DC Microgrids for energy communities in the developing world

Abstract

The main problem of energy supply in the developing counties is that a very large portion of their rural population still does not have access to a secure supply of electricity. DC microgrids seems an attractive solution due to lower capital, operation, engineering and maintenance costs. Many developing countries have shown interest in the development of such systems in order to improve the quality of their inhabitants’ life, together with the development of the local economies (creation of new jobs) through the creation of local energy communities. This paper reviews the conditions under which DC microgrids provide an attractive option for local energy communities in the developing world. It also reviews the best practices of DC local energy communities in developing countries and highlights relevant issues, e.g. regulatory framework, standardization, protection, secure supply etc. that have to be faced, in order to establish DC microgrids in rural areas