YES!! SMART GRID CAN BE IMPLEMENTED IN AFRICA

According to European Technology Platform Smart Grid (ETPSG), “A smart grid is an electricity network that can intelligently integrate the actions of all users connected to it- generators, consumers and those that do both- order to efficiently deliver sustainable, economic and secure supplies”.
The main objective of smart grid is to support the modernization of the Nation’s electricity system to maintain a reliable and secure infrastructure that can meet future load growth as well as optimize power  resources.

The benefits of smart grid is vast rising from its ability to act as the grid’s “immune system”, being able to heal itself. This will help maintain grid reliability, security, affordability, power quality and efficiency. The modern grid will enable more market participation through increased transmission paths, aggregated demand response initiatives and the placement of energy resources including storage within a more reliable distribution system that is closer to the consumer.

The vision here is for an economically evolved technology-enabled electricity system that is intelligent, interactive, flexible and efficient. This system will enable South Africa’s energy use to be sustainable for future generations.

Africa has an abundance of natural resources, the entire continent can be regarded as one giant solar panel. South Africa for instance, has very good solar and wind resources. The deployment of renewable energy technologies has been slow to take off. About 92% of Africa’s hydropower potential is still underdeveloped. With the abundant renewable energy resources in the African continent, Africa as whole can improve access to electricity services by adapting smart grid technologies to meet the electricity demand of the future.

Challenges in implementing smart grid in Africa

• Ageing and outdated Infrastructure: Present Infrastructure in all African countries is inadequate and requires major overhaul and augmentation to support the growth of Smart Grids.
• Inadequate resources: There is a need for new technologies in the electricity supply system and new infrastructure for transmission and distribution.
•  Lack of integrated communication platform
•  Cost of deployment: Distribution systems make up the bulk of smart grid costs. It is estimated that the cost of upgrading the US grid could range from $338 to 476billion.
• Management of the vast amount of data generated by a wide range of stakeholders such as the power utilities, vendors, municipalities, IPP (Independent Power Producer) , and consumers will be challenging.
• Transition from legacy systems: Old legacy systems cannot always be retrofitted with new technologies and there may be a need for an entire technology solutions.
•  Smart consumers: “ The customer is ultimately the stakeholder that the entire grid was created to support”.
  – consumer’s embrace of the two-way communication
  – Implement dynamic pricing that can be incentives
  for consumers to change their energy-use patterns.
• Compatibility of older equipment: Some older equipment must be replaced as it cannot be retrofitted to be compatible with smart grid technologies. Early retirement of equipment may become an issue.
•  Smart Grid Cyber-security: is another challenge area for smart grid implementation. Use of the internet to link data flow between utilities and customers creates a need to address cyber security. “Remote access to control systems poses a huge danger”
•  Lack of standard and interoperability: The shift to common standard will take years of additional development, testing and negotiation. The quest for Smart Grid standards to facilitate interoperability is the most complicated issue facing the Smart Grid industry.
  

The way forward

• Energy efficiency and conservation policies should be put in place.
• If the grid were just 5% more efficient, the energy savings would equate to permanently eliminating the fuel and greenhouse gas emissions from 53 million cars.
• Diversification of energy sources should be a priority of the government.
• Facilitate access to modern energy for all households.

To cap it all, the Smart Grid will come from the application of intelligent energy technology to optimize the use of generation resources and the delivery of power.There are several key challenges that should be addressed before smart grid implementation
could be a reality in Africa.

Government must

• Promote broad deployment of energy efficiency
•  Deploy various types of renewable energy
•  Deal effectively with carbon capture and storage
•  Put the right policy in place