Microgrids for Rural Electrification

A study of over a dozen microgrid projects inaugurated by seven developers in three countries sought to determine why some such projects get trapped in vicious cycles of poor maintenance, disappointed customers, insufficient revenue and dysfunctional community support, while others prosper. Seven key factors are identified: tariff design, tariff collection mechanisms, maintenance and contractor performance, theft management, demand growth, load limits and local training and institutionalization.