Rural electrification implementation strategies through microgrid approach in South African context

Rural electrification requires high initial capital investments per capita due to its low energy demand and population density. These factors result in a higher cost of electricity than that for urban consumers. Although the solution to the majority of rural electrification financial challenges are with government policymakers, it is equally important for rural electrification project implementers to understand the technical challenges and identify any cost reduction potential. This paper proposes and compares a diverse set of standalone electrification strategies for a variety of consumer load types in the Sdakeni rural area in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The aim of this research is to compare the electrification strategies based on: cost, efficiency, performance, equipment utilization factor, excess electricity produced etc. Based on the findings from the comparison, the paper will provide insight into suitability of such strategies and act as a guideline for balancing cost optimization process and design robustness of such systems. It will also provide recommendations on future research along this line which would include aspects that could not be covered in this work.     

Otherwise a mere clod: California rural electrification

Rural electrification reached a highly developed stage in California by the mid-1920s. Farmers tried hydroelectric power, early power companies saw and exploited rural profit potentials, and farming interests assisted in developing the rural market. Elsewhere in the nation, electricity remained an urban phenomenon well into the 1940s. An explanation is given of how and why California accomplished significant rural electrification prior to the rest of the United States. Various reasons considered for this phenomenon include: the location of waterpower sites in relation to population centers, shortages and conservation of other energy resources, technical choices in electric power transmission, economic incentives and load building choices made by power companies, and both private and public support of rural electrification. It is noted that actual rural uses of electricity were also varied, with irrigation and reclamation providing the heaviest electric loads     

Rural electrification in India and feasibility of Photovoltaic Solar Home Systems

Rural electrification is an integral component of poverty alleviation and rural growth of a nation. In India, electricity has not played effective role in the socio-economic growth of village. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is increasing with 8% where as contribution of agriculture sector is 1.9%. Government of India has ambitious target of providing electricity to all villages by 2008 and all rural households by 2012. Steps are already initiated with Rural Electric Corporation, Rural Electricity Supply Technology mission, State Electricity Boards, Reforms in Power sector. An attempt has been made in this paper to assess the features of rural electrification in India and the feasibility of Photovoltaic Solar Home Systems (PV SHS).     

Economic analysis of PV/diesel hybrid power systems in different climatic zones of South Africa

Recently hybrid power systems (HPSs) consisting of integrated operation of two or more different types of energy sources and storage devices are being deployed for rural electrification or electrification of remote areas in many countries across the world. This is seen as a cost effective solution in contrast to extending the utility grid in remote areas. The types of upcoming renewable and low-carbon generation technologies are being preferred for such systems depending on their availability and economic viability in these countries. Moreover, HPSs are also being preferred in order to improve the overall energy efficiency of the system and to get a judicious generation mix which would minimise the operating cost of the system. Rural communities in South Africa endure poor access to electricity mostly due to the lack of grid connected power lines. It is therefore the ideal place to conduct a study on the economic feasibility of introducing HPSs for typical residential loads for the rural community in South Africa. This paper reports on the investigating economic feasibility of a PV/diesel HPS in various climatic zones within South Africa.     

Modelling and management of smart microgrid for rural electrification in sub-saharan Africa: The case of Nigeria

Access to electricity is still a challenge in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. In Nigeria, over 70% of the rural dwellers do not have access to electricity. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential of a smart microgrid for off-grid rural electrification in Nigeria. A combination of design thinking and model-based design methodology is employed to select a suitable microgrid configuration and to develop a smart microgrid model. A system consisting of a solar photovoltaic array, battery energy storage and a diesel generator is selected, and the model is developed in Simulink. Demand data from 10 rural communities in Nigeria are used to validate the performance of the model and the potential for demand management is considered. The use of energy efficient light bulbs is found to reduce the peak electricity demand of the case study communities by 42 to 76%. Combining the proposed system with the use of LED bulbs makes the system to have 56 to 81% less net present cost than a system with a diesel generator alone and incandescent light bulbs. The proposed smart microgrid is found to be more suitable for off-grid rural electrification in Nigeria than diesel generators which are currently used for off-grid electrification in Nigeria.     

Rethinking Bonneville

The restructuring of the Bonneville Power Administration is past due. Its mandate of rural electrification has been long accomplished, and at this point the only result from the current setup is to continue providing taxpayer-subsidized low rates to a segment of the Northwest population that is neither poor nor rural.     

Rural electrification in Nicaragua

The paper discusses the rural electrification (RE) project of the Cua-Bocay municipality, situated in Nicaragua's northern province of Jinotega. The electrification program has been led by a nongovernmental organization (NGO) called the Cua-Bocay Project. In general, NGOs have the potential to work as facilitators of the rural electrification infrastructure and to affect the normal set of rural electrification costs and benefits by emphasizing local training and participation. The paper considers the project history, changing goals, infrastructure and programs, project benefits and training emphasis     

农村电工现状调查及解决对策探讨

农村电网容量逐步扩大,农村电工作为电力行业的一个特殊群体,是电力企业与广大农村用户的桥梁和纽带,也是农村电气化事业的生力军。通过对农村电工现状的调查分析,得到现阶段农村电工存在的问题,并提出相应的解决对策。     

The role of international institutions in fostering sub-Saharan Africa’s electrification

International institutions, such as multilateral development banks and national development agencies, are crucial in funding the provision of electricity services in sub-Saharan Africa. This article discusses the role of these institutions in bringing electricity to the region. The article shows that the scale and focus of global initiatives is wide and eclectic, and coordination between large and smaller funders remains critical. It highlights how over the past decade, 92 percent of international financial support to SSA’s electrification came from World Bank Group (WBG), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU). The EU’s actions in the field appear to be particularly fragmented. The WBG, the AfDB and the US have streamlined their actions largely by focusing resources on a few initiatives. The article concludes with recommendations to help get more large-scale projects funded, and increase technical assistance and capacity building. Better coordination and information-sharing mechanisms to track the rapidly-changing landscape will be critical to achieve the energy access goals in sub-Saharan Africa.     

Information Technology Access: Cybercafe Diffusion in Sub-Saharan Africa

Information and communications technology (ICT) use and access in Sub-Saharan Africa continue to increase significantly and ICT has proven to be the major catalyst for users to access and share information and knowledge resources globally. However, most users' personal access to ICTs, such as the Internet from home or workplace, is hugely constrained due to lack of adequate infrastructure and affordability. The Internet has become an important medium for social, political, educational, and economic activities as well as extending knowledge resources and repositories, and enhancing access to information and knowledge sharing in and from Sub-Saharan Africa.     

农村电气化建设及农村用电发展趋势分析

介绍了国外农村电气化发展情况,总结了我国农村电气化的发展历程,结合我国社会主义新农村电气化建设目标,分析了我国农村用电的发展趋势和特点,提出了加快新农村电气化建设的有关建议。     

面向碳中和的中国电能替代发展路径规划方法探讨

“碳达峰”和“碳中和”是党中央、国务院统筹国际国内两个大局做出的重大战略决策。电能替代作为能源清洁化利用的主要形式,是实现我国碳中和目标的核心路径之一。文章回顾了国内外电能替代发展历程,总结中国推进电能替代工作面临的挑战。针对目前电能替代路径规划存在的理论和分析工具缺乏问题,提出了宏微观耦合的电能替代综合评估模型框架:一是构建典型行业数据库,为各行业电能替代分析提供基础;二是宏观上将共享社会经济路径(shared socioeconomic pathways,SSPs)情景参数中国化,作为社会经济发展情景输出;三是将技术参数中国化,实现微观参数校准;四是耦合宏微观市场,建立动态反馈、双轮驱动机制。该研究有助于完善电能替代领域理论体系,为稳妥有序实施电能替代提供科学方法论支撑。     

面向碳中和的中国电能替代发展路径规划方法探讨

“碳达峰”和“碳中和”是党中央、国务院统筹国际国内两个大局做出的重大战略决策。电能替代作为能源清洁化利用的主要形式,是实现我国碳中和目标的核心路径之一。文章回顾了国内外电能替代发展历程,总结中国推进电能替代工作面临的挑战。针对目前电能替代路径规划存在的理论和分析工具缺乏问题,提出了宏微观耦合的电能替代综合评估模型框架:一是构建典型行业数据库,为各行业电能替代分析提供基础;二是宏观上将共享社会经济路径(shared socioeconomic pathways,SSPs)情景参数中国化,作为社会经济发展情景输出;三是将技术参数中国化,实现微观参数校准;四是耦合宏微观市场,建立动态反馈、双轮驱动机制。该研究有助于完善电能替代领域理论体系,为稳妥有序实施电能替代提供科学方法论支撑。     

Rural electrification and expansion planning of off-grid microgrids

This paper presents the past and current practices for rural electrification and the current trend in using off-grid microgrids to provide energy to the customers with no access to the central electricity network. The challenges correspond to the capacity expansion of off-grid microgrids including the financial and business models for establishing these technologies, the economic and reliability considerations, the environmental issues, the expansion and feasibility studies, and the uncertainties in the operation horizon were presented.     

中国农村能源发展关键问题

近年来,中国农村能源供应保障能力不断增强,能源结构调整成效明显,但是也存在一些问题：农村废弃物能源化利用率低制约了资源综合利用和环境保护,农村能源消费层次低和电气化水平不高制约了城乡快速融合发展和农村地区能源消费升级,农村能源社会化服务体系建设滞后制约了农村能源有效供给和高效服务的社会公平。针对中国农村能源发展面临的问题和挑战,聚焦农村生活用能,梳理分析了中国农村能源发展基本情况。针对中国国情的特殊性和不同区域具体特点,通过对农村废弃物能源化利用、农村能源电气化应用、农村能源服务体系建设等关键问题研究,提出了促进中国农村能源科学发展的措施建议。     

农村电网技术的发展现状及趋势

本文就农电系统的技术现状与发展趋势进行了分析,结合国家电网公司对于农电发展的宏观思路和要求,论述了农电系统应着力解决的主要技术问题及其思路。     

Multi-actor perspective,socio-technical barriers,and microgrid development in China

The microgrid is a new concept in China and may potentially play an important role in enhancing the resilience and sustainability of electricity generation and distribution. However, the development of microgrids faces many challenges. This study examines the barriers to microgrid development using a case study of a pilot zone in Qingdao. Drawing on the theories of multi-level perspective and multi-actor perspective, we presented new empirical evidence on how the pilot microgrid projects were rendered difficult by the resistance from the existing industrial regime and the challenging economic and socio-political environments. The monopoly of state-owned grid operators in electricity transmission and distribution is difficult to break at a local level. The findings deepen our understanding of the challenges encountered by innovators in China’s microgrid development and hold implications for policymakers in making more targeted policy mixes to support energy transition activities.     

新农村电气化村典型供电模式

为推进新农村电气化建设,提高农村配电网建设水平,以《新农村电气化建设实施纲要》和《新农村电气化标准体系》为依据,在充分调研、多方征求意见的基础上,研制、编写了新农村电气化村典型供电模式。根据经济水平将新农村电气化村划分为A,B,C等3类,电气化村的典型供电模式相应分为A,B,C等3类。另外,根据村的建筑布局,将村分为多层、联排和分散居住3类。在此基础上,有针对性地提出了10种电气化村典型供电模式,其中:A类3种,B类3种,C类4种。研究成果已在新农村电气化村建设中广泛应用,效果明显。     

基于电力大数据的宁夏乡村振兴研究

为充分发挥电力数据在乡村振兴战略实施中的价值,利用大数据挖掘技术将电力大数据与乡村振兴战略相结合,围绕乡村居民生活水平、乡村经济发展、乡村产业发展等方面,分析电力数据与农村经济发展之间的关联性,掌握乡村产业发展态势,分析闽宁镇特色乡村振兴做法,从数据显现上为其他贫困地区提供明确的、具有典范意义的乡村振兴实施意见.构建乡...     

Decarbonization of electricity requires market-based demand flexibility

To effectively decarbonize the electric sector, utilities will need to address the growing load shape challenges driven by the variability of many renewable resources. Behind-the-meter solutions, such as energy efficiency, demand response, electrification and storage, will play an important role in grid stability, but only if they can deliver changes in demand that meet the time and locational needs of the grid. This article will discuss how smart meter interval data, combined with open source methods and software, provide transparent measurement of savings load shapes (resource curves) that enable the integration of demand flexibility into energy, capacity and carbon markets, and as a transmission and distribution resource. This allows utilities to procure demand flexibility in the same way they procure other resources by leveraging a price signal and pay-for-performance to drive innovation and attract private investment.