Participants at the dissemination meeting held in the college Boardroom
The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) conducted a study on the Integration of On-Grid and Off-Grid Decentralized Renewable Energy Systems in Uganda. A dissemination seminar was convened at the college on Friday 15th November 2024, during which stakeholders were appraised about the process, findings, and recommendations of the research, supported by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) and other partners.
The research team led by Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu, the Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Principal Investigator presented the findings and recommendations from the project whose objective was to undertake a Techno-Economic Analysis of the integration of the centralized Grid and decentralized Renewable energy off-grid system, by developing a model for integrating centralized grid-based connections with decentralized off-grid systems.
Key among the recommendations was the institution of conducive policies and regulations such as enabling grid feed-in and cost-effective tariffs for off-grid developers, and collaborative planning, design, and installation of mini-grids, ready for grid integration.
Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu presented the findings from the study
Dr. Abubaker Waswa Matovu further reported that connecting the grid to the mini-grid for it to operate concurrently was also suggested in this study that was carried out as part of the Utilities 2.0 framework, which is a partnership to develop a proof of concept for how integrated electrification approaches can accelerate electricity access and expand the impact of electricity access on society.
Also recommended was that Grid feed-in should be permitted to enable excess solar energy to be sold to the grid as well as on-grid storage of energy generated at non-peak hours. This would not only provide for the use of larger loads such as milling and welding machines but also facilitate other productive energy uses that are not constrained by the mini-grid capacity limits.
The study also recommended combining electrification with the productive use of energy, and the promotion of skilling in rural energy technologies and smart grids drawing from the experiences obtained from the training conducted as part of the study. Training in Solar systems was a valuable learning experience, with exposure to solar PV systems from design and installation to maintenance and troubleshooting and the proposal to set up a solar test bed was mooted.
A section of the participants at the meeting
According to Ms. Josephine Kakande, the project was implemented at three sites namely Nyenje and Kyampisi for on-grid and Kiwumu in Mukono District for off-grid where a mini-grid was installed with solar PV, battery storage, and genset. She explained that the study came up with a Smart Energy Meter prototype that would help the customers get an understanding of their energy consumption patterns. Makerere University in partnership with Power for All and Energro developed a customized monitoring and data collection package designed to accommodate the limitations of rural settings. A power monitoring solution using Beitutu Smart Plugs and Amazon Cloud services was developed and deployed for monitoring the power consumption patterns of the appliances.
Based on the advantages and disadvantages of both centralized grid electrification and decentralized energy systems, the study established that well-established and sustainably operated mini-grids using renewable energy can overcome many of the grid challenges.
The Dean, School of Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Dorothy Okello addressed the meeting
The Dean of the School of Engineering, Assoc. Prof. Dorothy Okello who was at the dissemination event urged the project team to list some of the new problem areas as illustrated in the study results. ‘This on the face of it is an energy problem but if you look at the economics in it, the ICT and a number of other areas like community impact which we need to put out there to seek solutions. She said the project was one way of showcasing demand for energy resources where other players can build on this.
Ms. Evelyn Nyachwo a research support officer who made remarks on behalf of MAKRIF said the researchers needed to find ways of removing the research findings from the shelves to benefit the communities. ‘We need to take work from the shelves to the communities so that the knowledge generated is implemented. She said as the researchers write other grants, there was a need to consider community engagement.
Apart from Mak-RIF, the study was done with the support of other partners that included Power for All, Umeme Equatorial Power, NOA Uganda services, a Ugandan Mini Grid Services company, the Centre for Research in Energy and Energy Consumption (CREEK) as well as the communities, farmers, solar system operators and technicians who gave valuable information.