Are all solar mini-grids in Zambia oversized or undersized?

All solar mini-grids in Zambia are either oversized or undersized. Solar mini grids in Zambia lack appropriate business models. Solar mini-grids hold the promise of providing sustainable electricity to the 600 million people without access to electricity mostly across rural Africa.

How many solar power plants are there in Zambia?

It has implemented two utility-scale solar power plants (54 megawatts and 34 megawatts) in Lusaka south multi-facility economic zone under the World Bank Scaling Solar initiative , . However, about half of the Zambian population lives in rural areas most of which do not have access to the utility grid.

How can solar mini-grids improve sustainability in Zambia?

Therefore in order to improve sustainability, a multi-dimensional approach is needed. Currently, operators of solar mini-grid in Zambia include government or government agencies such as the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), the National Technology and Business Council (NTBC), community/cooperatives, or private investors.

How many solar panels does Chitandika SMG have?

Chitandika SMG has 105 PV modules rated 270 Wp each, 48, 2 V solar batteries of 1000 Ah capacity each, 2 inverters rated 12.5 kW each, and 3 charge controllers rated 100 A each.

Should the private sector be involved in solar mini-grids?

For both technical and financial efficiency, the involvement of the private sector is cardinal. A well-thought-out public-private partnership model for the construction, operation, and maintenance of solar mini-grids is needed.

How many batteries are in a solar PV plant?

The plant is composed of 80, 305 Wp solar PV modules, 24, 6 V, 556 Ah batteries, three 3 phase inverters rated 6.8 kVA each, and 4 MPPT charge controllers rated 140 A each. The initial battery bank consisting of 48, 2 V batteries got damaged within a year of operation leading to downtimes.