Decentralized Renewable Hybrid Mini-Grids for Sustainable Electrification of the Off-Grid Coastal Areas of Bangladesh

Majbaul Alam () and Subhes Bhattacharyya
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Subhes Bhattacharyya: Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University, Leicester LE1 9BH, UK

Energies, 2016, vol. 9, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: Lack of access to energy is considered as a serious bottleneck for the socio-economic development of Bangladesh. Despite earning recognition for promoting solar home systems, most of the rural areas and remote islands of the country still remain non-electrified due to very high unit cost and low quality of electricity from solar home systems (SHS) coupled with only few hours of restricted usages in the evening. Considering the resource potential and demand characteristics at the local level, the present study investigates the hybrid renewable mini-grid approach as a possible solution for universal electricity access in the country. Using Hybrid Optimisation of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) simulation model, the study, covering the whole coastal region of Bangladesh, shows that it is possible to offer a much better quality electricity for 12 h to 18 h a day for as low as USD 0.29–USD 0.31/kWh. Hybrid models suggested in this study can be replicated along the coastal belt and remote islands to obtain maximum diffusion of this technology and hence universal electrification.

Keywords: hybrid mini-grids; coastal Bangladesh; hybrid optimisation of multiple energy resources (HOMER); off-grid electrification (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: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (15)

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