Applicability Study of Battery Charging Stations in Off-grid for Rural Electrification - The Case of Rwanda

Abstract

Only 12% of rural areas have access to electricity in which off-grids serve 11% in Rwanda and the government of Rwanda (GoR) is aiming to electrify the whole country by 2024. However, rural areas are remote and scattered which will require higher capital investment to extending the grid engendering slow electrification. Though mini-grids and stand-alone systems are playing a great role in increasing the rate of electrification, the pace is not quite high because their prices are not affordable particularly to penury households which are hegemony in rural areas. In this paper, applicability study of battery charging stations in off-grid for rural electrification is presented that aims to combine together at least 10 solar panels in a charging station that are currently normally owned by only 10 households (HH). The focus is to electrify more from already available photovoltaic panels in the area, minimizing upfront cost as well as the whole system price allowing lowest income families to access the electricity, and local ownership.