Motivated by the critical issue of electricity access in South Africa, I embarked on a TU Delft thesis project in collaboration with DC Opportunities, to develop a comprehensive framework for designing PV-powered DC microgrids aimed at electrifying informal settlements—communities that are remnants of the apartheid era and make up the majority of the 2.2 million unelectrified households in the country. While existing low-voltage off-grid solutions provide basic electricity, they are insufficient to meet the growing demand for higher electricity access levels that residents both desire and can afford.

Design considerations unique to the targeted communities were identified through site visits and consultations with local developers, which was made possible thanks to support from Stichting 3E. These insights were incorporated into the comprehensive design framework that combines open-source tools with custom Python scripts, to design the optimal PV-powered DC microgrid system for a specific community.

The framework was successfully applied to the informal settlements of Oudtshoorn and Daveyton, demonstrating its ability to generate feasible, scalable, and adaptable microgrid designs. I am grateful to Stichting 3E for their contribution, which granted me the invaluable opportunity to make an impact on electrification efforts in South Africa’s informal settlements through this project.

Emma Shibata