Making Off-Grid Rural Electrification Work

PRODUCTIVE LOADS AS ANCHOR IN RURAL MINI GRIDS

Mlinda Case Studies

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BACKGROUND

• Not-for-profit• Operational in India from 2010• Environmental agenda – Reduce GHG

emissions, Production and Consumption of environmentally positive goods, Improve energy efficiency of GDP of the villages

• 310 pico /micro grids in 5 districts of West Bengal and Jharkhand

• 9 mini grids in Gumla, Jharkhand

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BACKGROUND- MINIGRIDS IN RURAL AREAS

• TYPES – SIZE, TECHNOLOGY, CONNECTIVITY TO MAIN GRID, AC/DC

• ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE VILLAGE – ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY, ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, OTHER DEVELOPMENT INDICES

• CONNECTIVITY – ROAD COMMUNICATIONS, TELECOM, ACCESSIBILITY

• NATURAL RESOURCES – WATER, SOIL, TERRAIN, POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCE

• HUMAN CAPITAL

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SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL MINI GRIDS`

• TYPES OF LOADS – DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND PRODUCTIVE • DAY VS NIGHT LOADS• BREAKDOWN OF COSTS• STORAGE, METERING, TRANSMISSION – CONTRIBUTE THE LION’S

SHARE• CONNECTED LOAD AND UTILISATION• VOLATILITY OF DOMESTIC LOADS• NATURE OF COMMERCIAL LOADS – MARKETS, TELECOM TOWERS,

POULTRY

SUSTAINABLITY OF MINI GRIDS

PRODUCTIVE LOADS• CONTRIBUTION TO INCOME

LEVELS AND VILLAGE GDP• FARM / NON FARM • SEASONALITY• STABILITY• DAY/ NIGHT LOADS• MILLING, CRUSHING, PUMPING• WINNOWING, THRESHING• HEATING/COOLING

PRODUCTIVE LOADS

PRODUCTIVE LOADS• Rural, Tribal, Remote• Sophisticated, Three Phase, AC • 24x7 Energy, Diesel back-up• Smart, pre-paid metering• Time of day tariffs• Size 20 to 40 kWp• Ground Mounted• Design - 80% Capacity Productive

Loads such as irrigation pumps, rice hullers

Mlinda Mini Grids

SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL MINI GRIDS`

• Case Study A – Small grid connect village with domestic and productive loads but no commercial loads• Case Study B – A remote off grid village with domestic,

productive and commercial loads

Case Studies – A & B

CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGECASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGE• GRID CONNECT VILLAGE 26 km FROM GUMLA TOWN• SMALL VILLAGE WITH 45 HOUSEHOLDS, FERTILE FARM LAND, RIVER

WATER AVAILABLE 10 MONTHS IN A YEAR• NO COMMERCIAL LOADS, LIMITED DOMESTIC APPLIANCES• PADDY IS MAIN CROP, VEGETABLES AND PULSES GROWN • ENTERPRISING FARMERS• PLANT SIZE – 22.5 KW• CONNECTED PRODUCTIVE LOAD – TWO LARGE IRRIGATION PUMPS,

ONE RICE HULLER, SIX SMALL PUMPS (19 KW)

CASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

•MAX UTILIZATION - 40 / 75 kWh per day• SEASONALITY – IRRIGATION 7

MONTHS, RICE HULLING 9 MONTHS

CASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGEHOW DO WE REACH COMMERCIAL SUSTAINABILITY?PUMP GROUPS, HULLER GROUPS, CAPACITY BUILDING, LINK TO MARKETS, EVOLVE INNOVATIVE BUSINESS MODELS, CONNECT NEIGHBOURING VILLAGE

CASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

CASE STUDY ‘B’ – NARATOLI VILLAGECASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

NARATOLI VILLAGE – CASE STUDY ‘B’• OFF GRID VILLAGE• PLANT CAPACITY – 22.5 kWp• 80 HOUSEHOLDS, ENTERPRISING COMMUNITY, FERTILE FARM LAND• RIVER, PONDS IN VICINITY, 11 MONTHS AVAILABILITY OF WATER• CONNECTED COMMERCIAL / PRODUCTIVE LOADS 30 kW - 58

POULTRY UNITS, TWO LARGE PUMPS, TWO RICE HULLERS, 6 SMALL PUMPS

CASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

NARATOLI VILLAGE – CASE STUDY ‘B’• PEAK UTILIZATION – 50 /75

kWh• SEASONALITY – IRRIGATION

PUMPS 7 TO 10 MONTHS, RICE HULLERS 9 MONTHS

CASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

NARATOLI VILLAGE – CASE STUDY ‘B’

HOW DO WE REACH COMMERCIAL SUSTAINABILITY?OTHER POTENTIAL LOADS, GROWING DEMAND, PUMP AND HULLER GROUPS, POULTRY GROUPS INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS

CASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

SUMMARY - LESSONS LEARNT• WATER PUMPING IS A UNIVERSAL ANCHOR LOAD IN RURAL AREAS • EXISTING DIESEL / FOSSIL FUEL BASED MACHINERY TO BE REPLACED BY EQUIVALENT

ELECTRIC MACHINES• INNOVATIVE MECHANISMS SUCH AS SHARING METERS BY FORMING GROUPS, HEATING

AND COOLING APPLICATIONS CONTRIBUTE ENORMOUSLY• PRICING OF TARIFFS SHOULD BE SO DESIGNED TO MAKE IT A VALUE PROPOSITION FOR

THE CONSUMERS VIS-À-VIS STATUS QUO SYSTEM• UTILISATION CAN BE INCREASED IF IT CONTRIBUTES TO NOT JUST THE VILLAGE

ENTREPRENEUR’S PROFITS BUT BENEFITS THE WHOLE VILLAGE• PRODUCTIVE ENERGY ACCESS MUST BE MAINSTREAMED WITH OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL

GOALS SUCH AS HEALTH, EDUCATION• INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN PRODUCTIVE BUSINESSES PAYS HUGE DIVIDENDS

SUMMARY – LESSONS LEARNT

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Thank you!

Vijay Bhaskar Country Director, Mlinda India

vbhaskar@mlinda.org www.mlinda.org

You can reach me at +91 9831023042