Offgridplanner

Offgridplanner – Off Grid Planning Tool.

How does Offgridplanner help?

The Offgridplanner software was developed by researchers at the Reiner Lemoine Institute and helps to plan and optimize power supply systems. Offgridplanner forms the basis for several project-specific implementations that have been adapted to different countries and requirements.

The tool simulates and optimizes the design of mini-grids, including the distribution of consumers  based on geospatial data and estimated energy demand.

Who is the tool suitable for?

The tool is aimed at project developers, government institutions, researchers and professionals in the field of energy access.
Depending on the implementation, it can be adapted to different regional and project-specific contexts.

How does Offgridplanner work?

The tool is used to plan off-grid systems. It optimizes the spatial design of the distribution grid as well as the configuration of energy converters and storage systems.

Features of the tool:

• Automatic identification of buildings from OpenStreetMap
• Spatial optimization of the distribution grid
• Design optimization of generation systems (PV systems, battery systems, inverters, and diesel engines)
• Automatic identification of buildings better suited for individual solar home systems

Depending on the project-specific implementation, extended functions are available for the Offgridplanner, such as the optimization of hydrogen components.

What examples of use are there?

The first implementation of the tool was developed as part of the project “PeopleSuN: Optimization of off-grid energy supply systems in Nigeria”. In the meantime, Offgridplanner has been adapted in other projects and countries and expanded with additional functions.

In the project “GreenH2-Islands: Hydrogen for a 100% renewable energy supply for islands in Southeast Asia”, the tool was adapted to the Thai context and expanded to include hydrogen components.

In the project “Offgridplanner for Mozambique: Digital Planning Aid for Sustainable Power Grids”, the tool was expanded for use in Mozambique.

How can Offgridplanner be used?

The central Offgridplanner platform is freely accessible online at https://offgridplanner.org/.

The program code is written in the Python programming language and is freely available in full on the online service GitHub