Comparative Study of Techno-Economics of Lithium-Ion and Lead-Acid Batteries in Micro-Grids in Sub-Saharan Africa
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Microgrids stand to play an important role in expanding electricity access in Sub-Saharan Africa. Batteries, which are often a core element of micro-grids, represent a substantial portion of the capital cost and are therefore an important component of developing sustainable business models for micro-grid deployment. As a result, understanding key considerations for selecting a battery type and operating it effectively are foundational for taking micro-grid growth to scale across the sub-continent. While batteries have been deployed in many systems worldwide over the past few decades, unanswered questions remain on how best to apply them to the context of off-grid micro-grids in Sub-Saharan Africa. Building on analytical work with developers in Sub-Saharan Africa and tools at NREL, this report investigates battery techno-economics and optimal operation in micro-grids, including evaluating criteria to decide between deploying lead acid or lithium-ion batteries, discussing key design considerations for the enclosures that house the batteries, and how to effectively condition the enclosure.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308
- OSTI ID:
- 1526204
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/TP-7A40-73238
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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