SustainSolar, an off-grid supplier, announced that it has recently commissioned a 12-kWp containerised mini-grid in the village of Mthembanji in the Dedza district of Malawi. The solar photovoltaic system provides electricity to 60 households and small businesses in the village.
“Following Covid-19 related delays, July 2020 saw the successful commissioning and final testing of the first SustainCompact™ containerized solar generation unit as a mini-grid under the Rural EASE (Energy Access through Social Enterprise and Decentralization) project, funded by the Scottish Government in collaboration with University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and United Purpose, an international development and emergency relief organization headquartered in the UK,” the company said in a release.
Bringing a stable and low carbon electricity provision to the previously unconnected village of Mthembanji, Dedza District, this mini-grid will be the first experience of wired household electricity and has potential for significant social and economic impact in the village.
The 12kW solar generation unit provides high-quality 220 V power for domestic and commercial use including lights, phone charging, TVs, fridges as well as other productive uses. Being the first of its kind in Malawi, the mini-grid is cheaper, quicker to implement and potentially more financially sustainable than larger capacity mini-grids currently deployed in the country. This new method of rural electrification also allows for more electricity and a higher impact than the solar home systems offered on the market.