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

Fabien Mukundufite1,*, 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: email

Energy Engineering 2024, 121(7), 1805-1821. https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2024.051398

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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APA Style
Mukundufite, F., Bikorimana, J.M.V., Lugatona, A.K. (2024). Smart micro grid energy system management based on optimum running cost for rural communities in rwanda. Energy Engineering, 121(7), 1805-1821. https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2024.051398
Vancouver Style
Mukundufite F, Bikorimana JMV, Lugatona AK. Smart micro grid energy system management based on optimum running cost for rural communities in rwanda. Energ Eng. 2024;121(7):1805-1821 https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2024.051398
IEEE Style
F. Mukundufite, J.M.V. Bikorimana, and A.K. Lugatona, “Smart Micro Grid Energy System Management Based on Optimum Running Cost for Rural Communities in Rwanda,” Energ. Eng., vol. 121, no. 7, pp. 1805-1821, 2024. https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2024.051398



cc Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Tech Science Press.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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