The South African National Energy Development Institute SANEDI is developing a monitored microgrid pilot to assess how decentralised energy systems perform under South African conditions with reference to industrial, mining, defence and household applications.
The project is outlined in a paper by SANEDIs Renewable Energy Project Manager Karen Surridge . The paper says the pilot combines demand-side efficiency measures with photovoltaic PV generation and battery energy storage systems, and includes monitoring of environmental factors such as heat, particulate exposure, humidity, UV exposure and acidic rainfall in relation to system performance and degradation.
According to the paper, the project is being co-supported through collaboration between SANEDI and the Department of Defence under an existing memorandum of agreement. The paper also refers to an in-situ demonstration site for the collection of technical, environmental and financial data.
