Issues and applications of real-time data from off-grid electrical systems

Louie, Henry and Goldsmith, George and Dauenhauer, Peter and Almeida, Rita H.; (2016) Issues and applications of real-time data from off-grid electrical systems. In: 2016 IEEE PES PowerAfrica. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., ZMB, pp. 88-92. ISBN 9781467399821 (https://doi.org/10.1109/PowerAfrica.2016.7556577)

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Abstract

Off-grid systems are a pathway to electrification for millions of people located far from the existing grid. However, the premature failure and under-utilization of these systems are difficult to prevent. Advances in data acquisition hardware, the expansion of cellular communication networks and cloud-based solutions have made data collection, monitoring, archival and even remote interaction with off-grid systems a possibility. The co-installation of data acquisition hardware with off-grid systems is not a wide-spread practice, and use cases of the data have not been popularized. This paper discusses the technology, applications and considerations related to off-grid data acquisition and monitoring. Data from several off-grid systems in Sub-Saharan Africa are used to illustrate the applications.