SA Affordable Housing November - December 2019 // ISSUE: 79 | Page 8

NEWS
Rural Nigerian mini-grid creates business
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was selected as the most reliable technology for this
initiative. The installation, consisting of MPPT 80 600 charge
controllers and XW+ inverter/chargers, at an estimated loan
cost of N75.8-million. Arnergy is using the Conext insight
monitoring solution to ensure that its microgrid is performing
according to specification. It also monitors how much energy
is being consumed by the people.
A prepaid metering packing was set up to aid the
repayment process. A pay-as-you-go scheme was introduced,
where member of the community pay for just the amount of
electricity they need. A house can pay for as low as N100 or
N200 for its electricity needs.
The ultimate goal of this project was to stem the tide
of rural-urban migration and the project surpassed all
expectations. The population of Onibambu has increased
and become a case of urban-rural migration. Businesses in
neighbouring towns are moving to Onibambu.
Impacts to micro-, small- and medium-scale business
have been immediate. Four new businesses in frozen
foods and refrigeration were setup. A resident trader,
who used a generator to power her freezers, often paying
over the market price for fuel, can now run her business
successfully.
A blacksmith from Modakeke was contemplating closing
his business due to the high cost of powering his forge, until
he heard about the microgrid system 30km from him. He now
runs a successful workshop in Onibambu.
o provide rural off-grid electrification to communities
across Nigeria, as a means of curbing rural-to-urban
migration and promoting security and development
in non-urban centres, the BOI Rural electrification projects
began with Arnergy at Onibambu/Idi-Ata.
Onibambu is located in the Ife-North local government
area of Osun state. It is home to about 200 houses, which
have never been connected to the national grid. The
inhabitants rely on candles, kerosene and a handful of
petrol generators to run their business and daily lives.
The community is situated close to the Obafemi Awolowo
University, an hour from the major city of Ibadan and another
hour and half from Lagos. The indigenous people are traders,
artisans (basket weavers) and farmers.
To achieve rural electrification, BOI awarded GVE and
Arnergy contracts (in the form of loans) to develop solar
microgrids in six rural communities across all geopolitical
zones of Nigeria.
These microgrids serve as a pilot programme for many
more such projects in the future. The solution chosen was
designed as a 24kwp system, capable of servicing 200 rural
homes and business with minimal load. In addition to the
solar microgrid, 22 streetlights were provided along the
major centres of the community, improving security and
brightening up the village at night.
Schneider Electric’s Conext family of solar and battery-
based inverter/charger systems, with online monitoring,
Osun State, Nigeria.
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NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2019
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