Rural electrification implementation strategies through microgrid approach in South African context

• This paper compares various standalone electrification strategies for South Africa.
• Comparison is based on cost, energy production and performance efficiency factors.
• The results are used as guidelines for cost optimization and design of such systems.

Rural electrification requires high initial capital investments per capita due to its low energy demand and population density. These factors result in a higher cost of electricity than that for urban consumers. Although the solution to the majority of rural electrification financial challenges are with government policymakers, it is equally important for rural electrification project implementers to understand the technical challenges and identify any cost reduction potential. This paper proposes and compares a diverse set of standalone electrification strategies for a variety of consumer load types in the Sdakeni rural area in the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. The aim of this research is to compare the electrification strategies based on: cost, efficiency, performance, equipment utilization factor, excess electricity produced etc. Based on the findings from the comparison, the paper will provide insight into suitability of such strategies and act as a guideline for balancing cost optimization process and design robustness of such systems. It will also provide recommendations on future research along this line which would include aspects that could not be covered in this work.