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DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
ELECTRIFYING THE RURAL WORLD...
R esidents of the Annobon
Province, an island off Equatorial
Guinea in Central Africa, have
only 5 hours of electricity access per day
and spend almost 15-20% of their salary
on additional energy resources such as
kerosene. This is all about to change
– with the installation of a 5MW solar
microgrid to provide a reliable source of
power, 24 hours a day.
The government of Equatorial Guinea
has selected MAECI Solar, together
with GE Power and Water systems and
Princeton Power Systems, to design
Africa’s largest self-sufficient solar
microgrid, handling 100% of the island’s
energy demand.
The need for clean and sustainable
power has never been more apparent
than it is now, with over 1.3 billion
people globally living without access
to electricity. Decentralised, modular
energy systems, or microgrids as they
are commonly known, continue to play a
vital part in many electrification schemes
in the developing world. The International
Energy Agency (IEA) presented a
scenario (Energy for All) for universal
modern energy access by 2030. In this,
70% of rural areas are either connected
with mini-grids or small-scale stand-alone
off-grid solutions [World Energy Outlook
2011]. These small-scale energy systems
make it possible for remote communities
to put an end to their dependence on
fossil fuels. The declining cost of solar
photovoltaic (PV) technologies and
growth in the energy storage market are
seeing the proliferation of solar microgrid
deployments, especially in India and
Africa, where sunshine is plentiful. This
abundant renewable source makes
grid parity between renewables and
traditional generation a possibility; and
creates a viable alternative to extending
the grid in isolated areas where the
cost of extending transmission lines is
prohibitive. Difficult terrain and logistical
challenges make expanding the central
grid unfeasible.
Senior analyst for Navigant Research
Peter Asmus puts it this way: “Remote
microgrids can serve as the anchors of
62 new, appropriate scale infrastructure,
a shift to smarter ways to deliver
humanitarian services to the poor.” 1
According to the IEA, 84% of the
globe’s rural un-electrified communities
can be found in sub-Saharan Africa
and developing Asia. As it stands, two
thirds of the population lacks access to
electricity in sub-Saharan Africa.
Columbia University’s Earth Institute,
through the Millennium Villages initiative,
took on the challenge of devising ways
to increase electricity access in rural
Mali. It developed the SharedSolar pay-
as-you-go electricity model rather than
installing unaffordable individual solar
home systems. A scalable microgrid was
created that includes solar PV, batteries
and smart meters. (see Figure 1.)
The pilot for SharedSolar technology
was first tested in Pelangala, Mali, and
provides 172 households with electricity.
New programmes are being developed in
Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Haiti.
Further west in Sine Mousaa Abdou,
Senegal, German based company,
Inensus has joined forces with Matforce,
a Senegalese company, to create a joint
venture – Inensus West Africa S.A.R.L
– aiming to electrify the households
of 70 families dependent on kerosene
lamps and candles. After the installation
of a hybrid microgrid, using wind, solar
and diesel at peak times, residents of
the village now pay $1.40 per kWh for
electricity. Access to electricity has meant
that the local school is able to purchase
a computer for its students; and the local
tailor, who once operated his sewing
machine with a treadle, can now earn
six times as much operating an electric
sewing machine.
The micro-energy provider uses
smart meters to track consumers’
electricity consumption. Users are asked
to purchase a week’s worth of power in
advance. A discounted rate is afforded to
customers who can predict and commit
to electricity usage six months ahead.
This data assists in keeping costs and
emissions down by ensuring that the
wind and solar systems can meet the
demand and that the diesel generators
1. Remote Microgrids, Pike Research (June 2012)
How the SharedSolar system works:
Here’s how the system works: a
central, small-scale (1.4 kW generating
capacity with 16.8 kWh battery
storage) solar system connecting
to up to 20 customers (homes,
businesses, or small institutions such
as schools) within a 100 meter radius
via underground cables. End users
buy prepaid scratch cards from local
vendors according to their needs and
budget. Each card contains a code
which, when sent by text message to a
payment server, credits a smart power
meter located inside the premises.
Electrical current is now available.
The meter monitors usage until the
customer’s credit is exhausted, at
which point the circuit is switched off
until more funds are added.
Excerpt from an article by Jeremy Hinsdale,
Millennium Villages (April 2012)
Figure 1: SharedSolar: “Pay-As-You-Go
Electricity via mobile Telephony”
are sparingly used to cater for any
excess demand.
The model upon which the microgrid
operates has been labelled the
MicroPowerEconomy model.
“We developed this model and
hope to see it become one of our
main business segments,” says Nico
Peterschmidt, founder of Inensus
GmbH. “Our objective is to earn money
in Senegal as an energy provider. The
return on investment for our backers is
between 10 and 15%. What makes this
possible is the economic development
at village level that results from
electrification.” On the operational success of
the MicroPowerEconomy model,
Peterschmidt continued: “We break down
the energy business to village level.
ESI AFRICA ISSUE 3 2014