Skip to content
  • EC Webcasts
  • Power Perspectives™
  • Special Issues
  • PowerSessions™
  • Sponsors
  • Home
  • Community
    • Q&A
    • Posts
    • Members
    • Experts
  • Groups
    • The Power Industry Network™

      Utility Business Network
      EnergyBiz® Network
      • Utility Professionals
      • Utility Management 
      • Customer Care 
      • HR & Recruitment
      • Resource Management
      Generation Network
      Generation Network
      • Generation Professionals
      • Clean Power Group
      Energy Management Network
      Energy Management Network
      • Load Management
      • Energy Efficiency
      Intelligent Utility Network
      Intelligent Utility® Network
      • Digital Utility
      • Mobile Workforce
      Grid Network
      Grid Network
      • Grid Professionals
      • Transmission Professionals
      Energy & Sustainability Network
      Energy & Sustainability
      Network
      • The Energy Collective
      • Oil & Gas Professionals
      • Clean Energy Business Network
      • Enel Foundation
  • Topics
  • Jobs
  • News
  • Calendar
  • Resources
    • Podcasts
    • Case Studies
    • White Papers
    • Recorded Webinars
  • Subscribe
  • More
    • Subscribe
  • ×
  • Create new content
    • Sign In
    • Apply for Membership
Part of Grid Network »

Grid Professionals Group

The Grid Professionals Group covers electric current from its transmission step down to each customer's home. 

Join
  • Home
  • Posts
  • Q&A
  • Calendar
  • News
  • Members
  • Experts
  • Sponsors
Author Profile
Fiona Gleeson's picture
Fiona Gleeson
Marketing Manager: Africa Portfolio EnergyNet
Follow
Contact

About me

EnergyNet Ltd. organises a global portfolio of investment meetings focused specifically on the power & electricity sectors across Africa and Latin America. For the last 23 years EnergyNet has...

  • Member since 2019
  • 6 items added with 11,039 views

Top Members

WARNING: SIGN-IN

You need to be a member of Energy Central to access some features and content. Please sign-in or register to continue.

Shared Link

  • Share
  • Sign in to Vote Like (1)
  • Comment (5)
  • Sep 18, 2019 11:45 am GMTSep 18, 2019 9:28 am GMT
  • 465 views

Mini-Grids are on the Charge in a Bid to Electrify Rural Africa

Exclusive Interview with Aaron Leopold, CEO of the Africa Mini-grid Developers Association on electrifying rural Africa through mini-grids.

Read More
Source: www.res-west.com

Three years ago, a World Bank meeting in Nairobi brought together regional government officials, companies from the energy space and a host of prospective investors to discuss the development of green energy and the electrification of rural Africa. The unanimous solution proved to be the role that mini-grids in the off-grid space would play in the years to come.

Despite reaching this potential epiphany, however, governments at the time lacked templates, frameworks, and even – in some cases – an understanding of how to develop, finance and regulate the off-grid sector. More than ever before there was a need for advanced industry data and a more coherent and unified industry voice to drive forward a seemingly pivotal solution.

  • report
Fiona Gleeson's picture

Thank Fiona for the Post!

Energy Central contributors share their experience and insights for the benefit of other Members (like you). Please show them your appreciation by leaving a comment, 'liking' this post, or following this Member.

Sign in to Vote Like this post
Follow
More posts from this member
  • Mini-Grids are on the Charge in a Bid to Electrify Rural Africa
  • FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE ENERGY POLICIES INTENSIFIES
  • Regional Co-operation could unleash West Africa's Power Potential

Discussions

Spell checking: Press the CTRL or COMMAND key then click on the underlined misspelled word.

Sign in to Participate

Matt Chester's picture
Matt Chester on Sep 18, 2019

The potential for a 'new' type of grid to be built in Africa, as the region is not nearly as entrenched into legacy infrastructure as the rest of the world, is a great opportunity. Do you think we're on the right path now, Fiona? And will the lessons learned when that's (hopefully) done in Africa be able to be exported back to the parts of the world that are stuck with their existing grid structures?

  • Sign in or Register to post comments
Bob Meinetz's picture
Bob Meinetz on Sep 18, 2019

Electrifying rural communities will bring deserved benefits to these areas the developed world has enjoyed for almost two centuries.

Using microgrids to do it, from an environmental perspective, would be catastrophic.

Here's why: when critics note they're being powered exclusively by diesel generators. Shell and other global oil concerns will erect a few useless solar arrays or wind turbines in the jungle and pronounce the microgrids "renewable". After discovering they're not, the same mindless critics, devoid of forethought or engineering expertise, will work to connect those microgrids together - to build an interconnected grid starting from the outer edges - and belatedly realize their doomed networks made as much sense as building any network starting at the outer edges (none). As climate-induced fires rage, the communities will run out of diesel fuel, and either starve or succumb to armed conflict.

If climate change continues to be worse than you thought it possibly could be, it won't be because there weren't answers - it will be because idealistic simpletons were making the decisions that mattered.

  • Sign in or Register to post comments
Mike Barker's picture
Mike Barker on Sep 19, 2019

In case there is an interest - there is a fledgling Professional LinkedIN Group :-

Africa Mini-grid Developers Association ( AMDA ) with > 200 members

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8356812

  • Sign in or Register to post comments
Matt Chester's picture
Matt Chester on Sep 19, 2019

Thanks for sharing Mike.

In terms of the mini-grid in Africa ideas, how do you see some of the challenges (such as those that Bob brings up above) being tackled? What do investors see as holding them back and how do we overcome those hurdles?

  • Sign in or Register to post comments
Bob Meinetz's picture
Bob Meinetz on Sep 19, 2019

Mike, fortunately national governments in Africa, committed to real solutions, are ignoring microgrids. It's not that they lack "an understanding of how to develop, finance and regulate the off-grid sector" - they don't see any value in it. At all points of the compass:

North African Power Pool
Eastern Africa Power Pool
Southern African Power Pool
West African Power Pool
 

 

  • Sign in or Register to post comments

Get Published - Build a Following

The Energy Central Power Industry Network is based on one core idea - power industry professionals helping each other and advancing the industry by sharing and learning from each other.

If you have an experience or insight to share or have learned something from a conference or seminar, your peers and colleagues on Energy Central want to hear about it. It's also easy to share a link to an article you've liked or an industry resource that you think would be helpful.

Start a Post »                 Learn more about posting on Energy Central »

Your access to Member Features is limited.

Sign InApply for membership
  • Share a link

Group Sponsors


Become a sponsor

Recent Comments

Bob Meinetz
Bob commented on ...
What's behind $15,000 electricity bills in Texas?
"That is how Net-Metering is supposed to work."
Bob Meinetz
Bob commented on ...
Don't blame turbines for Texas crisis
Too funny.
Bob Meinetz
Bob commented on ...
8 things that need to happen this decade to reach net zero emissions by 2050
"'... a build rate of 61 new reactors per year could entirely replace current fossil fuel electricity generation by 2050.'
Jim Stack
Jim commented on ...
Don't blame turbines for Texas crisis
I'm glad there is records of the power sources. If not they would never admit it.

Sponsors & Partners

EnergyCentralJobs
Esri
Energy Central
Bentley Systems, Inc.
Anterix
S&C Electric Company
Fluix
Owl Cyber Defense
ACI Worldwide
CTC Global
AESP
PLMA (Peak Load Management Alliance)
Guidehouse

Energy Central
Our Mission
Our mission at Energy Central is to help global power industry professionals work better. Our Power Industry Network™ platform is built to help our members connect with each other, share their knowledge & experience and advance their careers in the industry. Membership is open to professionals working at utilities and organizations supporting the industry.

Energy Central

  • Membership
  • Community Standards
  • Participate!
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us

Get Social

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook

Stay Connected

  • Subscribe
  • Follow via RSS
  • Contact Us