Tue, 26 November, 2024
Local value creation, through the provision of economic opportunities, access to training and up-skilling, improvements in living conditions and the reduction of poverty, is at the heart of PowerPath, a pioneering project that is developing a first-of-its-kind, power infrastructure path for rural Africa.
Drawing on renewable energies, digital technologies and on-the-ground entrepreneurship, PowerPath is implementing a novel solution named Lateral Electrification, a progressive concept that clusters small structures, including nano-grids, DC-grids and DC/AC mini-grids, to generate abundant solar power, and can also lead to additional services in the future such as motor power and thermal energy. Lateral Electrification was developed by project partner, and French-Malagasy social business, Nanoé, whose vision for PowerPath is that it delivers both wider access to energy and work opportunities for individuals in rural Africa. Joining Nanoé on the project consortium are the Materials Innovation Centre (MatIC); a strategic partnership between the University of Leicester and TWI, The Power Hub Ltd and Technovative Solutions Ltd, who is also the Lead partner.
Together the team will address a number of technological challenges over the course of the project including:
- Creation of smart-DC to DC-power convertors to interconnect solar nano-grids and optimise energy sharing
- Improvements to state-of-charge estimation methods for lead-acid solar batteries to enhance their charge/discharge management and increase their lifetime
- Development of innovative, low-cost, solar coating materials that will enable optimal output / yield of solar photovoltaic modules
- Formulation of tailored, internet of things (IoT) solutions to allow remote monitoring of power infrastructures intended to be deployed in low connectivity locations.
Initially PowerPath’s Lateral Electrification, smart energy management system is being located in Malagasy, Northern Madagascar, where it will provide improved access to electricity while simultaneously establishing the underpinning business model, based on social innovation and gender equality. Local community members will be trained to become technically skilled, local agents for the energy expansion, supporting ongoing maintenance of the technologies and future deployment. Project partner Nanoé will draw on its significant prior experience for PowerPath, having already installed more than 1,500 nano-grids and one village-wide micro-grid in Madagascar, and trained 100+ nano-entrepreneurs.
Once the PowerPath solution has been tested and verified in-situ, manufacturing will be scaled up and the system distributed more widely. In the long term, PowerPath will also address the bigger picture via its contribution to a number of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, specifically: SDG-7 – access to energy, SDG-8 – access to employment and SDG-13 – development of sustainable energy practices.
Dr Shiladitya Paul, Director of the Materials Innovation Centre (MatIC) said “TWI and the University of Leicester, under the auspices of MatIC, are excited to be working on this ground-breaking project which will deliver a number of technological, social and business model innovations in Malagasy. As well as providing affordable electricity in a region where over 80% of households live below the poverty line, the 100% solar power supply will be both reliable and low carbon.” Adding “MatIC’s work on PowerPath will focus on the formulation of a novel coating to optimise the performance of the solar photovoltaics, drawing on the team’s extensive experience in the development, fabrication, testing and application of industrial coatings and materials.”
PowerPath has received funding from Innovate UK under Grant Agreement no. 10085837. Please visit the Powerpath website to find about more about the project.