Enphase Energy Announces Completion of Nigerian Microgrid Project
Enphase Energy, Inc has announced the completion of its initial Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action. Enphase partnered with Beacon Power Services to provide a clean and reliable energy alternative for Future Kids in Lagos, Nigeria, through piloting an innovative solar energy microgrid system.
"We are proud to accomplish our Clinton Global Initiative commitment to address some of the energy challenges in Nigeria," said Raghu Belur, co-founder and vice-president of Enphase Energy. "Our project illustrates through modern solar PV energy, the citizens of Nigeria can gain access to a clean, reliable energy source that does not carry the same environmental footprint as diesel generators."
Electricity grids in developing nations such as Nigeria operate inconsistently. According to the 2015 U.S. Energy Information Administration report on Nigeria, the country has one of the lowest rates of net electricity generation per capita in the world. Electricity generation falls short of demand, resulting in load shedding, blackouts and a reliance on private generators. The combination of an unstable grid and polluting diesel generators is not a scalable, sustainable model for energy generation.
"We are pleased to partner with Enphase to manage the local training and installation of the Enphase microinverter system, as well as provide ongoing support for the project," said J.S. Roy, vice president of solar at Beacon Power Services. "The goal of the site is to establish a model that can scale for future solar projects in Africa."
Future Kids, a private nursery and primary school, had relied on diesel generators for its energy, and through an innovative project delivered by the Enphase Energy and Beacon Power Services partnership, design resources, technology and best practices for installing, operating and maintaining the solar system in a location where grid qualities are unstable were introduced. Through this pilot program, the system's performance data is made available to the public via Enlighten, Enphase's integrated and intelligent web-based monitoring software.
