Energy Production Analysis and Optimization of Mini-Grid in Remote Areas: The Case Study of Habaswein, Kenya

Micangeli, Andrea; Citto, Riccardo Del; Kiva, Isaac Nzue; Santori, Simone Giovanni; Gambino, Valeria; Kiplagat, J.K.; Viganò, Daniele; Fioriti, Davide; Poli, Davide

doi:10.3390/en10122041

Cited by 54 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In this way, we can find the optimal configuration which satisfies the constraints imposed in the model. The description of economic output is set out in the following section [14].…”

Section: Sizing Of Mini-grid Based On Assessment Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among the commercial software available for this purpose, the most known and utilized is HOMER [12], which can optimally size a mini-grid, simulate its operation, and perform sensitivity analyses, considering technical, economic and environmental aspects [13]. HOMER can also be used to evaluate poor design choices and operational issues in existing mini-grids [14]. Whereas HOMER considers a single deterministic scenario of load and renewable energy generation, stochastic methods to cope with load and generation uncertainties have been proposed by other applied studies [11,15,16].…”

Section: Load Profile As Input For Sizing and Optimization Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Methodology for the Energy Need Assessment to Effectively Design and Deploy Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification

et al. 2019

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In order to successfully deploy a large number of decentralized energy systems in developing countries, it is necessary to standardize effective methodologies and procedures to develop off-grid/mini-grid systems. Considering that the energy need assessment provides inputs and assumptions used in business modelling and mini-grid design, the accuracy of its results directly affects the technical and financial feasibility studies. Thus, the approach for applying a proven methodology for the energy need assessment of rural communities is aimed at obtaining reliable input data for the mini-grid development. This helps in reducing both the financial challenges by mitigating the uncertainties in electricity demand and the technical challenges by contributing to adequately size off-grid power generation systems, with a view to boost toward a common overall objective of mini-grid’s optimization methods and tools. Hence, taking into consideration that target communities differ in terms of needs and context conditions, the proposed paper describes an inclusive methodology that can be adapted case-by-case. It provides an effective applied solution the lack of proven guidelines from project developers or literature, giving priority to data collection methods able to achieve a large sample representative of the market, with high accuracy in estimating the energy consumptions from electricity substitutes.

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“…In this way, we can find the optimal configuration which satisfies the constraints imposed in the model. The description of economic output is set out in the following section [14].…”

Section: Sizing Of Mini-grid Based On Assessment Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Load Profile As Input For Sizing and Optimization Modelsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Methodology for the Energy Need Assessment to Effectively Design and Deploy Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification

et al. 2019

Self Cite

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“…Several software tools optimize the generation design of a single off-grid system [21], with the Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Electric Renewables (HOMER) being the most widely used. HOMER has been thoroughly applied both in developed [22] and developing countries [23][24][25][26]. Other relevant tools are the Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) [27] and the improved Hybrid Optimization by Genetic Algorithms (iHOGA) [28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing Off-Grid Generation in Large-Scale Electrification-Planning Problems: A Direct-Search Approach

2019

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Off-grid systems play a prominent role in rural electrification planning. The problem of optimizing the generation design of a single off-grid system has received a significant amount of attention in the literature, and several software tools and algorithms have addressed it. However, methods and tools designed for individual mini-grids are not directly applicable to regional planning, where it is necessary to estimate the generation cost of potentially thousands of mini-grids. Conversely, most regional planning tools estimate the generation cost of mini-grids with rules of thumb or analytical expressions. These estimations are useful, but they lack the accuracy necessary to develop a rural electrification plan. This paper presents a method to estimate the generation cost of any potential off-grid system in a large-scale rural electrification planning problem, which is currently implemented in the Reference Electrification Model (REM). The method uses a master-slave decomposition that exploits the structure of the problem and combines continuous and discrete variables. The algorithm is illustrated with a case study that shows that a direct application of a discrete model may lead to suboptimal results in large-scale planning.

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“…Both the scientific community and industry are proposing and adopting different actuations to transform traditional distribution grids into active, Smart Grid ones [3,7,9,10,[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. In this sense, actuations mainly tackle the exploitation of new communication capabilities and distributed energy resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Smart Grid Architecture for Rural Distribution Networks: Application to a Spanish Pilot Network

et al. 2018

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This paper presents a novel architecture for rural distribution grids. This architecture is designed to modernize traditional rural networks into new Smart Grid ones. The architecture tackles innovation actions on both the power plane and the management plane of the system. In the power plane, the architecture focuses on exploiting the synergies between telecommunications and innovative technologies based on power electronics managing low scale electrical storage. In the management plane, a decentralized management system is proposed based on the addition of two new agents assisting the typical Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of distribution system operators. Altogether, the proposed architecture enables operators to use more effectively-in an automated and decentralized way-weak rural distribution systems, increasing the capability to integrate new distributed energy resources. This architecture is being implemented in a real Pilot Network located in Spain, in the frame of the European Smart Rural Grid project. The paper also includes a study case showing one of the potentialities of one of the principal technologies developed in the project and underpinning the realization of the new architecture: the so-called Intelligent Distribution Power Router.

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Energy Production Analysis and Optimization of Mini-Grid in Remote Areas: The Case Study of Habaswein, Kenya

Cited by 54 publications

References 28 publications

Methodology for the Energy Need Assessment to Effectively Design and Deploy Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification

Methodology for the Energy Need Assessment to Effectively Design and Deploy Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification

Optimizing Off-Grid Generation in Large-Scale Electrification-Planning Problems: A Direct-Search Approach

Smart Grid Architecture for Rural Distribution Networks: Application to a Spanish Pilot Network

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