Heuristic indicators for the design of community off-grid electrification systems based on multiple renewable energies

Off-grid rural electrification project configurations which consider hybrid generation systems based on multiple renewable sources and the implementation of micro-grids are the most promising design solutions. The efficient design of those systems is a complex task that is facing several technical issues such as limited time and resources available for the purpose, especially in developing countries. This study proposes indicators for supporting and improving the design of community off-grid electrification projects considering hybrid generation and micro-grids. A (Grid Generation Score) GGS is defined in order to identify most promising locations for being the generation point of a micro-grid. The (No-Generation Score) NGS and the (Independent Generation Score) IGS evaluate respectively if a point should be reliably connected to a micro-grid or should better be an independent generation point. All indicators could be easily and quickly calculated at a very first stage of the plan of a community project requiring as input data only demand and resource distributions in the studied area. It is shown that the utilization of proposed indictors can enhance the design of stand-alone community electrification projects based on renewable energies.

► We propose indicators for improving off-grid electrification projects' design. ► Configurations with hybrid renewable energy systems and micro-grids are considered. ► The indicators can be easily calculated at a very first stage of the project design. ► A simple design procedure based on the proposed indicators is presented and tested. ► Nearly optimal solutions are obtained in two real mountainous communities in Peru.