Abstract
Electricity disparity in sub-Saharan Africa is a multi-dimensional challenge that has significant implications on the current socio-economic predicament of the region. Strategic implementation of demand response (DR) programs and renewable energy (RE) integration can provide efficient solutions with several benefits such as peak load reduction, grid congestion mitigation, load profile modification, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. In this research, an incentive and price-based DR programs model using the price elasticity concepts is proposed. Economic analysis of the customer benefit, utility revenue, load factor, and load profile modification are optimally carried out using Freetown (Sierra Leone) peak load demand. The strategic selection index is employed to prioritize relevant DR programs that are techno-economically beneficial for the independent power producers (IPPs) and participating customers. Moreover, optimally designed hybridized grid-connected RE was incorporated using the Genetic Algorithm (GA) to meet the deficit after DR implementation. GA is used to get the optimal solution in terms of the required PV area and the number of BESS to match the net load demand after implementing the DR schemes. The results show credible enhancement in the load profile in terms of peak period reduction as measured using the effective load factor. Moreover, customer benefit and utility revenues are significantly improved using the proposed approach. Furthermore, the inclusion of the hybrid RE supply proves to be an efficient approach to meet the load demand during low peak and valley periods and can also mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
Highlights
Access to a sustainable, affordable, and reliable source of energy is key to the socio-economic advancement of Africa
From the simulation results analysis, for Capacity Market Program (CAP) and the simultaneous execution of Time of Use (ToU) with direct load control (DLC) 6.5% and 6.39 % peak load reduction are attained, respectively. Both yielded the highest benefits of the executed proposed demand response (DR) programs scheme; The reduction of energy consumption of 2041.7 MWh was achieved with CAP and 2033.2 MWh as achieved with ToU-DLC
The critical peak pricing (CPP) and concurrent execution of ToU and IC DR programs prove to be economically efficient from the independent power producers (IPPs) and customer perspective
Summary
Affordable, and reliable source of energy is key to the socio-economic advancement of Africa. The electricity access rate for sub-Saharan Africa reported as 62.5%, in 2017, with millions remaining connected to unreliable networks that cannot satisfy their electricity needs. A significant portion of this region has electricity access rates estimated at 20%, and two out of three people lack access to modernized energy services [1,2]. The electricity access rate in sub-Saharan Africa improved from 43% in 2016 and it is estimated that it will improve by 59% in 2030. Of the 674 million people that will be without access to electricity in 2030, 90% are in sub-Saharan Africa [3]. Sub-Saharan Africa is plagued with the problem of deficiency in electricity supply and excessive demand in both grid-connected and off-grid regions; often, consumers are connected to an unreliable grid that does not satisfy their daily energy service needs. Meeting the electricity disparities in sub-Saharan Africa is a multi-dimensional challenge with significant implications on how to frame the region’s energy predicament
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