How will Smart Grid technology impact sub-Saharan Africa?

Such Smart Grid advances may enable sub-Saharan African countries to leapfrog elements of traditional power systems in terms of both technology and regulation. This could accelerate national and regional electrification timeframes, improve service delivery, minimize costs and reduce environmental impact.

Can smart grids help Sub-Saharan Africa leapfrog traditional power systems practices?

Some Smart Grid approaches may enable sub-Saharan Africa to leapfrog traditional power systems practices in the short term. Others will require preconditions to be established today in order to avoid technology lock-in and ensure compatibility with future concepts and technologies.

What are 'smart and just grids' for Sub-Saharan Africa?

We broadly define the concept of ‘Smart and Just Grids’ for sub-Saharan Africa as one that embraces all measures in support of immediate and future integration of advanced two-way communication, automation and control technologies into local, national or regional electricity infrastructure.

Can a smart grid be a copy of industrialised countries?

Given the specific needs of sub-Saharan Africa, it is obvious that a Smart Grid approach for this region cannot simply be a copy of practices in industrialised countries — the starting point, challenges and opportunities are too different.

What are the barriers to developing smart grids in South Africa?

Barriers for developing Smart Grids in South Africa can be found in Bipath . Challenges, drivers and priorities in developing countries are mentioned in Bhargava . According to Bipath international cooperation for Smart Grids is expected to focus on standardisation, cybersecurity and interoperability.

What is a smart grid?

For our purposes, Smart Grids is a broad concept that covers the entire electricity supply chain and is characterised by the use of technologies to intelligently integrate the generation, transmission and consumption of electricity . Thus, Smart Grids elements are part of a continuum of power sector tools and technologies.