Technical evaluation of the performance of the solar PV MINI-GRIDS: a case study in Bunjako island Mini-grid Uganda.

Abstract

This project evaluates the performance of a Buzaami solar PV mini-grid located on Bunjako Island, Mpigi District, Uganda. The mini-grid has an installed capacity of 40 kWp and a battery capacity of 75.4 kWh. Despite sufficient generation on this mini-grid, meeting the growing demand (customer base ) remains a struggle. This study investigates the reasons behind the unmet demand through evaluating efficiency of solar PV array system, grid inverter and energy storage batteries. The analysis revealed unused energy during peak sunshine hours visualised through inefficient operation of inverters and batteries. To address this inefficiency, the report suggests expanding the battery storage capacity by 37.7 kWh. This would enable the storage of excess energy and cater to the unmet demand at night. Additionally, incorporating productive use energy (PUE) loads that consume less than 3 kW, such as freezers and food processing equipment, is recommended. These interventions are predicted to improve the performance ratio to 80.2% and reduce unused energy to 5.2%. The economic feasibility of the proposed solutions is also explored with a payback period of 5.5 years indicating a finacially viable investment thereby demonstrating the potential for solar PV mini-grids for sustainable energy access in rural areas.