Open Access

ARTICLE

Smart Micro Grid Energy System Management Based on Optimum Running Cost for Rural Communities in Rwanda

Fabien Mukundufite^1,*, Jean Marie Vianney Bikorimana¹, Alexander Kyaruzi Lugatona²
1 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Department, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
2 Electrical Engineering Department, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
* Corresponding Author: Fabien Mukundufite. Email:

Energy Engineering https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2024.051398

Received 05 March 2024; Accepted 11 April 2024; Published online 29 April 2024

Abstract

The governmental electric utility and the private sector are joining hands to meet the target of electrifying all households by 2024. However, the aforementioned goal is challenged by households that are scattered in remote areas. So far, Solar Home Systems (SHS) have mostly been applied to increase electricity access in rural areas. SHSs have continuous constraints to meet electricity demands and cannot run income-generating activities. The current research presents the feasibility study of electrifying Remera village with the smart microgrid as a case study. The renewable energy resources available in Remera are the key sources of electricity in that village. The generation capacity is estimated based on the load profile. The microgrid configurations are simulated with HOMER, and the genetic algorithm is used to analyze the optimum cost. By analyzing the impact of operation and maintenance costs, the results show that the absence of subsidies increases the levelized cost of electricity (COE) five times greater than the electricity price from the public utility. The microgrid made up of PV, diesel generator, and batteries proved to be the most viable solution and ensured continuous power supply to customers. By considering the subsidies, COE reaches 0.186 $/kWh, a competitive price with electricity from public utilities in Rwanda.

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Keywords

Load demand; load profile; optimum running cost; power demand satisfaction; smart meters; and smart micro grid

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