A community electrification project: combination of microgrids and household systems fed by wind, PV or micro-hydro energies according to micro-scale resource evaluation and social constraints

When electrifying isolated rural communities, usually standardized solutions have been implemented using the same technology at all the points. However these solutions are not always appropriate to the community and its population. This article aims to describe the technical design of the electrification system of the community of Alto Peru (in the region of Cajamarca, Peru), where the adequate technology was used at each area according to micro-scale resource evaluation and the socioeconomic requirements of the population. Specifically four technologies were implemented: wind microgrids in highlands, a micro-hydro power plant in the presence of a waterfall, a PV microgrid in a group of points sheltered from the wind and individual PV systems in scattered points with low wind potential. This project brought electricity to 58 households, a health center, a school, a church, two restaurants and two shops.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Energy access for sustainable development

It is abundantly clear that adequate, reliable and clean energy services are vital for the achievement of many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In essence, energy access has come to represent one of the intractable challenges in development, and therefore emblematic of the call for poverty eradication, and economic and social transformation. This focus issue on 'Energy Access for Sustainable Development' is initiated to draw broadly from the ideas and emerging experiences with energy activities and solutions that sought to enhance sustainable development through expansion of energy access. The focus issue includes several contributions from authors on some of the knowledge gaps this field, including: (i) the role of off-grid and mini-grid energy systems to meet multiple SDGs; (ii) the impacts of the evolving suite of off-grid and distributed energy services on inequalities across gender, and on minority and disadvantaged communities; (iii) the opportunities that the evolving technology base (both of energy services and information systems) plays in expanding the role of off-grid and mini-grid energy systems; (iv) energy options for cooking; (v) new insights into energy planning as well as the political economy, institutional and decision challenges across the energy system. Drawing from papers in this focus issue and other literature, this paper provides a sketch of the key issues in energy access

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

Rural electrification in remote areas of developing countries has several challenges which hinder energy access to the population. For instance, the extension of the national grid to provide electricity in these areas is largely not viable. The Kenyan Government has put a target to achieve universal energy access by the year 2020. To realize this objective, the focus of the program is being shifted to establishing off-grid power stations in rural areas. Among rural areas to be electrified is Habaswein, which is a settlement in Kenya’s northeastern region without connection to the national power grid, and where Kenya Power installed a stand-alone hybrid mini-grid. Based on field observations, power generation data analysis, evaluation of the potential energy resources and simulations, this research intends to evaluate the performance of the Habaswein mini-grid and optimize the existing hybrid generation system to enhance its reliability and reduce the operation costs. The result will be a suggestion of how Kenyan rural areas could be sustainably electrified by using renewable energy based off-grid power stations. It will contribute to bridge the current research gap in this area, and it will be a vital tool to researchers, implementers and the policy makers in energy sector

Geospatial multi-criteria analysis for identifying high priority clean energy investment opportunities: A case study on land-use conflict in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a globally important emerging economy with rapidly increasing energy demand. The Bangladeshi government's primary capacity expansion plan is to install 13.3 GW of new coal by 2021, including the 1.3 GW Rampal coal power plant to be developed in the Sundarbans. Inadequate geospatial and economic information on clean energy investment opportunities are often a significant barrier for policy makers. Our study helps fill this gap by applying a new method to assess energy investment opportunities, with focus on understanding land-use conflicts, particularly important in this context as Bangladesh is constrained on land for agriculture, human settlements, and ecological preservation. By extending a geospatial multi-criteria analysis model (MapRE) we analyze the cost of various renewable energy generation technologies based on resource availability and key siting criteria such as proximity to transmission and exclusion from steep slopes, dense settlements or ecologically sensitive areas. We find there is more utility-scale solar potential than previously estimated, which can be developed at lower costs than coal power and with minimal cropland tradeoff. We also find significant potential for decentralized roof-top solar in commercial and residential areas. Even with a conservative land use program that reserves maximum land for agriculture and human settlement, there is more renewable energy capacity than needed to support Bangladeshi growth. This study provides critical and timely information for capacity expansion planning in South Asia and demonstrates the use of geospatial models to support decision-making in data-limited contexts

IDENTIFYING THE BEST DECENTRALIZED RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM FOR RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN NEPAL

Access to electricity is generally recognized as an important factor for economic and social development. Moreover, the world energy consumption depends on the use of limited resources like fossil fuels that induce adverse impact on the environment and society. As an alternative, renewable energies turn into crucial alternative energy ensuring sustainable energy needs and taking care of society, economy and the environment. In order to combat such issues, the United Nations has declared universal access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for by 2030. In many cases, different types of renewable energy systems are being developed to serve energy need without considering the best alternative. Thus, this paper tries to prioritize the installed Decentralized Renewable Energy (DRE) systems for rural electrification in Nepal by analyzing nineteen sustainability indicators related to four sustainability dimensions - technical, social, economic and environmental. An Analytical Hierarchy Process-Online Software (AHP-OS) model is used for ranking various DRE systems. Suitable goals, criteria, sub-criteria, and alternatives are developed after reviewing pertinent literature and consultation of the experts. The results reveal that micro-hydropower is the best electrification option followed by the solar home system, solar mini-grid, and wind-solar hybrid for decentralized electrification in Nepal. Biomass is found to be the least prioritized alternative in Nepal. The outcome of the research can help the policy-makers and decision-makers in shaping energy policies, plans, and programs, and foster sustainable energy development in the country. Similarly, the relevant stakeholders will be benefited by improving their products and services in the future

Energy Access Scenarios to 2030 for the Power Sector in Sub-Saharan Africa

In order to reach a goal of universal access to modern energy services in Africa by 2030, consideration of various electricity sector pathways is required to help inform policy-makers and investors, and help guide power system design. To that end, and building on existing tools and analysis, we present several ‘high-level’, transparent, and economy-wide scenarios for the sub-Saharan African power sector to 2030. We construct these simple scenarios against the backdrop of historical trends and various interpretations of universal access. They are designed to provide the international community with an indication of the overall scale of the effort required. We find that most existing projections, using typical long-term forecasting methods for power planning, show roughly a threefold increase in installed generation capacity occurring by 2030, but more than a tenfold increase would likely be required to provide for full access – even at relatively modest levels of electricity consumption. This equates to approximately a 13% average annual growth rate, compared to a historical one (in the last two decades) of 1.7%.Energy Access, Power System Planning, Sub-Saharan Africa

Hierarchical methodology to optimize the design of stand-alone electrification systems for rural communities considering technical and social criteria

Stand-alone electrification systems based on the use of renewable energies are suitable to electrify isolated rural communities in developing countries. For their design several support tools exist, but they do not cover some of the technical and social existing constraints and they do not consider the project detail. In this context, this research aims to develop a methodology to optimize the design of such systems, combining the wind and solar generation technologies as well as microgrids and individual systems as distribution scheme, and including economical, technical and social considerations. The design methodology is divided in three stages. First, the characteristics of the target community are gathered. Secondly, the design process is realized in three decision levels, ordered according to the importance of the decisions taken. At each level several electrification alternatives are generated and then the most appropriate is selected. Third, the final solution cost can be optionally tried to be improved, maintaining the decisions previously taken. The design methodology has been applied to a community to show its suitability to assist rural electrification promoters to design socially adapted and sustainable projects.Postprint (author's final draft

Multicriteria analysis of renewable-based electrification projects in developing countries

The design of wind-photovoltaic stand-alone electrification projects that combine individual systems and microgrids is complex and requires from support tools. In this paper, a multicriteria procedure is presented in detail, which aims to assist project developers in such a design. More specifically, the procedure has been developed under a four-part structure, using support tools and expert consultations to enhance practicality into the rural context of developing countries. First, from a large amount of criteria, a reduced and easy to handle set is chosen, representing the main characteristics to be assessed in rural electrification projects. Second, two iterative processes, one based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process and one based on a typical 1–10 assessment, are tested to assign weights to the criteria, reflecting end-user preferences. Third, some indicators are proposed to evaluate the accomplishment of each solution regarding each criterion, in an objective manner. Fourth, considering the weights and evaluations, the solutions are ranked, using the compromise programming technique, thus selecting the best one/s. The whole procedure is illustrated by designing the electrification project of a real community in the Andean highlands. In short, this paper provides insights about the suitable decision-making process for the design of wind-PV electrification systems and, in addition, shows how different multicriteria techniques are applied to a very local context in rural, remote and very poor areas of developing countries.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Technologies for Rural Electrification in Indonesia using AHP

학위논문 (석사)-- 서울대학교 대학원 : 공과대학 협동과정 기술경영·경제·정책전공, 2019. 2. Heo, Eunnyeong.1만개가 넘는 섬으로 이루어진 인도네시아는 부존에너지가 풍부하지만 모든 지역에 전력을 공급하기에는 수많은 제약이 있다. 인도네시아 정부는 그 해결책으로 어디에나 풍부한 재생에너지를 활용하여 각 지역별로 적절한 전력공급방안을 제공하고자 노력하고 있다. 이를 실천하기 위해서는 전력이 필요한 도서 지역 및 시골 지역에 가장 적합한 재생에너지원과 재생에너지 기술을 선택할 수 있는 기준을 마련하여야 한다. 본 논문의 목적은 인도네시아 도서 지역 및 시골 지역의 전력공급을 위하여 적절한 재생에너지원 및 재생에너지 기술을 선정하는데 사용될 주요 선정기준을 조사, 연구하고 기준들의 중요도를 비교 분석하고자 한다. 본 연구에 사용한 연구방법론은 계층분석법 (Analytical Hierarchy Process, AHP)이다. 문헌조사를 통하여 선정된 5개 주요 기준 및 18가지 하부 기준을 대상으로 인도네시아의 중앙부처 공무원 및 지역공무원을 대상으로 AHP 설문조사를 실시하였다. 또한 북말루쿠(North Maluku)지역을 대상으로 하여 정부가 제시한 5개 재생에너지원 중 가장 적절한 재생에너지원을 선정하는 별도의 설문조사를 실시하였다. AHP 설문 분석결과 주요기준 중 에너지원 기준이 인도네시아 시골지역 전기화를 위한 재생에너지원과 기술을 선택할 때 가장 중요한 주요 기준이며, 환경, 사회-정치, 기술 및 경제 순으로 나타났다. 하부기준 중에서는 에너지 공급원의 가용성이 가장 중요하며, 수익성이 가장 중요하지 않은 하부 기준으로 나타났다. 상기 AHP 설문결과를 활용한 북말루쿠 지역을 대상 재생에너지대안 선정설문에서는 가장 적합한 재생에너지원으로 소형수력(micro hydro)이 선정되었으며, 바이오매스, 태양열, 지영, 풍력 에너지 순으로 나타났다. 본 연구결과는 향후 인도네시아 정부의 재생에너지 공급대안 선정과정에는 물론 여러 나라의 재생에너지 공급대안 선정과정에 기초자료로 사용될 수 있을 것이다. 주요어 : 도서지역, 시골지역, 전기화, 재생에너지, 계층분석법(AHP) 학 번 : 2017-29728Indonesia as an archipelago country faces many difficulties in providing electricity to all needs and all areas. A significant number of villages in rural areas, remote areas and the isolated islands of Indonesia do not have electricity access. However, as Indonesia has abundant renewable energy sources, one of the solutions proposed by the Indonesian government to provide electricity in rural areas is by generating electricity using the renewable energy sources nearby. In order to find suitable renewable energy sources and technologies for rural electrification, some criteria to select the best or the most suitable are needed to be proposed and examined. This research aims to investigate the most important criteria and sub-criteria in selecting renewable energy sources and technologies for rural electrification in Indonesia as well as to analyze the most suitable ones. Using Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP), this research performed surveys to Indonesian government officials, the decision makers, to identify the most important ones among five criteria and eighteen sub-criteria suggested by literatures. AHP results suggested that energy source is the most important criterion in selecting renewable energy sources and technologies for rural electrification in Indonesia, followed by environmental, socio-political, technical and economic criteria. Also the availability of energy source was found to be the most important sub-criterion while profitability is the least important sub-criterion in global ranking. This study also performed a survey to score the best renewable energy source for the North Maluku region. Among five renewable energy alternatives suggested by the government plans, results of the survey suggested that micro hydro is the most suitable renewable energy source and technology for rural electrification in Indonesia, followed by biomass, solar, geothermal and wind energy. Results of this study can be used as a basis for decision making processes of rural electrification of Indonesian government. Keywords: rural electrification, electricity generation, renewable energy, Analysis Hierarchy Process (AHP) Student Number: 2017-29728Abstract iii Table of Contents v List of Tables ix List of Figures xi Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Research Motivation 1 1.2 Research Objectives and Focus 2 1.3 Research Structure 4 Chapter 2. Research Background 7 2.1 Electricity Development in Indonesia 7 2.1.1 Electricity Development Plan 8 2.1.2 Indonesias Energy Mix 10 2.2 Renewable Energy Potential and Technologies 12 2.2.1 Geothermal Energy 13 2.2.2 Solar Energy 15 2.2.3 Wind Energy 20 2.2.4 Micro Hydro 22 2.2.5 Bioenergy 24 2.3 Rural Electrification Program 27 2.4 Renewable Energy Development 29 2.4.1 Challenges in Renewable Energy Development 29 2.4.2 Renewable Energy Development Plan in Indonesia 31 Chapter 3. Literature Review 35 3.1 Multi-criteria decision analysis (MDMA) 35 3.2 Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Energy Sector 38 3.3 Analysis Hierarchy Process 39 3.4 Previous Studies 43 3.5 Important Criteria and Factors in Selecting Suitable Renewable Energy for Rural Electrification 46 Chapter 4. Methodology 51 4.1 Methodological Framework 51 4.2 AHP Method for the Study 53 4.3 Scoring the Renewable Energy Technology 63 4.4 Survey 65 4.4.1 Survey on AHP Pairwise Comparison 65 4.4.2 Survey for Selection of Renewable Energy Technology for Rural Electrification in Indonesia 70 Chapter 5. Result and Discussion 73 5.1 Empirical Results 73 5.1.1 Consistency Analysis 74 5.1.2 Estimated Weights of Criteria 75 5.1.3 Estimated Weights of Sub-criteria 76 5.1.4 The Result of Global Priorities 82 5.1.5 Estimated Alternative Energy for Rural Electrification 85 5.2 Discussion 88 5.2.1 Local Priorities 88 5.2.2 Global Priorities 94 5.2.3 Comparative analysis 97 5.2.4 The Alternative Renewable Energy Sources 105 Chapter 6. Conclusions 117 6.1 Overall Conclusion 117 6.2 Policy Implication and Academic Contribution 122 6.3 Study Limitation and Future Work 123 References 125 Appendix 1: Survey 1 137 Appendix 2: Survey 2 151 초록 (Abstract) 169 Acknowledgments 171Maste

Multicriteria-based methodology for the design of rural electrification systems. A case study in Nigeria

Electrification with micro-grids is receiving increasing attention to electrify rural areas in developing countries. However, determining the best local supply solution is a complex problem that requires considering different generation technologies (i.e. solar PV, wind or diesel) and different system configurations (off-grid or on-grid). Most existing decision aid tools to assess this design only consider economical and technical issues in a single optimization process. However, social and environmental considerations have been proven key issues to ensure long-term sustainability of the projects. In this context, the objective of this work is to develop a multicriteria procedure to allow comparing electrification designs with on-grid or isolated micro-grids and different tech-nologies considering multiple aspects. This multicriteria procedure is integrated in a two-phased methodology to assist the design of the system to electrification promoters in a structured process. First, different electrification alternatives are generated with an open-source techno-economic optimization model; next, these alternatives are evaluated and ranked with the multicriteria procedure, which considers 12 criteria representing economic, technical, socio-institutional and environmental aspects. The whole design methodology is validated with a real case study of 26 population settlements in Plateau State, Nigeria. Experts in rural electrification within the Nigerian context have been consulted to weight the criteria and particularize their evaluation for the specific case study. Results show that solar PV technology based systems are the most suitable electrification designs for communities in Nigeria, while grid connection feasibility depends on the size of the community and the distance to the closest national grid consumption point.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft