Minigrids in Africa: Operation of Minigrids in Africa
This course presents the main issues that must addressed in order to ensure successful operation of minigrids in Africa. The course aims to ensure system operators understand the main challenges of operating minigrids in Africa, which, if left unattended, can lead to premature failure of the minigrids. The skills needed to ensure smooth operation of minigrids are presented emphasizing the need for continuing skills and capacity development. The technological solutions that can be used to protect the system from misuse/abuse are presented and discussed. The various options and tools available to optimize operation of minigrids are also provided, including systems for data collection and analysis and incorporating technologies to enable demand side participation in system operation. Issues of pricing and payment systems are presented including creation of a fund to cover replacing components at the end of their life. Case studies are presented illustrating both good and poor practice.
What you will learn:
- Review real-time data acquisition and monitoring
- Perform data analysis and optimization
- Examine demand-side management
- Consider economic factors
- Discuss environmental factors
- Review maintenance 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: 978-1-7281-7847-9