Feasibility studies of deploying solar hydro mini/micro grids for 24/7 electricity in remote off-grid communities in South Asia

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Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK
Innovate UK

£104,260

Dec. 1, 2021

March 31, 2022

In this project, we will conduct a feasibility study on deploying our patented all-weather solar-hydro microgrid to provide clean, affordable and secure electricity to remote off-grid communities in south Asia i.e., Nepal, Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) and Bhutan. Our system wraps multiple benefits in one package: alleviating energy poverty, empowering local industry, and improving quality of life such as clean drinking water and local internet services.

Throughout South Asia a large number of people living in remote, isolated villages remain unelectrified. Most rely on low quality fuels such as kerosene, candles, cowdung and firewood. Attempts have been made to distribute solar home systems (SHS) to individual households, but there have been challenges. The monsoon heavily impacts solar panels energy generation, and villagers are left to pickup pieces when systems breakdown after few years the distributors long since having moved on. Grid extension, often promised and rarely delivered, is too expensive to justify even were it to arrive, load shedding (blackout) is common.

Our solar-hydro microgrid enable delivering grid quality electricity at affordable price for decades. In a business model developed in response to years of research into successful rural energy projects, local entrepreneurs will form the backbone of our operation. All members of the community will be offered connection to our microgrid at affordable prices. Business owners will be able to refrigerate food and medicine, operate power equipment, and keep shops open late-night. Even the poorest family will afford lighting, their children can read and family can enjoy television. Locals will be trained on the day-to-day operations of the plant and SEMWaves will continue to provide O&M support indefinitely. It is cheaper compare to SHS, Kerosene and traditional mini-grid. The system does not use batteries as energy storage thus 100% green, can operate tens of year without any major replacements and deliver grid nature (AC) electricity to the off-grid communities.

Bangladesh and Nepal are ideal candidates for our solution. Both countries have around 1 in 10 rural people living without electricity (World Bank) and ~5% in extreme poverty (ADB). And yet, both countries are also blessed with enormous renewable energy potential: Bangladesh is incredibly well suited to solar power, and Nepal has some of the greatest hydropower potential of any country. Both governments are pursuing aggressive rural electrification strategies that are contingent on renewable energy, and we intend to make our product a part of this stage in history.