Abstract
Mini-grid technologies are rapidly growing and occupying predominant place in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Rural electrification rate is drastically rising because of the wide adoption of mini-grid systems in off-grid communities. However, there is still a lot of efforts needed from a regulatory, technological, and financial point of view. The mini-grid concept is currently being reviewed by African energy stakeholders to be integrated in their national and regional energy plan. To achieve an effective integration, the design of mini-grid set-ups must be understood. To understand its design, various factors such as the system components, the sizing and optimization tools and major implementation phases must be considered carefully. For this reason, this paper seeks to define the concept of mini-grid and propose a biogas-solar Photovoltaic (PV) hybrid mini-grid (BSPVHM) as a power solution for underserved agricultural communities.