Disruptive innovations in smart electricity systems: Opportunities and challenges for sub-Saharan Africa
The international community has committed to reducing the amount of greenhouse gases, including CO2, emitted into the atmosphere, to limit the extent of anthropogenic climate change. In parallel, it is starting to acknowledge the impact of particulate emissions from fossil fuels on air quality and human health.
These factors are driving countries to transform their energy systems so they are clean, smart, and affordable for the citizens they serve. A large part of the energy transformation will be through electricity systems, which are the focus of this paper. The continuing advances in renewable generation technologies, the increase in the use of ‘smart’ systems, and the further electrification of heat, transport, and cooking make electricity well placed to address current challenges.
The report argues that as well as the institutional challenges, Africa's changing energy system must also deal with the issues presented by the intermittent nature of renewable electricity production and the changing nature of the demand from consumers. Managing the system operation complexities of the future can be eased by the use of flexibility and the data and optimisation aspects of digitalisation.
Download the report below: