Solar Powered Micro-grid in Asmara: Model for Sustainable Generation and Distribution

With the worldwide trend of decarbonization and the increment of the electrification rate, energy production became a primary issue. If from one side developed countries have to face an energetic crisis linked to the leakage of energy sources, other countries have still to face the issue of the access to electricity. In many African Sub-Saharan countries, the access to electricity still represents a critical point to face, in order to develop the region, limiting the life quality development and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth. Thanks to distributed generation, several solutions were implemented for power generation and distribution. The implementation of a micro-grid to electrify the region represents a smart solution due to the simple structure and the modularity, allowing to enlarge it effortless. Moreover, this region benefits of a high solar radiation, making the installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels extremely profitable in terms of energy production. Following these considerations, this work simulates the implementation of a micro-grid, using the software HOMER Pro, largely used for micro-grid simulation, in order to power an electrical system in a Sub-Saharan developing country, Eritrea, where the electrification rate is 76% in the urban areas and 37% in the rural ones. To reach the environmental sustainability target, the micro-grid will be powered by a PV plant, due to the high daily solar radiation of 6 kWh/m2/day, helped by a storage system, in order to realize a 14 MW power plant in 0.28 km2, which is able to overcome the production. In conclusion, this work wants to be the testing ground for future studies of electrification in developing countries, where the integration of micro-grids and renewables can help to solve the issue of access to electricity, always respecting the sustainability trend.