Using Solar PV and Stationary Storage to Buffer the Impact of Electric Minibus Charging in Grid-Constrained Sub-Saharan Africa

Johan H. Giliomee, Brendan G. Pretorius, Larissa Füßl, Bernd Thomas and Marthinus J. Booysen ()
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Johan H. Giliomee: Department of E&E Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
Brendan G. Pretorius: Department of E&E Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa
Larissa Füßl: Reutlingen Energy Center (REZ), Reutlingen University, Alteburgstraße 150, 72762 Reutlingen, Germany
Bernd Thomas: Reutlingen Energy Center (REZ), Reutlingen University, Alteburgstraße 150, 72762 Reutlingen, Germany
Marthinus J. Booysen: Department of E&E Engineering, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: Despite the unstoppable global drive towards electric mobility, the electrification of sub-Saharan Africa’s ubiquitous informal multi-passenger minibus taxis raises substantial concerns. This is due to a constrained electricity system, both in terms of generation capacity and distribution networks. Without careful planning and mitigation, the additional load of charging hundreds of thousands of electric minibus taxis during peak demand times could prove catastrophic. This paper assesses the impact of charging 202 of these taxis in Johannesburg, South Africa. The potential of using external stationary battery storage and solar PV generation is assessed to reduce both peak grid demand and total energy drawn from the grid. With the addition of stationary battery storage of an equivalent of 60 kWh/taxi and a solar plant of an equivalent of 9.45 kW pk /taxi, the grid load impact is reduced by 66%, from 12 kW/taxi to 4 kW/taxi, and the daily grid energy by 58% from 87 kWh/taxi to 47 kWh/taxi. The country’s dependence on coal to generate electricity, including the solar PV supply, also reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 58%.

Keywords: battery storage; electric minibus taxi; paratransit; PV; solar power; grid impact (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: 2024
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