18 March 2014
Report Explores Microgrids Best Practices in Developing Countries
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The Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Berkeley, together with the UN Foundation and the UN Secretary-General's Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative's Energy Access Practitioner Network, have published a study analyzing the potential contribution of, and best practices for, microgrids for rural electrification in developing countries.

e4allunitedfoundationFebruary 2014: The Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Berkeley, together with the UN Foundation and the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative’s Energy Access Practitioner Network, have published a study analyzing the potential contribution of, and best practices for, microgrids for rural electrification in developing countries.

Titled ‘Microgrids for Rural Electrification: A critical review of best practices based on seven case studies,’ the report explores 12 micro-grid projects in rural communities in Asia and the Caribbean. The report investigates how factors, such as subsidies, tariff design, and maintenance, affect the energy access potential of microgrids.

The report further considers what factors lead to “virtuous cycles” of success and “vicious cycles” of failure. It also offers insights for each of three models of microgrid deployment, namely for-profit, partially subsidized, and fully subsidized. Finally, best practices for microgrid development in three broad areas are reviewed: the social context; strategic planning; and technical, commercial and financial operations. [Publication: Microgrids for Rural Electrification: A Critical Review of Best Practices Based on Seven Case Studies]