DC micro-grid with distributed generation for rural electrification

This paper investigates the use of low voltage DC distribution network for rural electrification within an intelligent grid concept. The goal is to provide local communities in sparsely populated areas with electricity supply generated from renewable energy sources. Since these communities subsist with no grid connectivity, they require a concept of micro-grid whereby individual Solar Home Systems (SHS) can be connected. The excess power required by any SHS is supplied from the grid to make the system more reliable. Furthermore, people who cannot afford Solar Home System can connect themselves with the grid as well and get access to the basic need of electricity. In this work a power flow supervision system has been investigated based on domestic and grid level DC electrical systems with MATLAB/Simulink as software supporting platforms. The length of the grid and the number of the Solar Home System deeply affect the load behavior of the network. So it is suggested that a detailed study has to be performed before implementing this new concept.