Here are 5 things you should know about mini-grids.

What is a mini-grid?

• According to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, mini-grid means an integrated local generation and distribution system with an installed capacity below 1 MW, capable of serving numerous end‐users independent of the national grid.
• A mini-grid consists of an isolated electricity generation source that distributes power over a network (grid lines) to a localised group of people.

What are the components of mini-grids?

Most mini-grids have basic components namely:

1. Generation

2. Distribution

3. End User

• The generation consists of various methods of generating power. This could be done using solar PV modules, Wind turbines, Hydropower systems, Biomass, Geothermal or diesel-powered generators.
• Generation could also include a mix of two power sources either renewable or non-renewable thereby making it a hybrid system. In addition, the generation phase includes inverters and energy storage systems (batteries) amongst other necessary things.
• The distribution phase is simply about how power generated gets to the end-user through grid lines, smart meters, household wiring etc.

It is believed that a mini-grid is a cost-effective means of improving energy access to people who are not connected to the main grid.

Did you know that mini-grids can either be isolated from or interconnected with the grid?

Here are a few mini-grid projects we have developed:

1. IBESHE COMMUNITY, IKORODU

2. UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN COLLEGE HOSPITAL

3 Energy Management & Saving Tips for Businesses

Technology is bringing new efficiencies and cost savings to businesses. It’s an exciting time to be alive.  You don’t have to be Elon Musk or Nikola Tesla for your business to start reaping the energy saving benefits of new technologies. Indeed, while many are already being implemented by businesses across industries, others are even approaching a tipping point in their adoption where they’ll become standard best practice in energy management.

Here are three ways to saving tips:

1. Smart Lighting Technology

Smart Lighting technology also allows businesses to better understand their energy needs, automate their consumption, and adapt to real-time to changes in occupancy.

Indeed, some companies have managed to cut energy costs by 75% and improved productivity by 20% by converting to a smart LED lighting system. Smart lighting systems also allow businesses to set preferred lighting times and track activity to improve workflow throughout the facility.

2. Solar Panel Technology

Businesses both large and small are also leveraging increasingly affordable photovoltaic technology to reduce their energy costs.

Indeed, solar power technology offers businesses a two-fold opportunity: to (1) reduce their energy consumption from the grid, and (2) even sell any excess production back into that grid. So not only are businesses able to save on their energy costs, but possibly even subsidize whatever energy consumption they still have to pay for.

3. Automatic Shutdown Sockets

A significant energy cost for many businesses is vampire power draw. Also known as standby power, it “refers to the way electric power is consumed by electronic and electrical appliances while they are switched off (but are designed to draw some power) or in a standby mode.”

This is where Automatic Shutdown Sockets come in. These are simply smart power outlets that use either infrared sensors or timers to cut power to any connected device when the device is not in use or the room is unoccupied. In other words, they allow businesses to save on powering devices whenever they are not in use.

What other tips do you know?

Let us know in the comments section.