OptiMG Project Report – Optimization of Integrated Mini-Grids for Water, Energy, and Food

In the OptiMG project, we are developing methods and open-source software tools for planning integrated mini-grids for productive uses in the areas of water, energy, and food. The starting point is the challenge that productive energy uses -such as irrigation, water treatment, cooling, or agricultural processing – are often not systematically and integrally considered in mini-grid planning, and that existing tools are frequently only partially accessible or insufficiently tailored to local contexts. Over the course of the project, we first identify relevant use cases and requirements through interviews, workshops, and site-specific analyses. Building on this, we develop tools for resource assessment, demand estimation, system configuration, and multi-objective optimization. We apply these tools in several pre-feasibility studies and support their use through workshops, scientific publications, and exchange formats with partners from Africa and Europe. Despite delays in funding from individual international partners, we have largely achieved the key scientific and technical project objectives. Among the most important results are the openly accessible software modules WEFESiteAnalyst, WEFEDemand, and WEFEConfigurator; the open web app WEFEPlan; several case study applications; scientific publications; and contributions to capacity development and African-European cooperation.

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