Off-grid photovoltaic microgrid development for rural electrification in Nigeria

Access to electricity at affordable cost is an essential ingredient for rapid and sustainable economic development, which directly contributes to economic growth and poverty reduction of a community. This article presents the design and execution procedure of the photovoltaic microgrid system carried out at Lajolo Community and its neighbouring communities in Nigeria. The primary aim of the project is to provide clean electric power to the people of the communities to increase their productive capacities and improve the quality of life in the remote area. The work is equally intended to stimulate rapid economic growth, thereby generating new income alternatives that result in social well-being of the case study communities. The project, when commissioned in January 2018, has greatly improved the economic activities and social life of the beneficiary communities. It also increases the security of the communities at night. With the provision of a motorized borehole for irrigation system, the villagers, who are predominantly farmers, can now farm all year round with bumper harvest. In this paper, recent developments in the solar energy microgrid across the globe is also presented.