Rural electrification in Kenya: a useful case for remote areas in sub-Saharan Africa

There is a significant proportion of the world's population living in remote rural areas that are geographically isolated and sparsely populated. This study is based on modeling, computer simulation, and optimization of a hybrid powered mini-grid for a remote area of Korr in the district of Marsabit, Northern Kenya. The solar photovoltaic and wind turbine are considered as the two renewable resources for generating electricity accompanied by a battery (B) for storage and a diesel generator as a backup system. HOMER Pro software is used to perform the design and analysis of a proposed hybrid powered mini-grid model. The simulation results generated by the software indicate that the renewable energy sources may be a competitive technology. It has the potential of being a feasible solution capable of providing sustainable and reliable electric power at remote locations provided adequate amounts of renewable energy resources. The most cost-effective system in this study incorporates photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, a diesel generator, and a battery bank to provide electricity to the community load demand of 5592 kWh/day at a cost of energy of $0.314.