Techno-Economic Analysis of the Viability of Solar Home Systems Using Lithium-ion Batteries in Sub-Saharan Africa

One of the biggest challenges facing us today is finding a sustainable solution to provide clean and affordable energy to the millions of Africans who live without it. Over 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa did not have access to electricity in 2015 and while more than 60% of them live in rural areas, the rate of residential rural electrification there is as low as 17% [1]. Solar Home Systems can potentially increase the penetration of electricity access in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. In this paper, the viability of using Solar Home Systems which employ lithium-ion batteries is investigated, particularly considering the degradation of batteries. It is found that, exposed to the hot climates of Sub-Saharan Africa, capacity fade after 5 years of cycling is approximately 20% equating to a battery system replacement cost of approximately USD 50. Although this, in-and-of-itself, is not preventive, the upfront costs of Solar Home Systems, in the region of USD 7k-21k, can act as a deterrent.