Vijay Bhaskar, Mlinda

1. Making Off-Grid Rural Electrification Work
PRODUCTIVE LOADS AS ANCHOR
IN RURAL MINI GRIDS
Mlinda Case Studies
Source:MLinda

2. BACKGROUND
2
• Not-for-profit
• Operational in India from 2010
• Environmental agenda – Reduce GHG
emissions, Production and
Consumption of environmentally
positive goods, Improve energy
efficiency of GDP of the villages
• 310 pico /micro grids in 5 districts of
West Bengal and Jharkhand
• 9 mini grids in Gumla, Jharkhand
Source:MLinda

3. BACKGROUND- MINIGRIDS IN RURAL AREAS
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• TYPES – SIZE, TECHNOLOGY,
CONNECTIVITY TO MAIN GRID, AC/DC
• ECONOMIC STATUS OF THE VILLAGE –
ABILITY AND WILLINGNESS TO PAY,
ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT, OTHER
DEVELOPMENT INDICES
• CONNECTIVITY – ROAD
COMMUNICATIONS, TELECOM,
ACCESSIBILITY
• NATURAL RESOURCES – WATER, SOIL,
TERRAIN, POTENTIAL FOR COMMERCE
• HUMAN CAPITAL
Source:MLinda

4. SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL MINI GRIDS`
• TYPES OF LOADS – DOMESTIC, COMMERCIAL AND PRODUCTIVE
• DAY VS NIGHT LOADS
• BREAKDOWN OF COSTS
• STORAGE, METERING, TRANSMISSION – CONTRIBUTE THE LION’S
SHARE
• CONNECTED LOAD AND UTILISATION
• VOLATILITY OF DOMESTIC LOADS
• NATURE OF COMMERCIAL LOADS – MARKETS, TELECOM TOWERS,
POULTRY
SUSTAINABLITY OF MINI GRIDS

5. PRODUCTIVE LOADS
• CONTRIBUTION TO INCOME
LEVELS AND VILLAGE GDP
• FARM / NON FARM
• SEASONALITY
• STABILITY
• DAY/ NIGHT LOADS
• MILLING, CRUSHING, PUMPING
• WINNOWING, THRESHING
• HEATING/COOLING
PRODUCTIVE LOADS

6. PRODUCTIVE LOADS
• Rural, Tribal, Remote
• Sophisticated, Three Phase, AC
• 24x7 Energy, Diesel back-up
• Smart, pre-paid metering
• Time of day tariffs
• Size 20 to 40 kWp
• Ground Mounted
• Design - 80% Capacity Productive
Loads such as irrigation pumps,
rice hullers
Mlinda Mini Grids

7. SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL MINI GRIDS`
• Case Study A – Small grid connect village with domestic and
productive loads but no commercial loads
• Case Study B – A remote off grid village with domestic,
productive and commercial loads
Case Studies – A & B

8. CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGECASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

9. CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGE
• GRID CONNECT VILLAGE 26 km FROM GUMLA TOWN
• SMALL VILLAGE WITH 45 HOUSEHOLDS, FERTILE FARM LAND, RIVER
WATER AVAILABLE 10 MONTHS IN A YEAR
• NO COMMERCIAL LOADS, LIMITED DOMESTIC APPLIANCES
• PADDY IS MAIN CROP, VEGETABLES AND PULSES GROWN
• ENTERPRISING FARMERS
• PLANT SIZE – 22.5 KW
• CONNECTED PRODUCTIVE LOAD – TWO LARGE IRRIGATION PUMPS,
ONE RICE HULLER, SIX SMALL PUMPS (19 KW)
CASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

10. CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGE
• MAX UTILIZATION - 40 / 75
kWh per day
• SEASONALITY – IRRIGATION 7
MONTHS, RICE HULLING 9
MONTHS
CASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

11. CASE STUDY ‘A’ – ARANGTOLI VILLAGE
HOW DO WE REACH
COMMERCIAL
SUSTAINABILITY?
PUMP GROUPS,
HULLER GROUPS,
CAPACITY BUILDING,
LINK TO MARKETS,
EVOLVE INNOVATIVE
BUSINESS MODELS,
CONNECT
NEIGHBOURING
VILLAGE
CASE STUDY ‘A’- ARANGTOLI VILLAGE

12. CASE STUDY ‘B’ – NARATOLI VILLAGECASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

13. NARATOLI VILLAGE – CASE STUDY ‘B’
• OFF GRID VILLAGE
• PLANT CAPACITY – 22.5 kWp
• 80 HOUSEHOLDS, ENTERPRISING COMMUNITY, FERTILE FARM LAND
• RIVER, PONDS IN VICINITY, 11 MONTHS AVAILABILITY OF WATER
• CONNECTED COMMERCIAL / PRODUCTIVE LOADS 30 kW - 58
POULTRY UNITS, TWO LARGE PUMPS, TWO RICE HULLERS, 6 SMALL
PUMPS
CASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

14. NARATOLI VILLAGE – CASE STUDY ‘B’
• PEAK UTILIZATION – 50 /75
kWh
• SEASONALITY – IRRIGATION
PUMPS 7 TO 10 MONTHS,
RICE HULLERS 9 MONTHS
CASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

15. NARATOLI VILLAGE – CASE STUDY ‘B’
HOW DO WE REACH
COMMERCIAL
SUSTAINABILITY?
OTHER POTENTIAL LOADS,
GROWING DEMAND, PUMP
AND HULLER GROUPS,
POULTRY GROUPS
INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS
CASE STUDY ‘B’- NARATOLI VILLAGE

16. SUMMARY - LESSONS LEARNT
• WATER PUMPING IS A UNIVERSAL ANCHOR LOAD IN RURAL AREAS
• EXISTING DIESEL / FOSSIL FUEL BASED MACHINERY TO BE REPLACED BY
EQUIVALENT ELECTRIC MACHINES
• INNOVATIVE MECHANISMS SUCH AS SHARING METERS BY FORMING GROUPS,
HEATING AND COOLING APPLICATIONS CONTRIBUTE ENORMOUSLY
• PRICING OF TARIFFS SHOULD BE SO DESIGNED TO MAKE IT A VALUE
PROPOSITION FOR THE CONSUMERS VIS-À-VIS STATUS QUO SYSTEM
• UTILISATION CAN BE INCREASED IF IT CONTRIBUTES TO NOT JUST THE VILLAGE
ENTREPRENEUR’S PROFITS BUT BENEFITS THE WHOLE VILLAGE
• PRODUCTIVE ENERGY ACCESS MUST BE MAINSTREAMED WITH OTHER
DEVELOPMENTAL GOALS SUCH AS HEALTH, EDUCATION
• INVOLVEMENT OF WOMEN IN PRODUCTIVE BUSINESSES PAYS HUGE DIVIDENDS
SUMMARY – LESSONS LEARNT

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Thank you!
Vijay Bhaskar
Country Director, Mlinda India
vbhaskar@mlinda.org
www.mlinda.org
You can reach me at +91 9831023042