Accelerating Mini-grid Feasibility Assessments with Rapid Engineering and Business Model Evaluation

Tam Kemabonta; Elena Van Hove; Nathan G. Johnson; Abdulrahman Alsanad

doi:10.1109/GHTC55712.2022.9910609

Accelerating Mini-grid Feasibility Assessments with Rapid Engineering and Business Model Evaluation

Tam Kemabonta, Elena Van Hove, Nathan G. Johnson, Abdulrahman Alsanad

Engineering, Ira A. Fulton Schools of (IAFSE)

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Abstract

There are over 700 million people without access to electricity in the world today, most of which live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to the high cost of grid extension, off-grid mini-grids with renewable energy technologies have been considered to be a least cost option for providing electricity access for communities, with solar home systems common for isolated households. However, mini-grid feasibility assessments can be expensive, time consuming, and achieve limited accuracy with current planning tools and constraints. In this paper we develop new planning processes for off-grid mini-grid systems and demonstrate this approach for a mini-grid project for an off-grid community in Sierra Leone, with comparisons made to conventional planning steps. Results show a decrease in assessment time per site of over 75-80% when compared to conventional practices, and provide additional benefits including power engineering, costing of the distribution network, and more detailed cashflow and business model analysis.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages	196-203
Number of pages	8
ISBN (Electronic)	9781665450973
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC55712.2022.9910609
State	Published - 2022
Event	12th Annual IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022 - Duration: Jan 1 2022 → …

Publication series

Name	2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022

Conference

Conference	12th Annual IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022
Period	1/1/22 → …

Keywords

Business model
Energy access
Mini-grids
Power Engineering

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Health Informatics
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
Agronomy and Crop Science
Computer Science Applications
Energy Engineering and Power Technology
Development
Health(social science)

Access to Document

10.1109/GHTC55712.2022.9910609

Cite this

Kemabonta, T., Van Hove, E., Johnson, N. G., & Alsanad, A. (2022). Accelerating Mini-grid Feasibility Assessments with Rapid Engineering and Business Model Evaluation. In 2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022 (pp. 196-203). (2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022). Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC55712.2022.9910609

Accelerating Mini-grid Feasibility Assessments with Rapid Engineering and Business Model Evaluation. / Kemabonta, Tam; Van Hove, Elena; Johnson, Nathan G. et al.
2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2022. p. 196-203 (2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

Kemabonta, T, Van Hove, E, Johnson, NG & Alsanad, A 2022, Accelerating Mini-grid Feasibility Assessments with Rapid Engineering and Business Model Evaluation. in 2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022. 2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., pp. 196-203, 12th Annual IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022, 1/1/22. https://doi.org/10.1109/GHTC55712.2022.9910609

Kemabonta T, Van Hove E, Johnson NG, Alsanad A. Accelerating Mini-grid Feasibility Assessments with Rapid Engineering and Business Model Evaluation. In 2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc. 2022. p. 196-203. (2022 IEEE Global Humanitarian Technology Conference, GHTC 2022). doi: 10.1109/GHTC55712.2022.9910609

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abstract = "There are over 700 million people without access to electricity in the world today, most of which live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to the high cost of grid extension, off-grid mini-grids with renewable energy technologies have been considered to be a least cost option for providing electricity access for communities, with solar home systems common for isolated households. However, mini-grid feasibility assessments can be expensive, time consuming, and achieve limited accuracy with current planning tools and constraints. In this paper we develop new planning processes for off-grid mini-grid systems and demonstrate this approach for a mini-grid project for an off-grid community in Sierra Leone, with comparisons made to conventional planning steps. Results show a decrease in assessment time per site of over 75-80% when compared to conventional practices, and provide additional benefits including power engineering, costing of the distribution network, and more detailed cashflow and business model analysis.",

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AB - There are over 700 million people without access to electricity in the world today, most of which live in Sub-Saharan Africa. Due to the high cost of grid extension, off-grid mini-grids with renewable energy technologies have been considered to be a least cost option for providing electricity access for communities, with solar home systems common for isolated households. However, mini-grid feasibility assessments can be expensive, time consuming, and achieve limited accuracy with current planning tools and constraints. In this paper we develop new planning processes for off-grid mini-grid systems and demonstrate this approach for a mini-grid project for an off-grid community in Sierra Leone, with comparisons made to conventional planning steps. Results show a decrease in assessment time per site of over 75-80% when compared to conventional practices, and provide additional benefits including power engineering, costing of the distribution network, and more detailed cashflow and business model analysis.

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Accelerating Mini-grid Feasibility Assessments with Rapid Engineering and Business Model Evaluation

Abstract

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Conference

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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