When to go for microgrids? Analysis of the main drivers in energy access context

Abstract

Electricity access is currently limited in today’s developing countries. While efforts can be observed worldwide to move to a universal access, the question lies to determine what the best way is to ensure power supply to predefined localities: through connection to the existing grid, or via microgrids or smaller individual solutions like solar home systems or solar lanterns. Tractebel has developed a new GIS-based tool to make this arbitrage and determine the costs of electricity supply for each locality, i.e. for the end customers. The tool also designs Medium Voltage network expansions (from renewable energy sources as from existing grids) at the scale of a complete region while respecting load flow constraints. The proposed paper presents this new simulation tool aiming at identifying where microgrids make sense compared with grid expansion solutions, and how those microgrids must be designed geographically.