Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural Africa
The rural electrification of Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia is crucial to end the energy poverty in which around 1 billion people are trapped. Swarm electrification, i.e., the progressive building of decentralized and decarbonized electric infrastructure in a bottom-up manner, tackles rural...
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2022-09-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/18/6727 |
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| author | Lucas Richard Cédric Boudinet Sanda A. Ranaivoson Jean Origio Rabarivao Archille Elia Befeno David Frey Marie-Cécile Alvarez-Hérault Bertrand Raison Nicolas Saincy |
| author_facet | Lucas Richard Cédric Boudinet Sanda A. Ranaivoson Jean Origio Rabarivao Archille Elia Befeno David Frey Marie-Cécile Alvarez-Hérault Bertrand Raison Nicolas Saincy |
| author_sort | Lucas Richard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rural electrification of Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia is crucial to end the energy poverty in which around 1 billion people are trapped. Swarm electrification, i.e., the progressive building of decentralized and decarbonized electric infrastructure in a bottom-up manner, tackles rural electrification challenges by quickly providing modern and reliable electricity services to unelectrified communities while fostering local socio-economic development. This paper follows the technological approach of this electrification model and presents the development of a DC microgrid with decentralized production and storage suitable for rural electrification. This DC microgrid aims at interconnecting nanogrids, small collective autonomous power units composed of a solar panel and a lead–acid battery for 4 to 6 households, to increase the electrical services brought to the community and enhance the economic sustainability of this rural electrification model. The design of the proposed microgrid as well as its control algorithm are thoroughly addressed and tested from software simulations and experimental testing to field deployment in Madagascar. Extensive software, experimental and field-tests results are illustrated, and the microgrid design feedback is given. This paper overall validates the proper operation of the proposed microgrid, confirming the technical feasibility of the swarm electrification approach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:07:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a39418961cd493187c5aefd7d0457ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T00:07:51Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a39418961cd493187c5aefd7d0457ed2023-11-23T16:04:46ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-09-011518672710.3390/en15186727Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural AfricaLucas Richard0Cédric Boudinet1Sanda A. Ranaivoson2Jean Origio Rabarivao3Archille Elia Befeno4David Frey5Marie-Cécile Alvarez-Hérault6Bertrand Raison7Nicolas Saincy8Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 38000 Grenoble, FranceUniv. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 38000 Grenoble, FranceNanoé, Ambanja 203, MadagascarNanoé, Ambanja 203, MadagascarNanoé, Ambanja 203, MadagascarUniv. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 38000 Grenoble, FranceUniv. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 38000 Grenoble, FranceUniv. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, Grenoble INP, G2Elab, 38000 Grenoble, FranceNanoé, Ambanja 203, MadagascarThe rural electrification of Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia is crucial to end the energy poverty in which around 1 billion people are trapped. Swarm electrification, i.e., the progressive building of decentralized and decarbonized electric infrastructure in a bottom-up manner, tackles rural electrification challenges by quickly providing modern and reliable electricity services to unelectrified communities while fostering local socio-economic development. This paper follows the technological approach of this electrification model and presents the development of a DC microgrid with decentralized production and storage suitable for rural electrification. This DC microgrid aims at interconnecting nanogrids, small collective autonomous power units composed of a solar panel and a lead–acid battery for 4 to 6 households, to increase the electrical services brought to the community and enhance the economic sustainability of this rural electrification model. The design of the proposed microgrid as well as its control algorithm are thoroughly addressed and tested from software simulations and experimental testing to field deployment in Madagascar. Extensive software, experimental and field-tests results are illustrated, and the microgrid design feedback is given. This paper overall validates the proper operation of the proposed microgrid, confirming the technical feasibility of the swarm electrification approach.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/18/6727rural electrificationswarm electrificationmicrogridfield deploymentdecentralized controlcommunication-free control |
| spellingShingle | Lucas Richard Cédric Boudinet Sanda A. Ranaivoson Jean Origio Rabarivao Archille Elia Befeno David Frey Marie-Cécile Alvarez-Hérault Bertrand Raison Nicolas Saincy Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural Africa Energies rural electrification swarm electrification microgrid field deployment decentralized control communication-free control |
| title | Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural Africa |
| title_full | Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural Africa |
| title_fullStr | Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural Africa |
| title_short | Development of a DC Microgrid with Decentralized Production and Storage: From the Lab to Field Deployment in Rural Africa |
| title_sort | development of a dc microgrid with decentralized production and storage from the lab to field deployment in rural africa |
| topic | rural electrification swarm electrification microgrid field deployment decentralized control communication-free control |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/18/6727 |
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