energy and development, tu berlin group microenergy systems, tu berlin, 05.11.2013 mes mini-grid...

Research Group Microenergy Systems, TU Berlin, 05.11.2013

MES Mini-Grid Research Team

The Swarm Electrification Concept

Energy and Development, TU Berlin

by Daniel Philipp, Brian Edlefsen Lasch, Hannes Kirchhoff and Joseph Theune

Forschungsschwerpunkt Mikroenergie-Systeme (MES)

Technische Universität Berlin

Research Group Microenergy Systems, TU Berlin, 05.11.2013 2 MES Mini-Grid Research Team

What is “electrification”?

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Overview

• Background and motivation- (15 min)

• What is currently used? – (15 min)

• Workshop: How to design a paradigm shift in

rural electrification? (30 min)

• Presentation of Workshop Results (20 min)

• Mini-Feedback (5 min)

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The Market

According to the United Nations Foundation:

• 1.3 billion people worldwide lack access to electricity

• Additional one billion people’s access is of poor quality

→ off-grid and temporary on-grid areas are a huge market

The “Energy for All Case” (IEA) expects:

• 30% of rural areas can be electrified via centralized grids

• 70% of rural areas can be electrified either with mini-

grids or with small stand-alone off-grid solutions

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MES‘s Perspective

The focus is micro empowerment from the bottom-up

• Individual households and businesses are the basis for

the development

• Technology is based on the identified end-user needs

• Implementation with End-User Financing

(Microfinancing)

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Change of perspective to a bottom-up process

off-grid

far-from-grid

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Energy Access?

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Actors in Energy Access

Utility- large scale

• Timeline is uncertain

• Supply is often

unreliable

• Decision making is

top-down

End-User- small scale

• Often need (micro)-

financing

• O&M mainly by the

end-user

• Decision making is

bottom-up

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A Standard Approach- Solar Home Systems

• Micro-financed solar home systems (SHS)

• 20 Wp to 85 Wp panels (or bigger)

• Lead acid batteries

• Efficient 12 V direct current loads (e.g. LED lights)

• Three day autonomy in case of cloudy conditions

• Payback period of 1 to 3 years

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Solar Home Systems installed in Bangladesh

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Million sold

SH

S

Data from IDCOL (2013)

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Rural

Peri-

Peri-Urban

Urban

Where are the Clients of an MFI?

MFI

MFI Branch

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Off-Grid

Close-to-

Grid

Temporary On-Grid

/ On-Grid

Electrification and MicroEnergy

MFI

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Off-Grid

Close-to-

Grid

Temporary On-Grid

/ On-Grid

Swarm Building

MFI

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Inspirations from the field

Bangladesh, Namibia, Tanzania, Philippines

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Challenges Faced

SHSs

• Serve only

basic needs

• Productive use

is limited

• Excess

generation is

dumped

Minigrid

• Unable to

recover capital

costs

• Capacity is

quite inflexible

• High risks are

associated for

investor

Grid Extension

• Timeline is

uncertain

• Frequent

outages occur

• Large amounts

of capital are

required

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Our proposition:

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Workshop

Group 1: AC or DC? About safety, appliances and flexibility- Daniel.

Group 2: Mesh or bus? How topology matters. – Hannes.

Group 3: Smart swarms?- The role of ICTs- Brian.

Group 4: Link the interlinked?- How to grow the swarm.- Joseph.

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Group 1: AC or DC?

About safety,

appliances and

flexibility- Daniel.

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Group 2:

Mesh or bus?

How topology matters.

– Hannes.

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Group 3:

Smart swarms?

The role of ICTs.

-Brian.

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Group 4:

Link the interlinked?-

How to grow the

swarm.- Joseph.

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Presentation of Results

Group 1: AC or DC? About safety, appliances and flexibility- Daniel.

Group 2: Mesh or bus? How topology matters. – Hannes.

Group 3: Smart swarms?- The role of ICTs- Brian.

Group 4: Link the interlinked?- How to grow the swarm.- Joseph.

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Summary

• Starting from the Status Quo

• Flexible development, supply follows demand closely

• Enhanced productive use

• Three phase bottom-up process

• Multiple financing options

• Research ahead

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Thank you for your participation!

Source: NY Times