Design of maintenance structures for rural electrification with solar home systems. The case of the Moroccan program

Abstract

In decentralised rural electrification through solar home systems, private companies and promoting institutions are faced with the problem of deploying maintenance structures to operate and guarantee the service of the solar systems for long periods (ten years or more). The problems linked to decentralisation, such as the dispersion of dwellings, difficult access and maintenance needs, makes it an arduous task. This paper proposes an innovative design tool created ad hoc for photovoltaic rural electrification based on a real photovoltaic rural electrification program in Morocco as a special case study. The tool is developed from a mathematical model comprising a set of decision variables (location, transport, etc.) that must meet certain constraints and whose optimisation criterion is the minimum cost of the operation and maintenance activity assuming an established quality of service. The main output of the model is the overall cost of the maintenance structure. The best location for the local maintenance headquarters and warehouses in a given region is established, as are the number of maintenance technicians and vehicles required.

Lessons Learned from Rural Electrification Experiences with Third Generation Solar Home Systems in Latin America: Case Studies in Peru, Mexico, and Bolivia

“…Furthermore, in previous experiences, the ESCO has designed O&M costs based on information provided by manufactures or a percentage of initial investment of equipment (between 1 and 3%), leading to a negative financing balance. This practice, which does not consider real conditions, has made ESCO permanence in rural communities unsustainable [15].…”

A methodology for designing electrification programs for remote areas

“…The models have been developed in general terms in order to be easily adapted to other programs, but the authors are aware that some differences can arise in other countries. The basic assumptions are as follows (a more exhaustive discussion can be found in Carrasco et al 2016).…”

“…Although there are many studies on the cost estimation for the reliability of system parts, operational costs are not frequently studied in the literature. Carrasco et al (2016), which serves as a starting point for this paper develops a mathematical programming model to obtain the key decisions that would lead to the minimum overall cost of the maintenance structure. An important drawback of that model is that it needs very precise data of the installed systems which are not usually available before operating and that it requires long runtimes as well.…”

“…An important drawback of that model is that it needs very precise data of the installed systems which are not usually available before operating and that it requires long runtimes as well. The review Hernández-Callejo et al (2019) highlights Carrasco et al (2016) as one of the few studying the design of a photovoltaic system.…”

Sustainability and design assessment of rural hybrid microgrids in Venezuela

“…In Latin America, 22 million people do not have electricity [1]. In these regions, given the dispersion of houses and the long distances to urban centres, the national electricity grid extension or the fuel supply for diesel gensets are not economically profitable [2]. Consequently, off-grid systems based on renewable energy technologies (RET) become an effective strategy for electricity access and poverty reduction, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions [3].…”