Session on off-grid renewable energy technologies and products organised by M/s Skydive Technologies and Consulting Private Limited at Mumbai, MH, India on 22 April, 2019 for the Development Bank of Ethiopia (DBE) and the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Energy (MoWIE) as part of their Electricity Network Reinforcement and Expansion Project (ENREP).

1. Off-grid Renewable Energy
Technologies and Products
Anirudh Ramesh
Co-founder
Irasus Technologies
"Off-grid Renewable Energy Technologies and Carbon Financing", Mumbai, MH,
India
April 22, 2019

2. Context
● Policies and Targets for Adoption and Proliferation of Renewable Energy
Technologies and Products
● Designing a Renewable Energy Program
○ Overview of Products and Technologies, Product-Market Fit
○ Business Models around Clean-tech
● Business processes around off-grid renewable energy

3. Image
Source:
SMA
Tech.

4. Sequence
● Renewable Energy Technologies and Products - 30 minutes
● Business Models and Processes - 30 minutes
● Analysis of RE for Ethiopia - 15 minutes
● Q&A - 15 minutes

5. Renewable Energy Technologies
● Electricity Generation (Grid-connected or Off-grid)
○ Solar Photovoltaic Cells
○ Wind Turbines
● Heat Generation
○ Solar Concentrators
● Energy Storage
○ Electrochemical/Thermal/Gravitational

6. Image Source: OMC Power

7. Solar Electricity Generation
● Solar Photovoltaic Panels
● Module Mounting Structures
● Inverters (for AC Grids)
● Wiring, Cabling, Earthing
● String Combiner Boxes
● DC Power Optimizers

8. Image Source:
Solar Builder
Magazine

9. Solar Heat Generation
● Cookers, Dryers
● Water Heaters
● Heat Pumps and Air Conditioners

11. Solar Dryer at the National Institute of Solar Energy
(NISE)

15. Off-grid Systems
Topics of discussion
1. Off-grid vs grid-connected systems
2. Micro-grids, mini-grids and nano-grids
3. Transactive Grids

16. Image Source: Khethworks

17. Off-grid vs Grid-connected
● In grid-connected systems, power can be imported/exported when
excess/deficient load is present
● In off-grid systems, consumption typically occurs at site of production i.e. no
long-distance transmission lines
● Critical difference: energy storage

19. Minigrid
Isolated, small-scale distribution networks typically operating below 11 kilovolts (kV)
that provide power to a localized group of customers and produce electricity from
small generators, potentially coupled with energy storage system.
- World Bank

20. Microgrid
A microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources
within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity
with respect to the grid. A microgrid can connect and disconnect from the grid to
enable it to operate in both grid-connected or island mode.
- US Department of Energy

21. Nanogrid
A small electrical domain connected to the grid of no greater than 100 kW and
limited to a single building structure or primary load or a network of off-grid loads
not exceeding 5 kW, both categories representing devices (such as DG, batteries, EVs
[electric vehicles], and smart loads) capable of islanding and/or energy self-
sufficiency through some level of intelligent DER management or controls.
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

22. Transactive Grids
● As consumers become producers, the role played by a user of the islanded-grid
is highly dynamic
● A producer may be physically adjacent to a consumer at a point in time
● A household can buy electricity from a neighbour (P2P electricity trading)

23. Wind Electricity Generation
● Wind turbines are typically an AC source, unlike solar PV, which is a DC source
● Types of wind turbines
○ HAWT - Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
○ VAWT - Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

25. Electricity Storage
● Gravitational
○ Liquid: Pumped Hydroelectric (State-of-the-art)
○ Solid
● Electrochemical
○ Lead Acid Battery [Inexpensive]
○ Nickel Metal-Hydride Battery [Compact]
○ Lithium (Lithium Ferro Phosphate, etc) Battery [Mobile]
○ Vanadium Flow Battery [Durable]
● Thermal
○ Concrete, Ice or Molten Salt

27. Renewable Energy Products
● Weather Sensors i.e. pyranometers, thermohygrometers, barometers
● Irrigation Pumps
● Solar Cookers and Dryers
● Solar Cold-storage, Bulk Milk Chillers (BMCs) and Air Conditioners
● Solar Water Purifiers
● Electric Scooters and Rickshaws
● Solar Lanterns, Home & Street Lighting Systems

28. Image Source:
Volker
quaschning
Solar Radiation Sensor at the
National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE)

30. Image Source: Khethworks

33. Image Source: The Hindu

34. Off-grid Renewable Energy Business Models
● Rural Electrification
○ Microutilities - Microgrids, Minigrids, Nanogrids
● Energy Efficiency
● Value-added Services
○ Irrigation-as-a-service
○ Cold-Storage-as-a-service
○ Water-Purification-as-a-service
○ Battery-Packs-as-a-service

35. Five Principles
1. Inclusivity
2. Building markets from bottom-up
3. Level playing field with fossil fuels
a. Remove fossil fuel subsidy
b. Reduce taxes and duties on renewable energy products
4. Availability of finance
a. Dedicated loan guarantee fund
5. Utility regulations

36. Analysis - OMC Power - Microutility
● OMC is one of the largest electric mini-grid power supplier to telecom towers.
● OMC was set up in 2011 and supplies electricity to telecom towers apart from
operating solar power plants in rural areas and distributing the generated
electricity through mini-grids.
● OMC is a new type of power company – a RESCO (Renewable Energy Service
Company) – which finances, builds, owns and operates Micropower Plants in
rural areas in India where the electricity grid will never reach.

37. Problem
● Running a mobile network in emerging markets is often costly and polluting.
● Expensive diesel fuel powers generators that run 24/7. If there’s grid power, it’s
both unreliable and expensive. So operators spend 40% of total OPEX on power
& fuel.
● The source of energy in these areas is currently fossil fuel based, that is diesel
and kerosene.

38. Solution/Offering
OMC provides electricity to such areas with high reliability, affordable cost and with
positive impact on the environment. This further contributes to reduction of CO2
emissions and increased productivity, along with overall economic development of
rural communities.
Every day OMC delivers thousands of pre-charged LED lanterns, electric bikes and
portable PowerBoxes to homes and small businesses. The PowerBoxes – portable
power sockets – are used to power a variety of electrical appliances including mobile
phones, LED lights and fans.

40. Market Dynamics
OMC Power’s minigrids supply electricity to telecom networks, which serve as
anchor customers for the company.
Due to the presence of anchor loads, schools, health clinics, enterprises and homes
throughout the surrounding village also benefit from the availability of reliable and
clean energy.

42. Analysis - Solévolt - Energy Efficiency
● Solévolt provides a solar-powered, off-grid electricity generation
and storage system having capacity of a 1.2kWh lithium-ion
battery and can generate power of up to 500 watts, enough to
power a home and small business.
● Solévolt's electricity kits are mobile and portable for use as a
replacement of a conventional diesel generator.
● Solévolt has deployed kits on a B2B/B2C direct sales model in
Guinea (automobile mechanic), Bangladesh (hospital at a refugee
camp), the Philippines (schools) and Thailand (homes)

46. Analysis - DSUUSM - Irrigation Service
● Dhundi Saur Urja Utpadak Sahakari Mandali is a farmers’ irrigation co-
operative in India running grid-connected solar PV pumps that economically
encourages groundwater savings.
● Business Model
○ Solar PV-powered irrigation pumps for groundwater extraction
○ Surplus electricity sold to distribution company (DISCOM) through grid
connection
○ DISCOM offers feed-in tariff (FIT) with a 25-year power purchase
agreement (PPA) in exchange for foregoing purchase subsidies and
ownership of renewable energy certificates

47. Concept - DSUUSM
How does the farmer gain?
● Lower cost of irrigation compared to diesel power
● Ability to sell “irrigation-as-a-service” to other farmers at better margins
● Ability to sell surplus electricity at profitable rates for 25 years

49. Concept - DSUUSM
How does the DISCOM gain?
● Savings by having no obligation to provide electricity subsidy for farm irrigation
● Ability to buy farmers’ surplus electricity at competitive rates
● Ability to sell accrued RECs in open market

50. Concept - DSUUSM
How is the arrangement environmentally sustainable?
● Migration to solar PV from diesel power reduces emissions and pollution
● Withdrawal of subsidy promotes groundwater savings by judicious usage of
irrigation pumps
● Adoption of solar PV for electricity sale substitutes that power that could have
likely come from fossil fuels

51. Off-grid Renewable Energy Business Processes
● Resource Assessment
● Site Identification and Surveying
● Infrastructure Sizing
● System Design & Simulation
● Equipment Sourcing & Procurement
● System Monitoring & Control
● Pricing, Metering, Billing (PAYG)
● Operations & Maintenance

52. Resource Assessment
● Solar radiation per unit area
● Wind velocity at different elevations
● Groundwater levels
● Fossil fuel dependence
● Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCoE)

53. Image Source: Global
Wind Atlas

54. Sizing, Design & Simulation

57. Equipment Sourcing & Procurement

60. System Monitoring & Control

62. Pricing, Metering & Billing

64. Operations & Maintenance

67. Renewable Energy for Ethiopia
● Floating Solar PV Electricity Generation (however, grid-tied)
○ On the Grand Renaissance Dam, for example, or elsewhere on the Nile
● Agriculture-integrated renewable energy
○ Solar PV irrigation pumps, farm machinery and cold storage
● Rural electrification
● Sustainable transportation i.e. electric three-wheelers and two-wheelers

68. Q&A
EMail: anirudh@irasus.com

69. Thank You!