Current situation of rural electricity in Africa
The electricity supply on the African continent is at an extremely low level. The current population is about 1.3 billion people, 62% of whom do not have access to electricity. The per capita energy consumption is the lowest in the world, and there are high power generation costs and unstable energy supply. , low electrification rate and other issues. There are huge differences between economically developed cities and rural areas.
In the event of a power shortage, people usually use diesel generators as backup power. However, diesel power generation is not only expensive but also pollutes the environment. In many countries where diesel generators are used to supplement or fully support daily life, the cost of electricity can be three times higher than relying on the grid.
Therefore, using solar panels and energy storage system is an efficient and cost-effective way for residents who are far away from the existing transmission and distribution system. Especially in rural areas, it can effectively reduce dependence on polluting and inefficient energy.
Customer demand for power solutions
The head of rural electrification in Africa said:
“Now, the microgrid system of photovoltaic + inverter + lead-acid battery + diesel generator used in this rural area provides a solution for power supply, but the lead-acid battery has a short service life, takes up a lot of space, and is troublesome to maintain. The problem challenges the reliability and economy of the system.”
SCU Microgrid Solutions with PV + BESS + Diesel Generator
In order to solve the above problems, the customer found SCU to provide them with a solution, SCU’s GRES energy storage system. SCU uses a direct current (DC) solution to connect to the photovoltaic system directly and comprehensively monitors and manages the entire microgrid system, including photovoltaic power generation, energy storage and diesel generators, through our advanced power management system (PMS).
Microgrids can significantly reduce the power generation cost of the power supply system, reduce air pollution and noise pollution to the environment, and provide a reliable, stable, and high-quality power supply for factories and enterprises. The microgrid background energy management system optimizes the control of the microgrid based on pre-customized control strategies to achieve rational utilization of energy and ensure the economical and reliable operation of the system.
Innovation Highlights
- Long-life energy storage solution: SCU’s energy storage system uses advanced lithium-ion battery technology, which has a longer service life and greatly reduces the frequency of replacement and maintenance.
- Space efficiency: Compared with traditional lead-acid batteries, SCU’s energy storage system provides greater capacity while occupying less space, helping to make full use of limited site resources.
- Intelligent management: SCU’s monitoring unit (PMS) provides customers with real-time monitoring and refined management to ensure the coordinated operation of photovoltaic power generation, energy storage and diesel generators to maximize system efficiency.
- Higher energy density: Energy storage systems generally have higher energy density and are able to store more energy in a relatively smaller volume. This is important for applications with limited space, such as urban microgrids or small home systems.
- Environmentally friendly: Energy storage technologies such as lithium-ion batteries are relatively environmentally friendly because they contain no harmful substances and produce less pollution during production and processing.
Conclusion
This solution has been successfully installed and used. SCU’s energy storage system has demonstrated strong performance in a hybrid system of photovoltaic power generation and diesel power generation. By cleverly integrating photovoltaic energy, efficient energy storage equipment and reliable diesel generator sets, SCU has successfully solved the problem. It has solved the problem of weak rural power facilities and provided local residents with more reliable and efficient power services. It has brought significant changes to the rural area and has been reported by well-known local media. It has become an example of rural electrification in Africa.
The successful application of SCU’s energy storage technology in rural Africa has also set an example for promoting the application of renewable energy in African countries. SCU will continue to be committed to making more contributions to rural electrification in Africa and helping it achieve sustainable development and clean energy utilization.