has the potential of creating jobs for the local people both directly and indirectly. In consideration of
the former, MG infrastructure development and operation usually employs both skilled and unskilled labor.
Indirectly, electricity in the rural areas has proved able
to transform communities in terms of diversification
of sources of livelihoods by presenting several business opportunities including agro- and non-agro-based
enterprises through PUE (George et al., 2019; Lane,
Hudson, Gous, & Kuteesa, 2018). Other community
benefits due to electrification include the access to better educational services, less rural to urban migration
in search for better livelihoods, economic diversification, cheaper and more reliable social services (Weston
et al., 2016).
3.2 Environmental benefits
A great deal of attention has been focused on RE
generation throughout the energy community due to
their potential to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs)
in the power sector. Reduction of the carbon footprint accrued from promoting efficient and green
power generation, is essential in the attainment of
the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDC) aimed at 22% by 2030 which thus necessitate fast action (MEMD, 2019). The country continues
to witness more levels of ascent in the energy ladder which provides an optimistic horizon towards the
use of RE based MGs. In addition, solar technologies
have an emission reduction potential of 1.5 million
tonnes of CO 2 equivalent (MWE, 2015). The impact
of off grid solar PV based generation on the reduction potential of GHG emissions in the short and long
term was also studied through simulations of three
futuristic scenarios of 2020, 2030 and 2040 by the
authors (Zubi, Dufo-lópez, Pasaoglu, & Pardo, 2016).
From their study, the long term provided an optimistic
scenario for GHG reduction with focus to developing countries using the integrated Hybrid Optimization
Generation Algorithms (iHOGA).
3.3 Health benefits
The study carried out by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS MEMD, 2014) recorded that over 9.2% of
the healthcare facilities in the country were un electrified yet electricity plays a vital role in improving
access to health care services. In the vein of ensuring
that no one is left behind, energy access to health facilities serving the more disadvantaged rural population
necessitates concerted efforts. This has exceedingly
been underscored by the current COVID-19 crisis.
The utilization of MG technologies as accelerators to
the last mile connectivity to community health care
settings allows room for precisely meeting several
prospects of reduced vaccine losses due to refrigeration, prolonged working hours inclusive of the ability
to help in night child delivery, provision of energy for
emergency life care and powering hospital equipment
(Mohapatra et al., 2019). Off-grid rural electrification
has the potential of improving the air quality from
several detrimental anthropogenic emission activities
such as the utilization of kerosene lamps for lighting to combat Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs)
predominant in children and women (IRENA, 2019).
Furthermore, the switch to DG reduces health risks
such as brain cancer exposed to the communities residing in the proximity of the high voltage transmission
lines.
3.4 Reduced energy inequality
Through the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
lens, SDG 10 seeks to among others reduce inequalities. In Uganda’s context, this is amplified by the 2006
National Equal Opportunities policy goal. Just as it is
in many other developing countries, the country gives
priority to urban areas concerning access to basic services such as electricity. Though rather controversial,
the time has come when energy investments are needed
in more vulnerable localities where project proceeds
are tougher to make. The current underlying conditions demonstrate that electricity access is marked by
acute inequalities with 11.8% electrification rate in the
northern region (i.e. mostly rural) in contrast to 64.9%
in Kampala region (UBOS MEMD, 2014). Furthermore, households in rural areas are largely dependent
on fuel wood characterized by severe health impacts
and more time invested in drudgery than on productive
activities such as education, agriculture and businesses. This exacerbates the plight faced by women
whose fundamental societal and cultural role deters
their economic welfare yet their entrepreneurial role is
fundamental in low income countries (ESMAP, 2019).
Therefore, provision of sustainable energy to rural
households through MGs is paramount in addressing
the urban-rural energy divide which shall positively
impact on socio-economic development.
4 MINI-GRIDS
4.1 Mini-grids defined
A mini grid is basically a standalone localized cluster of electric power systems that entails all the stages
of energy generation, distribution, storage, loads and
load control that function semi-autonomously from the
centralized utility grid meant to serve a few or numerous customers (ESMAP, 2019; Romankiewicz et al.,
2014). They provide a building block for integrating
various energy sources inclusive of wind, micro-hydro,
solar as well as biomass to boost local energy resilience
(Parhizi et al., 2015; Warneryd, Håkansson, & Karltorp, 2020). Used interchangeably with the term micro
grids, these energy systems have been known as the
most dynamic and rapidly changing global energy
generation topology (Schnitzer, Lounsbury, Carvallo,
Deshmukh, Apt, & Kammen, 2014). Though to avoid
misperception, the term mini grid is used for the rest
of this paper.
248
the former, MG infrastructure development and operation usually employs both skilled and unskilled labor.
Indirectly, electricity in the rural areas has proved able
to transform communities in terms of diversification
of sources of livelihoods by presenting several business opportunities including agro- and non-agro-based
enterprises through PUE (George et al., 2019; Lane,
Hudson, Gous, & Kuteesa, 2018). Other community
benefits due to electrification include the access to better educational services, less rural to urban migration
in search for better livelihoods, economic diversification, cheaper and more reliable social services (Weston
et al., 2016).
3.2 Environmental benefits
A great deal of attention has been focused on RE
generation throughout the energy community due to
their potential to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs)
in the power sector. Reduction of the carbon footprint accrued from promoting efficient and green
power generation, is essential in the attainment of
the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDC) aimed at 22% by 2030 which thus necessitate fast action (MEMD, 2019). The country continues
to witness more levels of ascent in the energy ladder which provides an optimistic horizon towards the
use of RE based MGs. In addition, solar technologies
have an emission reduction potential of 1.5 million
tonnes of CO 2 equivalent (MWE, 2015). The impact
of off grid solar PV based generation on the reduction potential of GHG emissions in the short and long
term was also studied through simulations of three
futuristic scenarios of 2020, 2030 and 2040 by the
authors (Zubi, Dufo-lópez, Pasaoglu, & Pardo, 2016).
From their study, the long term provided an optimistic
scenario for GHG reduction with focus to developing countries using the integrated Hybrid Optimization
Generation Algorithms (iHOGA).
3.3 Health benefits
The study carried out by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS MEMD, 2014) recorded that over 9.2% of
the healthcare facilities in the country were un electrified yet electricity plays a vital role in improving
access to health care services. In the vein of ensuring
that no one is left behind, energy access to health facilities serving the more disadvantaged rural population
necessitates concerted efforts. This has exceedingly
been underscored by the current COVID-19 crisis.
The utilization of MG technologies as accelerators to
the last mile connectivity to community health care
settings allows room for precisely meeting several
prospects of reduced vaccine losses due to refrigeration, prolonged working hours inclusive of the ability
to help in night child delivery, provision of energy for
emergency life care and powering hospital equipment
(Mohapatra et al., 2019). Off-grid rural electrification
has the potential of improving the air quality from
several detrimental anthropogenic emission activities
such as the utilization of kerosene lamps for lighting to combat Chronic Respiratory Diseases (CRDs)
predominant in children and women (IRENA, 2019).
Furthermore, the switch to DG reduces health risks
such as brain cancer exposed to the communities residing in the proximity of the high voltage transmission
lines.
3.4 Reduced energy inequality
Through the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)
lens, SDG 10 seeks to among others reduce inequalities. In Uganda’s context, this is amplified by the 2006
National Equal Opportunities policy goal. Just as it is
in many other developing countries, the country gives
priority to urban areas concerning access to basic services such as electricity. Though rather controversial,
the time has come when energy investments are needed
in more vulnerable localities where project proceeds
are tougher to make. The current underlying conditions demonstrate that electricity access is marked by
acute inequalities with 11.8% electrification rate in the
northern region (i.e. mostly rural) in contrast to 64.9%
in Kampala region (UBOS MEMD, 2014). Furthermore, households in rural areas are largely dependent
on fuel wood characterized by severe health impacts
and more time invested in drudgery than on productive
activities such as education, agriculture and businesses. This exacerbates the plight faced by women
whose fundamental societal and cultural role deters
their economic welfare yet their entrepreneurial role is
fundamental in low income countries (ESMAP, 2019).
Therefore, provision of sustainable energy to rural
households through MGs is paramount in addressing
the urban-rural energy divide which shall positively
impact on socio-economic development.
4 MINI-GRIDS
4.1 Mini-grids defined
A mini grid is basically a standalone localized cluster of electric power systems that entails all the stages
of energy generation, distribution, storage, loads and
load control that function semi-autonomously from the
centralized utility grid meant to serve a few or numerous customers (ESMAP, 2019; Romankiewicz et al.,
2014). They provide a building block for integrating
various energy sources inclusive of wind, micro-hydro,
solar as well as biomass to boost local energy resilience
(Parhizi et al., 2015; Warneryd, Håkansson, & Karltorp, 2020). Used interchangeably with the term micro
grids, these energy systems have been known as the
most dynamic and rapidly changing global energy
generation topology (Schnitzer, Lounsbury, Carvallo,
Deshmukh, Apt, & Kammen, 2014). Though to avoid
misperception, the term mini grid is used for the rest
of this paper.
248