Assessment of Microgrid Potential in Southeast Asia Based on the Application of Geospatial and Microgrid Simulation and Planning Tools (Bertheau et al. 2020)

Enabling access to energy is crucial for achieving the sustainable development goals (SDGs). A particular challenge for countries in Southeast Asia is to develop sustainable energy systems on their far-flung islands to increase energy security and improve living conditions. Here, renewable energy microgrids combined with other emerging energy technologies hold a large potential for sustainable remote-area electrification. With 45 million people in Southeast Asia lacking access to electricity and a large number of islands with insufficient and expensive fossil-based power generation, the need to increase renewable energy implementation is evident.

To do so, a replicable way for planning and implementing renewable power systems is crucial to increase the implementation speed and achieve SDG7 in an efficient and least-cost way. We present a geospatial approach for characterising the island landscape of Southeast Asia. First, we apply geospatial administrative and demographic data, as well as renewable resource data to describe the island landscape. Second, we provide a comparison of state-of-the-art energy system modelling software. We conclude with the utilisation of selected energy system modelling software to simulate the cost-optimised renewable energy system for typical island groups based on the predefined island landscape.

The findings of our analysis provide a detailed overview about the island landscape of Southeast Asia and the respective potential for renewable-energy-based microgrids to supply the remote islands with affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy as demanded by the SDGs.

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