The following section introduces the most common technologies for biomass, diesel, hydropower, photovoltaic (PV), wind and hybrid energy generation, including where each technology works best.
Developers can choose from among different technologies for each energy resource.
The women and men who use local natural resources can provide valuable information about availability and potential conflicting uses.Īfter identifying the most promising resources, developers select the energy generation technology (or technologies). Similarly, in drought-prone areas, hydropower may not be a reliable year-round resource.ĭuring the assessment process, developers need to work closely with local communities. For example, a mini-grid in an area with seasonally available biomass resources could provide on-demand power for an anchor commercial customer such as a mill, but not year-round electricity for a community. Mini-grids require reliable, affordable supplies of energy resources that can meet local power needs-and different resources have distinct benefits and drawbacks. Assess Available Energy ResourcesĪfter defining the geographic scope of the project, developers need to assess local energy resources, including quantity, availability, cost, sustainability and potential conflicting uses. Rural electrification plans and other potential grid expansion or power projects impact the viability of a mini-grid in a particular area. Geographic features such as terrain, and ease of accessing resources, will also influence system design.įinally, developers need to consider policies and grid extension plans that may affect the mini-grid in the future. commercial/industrial) are key factors in selecting the resource and power generation technology. The number and type of customers (i.e., residential vs. A mini-grid may supply power to multiple communities, a single village or a cluster of buildings. The first step in mini-grid design is to define the project’s geographic area, including the total number of customers to be served. Define the Geographic Scope of the Project In particular, project developers will need to revisit availability and cost of energy resources after sizing the system. Decisions in later steps influence choices made in earlier steps. In each technical design step, project developers must consider tradeoffs in cost, operations and maintenance (O&M) requirements, ability to provide power on demand, grid connection potential, load efficiency and load flexibility. Successful design is an iterative process, not a linear one. Define the geographic scope of the project.There are five key steps in the mini-grid technical design process: Key steps include defining geographic scope, assessing available resources, sizing the system, selecting the configuration and designing the distribution system.
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