The Grid of the Future

Abstract

The electrification based on grid infrastructure in tropical areas today and in the future faces special challenging problems. Climate change, with increasing number of extreme phenomena such as cyclones, has a strong impact on the grid infrastructure; population growth and increasing demand of electricity will exacerbate the problem; and existing solutions in remote areas are not suitable for the future. Analysing the current situation shows that people in remote areas live without the grid or with a weak, unreliable grid. Meanwhile, the authorities and/or utilities might not extend the grid to the decreasing amount of people living in rural areas. State-of-the-art solutions for unelectrified areas are off-grid pico and solar home systems, as well as micro- and mini-grids. There is also an apparent trend towards a decentralised smart grid structure based on renewable energy sources. Decarbonisation, reliability and empowering consumers in a competitive market are the key words for the future. The Grid of the future in tropical remote areas will be based on self-contained smart grid cells supplied with 100% renewable energy sources. These independent smart grid cells are interconnected with other cells to exchange energy on demand or in emergency situations. Due to the self-sufficiency of the cells, the need for transmission of energy is limited. In an ideal situation, each cell is designed to supply its own demand. For each region, a clear master plan and a migration path from today to the future system will help all the stakeholders in planning their individual migration path. Several scenarios, technical applications and business models are discussed in this chapter.