Improving load factors as a smart management approach - A developing country mini-grid case study

Paper in proceeding, 2021

One option to improve electricity access to the one billion people currently lacking electricity access is autonomous mini-grids. Most of the unelectrified communities are located in rural areas far from the current grids. Rural area communities are characterized by geographical remoteness, dispersed consumers, low consumption, and limited ability to pay. The low consumption and limited ability to pay can affect the revenue of the mini-grid operator and owner, often leading to low cost-effectiveness of the mini-grid. However, as shown in the current work, correctly combining the number of household and productive users in a mini-grid can increase revenue by 40 % compared to only households if an equal tariff is considered for both customer groups.