Global Analysis of Off-Grid Diesel Capacities

The vast majority of remote (“off-grid”) energy systems, mainly found in isolated areas or islands, derive their electricity supply from diesel generators. The low initial costs, high flexibility and operability of these generators facilitate their application. Yet, dramatically decreasing costs for PV systems render hybrid energy systems more and more attractive economically. To assess the market potential for hybridisation of these off-grid plants it is necessary to identify their location and their local resource and cost data.

Firstly, the study aims to rank countries by highest off-grid diesel capacities with the help of GIS tools. In a second step, the most cost-effective hybrid energy systems for certain locations are simulated.