Electricity is an essential commodity as most activities and businesses depend on electric power to function. Unfortunately, on-grid electricity has proven ineffective to universal electricity access over time as individuals in confined rural settlements live without access to electric power.
However, with advancements in technology, mini-grids have become a viable solution to electricity access.
Mini-grids are off-grid electricity distribution network that involves electricity generation in small scale. Typically, it is an interconnection of small-sized electricity generators, energy storage devices and a distribution network that supplies electricity to a small, isolated group of customers operating independently of the national grid.
Mini-grids vary in size from a few kilowatts up to 10 megawatts. It can be powered by a renewable source of energy such as solar, wind and hydropower.
Globally, over 47 million people living in rural areas have been connected to 19,000 mini-grids; over 2,500 of the mini-grids are functional, clean energy mini-grids.
Mini-grid deployment is the ultimate solution to obtaining global electricity access, especially in the rural regions in Africa. In recent times, the World Bank, Rural Electrification Agencies and Energy providers have begun deploying mini-grids to areas not connected to grid power.
A significant benefit of mini-grids is that it tracks down the energy need of consumers in a particular area, allowing the energy providers to access better the need to match the supply in the given area.
It is a more dependable source of energy. Unlike on-grid electricity, which is unreliable due to the multiple challenges, mini-grids offer a more reliable service, ensuring the free flow of business activities.
Furthermore, mini-grids have cost benefits because they do not require long transmission lines, as is the case with on-grid electricity.