What’s a solar mini-grid?
Providing electricity to rural populations can take any one of three forms: grid extension; standalone solar systems; and solar mini-grid system.
A mini-grid is a small scale electricity network fed by solar energy. Mini-grids represent an interesting and important midway point between stand-alone and major grid electricity systems.
They typically serve remote communities that are not economical to connect to large grids due to their isolation.
For a community that has sufficient population density and diversity of end-users, it makes sense to connect them together.
Using mini-grid systems will save the government a lot of cost in providing stand-alone systems to supply electricity.
The use of a mini-grid also permits the use of generation technologies that might not be feasible or economical at a smaller scale.
Some examples include multiple diesel gen-sets, biomass, as well as small hydro facilities.
However, at Dabotech Energy LTD we provide electricity solutions for rural, residential and commercial needs using solar mini-grid systems.
We generate and supply electricity– directly or indirectly via batteries – to clients who are connected to this mini-grid electricity network.
A group of people living close to each other, for instance, a village, can easily connect to this mini-grid.
We use the mini-grid technology when our customers have higher energy requirements.
The advantage of a solar mini-grid is that it can meet higher energy demands by for instance local businesses.
A solar mini-grid boosts business activities in rural areas, but can only be realised economically if the distance between clients is relatively small and there is sufficient electrical demand.