Emerging Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges of Renewable Mini-Grids of the Future

الملخص

Renewable mini-grids are emerging as a vital solution for enhancing energy access, decarbonization, and resilience, particularly in remote and underserved regions. This paper explores key aspects shaping the future of renewable mini-grids, including emerging trends, opportunities, and challenges. One significant factor is the development of robust quality infrastructure (QI), which includes standards, testing, certification, and monitoring to ensure system reliability and mitigate deployment risks. Additionally, low-voltage direct current (LVDC) mini-grids are gaining traction due to their superior efficiency, simplified design, and reduced energy conversion losses. Opportunities abound in areas such as increased access to electricity, integration of distributed renewable energy resources, and sector coupling through advanced technologies like energy storage and peer-to-peer energy trading. However, various challenges persist, including regulatory uncertainty, high capital investment, technical issues related to system protection and integration, and limited compatibility of DC appliances. Addressing these challenges through policy reforms, technological advancements, and community engagement will be crucial to realizing the full potential of renewable mini-grids as sustainable energy systems of the future. To sum up, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for autonomous basic service mini-grids ranged between USD 0.39 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and USD 0.58/kWh, while autonomous full-service systems exhibited LCOE values ranging from USD 0.50/kWh to USD 0.75/kWh. These cost metrics demonstrate that mini-grids powered entirely by renewable energy represent a cost-competitive alternative to small gasoline and diesel generators, whose LCOE typically ranges from USD 0.35/kWh to USD 0.70/kWh.