Using Mobile Energy Storage To Enhance Microgrids
Climate Change is the defining issue of our time, whilst the mitigation of climate change is urgent and essential, it is also vital that we see a fair transition to a new energy infrastructure, which does not leave poor and disadvantaged communities behind.
In South Africa the generation of renewable energy has been encouraged through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme (REIPPP). This programme requires IPPs to allocate 2.5% of their funding to socio-economic projects.
Our project seeks to test the feasibility of charging a bank of small batteries from solar farms installed by IPPs, then using those batteries to provide power to low-income rural households and rural micro businesses. The power to charge the batteries would be provided free of charge as part of the IPPs social commitment. The project is focusing on a cluster of off grid villages in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa.
A Social Enterprise run by members of the local community will be established to manage a weekly distribution of batteries to participating households.
The project is a collaboration between Smart Grid Controls, the University of Pretoria, Kings College London and South African business, Renewable Circle Solutions Ltd. The project has been funded by Innovate UK.
Key Learning Points:
- Utilising funding from IPPs for community projects
- Utilisation of mobile energy storage as a means of electrification for off grid households
- Establishing a sustainable social enterprise to provide power to off grid rural homes
Tim Cantle-Jones
Managing Director
Smart Grid Controls
Tim Cantle-Jones Tim has a track record of success in building teams and ensuring alignment of those teams towards a common goal. He has the capacity to manage complexity and the energy to provide leadership to a diverse management team. He understands business success is achieved through skilled, well-motivated people who respect their leaders.
He has a degree in Economics and Politics from the University of Bristol and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the University of Northumbria. The Smart Grid Controls was founded in 2018 on the back of over a decade of work by Tim Cantle- Jones and Technology Director, Steve Todd in the low carbon energy sector. The vision of the business is to maximise commercial benefit from changing energy markets in the UK and South Africa. The business has a deep commitment and passion to help governments and business move towards a carbon free world.
Managing Director
Smart Grid Controls
Tim Cantle-Jones Tim has a track record of success in building teams and ensuring alignment of those teams towards a common goal. He has the capacity to manage complexity and the energy to provide leadership to a diverse management team. He understands business success is achieved through skilled, well-motivated people who respect their leaders.
He has a degree in Economics and Politics from the University of Bristol and a Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from the University of Northumbria. The Smart Grid Controls was founded in 2018 on the back of over a decade of work by Tim Cantle- Jones and Technology Director, Steve Todd in the low carbon energy sector. The vision of the business is to maximise commercial benefit from changing energy markets in the UK and South Africa. The business has a deep commitment and passion to help governments and business move towards a carbon free world.