Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7453895 | Energy for Sustainable Development | 2015 | 7 Pages |
Abstract
The potential for small self-contained grid systems to provide electricity for currently unserved regions of the developing world is widely recognised. However planning and managing the electrical demand that will be supported, so that a mini-grid system is not overloaded and its available resource is used as fully as possible, is actually more difficult than for a large scale grid system. This paper discusses the mathematical reasons why this is the case, and describes a practical software tool for mini-grid demand estimation and planning that is complementary to the widely used HOMER software. This software tool is made available for download on an open source basis. Finally a conclusion is offered that mini-grid systems should aim to serve at least 50 households so that demand variability is more manageable and economies of scale can be realised.
Keywords
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Energy (General)
Authors
P. Boait, V. Advani, R. Gammon,