Mini grid
- 1. DESIGN, APPLICATION, TECHNIQUES AND ECONOMICS MINI GRID TECHNOLOGY Bishal Rimal MSREE-075-004 IOE, Pulchowk Campus Laltipur, Nepal
- 2. INTRODUCTION • Mini-grid is an off-grid electricity distribution network involving small-scale electricity generation. mini-grids involves small-scale electricity generation (from 10kW to 10MW), and the distribution of electricity to a limited number of customers via a distribution grid that can operate in isolation from national electricity transmission networks and supply relatively concentrated settlements with electricity at grid quality level. (Cooperation, 2014).
- 3. INTRODUCTION
- 4. COMMON SOURCES OF MINI-GRID TECHNOLOGY (USAID) • Solar Photovoltaic • Wind Power • Hydropower • Biomass • Traditional Fuel Generators • Hybrid Systems
- 5. BENEFITS OF MINI-GRID TECHNOLOGY • Technical Benefit (Hazelton, Bruce, & MacGill, July 2014) • Quick and Easy installment • Can use to improve existing unreliable network • Equipment lasts longer • Very low chance of blackouts • Financial Benefit • Use multiple energy sources there by reducing LCOE • Less malfunction and satisfied customers thus high willing ness to pay
- 6. BENEFITS OF MINI-GRID TECHNOLOGY • Environmental Benefit • More environment friendly if renewable sources can be incorporated • Reduction on air and noise pollution • Social Benefit • Establishment of business and organization • Creation of job and income generating activities • Benefit to health care technology • Strengthen community
- 7. TYPES OF MINI GRID TECHNOLOGY • Diesel • Hydro • Biomass • Wind/Solar PV/ Hybrid
- 8. DIESEL MINI-GRID • Relatively low capital investment • Well-understood technology with widespread technical operating and maintenance capacity • Easily ‘hybridised’ with solar PV and/or wind, which can be added to lower fuel costs • Potential for bio-diesel fuels BENIFITS CHALLANGES • Escalating costs for fuel and maintenance • Carbon emissions • Diversion/theft of fuel reduces efficiency and greatly increases costs in some business models. • Intermittent use times, through regular scheduled or random blackouts.
- 9. BIO MASS MINI-GRID • Relatively low cost power fuel for combustion based systems • For agro-processing companies, some control over on-site fuel feedstock BENIFITS CHALLANGES • Medium to high cost for gasifier based systems • Limited experience to use this technology for rural electrification • Location-specific
- 10. HYDRO MINI-GRID • Mature technology • Low-cost power • No diesel fuel needs BENIFITS CHALLANGES • Requires constant hydro re-source • Location-specific • Often locations are already close to the main grid • May not be economically viable when community is located far from hydropower source
- 11. WIND/SOLAR PV/HYBRID MINI GRID • Flexible systems - can use various fuel sources • Solar has rapidly falling investment costs per kW • Lower diesel fuel consumption and lower reliance on external fuel needs (energy security) • Ease of operation and maintenance because of solid state technology (solar, inverters) BENIFITS CHALLANGES • Wind/Solar/Diesel hybrids require considerably more expensive investments when battery storage is used • Data needed for reliable assessment of renewable energy potential
- 12. MINI-GRID OPERATING MODE • Isolated mode • Grid connected mode
- 13. DESIGN PROCEDURE Must consider: • Trade-off cost • Ability to develop power on demand • Operation and Maintenance cost • Grid connection potential • Load efficiency and load flexibility After sizing system, revisit availability and cost
- 14. • Define the geographic scope of the project • Include total number of customer • Type of customers • Type of Settlement • Land Terrain and ease of resources availability • Consideration of policies and grid extension plans • Assess the available energy resources • Assess local energy resources, including quantity, availability, cost, sustainability and potential conflicting uses. • Select energy generation technology
- 15. • Size the system: • Should have sufficient installed capacity to meet loads. • Calculate variations in loads in half-hour intervals and estimate future load growth • Consider weather it is likely to connect national grid in near future • Select System Configuration • Determined by Generation technology, size, storage system • Consider tradeoff in cost, maintainance requirement, efficiency, safety and end use versatality • AC/DC/AC-DC
- 16. • Design Distribution System: • Design the system layout and select system attributes • Mini-grid distribution systems are often more complex than those of standard grids. Unlike standard grids, mini-grids may have bidirectional power flows and multiple energy sources. • Model system performance based on the preliminary layout and system attributes • Evaluate different conductor sizes based on the load allocated across the distribution system. • should consider the end-user system, including meters, while designing the distribution system.
- 17. MINI GRID ECONOMICS • Mini-grid operations, like any other business, must be economically attractive. • Risk-equivalent return is needed in order to attract investment • Fixed cost of mini-grids include: • Generation • Distribution hardware • Variable costs includes: • Operations • Maintenance • Management costs.
- 18. COST EFFECTIVENESS Mini-grids are not always the most cost-effective choice for rural electrification
- 19. WILLINGNESS TO PAY • Willingness-to-pay surveys are essential, because the financial feasibility of a mini-grid project depends largely on the ability of users to pay a tariff that generates enough revenue to cover the costs of operations, maintenance and repairs for the mini-grid system. • Two approaches of Survey • maximum amount that a person says he or she is willing to pay for electricity. • the actual amount people already pay for kerosene lamps, candles, flashlight batteries, diesel for a home generator or other substitutes for mini-grid electricity
- 20. LCOE • The LCOE of a mini-grid depends on the following variables: (The economics of Mini Grid, 2018) • Technology used in a mini-grid‟s design • Size of mini-grid (bigger is generally cheaper due to economies of scale) • Cost of capital (high interest rates lead to higher LCOE) • Tenure of the loan (long loans make for lower LCOE) • Cost of labor, backup fuel (diesel) and replacement equipment (batteries) • Risk factors (political, payment and price variability) • Project location
- 21. LCOE
- 22. HOUSEHOLD CONNECTION AND PRODUCTIVE USE • a foundation for sustainable economic development by increasing incomes and improving welfare. • focus on increased mechanization in the agriculture sector • new opportunities for value-added processing, storage and transport. • lighting for education is a productive use • Tools such as saws and drills, sewing machines and larger-scale agricultural processing such as milling and grinding as well as pumping, welding or modest refrigeration.
- 23. MINI GRID IN NEPAL • 6 MHPs total power capacity of 107 kW of Baglung district through 8 km long 11 kV transmission line forming Mini Grid which is now operated and managed by local community named Urja Upatyaka Mini Grid Co- Operative
- 24. MINI GRID IN NEPAL • Nepal’s Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) has helped develop more than 2,000 hydropowered mini-grids, providing 30 MW of electricity to 1.5 million people. • 30-kilowatt capacity solar mini-grid project installed in Miklajung Rural Municipality-1 in Morang district • Ongoing 150kWp Solar Mini-grid system for Thabang Rural Municipality ward No-1&2, Thabang, Rolpa District
- 25. THANK YOU!
- 26. REFERENCES • (2011). Rural Electrification with Renewable Energy – Technologies, quality standards and business. Allience for Rural Electrification. • The economics of Mini Grid. (2018, Feb 13). Retrieved from USAID: https://www.usaid.gov/energy/mini-grids/economics • Bank, T. W. (n.d.). Retrieved 01 11, 2020, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2016/07/07/mini-grids-bringing-low-cost-timely- electricity-to-the-rural-poor • Bank, T. W. (July 2016). Global Facility on Mini-grids. Energy Sector Management Assistance Program. • Cooperation, A.-E. R. (2014). Mini Grid Policy Tool Kit. Eschborn. • Gujar, M., Datta, A., & Mohanty, P. (2013). Smart Mini Grid: An innovative distributed generation based energy system. IEEE Innovative Smart Grid Technologies-Asia, 1-5. • Hazelton, J., Bruce, A., & MacGill, I. (July 2014). A review of the potential benefits and risks of photovoltaic hybrid mini-grid systems. Renewable Energy, 222-229. • Inversion, A. R. (2000). Mini-Grid Design Manual. Washington D.C. • Karki, N. R., Karki, R., Verma, A. K., & Choi, J. e. (2017). Reliable and Sustainable Electric Power and Energy Systems Management. Sustainable Power Systems. • Nagpal, K. (n.d.). Smart Mini-Grids: Innovative solutions to combat energy shortfall. Retrieved 01 11, 2020, from Thomson Reuters Foundation: http://news.trust.org//item/20121025054000-rslkp/ • USAID. (n.d.). Retrieved Janaury 11, 2020, from https://www.usaid.gov/energy/mini- grids/technical-design/components •
Editor's Notes
- #14: A trade-off is a situational decision that involves diminishing or losing one quality, quantity or property of a set or design in return for gains in other aspects. In simple terms, a tradeoff is where one thing increases and another must decrease.
- #17: design the system layout and select system attributes