Hybrid mini-grid systems – electricity for communities not connected to the national electricity grid based on renewable energy resources

Abstract

One of the South African Government’s objectives is to have universal access to electricity for all of its citizens (Mbeki, 2004). To date, the South African electrification programme has been extremely successful from a policy, institutional, planning, financing and technical innovation perspective (Bekker et al, 2008). The focus on electrification and energisation, though, has moved from chasing numbers of connections to one of achieving sustainable economic and social benefits. However, energisation and electrification can only be sustainable where there are economic activities to pay for it. To obtain first-hand understanding of the complexity of this issue, CSIR undertook a threeyear investigative project, focusing on the Transkei area of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The primary objective of this project was the identification of electrification opportunities using renewable energy linked to existing and new economic activities. A holistic and integrated approach is required to achieve sustainable development and an integrated energy/economic framework was developed during the course of the abovementioned project. CSIR’s experience and knowledge was utilised in coordinating the development of an implementation plan for South Africa’s first hybrid mini-grid energy system at the Hluleka Nature Reserve on the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. This paper describes the three-year investigative project in the Eastern Cape province, the formulation of an integrated energy/economic framework and describes the CSIR’s role in the formulation of South Africa’s pilot hybrid mini-grids and the lessons learnt