Best practices of rural electrification in developing countries: Technologies and case studies

This paper performs a review of different micro-grid technologies used in notable cases in developing countries for the electrification of rural areas. Micro-grids mostly rely on renewable energy sources, which are usually found in abundance, and can assist to alleviate energy poverty: they can be cost-effective over the system´s lifetime, easy-to-deploy, install and maintain and their design is flexible to meet every demand. In this paper, best practices in developing countries are presented, highlighting promising technologies such as: PV/Wind and diesel hybrid systems, PV/Wind and battery storage, micro-hydro, biomass gasification and solar irrigation systems, as well as their benefits.