Microgrids for Developing World Must Enable ‘Productive’ Electricity Use

Energy storage expert Busso Von Bismarck. photo via: http://www.adlershof.de/news/ein-lager-fuer-oekostrom/

As Microgrid News & Insight reported last month, a study in India has concluded that basic rural electrification does little to improve the economic situation in the communities it services. More power is needed to generate real change.

“Light is, of course, great, so is entertainment [like computers and TV],” says Busso von Bismarck, founder, manager, and head of business development at energy storage provider Qinous. “But I think it’s important to go further and allow people to run machines with electricity: milling machines, welding or workshops, water pumping. These are applications which make economic growth possible.”

Groundbreaking Hospital Project in War-torn Country: Syrian Microgrids Save Lives

After six years of conflict, major sections of the electrical grid in Syria were destroyed, making hospitals dependent on diesel generators. Frequent shortages of diesel jeopardized patient lives and skyrocketed the price of diesel fuel.UOSSM launched the ‘Syria Solar’ Initiative last week after 10 weeks of installation, and months of testing and monitoring. The 480-panel pilot project is the first of its kind in Syria and was designed to stabilize electricity in hospitals in the war-torn country. The system can fully power the ICU, operating rooms and emergency departments during diesel outages. With the success of the pilot project, plans are drafted to deploy solar systems in five more vulnerable medical facilities in Syria.