A systems engineering framework: Requirements analysis for the development of rural microgrids

Microgrids have been identified as a key instruments in solving energy security, environmental sustainability and energy equity problems faced by developing countries. Furthermore, the opportunity exists for these countries to lead the way in terms of microgrid technology due to the lack of preexisting conventional large-scale generation and inherent support infrastructures found in more economically advanced countries. In order to arrive at a sustainable solution for practical application, the social, environmental and technical challenges must be addressed simultaneously. However, the vast majority of research in this area deals with technical challenges in isolation and there is no practical framework available for contextualised development of microgrids. This paper presents a systems engineering framework for assisting with the development of sustainable microgrid solutions for remote/inaccessible and rural areas. The framework deals with initialisation of the technical process in the life cycle of a microgrid system. The main elements of the stakeholders and requirements analysis are described within the context of microgrid systems.