IoT Communications Technologies to Enable Efficient Scaling of Mini-Grids

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United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) is to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Access to electricity enables economic development, and SDG7 underpins many of the Sustainable Development Goals, from poverty eradication to mitigating climate change. 840 million people still lack access to electricity, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, and have little alternative but to use sub-standard, harmful, and dirty fuels for their energy needs, such as kerosene lamps. Hundreds of millions more have unreliable electricity, tolerating sustained outages, or relying on small gasoline generators, which are unhealthy and unsustainable.Arguably the most attractive cost-efficient option to connect these people is solar mini-grids, typically serving a few thousand or tens of thousands. These are usually solar-hybrid generation systems consisting of solar panels, batteries, charge controllers, and inverters, with diesel backup generators.Despite significant sustained reductions in the cost of solar panels and battery storage in recent years, financial viability of mini-grids project is not yet well established. Successfully operating utilities in sub-Saharan Africa is especially challenging, and in 95% sub-Saharan African countries, utilities do not recover their costs. This means that investors are unwilling to invest, and hundreds of millions go unconnected.SteamaCo is the leading developer of IoT technologies to improve the operational efficiency of utility operations, with a focus on mini-grids in sub-Saharan Africa. We provide the world's most data-efficient grid-management and metering system, enabling utilities/mini-grid developers to operate effectively. For the utility, SteamaCo enables effective, scalable operations in developing markets. For end-users, SteamaCo offers convenient, reliable access to modern utility services for the first time.