Abstract
The national electricity access rate is currently at 53%. This statistic highlights an urban-rural disparity in electricity access rates of 60% and 19%, which disproportionately affects rural areas. A series of challenges hinder the efforts to expand the central grid infrastructure: the uneven topography, small, disjointed villages with scattered households, remoteness from towns, and the low economic levels amongst rural dwellers render grid extension unfeasible. Renewable energy mini-grids are therefore considered a cost-effective option, poised to meet domestic and productive electricity needs in rural communities. Despite the implementation of the mini-grid programmes, there is limited empirical evidence on how technical layout, affordability, user behaviour, and policy frameworks interact to enable sustainable rural electrification in Lesotho. The study explores the potential of this option by developing a hybrid sustainable mini-grid model for improving rural electrification in Lesotho.
For purposes of this research, “hybrid” refers to the renewable energy technical configuration of solar PV with a battery backup and to an integrated sustainable model that combines technical, economic, and policy dimensions to address rural electrification challenges. The model is empirical and policy-oriented. It is informed by multi-site fieldwork and multi-method analysis. The model executed assignments including demand forecasting, user perception analysis of the service, and policy evaluation. The methods were integrated to inform the hybrid model, which synthesises demand dynamics, affordability thresholds, optimum consumption potential, and policy support instruments.
Different areas were selected for this study depending on their relevance to different study objectives. Theunelectrified rural communities of Bobete and Methalaneng were selected for the seasonal electrical demand forecasting analyses. The currently operating Matsoaing and Tlhanyaku mini-grid communities were the study area for the analysis of user perspectives on the mini-grids’ usefulness and quality of service. The scope of the literature review on the challenges of deploying mini-grids was broadened to Sub-Saharan Africa. The Lesotho energy policy environment was evaluated for its conduciveness to the accelerated deployment of...