Methodology for the Energy Need Assessment to Effectively Design and Deploy Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification

Valeria Gambino, Riccardo Del Citto, Paolo Cherubini, Carlo Tacconelli, Andrea Micangeli and Romano Giglioli
Additional contact information
Valeria Gambino: DIEF, Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, Italy
Riccardo Del Citto: DIMA, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00162 Roma, Italy
Paolo Cherubini: DESTEC, Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
Carlo Tacconelli: DIMA, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00162 Roma, Italy
Andrea Micangeli: DIMA, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00162 Roma, Italy
Romano Giglioli: DESTEC, Department of Energy, Systems, Territory and Construction Engineering, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-27

Abstract: In order to successfully deploy a large number of decentralized energy systems in developing countries, it is necessary to standardize effective methodologies and procedures to develop off-grid/mini-grid systems. Considering that the energy need assessment provides inputs and assumptions used in business modelling and mini-grid design, the accuracy of its results directly affects the technical and financial feasibility studies. Thus, the approach for applying a proven methodology for the energy need assessment of rural communities is aimed at obtaining reliable input data for the mini-grid development. This helps in reducing both the financial challenges by mitigating the uncertainties in electricity demand and the technical challenges by contributing to adequately size off-grid power generation systems, with a view to boost toward a common overall objective of mini-grid’s optimization methods and tools. Hence, taking into consideration that target communities differ in terms of needs and context conditions, the proposed paper describes an inclusive methodology that can be adapted case-by-case. It provides an effective applied solution the lack of proven guidelines from project developers or literature, giving priority to data collection methods able to achieve a large sample representative of the market, with high accuracy in estimating the energy consumptions from electricity substitutes.

Keywords: energy need assessment; mini-grid; off-grid; rural electrification; methodology; rural development; access to energy; data collection; energy consumptions; demand profile (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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