FORTIS UNUM: CLUSTERING MINI-GRID NETWORKS TO WIDEN ENERGY ACCESS AND ENHANCE UTILITY NETWORK RESILIENCE

为了支持这一呼吁的要求，该应用程序将利用与乌干达和肯尼亚先前部署的五个微型电网及其网络有关的现有工作。它汇集了研究人员和研究用户之间的合作，他们对可持续能源系统、弹性网络和能源获取感兴趣。迄今为止，估计约有12亿人(占全球人口的16%)无法用上电，还有更多人没有可靠的电力供应。这些人大多生活在撒哈拉以南非洲(SSA)和南亚国家的农村地区。据估计，SSA的总体电力普及率约为15.3%，农村地区的普及率降至4%。由于80%的SSA人口生活在农村地区，扩大电网的成本高得令人望而却步，而且在不久的将来不太可能通过这条路线为农村地区提供服务。此外，据估计，不可靠的国家电网的减负和停电将使GDP增长率下降2%。目标国家及其他地区缺乏电力供应阻碍了经济活动，使社区陷入贫困。因此，需要创新的、资本密集度较低的解决方案，如可持续能源迷你电网，以缓解这些挑战，实现增长，并为农村社区注入活力。农村电力解决方案的扩展受到低人口密度和非常低的收入(负担能力)以及城市地区补贴公用事业网络设定的低电费的影响。现在人们普遍认为，微型电网(发电、输电和配电)在向农村社区提供电力方面发挥着重要作用。该项目的重点是可持续能源驱动的电力网络，旨在促进撒哈拉以南非洲的短期和长期可持续增长，重点是肯尼亚和乌干达。该项目将建立在我们在这些国家农村地区提供模块化太阳能光伏(PV)发电和配电系统方面的10年研发经验的基础上。我们将在这种合作的基础上创造新的适当知识和能力建设，重点是可持续和有弹性的地方能源网络，包括离网网络及其向国家电网的过渡。这项研究将探讨各种模式下的微型电网网络--(A)隔离(B)连接到国家电网和(C)多个网络连接并共同工作。集群式微型电网将形成更广泛的网络，具有更高的稳定性和更低的水平电力成本(LCOE)，而将这些集群连接到国家电网可以为线路近端的公用事业网络提供支持。这项研究将以对申请者在肯尼亚和乌干达的五个现有微型电网的实地研究为基础，并将考虑在这些国家规划400多个微型电网。

To support the requirements of the call, this application will utilise existing work related to five mini grids and their networks deployed previously in Uganda and Kenya. It brings together collaborations between researchers and research users that have interest in sustainable energy systems, resilient networks and energy access. To date, it is estimated that around 1.2 billion people, representing 16% of the global population, have no access to electricity with many more having no reliable electricity supply. Most of these people live in rural areas in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and south Asian countries. Overall access to electricity in SSA is estimated to be around 15.3%, decreasing to 4% in rural areas. As 80% of the SSA population lives in rural areas, extending the grid is prohibitively expensive and rural areas are unlikely to be served through this route in the near future. In addition, load-shedding and blackouts from unreliable national grids are estimated to lower GDP growth by 2%. The lack of access to electricity in the targeted countries and beyond hampers economic activity, trapping communities in poverty. Hence, innovative and less capital intensive solutions such as sustainable energy mini grid networks will be needed to alleviate these challenges, provide growth, and invigorate rural communities. Expansion of rural electricity solutions is compromised by low population densities and very low incomes (affordability) coupled with low tariffs set by the subsidised utility network in urban areas. It is now widely accepted that mini-grids (electrical power generation, transmission and distribution) have an important role to play in delivering electricity access to rural communities. The focus of this project is sustainable energy driven electricity networks geared to promote the short and long-term sustainable growth in Sub Saharan Africa focusing on Kenya and Uganda. This project will build on our 10 years' experience of research and development in delivering modular solar photovoltaic (PV) driven power generation and distribution systems in rural areas on these countries. We will build on such collaborations to create new and appropriate knowledge, and capacity building, focussing on sustainable and resilient local energy networks, including off-grid networks and their transition to the national grid. This research will address mini grid networks in various modes - (a) isolated (b) connected to the national grid and (c) with multiple networks connected and working jointly. Clustering mini grids will form wider networks with greater stability and lower Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE), while linking such clusters to the national grid could provide support the near end of line utility network. This research will be underpinned by field studies on the applicants' five existing mini grids in Kenya and Uganda and will consider over 400 mini-grids in planning in these countries.