MICROGRIDS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO: A UTILITY’S TRANSITION FROM DIESEL TO SOLAR GENERATION

Abstract

Kivu Green Energy serves 260 commercial and residential electric customers in Beni, a city in the North Kivu region of Democratic Republic of the Congo via two distribution networks. The utility is in the process of transitioning its primary resource from diesel generation assets to solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity production paired with battery energy storage systems (BESS). The client, Kivu Green Energy (KGE), desires an onsite islanded microgrid, comprised of solar and battery storage, to provide clean and reliable electricity to their office space for business operations. The purpose of this Master’s Project is two-fold: 1) Propose an onsite microgrid design for KGE’s office space, and 2) Quantify the reduction of carbon emissions in transitioning both of KGE’s microgrids from diesel generation to solar PV + battery storage with diesel backup.