Is off-grid electricity production growing?

Off-grid electricity production from renewables, although largely unrecorded in most countries, is believed to be expanding rapidly. By combining information from surveys, administrative data and desk research, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has attempted to illuminate major trends in off-grid renewable energy deployment.

Where does off-grid renewable power come from?

Off-grid renewable power can come from a variety of sources, ranging from large isolated power grids to solar lights and solar home systems.

Can off-grid solar systems be controlled with energy storage?

Many papers cover the control of grid-connected solar systems with energy storage, but few publications cover the control of off-grid SHS. Researchers from Pakistan propose connecting SHS together with energy storage to enable surplus power to be delivered to community loads .

Can surplus solar energy be used in off-grid systems?

The research aims to evaluate the quantity of surplus solar energy generated in off-grid systems. One objective is to identify the patterns of surplus generation to see if this surplus could be easily put to use. To achieve the aim, the researchers analysed various load consumption data for households with solar generation.

Are off-grid solar home systems a good investment?

The improvement in off-grid Solar Home Systems (SHS) helped many people get access to electricity. However, systems are sized to meet demand on cloudy days, which results in significant wastage of available energy on sunny days, reducing the energy return on investment.

Where can I find electricity generation and capacity data?

Electricity generation and capacity datasets from the year 2000 onwards are also available through a dashboard on IRENA’s Data & Statistics page. This statistical publication presents renewable power generation capacity statistics for the for the last decade (2010-2019).