Minigrids in Africa: Design and Deployment of Minigrids in Africa
This course presents the basic techno-economic design steps for minigrids from demand assessment, generation resource assessment, and energy storage technologies, as well as local reticulation and the role of smart grids technologies. Particular attention is paid to how these smart grid technologies can be applied in remote communities in Africa. Different types of minigrids are presented including hybrid systems. Various tools used in the design of minigrids are presented, including security and reliability assessment in the context of the Multi-Tier Framework (MTF) for assessing energy access. The course also presents the main issues that must be considered to ensure sustainable deployment of minigrids highlighting the role of local stakeholder community. Pitfalls to avoid in deployment of minigrids are presented including the role and enforcement of standards and performance guarantees. The role of regulation is also reviewed.
What you will learn:
- Review an introduction to basic operating principles
- Examine predesign considerations
- Discuss generation sources for African minigrids
- Consider storage technologies
- Review distribution systems
- Discuss technologies for monitoring and control
- Consider design for maintainability and sustainability
This course is part of the following course program:
Minigrids in Africa
Courses included in this program:
Who should attend: National grid engineers and managers, minigrid engineers, minigrid project managers, minigrid developers and entrepreneurs, policy and regulatory authorities
Instructor
Dr. Henry Louie
Dr. Henry Louie is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seattle University. He is the author of the book “Off-Grid Electrical Systems in Developing Countries,” which has been used by universities across the world to teach the fundamentals of minigrid design. He is recognized as a Distinguished Lecturer by the IEEE Power & Energy Society on the topic of energy access. Dr. Louie was a Fulbright Scholar at Copperbelt University in Zambia, and is President and Co-Founder of KiloWatts for Humanity, a non-governmental organization that provides off-grid electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Publication Year: 2023
ISBN: 978-1-7281-7846-2