Micro-Grid Site Summaries

SELCO Foundation Microgrids

Details of SELCO Foundation microgrid pilot sites2013-2015

Contents

1. Background and Introductiona. Approachb. Map of all sites analysed in Karnatakac. Timeline for all sitesd. Map of all sites installed

2. The sites (for each of the 4 installed by SELCO Foundation)a. About the siteb. The systemc. The modeld. Project phasese. Learnings and replication

3. Learnings from non-implemented sites

MicrogridsBackground and

Introduction

With 1.6 billion people still remaining unelectrified, exploring different replicable energy access models becomes critical. Possible models include micro/mini-grids, individual decentralised energy systems, central charging stations etc. This presentation focuses on the work done by SELCO Foundation to explore microgrids as a potential solution.

SELCO Foundation explored the potential aspects of microgrids to understand the technical, financial and social implications from an ecosystem and context/user driven perspective. This report documents these projects as well as presenting key areas of learnings and concepts that could be replicated into other microgrid (or other technology) projects.

ApproachA successful microgrid project is not just an installation of technology in a community, but consists of many stages and aspects including appropriate needs assessment and setting up a suitable business model for the site. SELCO Foundation’s investigation into microgrids therefore focused on experimenting with different models and drawing out learnings from each phase of the project.

The following phases define a microgrid project:1. Site identification2. Survey & needs assessment3. Design4. Agreement5. Installation & Commissioning6. Business Model setup7. Maintenance and monitoring

By implementing 4 pilot projects, and surveying many more sites, some key lessons were learnt about each of these phases, and concepts that could be replicated were highlighted. Mendare: a remote village in MM hills

Arshingere, Gundihambla & Paradeshianappamutta, Chikmagalur

Byahatti, Dharwad Allapur, Kalaburagi

Doddane, Thokkere, MM Hills

Bellary Labour Camp

Kanakapura mines

Baikampady, Mangaluru

Mendare, MM Hills

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyala, Dharwad

Neelakantarayanagaddi, Yadgiri

Deriya & Joida, Dandeli

Sites analysed within Karnataka

not implemented pending

not implemented

not implemented

not implemented

implemented

implemented

not implemented

not implemented

implemented implemented

Arshingere, Gundihambla & Paradeshianappamutta, Chikmagalur

Byahatti, Dharwad

Baikampady, Mangaluru

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya, Dharwad

Deriya & Joida, Dandeli

not implemented

implemented

not implemented

not implemented

implemented

Allapur, Kalaburagi

Doddane, Thokkere, MM Hills

Bellary Labour Camp

Mendare, MM Hills

Neelakantarayanagaddi, Yadgiri

reopened in November 2015

not implemented

not implemented

implemented

implemented

May 2013 Jul 2014

Jun 2013 Aug 2014

Jul 2013 Sep 2014

Aug 2013 Oct 2014

Sep 2013 Nov 2014

Oct 2013 Dec 2014

Nov 2013 Jan 2015

Dec 2013 Feb 2015

Jan 2014 Mar 2015

Feb 2014 Apr 2015

Mar 2014 May 2015

Apr 2014 Jun 2015

May 2014 Jul 2015

Jun 2014 Aug 2015

… Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya

Munger, Bihar

implementing

Madurai, Tamil Nadu

not implemented

Timelines

Baikampady, MangaluruEntrepreneur run, loan from Canara Bank, collections cover EMIPV(1.2kW), Battery(19.2kWh) & Grid Migrant labourer community75 tin-sheet roof households90 lights, 75 mobile chargers, 3 fans and 1 TV.140Rs to 200Rs per month

Mendare, MM HillsLocal NGO, Myrada, as partnerFunded by annual collection from community & Armstrong Energy FoundationPV(600W) & Battery (9.6kWh)22 mud & thatch / brick & tin-sheet houses2 lights and mobile charger in each1000Rs per year

Kalkeri Sangeet VidyalayaA 14kW system installed in a music school for hut based class rooms. Battery (72kWh) & GridClassrooms (lighting, digital education equipment etc.), hostels (lighting, TV), office (laptops, lighting fans), kitchenPart of holistic solution including energy efficiency measures.

NeelakantarayanagaddiLocal Business Associate as partnerFunded by BA, Armstrong Energy Foundation & communityPV(1.2kW) & Battery (9.6kWh)41 mud & thatch / brick & tin-sheet houses1 or 2 lights and mobile charger (5Rs or 100Rs per month)

Installed Projects in Karnataka

Baikampady, Mangalore

Entrepreneur run microgrid by landlord/ landowner for low-

income labour colony

● Community: Migrant labourers to industrial area North of Mangalore

● Operational model: Entrepreneur run, micro-grid installed on land-owner’s house

● Financial model: Down-payment and bank loan from entrepreneur. Rent charged to tenants increased so that monthly EMI is covered.

● Loads powered: 60 1-room houses (3m x 4m) with 1 light + mobile charger - 140Rs/month charge. 15 larger houses (10m x 10m) with 2 light + mobile charger + power for fan and TV - 200Rs/month charge

● Technical specifications: 96VDC system, 1.2kWpk PV panel, 200Ahx96V battery bank, unreliable grid power as backup. Loads work on 96VDC, the standard AC adapters for mobile charging and LCD TVs work on this DC voltage.

Baikampady, Mangalore. 75 houses were provided with lighting, mobile charging plus some with TVs and fans

About the siteThe entrepreneur who owns and operates the micro-grid system inherited the property from his father. The land is used as a plantation for coconuts, bananas, and other plants. Previously, the owner rented land to laborers who lived in makeshift tarpaulin tents. Due to a court order and community pressure, the owner was required to construct basic apartments for the resident laborers. Prior to installing the mini-grid system, residents would primarily use kerosene for light at a cost of 150-200 Rs per month. The kerosene was difficult to procure and poses health and safety risks. Residents would pay an additional 60-70 Rs per month for mobile charging.

Grid power is available at the site, but there were a number of drawbacks to directly using the grid. First, government agencies do not recognize the site as a formal settlement so there was a regulatory risk to installing grid electricity. Second, the electricity service in this area is not reliable. And finally, the electric service provider charges a minimum fee for each meter even if no power is consumed. As this housing is used by migrant day-laborers, the houses are not fully occupied year-round. A solar PV micro-grid was therefore suggested, making use of the land-owner to build a sustainable model.

PV and Battery Location

15 larger houses

60 houses Open well

Industrial Area

Good road access

Coconut plantation

Residential Area

The site

Sea

The model - linkage with rentThe key to this model is the linkage to rent. The same customers already pay the landlord rent, so the cost of the microgrid is added onto this, and there is no additional transaction cost. Most importantly: the incentive for the landlord is not, primarily, to make a profit on the microgrid, but instead to increase occupancy of the labour camp, so increasing his collections from rent and the microgrid.

The fee for the microgrid was therefore calculated to cover the EMI of the bank loan with the current occupancy. Neighbouring households staying in lower quality accommodation then are attracted to stay in his, occupancy increases and the entrepreneur starts to make profit.

The finances just after the project was implemented are summarised to the right. His EMI comes to Rs. 9,201 which will repay a Rs. 4,14,000 in 5 years. To cover this EMI he must charge the larger households Rs. 250 extra and the smaller households Rs. 150 extra.

If occupancy increases to 100% then he will profit Rs. 3,549

Costs

Capital Costs (INR) 5,14,000

Down payment (INR) 1,00,000

Loan amount, 12%, 5 years (INR) 4,14,000

EMI (INR) 9,201

Monthly maintenance costs (INR) 857

Collections

Larger household - number 10

Larger household - INR per month 250

Smaller household - number 50

Smaller household - INR per month 150

Total monthly revenue (INR) 10,000

Monthly Profit (INR) -58

Monthly Profit @ 100% Occupancy (INR)

3,549

The SystemSystem voltage: 96VDCPV panels: 4x 300W, 24V, series connection, EmmVeeBatteries: 8x 200Ah, 12V, series connection, PrimetechCharge controller: Customer made Solar + Grid 96VDC charger, Solar-Battery-Grid priority, Power OneTransmission: 96VDC, Aluminium single core wire in PVC pipeHousehold connection: Clusters of houses had copper wire connection, junction boxes for Aluminium to Copper connectionHousehold wiring: Copper with standard consumablesLoad control: Fuses for each house limit power consumption. Timing is centrally & manually controlled by Entrepreneur Loads used: 96VDC LED lights, 3W. Standard AC universal power supplies work on 96VDC, so standard TVs, mobile chargers and 12V adapter for fans were used.Monitoring: Data logger installed to measure and monitor usage. No remote connection: data must be downloaded locally

Panels mounted-top of on

land-owner’s house roof

Batteries and 96VDC charge regulator stored inside room on side of land-owner’s house

Two load lines for two sections of the community. Load switched on with MCBs by entrepreneur

Data-logger to record and monitor load use and solar generation

15 larger houses

60 smaller houses

Project phases

Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement

Installation & Commission

Business Model

Maintenance & Monitoring

The site was identified by a business associate of SELCO

The needs assessment was driven mainly by the entrepreneur who defined the number of lights, TVs and fans to be installed.

As the first pilot project then design was handled by the SELCO Foundation technology team. Having grid available for backup enabled a lower cost design (less battery backup required)

With the community being represented only by the entrepreneur, then only one person needed to be persuaded and agree for the project. This was therefore relatively simple.

Installation was done by the local branch and managed by a member of the tech team from head office as it was the first installation. Mostly straightforward, but using single core concealed in PVC pipes was difficult due to stiffness of the Aluminium wire.

Collection is managed by the entrepreneur who was already collecting rent charges, so only increased the amount collected each month.

The system is located near to a SELCO branch, so all monitoring and most of the maintenance is carried out by them. As a new system, there were initial requirements for engineers from head office to visit, but the technicians were trained in dealing with these problems (e.g. loose connections in transmission wiring)

Learnings & Replication

Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


SurveyThe needs assessment was driven mainly by the entrepreneur who defined the number of lights, TVs and fans to be installed.

Possible replications:If a local representative can be found, and relied upon, then the complexity of the project is reduced. Rather than spending time getting to know the community, the required knowledge can be provided by this representative.

Learnings:The needs assessment changed a number of times before the project was installed, and the final choice of the number of TVs and fans did not match what the community was willing to pay for. Also, when additional services were identified as potentially useful for the community, there was no real interest from the landlord. This limited the impact possible from the project.

Conclusions:A local representative greatly helped in guiding needs assessment. However, based on experience built up with other projects, the implementing organisation (SELCO in this case) should guide the representative in what is likely to be needed by the community. This ensures proper sizing & design, recovery of costs and maximum impact of the project.


Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


AgreementWith the community being represented only by the entrepreneur, then only one person needed to be persuaded and agree for the project. This was therefore relatively simple.

Possible replications:Microgrids are community projects, but having a single voice for the community helped in moving the project forward. This voice could be an entrepreneur, but more often could be the village head, a local influential figure etc.

Learnings:Two houses had dropped out after 6 months, opting to pay less and remove the light. Both houses were occupied by bachelors who were mostly out for work. This did not majorly affect the viability of the project, but in other cases there is a risk that without individual opinions being voiced, individual choices may not be well represented.

Conclusions:A single voice is useful but this person should adequately take inputs from all members of the community.


Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


Business ModelLink to increase occupation and rent... Collection is managed by the entrepreneur who was already collecting rent charges, so only increased the amount collected each month.

Possible replications:The collections at the site were tied into rent collections; if a household stopped paying then they would be at risk of eviction. This leads to a strong and risk-free mechanism. Similar cases could be established with employer-employee or purchaser-supplier relationships. Additionally, as the entrepreneur took a loan for the system from a bank, there is no risk on an outside organisation (SELCO in this case) and there is strong incentive for the entrepreneur to ensure that the collection mechanism works. Labour camps & mandated for lighting...

Learnings:The risk is fully on the entrepreneur and so needs to be managed carefully..

Conclusions:The collections are strong in the site, but the same model could not be applied across many different sites as finding entrepreneurs willing and able to take loans (or existing transaction...) for systems may not be possible in remote villages, for example.

Left: 1.2kWpk PV array on the roof of the landowner’s house Right: 3W LED light illuminates the kitchen of a house

Left: Two rows of the smaller houses Right: The LED light and connection point for TV and mobile charger

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya

Providing reliable and clean energy to a rural institution

● Community: Residential music school ● Operational model: School purchased and

maintains the system● Financial model: Grant awarded to school to

fund project● Loads powered: Classrooms (lighting, digital

education equipment etc.), hostels (lighting, TV), office (laptops, lighting fans), kitchen. Part of holistic solution including energy efficiency measures

● Technical specifications: 14kWpk PV with 17kWh battery. Single phase inverter system with 3 phase grid charging and 240V DC system voltage. Distributed energy monitoring to help in managing energy usage at the site.

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya, a 14kW PV system powers the entire campus

About the siteThe Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya is situated in Kalkeri village, Dharwad district in Karnataka. The school was founded in 2002 to provide musical and modern academic education to underprivileged children. Students are educated in traditional Indian classical music as well as usual subjects within a peaceful rural atmosphere. In 2014 the school won the Zyed Future Energy Award for sustainable schools, and put this money towards solving its energy reliability issues in a sustainable way. Training and awareness creating programmes aim at creating future energy champions that will have the first-hand experience of living under 100% sustainable conditions.

KSV is located inside a forested area and all aspects of the school aim to minimise the impact on its surroundings. Buildings are mainly built in a traditional style with locally available materials. A grid connection serves the site, but this is unreliable in day-times which affects the school’s operations. Classrooms were fitted with individual solar PV systems, powering lights and projectors, hostels had DC lighting systems and the office had an inverter system. Shading from trees affected these system’s performance.

PV and Battery Location

Underground 4-wire AC wiring

Classrooms, Office

Classrooms, Hostels

Volunteers accommodation

Farm land

Forest

The model: Using data for design & monitoringEnergy auditing:When designing a system for a larger and more complex site it is very important to understand the energy use at the site. Team members visited the school for an extended period to collect the detailed requirements.

Energy efficiency:Based on the energy audit a combined solution of a PV microgrid and energy efficiency measures were suggested. Energy efficiency is key to the system; reducing consumption reduces the size of the system which reduces the upfront cost and the recurring maintenance cost.

Time (hour)

Pow

er (V

A)

Estimated hourly load profile after energy efficiency measures

System design:After energy efficiency measures are taken into a account the system was designed to provide reliable energy supply using mostly solar at a reasonable budget. Grid supply data and solar irradiation data was collected and the balance between cost, reliability and clean energy was optimised.

Post installation monitoring and review:Data monitoring allows continued assessment of the system and resource utilisation. Advice was given on upgrades to the system including control modification during monsoon and load additions.

Ene

rgy/

day

(kW

h)

Average daily energy demand and use per day

The SystemSystem voltage: 240VDCPV panels: 14kWpk array (10 series x 5 parallel 280Wpk)Batteries: 72kWh array (120x 300Ah, 2V, series)Power Conditioning Unit: 20kVA rated, 3phase input, 1phase output. Output is given to three separate wires.Transmission: 1 phase transmission on underground 4-core.Building connection: Clusters of buildings connected via distribution boxes.Building wiring: Copper with standard consumablesLoad control: MCBs for each buildingLoads used: Variety of AC loads, lights, fans, TVs, laptops in office and hostels. Kitchen loads, washing machine.Monitoring: Each distribution point has an energy meter. Data is logged to a central server so the school can see generation and consumption data. If one section of buildings consumes extra load this is seen and can be prevented. If required, building level monitoring can be provided for specific auditing.

50 Panels mounted on custom

built MMS over battery room

PCU

120 numbers of 2V, 300Ah batteries on two racks

Control panel with data monitoring

3ph Grid Input

1ph AC Output on 4-core UG cable

PV input

Distribution Boxes

Power consumption from each distribution box is measured and logged

Project phases

Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya is a past customer of SELCO’s and the grant proposal was jointly written by KSV and SELCO

A detailed energy audit was carried out to establish load demand and assess the best possible solutions.

Using the inputs from the energy audit a best design was given using HOMER simulation tool to assess various options. A mixed solar + grid system was found to be most effective, where reduced

The project was commission by the school, so only one customer had to be considered. Hence agreement for the project was not an issue.

The installation & commissioning was managed by SELCO projects team with help from SELCO Foundation as this was a special project and involved some complexities.

The system was paid for in advance with a percentage paid on commissioning of the system.

The local branch and projects team is available for maintenance of the system with tech team members from head office available for more complex issues. A remote monitoring system is used.


Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


Survey & DesignAn energy audit was carried out to establish load demand and assess the best possible solutions. Using the inputs from the energy audit a best design was given.

Possible replications:The energy audit gave a good understanding of the load requirements at the site which allowed for optimising the design. For larger projects this should become the standard approach to assessment and design, to establish the hourly load profile and grid availability. The battery sizing in particular, can be optimised with this data.

Learnings:At the time of auditing, data monitoring and power analysing tools were not available, so load estimates were done by observation. The data collected was therefore limited but not fully accurate, and the result was an overestimation of peak demand and so an oversized inverter. Data logging before installation is therefore recommended, preferably after energy efficiency measures have been introduced.

Conclusions:Energy auditing is a skill that needs to be developed within the team for large projects in the future. Tools such as power analysers or data loggers are recommended to be used in future audits.


Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


Installation & CommissionThe installation & commissioning was managed by SELCO projects team with help from SELCO Foundation as this was a special project and involved some complexities. By far the largest challenge was in installation of the Module Mounting Structure (MMS). The panels were mounted above another building on a separate steel structure and a building was constructed underneath this for the batteries. Due to rains and difficult ground work the installation of this far overshot the expected timelines. Furthermore, the MMS structure itself was designed primarily for safety, but it is expected that some optimisation is possible.

Replication:Customisation of MMS is important to fit the customer’s needs. Hiring heavy machinery saved time in the installation (this could have been hired earlier).

Learnings:At the time of design and installation no in-house capability existed for design of MMS. This has since been rectified and by doing a detailed structure design it may be possible to save costs for future customised structures.

Conclusions:The team coped with the unforeseen challenges in a new project and the lessons learnt have better equipped the team for similar projects in the future.


Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


Maintenance & MonitoringThe local branch and projects team is available for maintenance of the system with tech team members from head office available for more complex issues. A remote monitoring system is used.

Replication:The data collected gave a very accurate picture of the load being used by the site and the generation available. By analysing this data it is possible to suggest additions to the system to make better use of the energy available. For this system, the analysis improved the service given to the customer. For systems where collections are dependant on energy consumed then this analysis could increase the amount collected from the system and so improve the project’s viability/profitability.

Learnings:For more complex systems adequate time should be given to local technicians to maximise the number and type of issues that can be solved.

Conclusions:Data collection should be added to all microgrid projects, minimal feature data loggers are available from around 1000Rs, so cost would not be a limiting factor

Left: Inverter, control panel and data logger Right: 120x 2V, 300Ah battery array

Left: Clearing boulders for the MMS foundations Right: Fitting the PV panels to the MMS

Mendare Village, MM Hills

Working with a local NGO to provide reliable energy access to

a vulnerable community

● Community: Remote village of 22 houses in MM hills near Mysore

● Operational model: Local NGO as partner for supporting operations.

● Financial model: Annual payment from community with capital subsidy from CSR

● Loads powered: 2 lights in each of the 22 houses with a mobile charger

● Technical specifications: 48VDC system and transmission. 600Wpk PV with 200Ah, 48VDC battery bank. Data monitoring and remote access/control.

At Mendare village in MM hills, 600W of PV panels power 2 lights and mobile charging in each of the 22 houses.

About the siteThere are a number of un-electrified communities in the forest area surrounding Male Mahadeshwara, a temple town south of Bangalore, Karnataka. These communities are typically remote and access is often via a stone & gravel road, passable by jeep or walking. Hence, providing services to these areas is difficult. The communities do not have grid power, but a number of households have installed solar-home-systems. The Mysore branch of SELCO India has installed more than 170 SHS in this area, as well as three pump systems, and light-for-education systems. The area is a good demonstration of renewable energy providing power where grid infrastructure cannot reach.

Mendare is one such village, where there are 22 houses clustered together, with around 5-8 others nearby. The village is home to a tribal community which has land to grow staple crops. Other sources of income are basket weaving, and these are sold around the temple at MM hills. Water is available from streams at the bottom of the valley, or at the school which children attend 20 minutes walk away. Children sometimes beg at the temple for money, and generally the income levels of households are very low. Houses are generally made of mud and thatch, with some brick structures. The village is spread out in a line on top of a hill.

Forest

PV and battery

Dirt Path access

22 houses along ridge of hill

Mendare

Poor road access to MM hills Nearby villages, end

of road access

Subsistence farms

Forest

Open well

Water collection point

The Model - Platform MicrogridWith remote and vulnerable communities it is important to build a sustainable project which can help in development. Often, free and low quality solar home systems or solar streetlights are given to these communities, which quickly fail and do not offer opportunity for other services apart from lighting to be provided.

The model being piloted is therefore:1. Provide for the immediate needs of the community

with the most appropriate technology.2. Match the communities ability to pay, including how

much they can pay and how often.3. Build up a reliable collection and monitoring

mechanism with the community.4. Establish which services could be introduced later,

building on-top of the existing infrastructure and operational model established.

Following this model at Mendare:1. Lighting and mobile charging are provided2. The community can pay 1000Rs annually, matching

their seasonal income from farming.3. Myrada, a strong local partner, will collect this

amount from the community4. The Rural Community Labs are now engaged in

establishing future services to be introduced.

The project was financed by Armstrong Energy Foundation with a Rs.3,80,000 grant. This allowed the collection to be put towards maintenance of the system.

The SystemSystem voltage: 48VDCPV panels: 2x 300W, 24V, series connection, EmmVeeBatteries: 4x 200Ah, 12V, series connection, PrimetechCharge controller: 48V Phocos CRTransmission: 48VDC overhead wiringHousehold connection: Service lines taken to house, junction box inside houseHousehold wiring: Copper with standard consumablesLoad control: Fuses for each house limit power consumption. Timing is centrally & manually controlled by Entrepreneur Loads used: 48VDC LED lights, 3W. 48VDC mobile chargerMonitoring: Centralised data logger with remote monitoring. Timing of the system can be controlled remotely and data collected and analysed remotely.

2x 300Wpk panels mounted on a raised MMS for protection

4 12V, 200Ah batteries stored inside a hut

Control panel with DC charge regulator and data monitoring

Project phases

Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


The project site was identified by the local SELCO branch with Myrada, the NGO that works in the area.

A needs assessment and site survey was conducted by the SELCO branch and members of SELCO Foundation, with Myrada.

The design was done by SELCO Foundation, and is a go-to standard design for a 48V microgrid providing for basic lighting and mobile charging for a small village.

Agreement with the community was handled by Myrada, a reliable and strong partner who has existing projects in the village.

Installation and commission was managed by SELCO Projects team with the help of SELCO Foundation, as it was one of the first microgrid projects.

A grant funded the project’s capital costs and collections cover maintenance costs, including battery replacement.



Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


Business ModelA grant funded the project’s capital costs and collections cover maintenance costs, including battery replacement.

Replication:The project does not offer returns on the capital investment, but does provide a sustainable and reliable platform on which future interventions can be built. With the communities very limited ability to pay and level of vulnerability, this is justified. Such projects should focus on the development of the community, and providing a platform microgrid can facilitate future interventions. Furthermore, having a strong local partner is essential for these projects to succeed, Myrada was key to this project’s implementation.

Learnings:Return on capital cannot always be expected and matching the communities ability to pay is key, but challenging to determine.

Conclusions:There is a lot of discussion on how microgrids can play a role in rural electrification and expectations on financial sustainability are high. Whilst decentralised energy systems are often far cheaper than centralised grid the ability of remote communities to pay for electrcity must be taken into account. For vulnerable communities the primary concern should be towards development of the village.


Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model



Replication:By installing good quality wiring and a data monitoring system the amount of excess energy can be determined and additional loads and services can be supported. The strong community partner, however, is essential and can be used to build in extra services in the future.

Learnings:To maximise efficiency, 48V loads were used. These are non-standard, so replacement of lights was not straightforward. Spare lights should be stocked in the local branch.

Conclusions:The system is simple and robust. Monitoring usage and working with the community to add other services is key and the communities development should be focused on.

Left: At the first site survey, streetlights no longer functioning Right: PV installed, battery shed in construction

Neelakantarayanagaddi Village, Yadgir

Business Associate driven project to provide reliable energy

access

● Community: Remote village of 41 houses on an river-island near to Yadgir

● Operational model: Business Associate as local operator of the microgrid, collections managed by village representative

● Financial model: Monthly payment for a fixed package

● Loads powered: 1 or 2 lights in each of the 41 houses with a mobile charger

● Technical specifications: 48VDC system and transmission. 1.2kWpk PV with 400Ah, 48VDC battery bank. Data monitoring and remote access/control.

Neelakantarayanagaddi is a village in Yadgir district. A solar PV micro-grid powers lights and mobile charging in 41 houses

About the siteA dam has been built on the Krishna river, near to Shorapur, Yadgir district, in North Karnataka. SELCO India has a branch in Gulbarga which has installed around 80 systems in a nearby town. The branch has built a relationship with a business associate in the area who identified an unelectrified village. Downstream from the dam is a hill which is separated from the mainland during monsoon season, when flood gates are opened, by the Krishna river. On this hill a community has been settled for a number of generations. Despite the presence of high-tension transmission power lines above the village, no power has been provided to the village.

The village contains 41 houses, a school and three temples. At any one time the number of inhabitants in the village would vary from 200 to 400, as they travel to cities or nearby towns to work when farming seasons are over. Hence the primary occupation of the men in the village is agriculture, an secondary is labour. The women help in agriculture and work in the house. Water is collected from a nearby river, and rain irrigates the fields. During monsoon season the village is cut-off from the other sides of the river, preventing access to the nearest hospitals or banks which are 12-15km away. The school also does not operate in this time.

41 houses and 3 temples

PV and batterySchool The village

Bridge across river

Subsistence farming

Dam

Nearest road access

The SystemSystem voltage: 48VDCPV panels: 4x 300W, 24V, series connection, EmmVeeBatteries: 8x 200Ah, 12V, series connection, PrimetechCharge controller: 48V Phocos CRTransmission: 48VDC overhead wiringHousehold connection: Service lines taken to house, junction box inside houseHousehold wiring: Copper with standard consumablesLoad control: Fuses for each house limit power consumption. Timing is centrally & manually controlled by Entrepreneur Loads used: 48VDC LED lights, 3W. 48VDC mobile chargerMonitoring: Centralised data logger with remote monitoring. Timing of the system can be controlled remotely and data collected and analysed remotely.

4x 300Wpk panels mounted on a raised MMS for protection

8 12V, 200Ah batteries stored inside a cabinet

Control panel with DC charge regulator and data monitoring

The Model - Platform MicrogridWith remote and vulnerable communities it is important to build a sustainable project which can help in development. Often, free and low quality solar home systems or solar streetlights are given to these communities, which quickly fail and do not offer opportunity for other services apart from lighting to be provided.

The model being piloted is therefore:1. Provide for the immediate needs of the community

with the most appropriate technology.2. Match the communities ability to pay, including how

much they can pay and how often.3. Build up a reliable collection and monitoring

mechanism with the community.4. Establish which services could be introduced later,

building on-top of the existing infrastructure and operational model established.

Following this model at Mendare:1. Lighting and mobile charging are provided2. The community can pay 50 to 100Rs per month. A

local operator will collect the money which will be deposited into a bank account. A local business associate will jointly manage this account.

3. The Rural Community Labs are now engaged in establishing future services to be introduced.

4. In progress, water access was identified by the community.

The project was financed by Armstrong Energy Foundation with a Rs.6,00,000 grant and the local BA who donated Rs.1,00,000. The collection will go towards maintenance and future expansion of the system.

Project phases

Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


The project site was identified by the local SELCO branch with the business associate (BA).

A needs assessment and site survey was conducted by the SELCO branch and members of SELCO Foundation, with a representative of the BA

The design was done by SELCO Foundation, and is a go-to standard design for a 48V microgrid providing for basic lighting and mobile charging for a small village.

Agreement with the community was mainly handled by the SELCO branch with the help of the business associate.

Installation and commission was managed by SELCO Projects team with the help of SELCO Foundation, as it was one of the first microgrid projects.

A grant funded the project’s capital costs and collections cover maintenance costs, including battery replacement.



Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model


Agreement, Installation & CommissioningAgreement with the community was mainly handled by the SELCO branch with the help of the business associate. Installation and commission was managed by SELCO Projects team with the help of SELCO Foundation, as it was one of the first microgrid projects.

Replication:The local BA helped in managing the agreement of the project which helped move the process along.

Learnings:The system was commissioned before any payment had been collected from the community. It was assumed that the households would be willing to pay 50 to 100Rs for 5 hours of service in the evening based on discussions with the community. However no collections happened until longer hours of service were provided. The system had been oversized for future load addition, so could cope with this, but advance payment should have been collected , and the collection mechanism set up before commissioning to ensure proper operations.

Conclusions:Setting up a reliable operations base in each community is challenging, especially when these communities may be used to free and poorly performing systems. This reliable base for operations is essential for the platform microgrid model.


Identification

Survey

Design

Agreement


Business Model



Replication:The local BA is involved in the project, ensuring some local ownership, combined with an operator in the village itself. This sets up two levels of ownership for sustainable operations.

Learnings:Mobile connectivity at the site was poor but the data logger had no local storage of data. For remote sites, local data storage should be included.

Conclusions:The operational model is especially key to the long term success of the platform microgrid and should be ensured during the setup of this project. However, it should be expected that this takes time to complete.

Left: At the first site survey, discussions with community, SELCO and BA Right: PV and battery cabinet at the top of the hill

4 sites reached implementation stage, but many more were surveyed. The majority of these sites surveyed had systems and models designed and a few of them came very close to being implemented. The learnings from these attempts are therefore summarised here.

Sites surveyed but not

implementedLearnings from attempts

Extensive mapping and profiling was completed at Allapur in Gulbarga. Some of the processes learnt through this directly fed into all other micro-grid projects as well some ‘model village’ projects. A custom built design tool for assessing wiring voltage drops was also developed for this site. This level of detail was subsequently not required, but the assessment of DC wiring design provided a good foundation for thumb rules later. The Allapur village was taken up 2 years later, and the extensive data available made design of the systems straightforward.

Multiple sites were surveyed and many of these could not be converted due to political issues. Grid connection was often promised to remote communities, but rarely supplied. Projects close to being converted fell through as soon as such a promise was given. Arshingere (right) was one such example. Government notices to Paradeshiappanmutta (left) village requesting the community to shift to a different location prevented another project from going through. The local SELCO branch worked hard to get bank loans and solar home systems for this second site. This was an example of when SHS were the more suitable option than a micro-grid which would have required more firm land ownership.

Learnings from non-implemented sitesDifficulty with entrepreneur model:Because of the high capital costs, it is tough to find an entrepreneur who is willing to take a loan for the system and repay via collections from all the households within the village. The model was attempted at various sites, notably those in Dandeli, where three members of the village came together to take a joint stake in the system. Despite the relatively higher income and demand in this village, the lack of complete consensus amongst the community lead a loss of confidence from the entrepreneurs and then the project being dropped.

Political factors:Promises from the government or other development organizations for the grid or more reasonable sources of power offsets the interest of the community. Lack of clarity over grid expansion is the most often stated difficulty amongst micro-grid developers.

Unreliable grid:Many villages have grid access but of very poor quality. A microgrid could technically make the best use of existing infrastructure to supplement grid supply. But using this infrastructure is currently not possible. For the majority of cases with unreliable grid, individual systems for each household are more suitable than microgrids.

Energy expectations:Grid access has created the expectation of unlimited power for a low (and unstainable cost). Setting charges is therefore based on affordability and costs but also expectations. Where these expectations are unreasonable, providing a satisfactory service is difficult.

Flexible financing:In-house financing was available, with flexible interest rates and duration. This opened up many different possibilities for models tailored to the site requirements. Flexible financing is essential if entrepreneur models are to succeed.

The project drew out some key learnings for implementing microgrids and lead the team towards a certain process and approach for microgrids. This approach is summarised inside a separate document.

The key to this approach is a good understanding of the local ecosystem and tailoring the model to fit, making the best use of existing mechanisms and potential partners to ensure long-term sustainability of each individual project.

Next steps:1. Investigate further interventions for existing sites

such as MM Hills, NKGaddi and similar2. Assist SELCO India in further implementation3. Work on grid integration of micro-grids with

DISCOMs and government bodies to better integrate centralised and decentralised approaches.

Conclusion and next steps

Micro-Grid Site Summaries

Documents

Transcript of Micro-Grid Site Summaries