1. Nepal has a huge hydropower potential, however there has not been much more development on
installation of large hydropower. The national grid runs east to west depriving large population of
mountainous and hilly regions from electricity supply. It is therefore, the small and micro hydro plants
installed at village level still serves for the rural electrification. That is such MHPs (Micro-hydro plants)
are operated in isolated mode serving their respective load centers commonly known as VDCs. We can
find many such MHPs within the range of few kilometers. There are always problems related to the
unused electricity generation issues and sustainability issues in such isolated small hydropower plants.
Since the load center is just small villages and there is no any governing mechanism in such plants to
control the discharge, any variation in the load is sensed by ELC and such unused power is dumped. It has
raise a huge question in the reliability of such small- micro hydro plants.
The paper focuses the prospects of mini-grid power systems in Nepal and the idea of interconnecting the
VDCs via mini-grid to serve the load demand. Since there is always a issue in the system stability and the
reliable supply in small hydropower plants, introducing such rural network ( mini-gird) will certainly
creates lots of possibilities of power sharing and saving thus increasing the life span and the economic
viability of the plant. Though the concept of mini-grid power system is not new but it still a fresh issue in
context of Nepal. Most of the developed countries in the world have already installed mini-grid power
system in their rural network; however it is still a challenge in many developing countries.
There are huge prospects of small and micro hydropower in the hilly and mountainous regions and we
find a cluster of such plants within small areas serving different load centers. If these hydropower plants
are connected through some network which we called mini-grid, we can control and share the power and
make the system sustainable. The unused electricity in one load center can be utilized for to meet demand
in other areas. Thus it seems implementation of rural electrification in Nepal through mini-grid power
system not a choice but indeed a need.
The proposed three tier strategy for rural electrification is very much convenient and effective way for the
mini-grid extension in Nepal. It will certainly be advantageous to ensure regional balance in electricity
supply and demand. If the mini-grid could be connected to the main grid, it can add huge amount of
power to the national level.
However, there might be many issues regarding the financial and technical factors of installing mini- grid
power system in rural electrification. Implementing sustainable mini-grids involves complex technical
and organizational issues, particularly in developing countries like Nepal. Such projects need to address
the end users’ actual needs; build capacity; incorporate staff training; take into accounts tariffs and
subsidies; and even put in place institutional frameworks.
To overcome the lure of the short-term, and ensure the sustainability of the system, the provision of
electricity must be guaranteed over the life time of the system. Operation, Maintenance and Management
(OM&M) must therefore be ensured, and potential bottlenecks (such as financial for example) overcome.

2. This is where the private sector comes into the equation. Companies need to play a much more visible
role in investing in, implementing, and operating hybrid systems – if investment is ever to be scaled up.
This means that issues of profitability, often taboo in the sector of rural electrification, need to be
discussed.
Though connecting micro and mini hydro of the remote areas of hilly and mountainous regions sounds
much cheaper rather extending main grid to these areas, but the sum is still more for the people. People
are always willing to pay for the electricity but they might hesitate to bear extra sum for the efficient and
reliable supply. There might be some financial issues while connecting the already installed cluster of
micro-hydro plants. For the time being people are getting electricity 24 hrs and no one cares for the
unused electricity and the power demand in the future. Moreover, the government and the NEA are still
silent about design and development of mini-grid for the efficient use of distributed hydropower system.
Technically mini-grid power system sounds much more plausible for the proposed hydropower sites.
Connecting the already running clusters of micro-hydropower plants is still a challenge. Mini- grid power
system demands efficient control mechanism and rational distribution network which we hardly find in
any micro-hydropower system. There is no any governing mechanism in micro-hydro plants and
controlling their power is still out of course. However minigrid power system can be efficiently
implemented for the proposed hydropower sites as the whole system can be designed as per the need of
mini-grid system. That will sound feasible technically and financially too.
Thus, there is a great prospects for implementation of rural electrification in Nepal through Mini-grid
power systems. It has to be felt a need from the concerned authorities. The MHVEP ( Micro-hydro village
electrification programme) enforced by the AEPC and ESAP should incorporate mini-grid ideas and
should lure the private sectors and companies for its implementation. In many cases grid extension is
often highly costly and unlikely to happen even in the medium to long term. If this issue regarding the
mini-grid system is effectively addressed, it could provide an ideal intermediary solution, especially for
small towns or villages where electricity can be generated to power household use as well as local
business.

3. Simulation of small hydro power plants using Synchronous and
induction generators driven by DC motors.