar energy such as photovoltaics to generate electricity and solar thermal energy to heat the environment of an aquaculture unit (for the breeding of aquatic organisms such as fish). The effluent from this unit is directed to a hydroponics unit (for the growth of vegetables). The prototype has already yielded good crop growth resulting in 30 % faster growth rate for some vegetables. A pilot prototype has been rolled out into an impoverished community resulting in trials and tribulations which are yielding good results. This paper seeks to address the possibilities of combining existing technology with new technologies to empower impoverished communities. The research done so far has led to the filing of SA patent (PA161202P, date filed 17 August 2015).