Renewable Mini-Grids

Innovation Outlook
What is a renewable mini-grid?
Mini-grids* that derive a majority of their primary energy from
renewable sources to generate electricity

* Mini-grids are integrated energy infrastructures with loads and energy resources, including
generators (e.g. PV, wind turbines), energy storage devices (e.g. lead-acid batteries), power
conversion equipment (e.g. inverters), and control, management and measurement equipment
(e.g. battery supervisors, data transfer, meters, among others).
 Mini-grid types
Lower Tier of Service
Autonomous Basic (AB mini-grids)
Generation Sources: PV, hydro and biomass
Tier of service: less than 24 hour power
Autonomous
End-users: Remote community without major
commercial or industrial activity
Added value:
Enable enhanced energy access
Alternative to grid-extension
Improve quality of life
Interconnected Community (IC mini-grids)
Generation Sources: PV, wind and
biomass/biogas
Interconnected
Tier of service: High critical/ interruptible
End-users: Medium to large grid- connected
community (e.g. university campus)
Added value:
Community control
Improve reliability
Response to catastrophic events
Higher Tier of Service
Autonomous Full (AF mini-grids)
Generation Sources: PV, hydro and wind
Tier of service: 24/7 power
End-users: Remote communities, islands, with
major commercial or industrial requirements;
Industrial sites disconnected from grid
Added value:
Alternative to expensive polluting imported fuels
Diversification and flexibility of supply
Interconnected Large Industrial (ILI mini-grids)
Generation Sources: PV, wind and
biomass/biogas
Tier of service: Very high: Critical/ uninterruptible
End-users: Data centres, industrial processing or
other critical uses
Added value:
High reliability for critical loads
Enhance environmental performance
Resiliency
Why a renewable mini-grid?

100%
renewable
Renewable mini-grids
mini-grids

Mini-grids
Autonomous mini-grids can be cost-effective in remote areas

Improved supply and strengthened neighboring grids of

interconnected mini-grids

Increase reliability and resiliency to the main grid

Diminished environmental impact through high use of

renewables

Increased local control and choice in the energy mix

Deployment today
 Functionalities
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Convert
Generate
Consume
 Plan and design
Opportunity for Innovation
Standardised planning and design
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
Requires renewable mini-grid
specialist for all stages of design,
including conceptual design
General solar resource data is of
sufficient quality; however wind and
hydro data require on-site
measurements to validate and data
can be costly.
Load planning is based on ad-hoc
and site-specific approaches for
estimating loads
Cost Reliability Ease Environment
FUTURE
Early stage design of renewable
mini-grids does not require a
specialist, and there are robust tools
for a complete design, based on
proven off-the-shelf components
Resource planning is supported by
robust tools that accurately predict
resources without on-site validation.
Detailed, local resource data is
affordable and readily available.
Smart load planning tools provide
accurate, proven estimates on
expected load based on readily
available data at a site
 Plan and design
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
Mini-grid design optimisation
The HOMER software, originally
developed at the US National
Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL), is the standard software for
evaluating the techno-economic
design of mini-grids. It is used to
optimise design in all sectors around
the globe, from village power and
island utilities to grid-connected
campuses and military bases.
NEW INNOVATIONS
Sample Innovation: Using Artificial
Neural Networks to predict loads
Research at CIEMAT has been
carried out for short-term load
forecasting based on Artificial
Neural Networks for mini-grids. Their
work has demonstrated the close
relationship between forecast errors
and number of training patterns,
applicability of load forecasting
and ANN tools to mini-grids with
small errors of 3% compared to real
load curves.
 Control, manage, and measure
Opportunity for Innovation Cost Reliability Ease Environment
More intelligent controls
Improved communications and standards
Improved metering and monitoring
Simplify connecting equipment together

STATE OF THE ART TODAY FUTURE

Specialized and expensive controls
Non-economic, non-predictive
controls
Moderate plug-and-play capability
High utility interest, but limited to
pilot projects
Numerous competing standards
One to two hours renewable
resource prediction with high
accuracy
Low cost modular controls
Economic and predictive controls
Seamless plug-and-play capability
Standard interconnection terms for
utilities
Common, open-source standards
Day-ahead renewable resource
prediction with high accuracy
 Control, manage, and measure
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
Meters help supply match demand
Circutors Electricity Dispenser BII
incorporates an algorithm that limits
the daily energy consumption and
power based on an Energy Daily
Allowance (EDA). The EDA is not
pre-fixed but all parameters can be
modified through an RFID card.
There are more than 2000
Dispensers installed in 10 different
countries, most of them using the
EDA with a service-based tariff.
NEW INNOVATIONS
Public-private alliances to enhance
interoperability
Industry accepted standards
underpin the increasing ease of
connecting together diverse
hardware and software. These
groups include the Smart Grid
Interoperability Panel (SGIP),
Smartgrid Alliance, Smart Grid
Coordination Group, Korea Smart
Grid Association, India Smart Grid
Forum, and Japan Smart Grid
Alliance. These organizations bring
together diverse stakeholders with
a common goal of facilitating the
intelligent use of information in the
electrical sector.
 Store
Opportunity for Innovation Cost Reliability Ease Environment
Use less expensive, more abundant, and less resource intensive materials
More robust, lower maintenance technologies to reduce lifecycle costs

for storage
Improvements in long-term storage capability
Improvements in high power output capability

STATE OF THE ART TODAY FUTURE

Expensive Significantly decreased costs
Most deployments use lead-acid More technologies used,
batteries particularly lithium-ion
Limited options for long-term and Enhanced battery chemistries
seasonal storage and solar fuels enable better
Increasing numbers of projects long-term and seasonal storage
that use flywheels, lithium ion, Multiple, diverse storage
and flow batteries technologies are commonly
used in projects
 4500
Store
4000

3500
Installed cost in deliverable power (USD/kW)

Flywheels
3000
2015

2500

2000

Flow
1500 2015 2025

1000
2025
Lead-acid Li-ion 2035
2015
500
2025
2035

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Installed cost in usable energy storage (USD/kWh)
 Store
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
The rise of LIB
There are a significant number of LIB
manufacturers, particularly in
China, Japan, the Republic of
Korea and the USA. LIB
manufacturers include Samsung
(19% market share), Panasonic
(20%), LG Chem (15%), Toshiba,
Sony, BYD and ATL. Notable
entrants include Tesla, who
announced their Powerwall (7 to 10
kWh) at a low cost. These
innovations have generated a lot of
interest in the technology and
shaken up the market for major
manufacturers.
NEW INNOVATIONS
All solid-state organic battery
At the Key Laboratory of Advanced
Energy Materials Chemistry in
China, researchers prepared an
organic pillar Quinone cathode
using a
poly(methacrylate)/poly(ethylene
glycol)-based gel polymer
electrolyte revealing a promising
future for an all-solid state lithium-
ion battery. The all solid state
organic battery benefits from using
abundant and lower cost materials
that can provide twice the energy
density compared to intercalation
compounds.
 Convert
Opportunity for Innovation Cost Reliability Ease Environment
Lower capital costs of converters

Combine diverse function into inverters

Improve efficiency, particularly at partial load

More converter options for diverse renewable mini-grid markets

STATE OF THE ART TODAY FUTURE

Grid-following inverters have Converters are Increasingly using
achieved considerable price drops new nanomaterial semiconductors,
in the past decade such as CNT.
Dual-mode inverters are starting to Dual-mode inverters with smooth
become common for shifts from grid to island mode in
interconnected mini-grids, as they black start with innovative droop
are coming into the main grid control methods to avoid transient
market for distributed generation in fluctuations of voltage and
unreliable grids that can operate frequency.
interconnected or islanded
 Convert

Grid- Grid- Dual-

forming following mode
inverter inverter inverter
 Convert
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
Hybrid Power Conditioners (HPC)
are enabling large-scale
renewables in remote areas
Optimal Power Solutions has been
at the fore front of large-scale
autonomous hybrid power
conditioners (HPC). The HPC makes
it easy to integrate and optimise
remote area power sources such as
PV, wind turbines, battery banks
and diesel generator sets. The use
of the HPC can achieve diesel costs
savings on average 60% over the
course of the mini-grid lifespan,
extensive operating flexibility,
increased energy harvesting and
superior power quality.
NEW INNOVATIONS
Alternative wide bandgap
semiconductors
Inverters can benefit significantly by
replacing traditionally used silicon
modules with wide bandgap
semiconductors gallium nitride
(GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC)
transistors. Although not cost-
effective today, they can
potentially reduce prices by more
than half.
 Consume
Opportunity for Innovation Cost Reliability Ease Environment
Increased commercial availability of efficient end-uses
Better user tools for adapting consumption to energy supply (DSM)

STATE OF THE ART TODAY FUTURE

Mini-grids are currently feeding Increasing use of high-efficiency
mostly AC loads and DC appliances reduce
electricity costs for home owners
and businesses.
The use of DC power is primarily High-efficiency and DC
explored in commercial buildings appliances are standard, further
and in smaller energy access reducing electricity costs for
applications/mini-grids home owners and businesses
 Consume
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
University mini-grids: living research
on DC mini-grids
The mini-grid of the new Xiang An
Campus at Xiamen University is
based on a DC distribution line of
380V and consists of a 150 kWp PV
array and lead-acid batteries. It
powers a commercial-type building
on the campus, including LED
lighting, office appliances, and air
conditioning. The mini-grid is
planned to eventually power a
data centre and an EV charger; all
loads use DC energy.
NEW INNOVATIONS
Internet of Things (IoT)
The main technological drivers are
increasingly low cost wireless
hardware, proliferation of
smartphones, and expanding
mobile networks. It is estimated that
by 2030, the number of connected
devices worldwide will reach 100
billion. Even though the exchange
of information between appliances
and users is already widespread,
the communication between the
devices alone with IoT is supposed
to gain momentum and give the
responsibility to the smart meters to
take decisions.
 Generate
Opportunity for Innovation
Lower capital costs for generation
Reduce maintenance needs
Improved efficiency and increased energy capture
More converter options for diverse renewable mini-grid markets
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
Low cost silicon-based polycrystalline
solar PV is main renewable generation
technology used in mini-grids.
Small wind is used less due in large part to
competition from solar PV and the high
cost of resource assessment
There are some new small hydro power
turbines for low head and low flow
applications,
Increased availability of biomass
gasification that is able to handle more
feedstock, although they are plagued
with maintenance issues.
Cost Reliability Ease Environment
FUTURE
Solar remains the dominant energy
generation source in mini-grids. Solar PV
price reductions continue, driven by
advancements in DSSC, nanomaterials
and organic chemistries.
Wind, hydro, and biomass are strong
options when suitable resource is
available. Advancements in resource
tracking, together with lower-
maintenance designs have made these
more viable.
It is cost-effective to get near 100%
energy from renewables in a mini-grid.
 Generate
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
Mature silicon-based PV
Commercially mature silicon-based
PV modules have reached a 20%
solar efficiency getting close to its
limit. Meanwhile, third generation
modules have potential for up to
50% efficiencies and have already
reached 46% efficiencies in the
laboratory.
NEW INNOVATIONS
Graphene in PV
An innovative breakthrough that
will potentially influence radically
the PV sector is the use of
graphene in the module
construction. Although it is too soon
to extract conclusions, scientists of
cole Polytechnique Fdrale de
Lausanne in Switzerland have
demonstrated the photon-
electron multiplication effect of
graphene that is the ability of the
material to excite several electrons
when absorbing a single photon.
 Renewable mini-grids as a whole
STATE OF THE ART TODAY
Autonomous: Most of the autonomous
mini-grid based on renewable energy are
small. Larger autonomous mini-grids are
increasingly using renewables to displace
a part of their diesel generation.
Interconnected: Interconnected mini-
grids use storage for reliability during short
duration main grid outages. Renewables
are used primarily in mini-grids
interconnected with unreliable main grids
and in areas that have renewable
incentives or expensive main grid power.
Many interconnected mini-grids use fossil
generation for back-up, along with
combined heat and power.
FUTURE
Autonomous: Renewables are used in all
mini-grids. There are many DC mini-grids.
Leveraging low cost storage, low cost RE
generation and intelligent controls, mini-
grids are widespread. Energy access
renewable mini-grids are commercially
viable, while higher reliability renewable
mini-grids are increasingly commercially
viable.
Interconnected: Mini-grids with medium-
penetrations of RE are commonplace,
with uptake driven by need for resilient
disaster response. Spurred by decreasing
costs, many communities have adopted
renewable mini-grids for local control of
energy. Broader utility acceptance of
mini-grids in their networks reduces costs
for resilient operation for both main and
mini-grid.
Renewable mini-grids as a whole
 The role of policy makers
Develop
Provide loans
flexible
and financing
regulations for
for mini-grids
mini-grids

Fund
Promote
scholarships for
public-private
mini-grid
partnerships
practitioners

Encourage a
Funding for
research and
Policy marketplace
that allows
pilot projects
makers distributed
energy
The role of the private sector

Private sector
Undertake fundamental research
Pilot projects
Deploy mini-grids
Technology transfer
Industry standard groups
 The role of academia and NGOs
Fundamental
research

Incubators Innovation
Set pro-mini- funds
and
grid research
triggering
agendas
start-ups
Academia Collaborate
Pilot project
with Private
funds

NGOs
sector

Make data Cooperate

publicly with other
available sectors

Cross-cutting
Engaging
multi-level
stakeholders
efforts
Innovation pathway for renewable
mini-grids
Autonomous
areas
Development for
supply
diversification

Renewable
mini-grid of
the future
Clean and
reliable

Interconnected
areas
Development for
reliability
 Conclusions
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Convert
Generate
Consume
 Plan & design 2025
Planning
Planand
anddesign
designof renewable mini-
(optional grid-connection)
grids will be more flexible, and built upon
ever improving data for the underlying
energy resources available in each
area.
Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Convert
Generate
Consume
 Plan & design 2035
Smart
Planload
andplanning
design tools provide
(optional grid-connection)
accurate, proven estimates on
expected load based on readily
available data at a site

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Convert
Generate
Consume
 CMM 2025
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Enhancements in CMM
technologies are expected to
include simplified
Control,
interconnection of
manage,
equipment, access to more
flexible and measure
robust metering Store
technologies, and more
intelligent use of generation
and storage.

Convert
Generate
Consume
 CMM 2035
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Renewable mini-grids use

smart controls to make near
optimal decisions based on
Control, and
distributed intelligence
manage,
robust resource predictions.
measure
Interoperability, integration Store
standards are embedded.
Smart meters and monitoring
have lower costs.

Convert
Generate
Consume
 Store 2025
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Low-cost, resilient, safer storage

chemistries will enable low-cost
Control, renewable mini-grids.
manage, There will be new long-term storage
measure technologies to spread energy from
variable renewables
Store to periods of high
demand.
There will be affordable storage options
for high power demands.

Convert
Generate
Consume
 Store 2035
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

New battery chemistries become cost-

Control, competitive with LIBs and ALABs. Long-
manage, term storage and improved high-
measure power outputs are affordable,
reducing
Store the use of gensets.

Convert
Generate
Consume
 Generate 2025
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Renewable generation
technologies have already seen
impressive cost declines. These
trends are expected to continue.
Convert
Generation technologies will
Generate
achieve better resource capture, Consume
be more robust, and have lower
maintenance needs.
 Generate 2035
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Cost-effective mini-grids to
source nearly 100% of energy
from renewables. Innovations in Convert
nanomaterials
Generateand advanced
chemistry has further reduced Consume
the cost of PV.
 Convert 2025
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Conversion technologies will

easily interconnect with other
equipment, and come bundled
Convert
Generate with capabilities to easily
integrate and manage the flow Consume
of electricity.
 Convert 2035
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Converters increasingly using

CNT semiconductors. Dual-
mode inverters operate when
Convert
Generate the grid is down are readily
available and used commonly Consume
due to their low-cost.
 Consume 2025
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Energy use will be more

efficient, and there will be
DC appliances readily
Convert available in the
Generate marketplace. These will
Consume
drive low-cost energy
services in mini-grids.
 Consume 2035
Plan and design
(optional grid-connection)

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

High efficiency and DC

appliances are standard,
further reducing costs for
Convert
Generate home owners and
businesses.
Consume
 Interoperability
Plan and design Interconnection with the main grid will be
(optional grid-connection)
straightforward and built upon proven
approaches for integrating with the utility.

Control,
manage,
measure
Store

Convert
Generate
Consume
 Conclusions
Innovation in renewable mini-grids will span many functionalities,
technologies, and industries.

Technological innovations continue to happen in all six of the core

functionalities.

In the next two decades innovations will:

decrease costs of energy from mini-grids,
drive an increase of renewable energy penetration in mini-
grids, and
make mini-grids an increasingly attractive alternative to
traditional centralized grid planning and SHS.
Thank you very much for your
attention!
 Case study examples
Wind-diesel mini-grid: Kodiak, Alaska, USA

University mini-grids: Xiamen, China

Short-term stability control: King Island, Tasmania, Australia

Renewable energy for access mini-grid: Pediatorkope, Volta Delta,

Ghana

Storage without batteries: El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain

 Wind-diesel mini-grid
Kodiak, Alaska, USA
The Kodiak Electric Association have surpassed their goal
(95% by 2020) and already source 99.7% of their energy from
wind and hydro
9 MW of wind
30 MW of hydro capacity
Successful mix of storage technologies
2 MWh of gel lead-acid batteries
Two 1MW flywheels.
Storage helps to stabilize grid frequency and voltage, as
well as provide ride through capabilities for load
fluctuations to support local industry (Rocky Mountain
Institute, 2015).
 University mini-grids
Xiamen, China
The mini-grid deployed is a living laboratory for research on
DC mini-grids
Based on a DC distribution line of 380V and consists of a
150 kWp PV array and lead-acid batteries.
All loads use DC energy
It powers a commercial-type building, such as LED
lighting, office appliances, and air conditioning.
Planned to power a data centre and an EV charger
Support and collaboration from various international
companies (Nextek, People Power, Intel, LBNL and
Canadian Solar (Marnay et al., 2012b)).
 Short-term stability control
King Island, Tasmania, AUS
The King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project has
helped the King Island grid to push the limits of 100%
renewables projects at increasingly large scales.
Using their novel controls for stability, their King Island grid is
currently capable of operating for periods with 100% on
wind and solar energy in a 1MW+ grid (Hydro Tasmania,
2015).
It is one of the few electrical systems of this scale globally to
achieve this technical milestone.
 Renewable energy for access
Pediatorkope, Delta Volta, Ghana
The mini-grid is based on an Energy Daily Allowance
approach to limit energy consumption and power draws,
and users are charged a monthly fixed fee to keep tariffs
simple and ensure financial sustainability.
It consists of a 39 kWp solar PV plant and a small 11 kW wind
plant to serve to 146 connections.
The system includes a diesel generator for occasional
backup
The mini-grid id designed to use lead acid battery storage to
enable the grid to get 95% of the electricity from
renewables.
The robustness of the mini-grid is ensured by Circutors
Electricity Dispensers.
 Storage without batteries
El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain
The El Hierro grid uses pumped hydro for storage instead of
electrochemical storage.
When there is excess wind energy from the 11.5 MW
wind farm, water is pumped up into a lined volcano
crater in the middle of the island.
The system is backed up with diesel generators.
Beyond achieving a large percentage of energy from
renewable energy, the design is built to be replicable.
The island has reached a technical milestone; the island can
turn off the diesel gensets completely and run the island on
100% renewable energy and the hydroelectric storage for
periods of time (ITC, 2016).