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Micro-Grids Opening Door to Rural Electrification

The growth of micro-grid solutions for power supply is gaining momentum across the globe, with both developed and undeveloped regions increasingly realising the value of energy solutions that do not depend on a centralised power grid. In the coming years, the most significant opportunities for micro-grids will be for rural electrification across sub-Saharan Africa. This is according to Mark Makanda, regional sales director for APR Energy, who says in a region where approximately 600 million people lack access to electricity, micro-grids are beginning to provide energy to areas long perceived as too difficult or uneconomic to connect to a national grid. Additionally, micro-grids have the potential to become the building blocks of a larger distributed grid in countries such as Malawi, where power supply is significantly less than the demand. "There have been a substantial number of micro-grid applications in sub-Saharan Africa so far," Makanda says. "Bringing electricity to these rural areas now means that they have access to proper medical care, lighting for schools, modern irrigation methods and sanitation."

USAID

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