Experts advocate renewables, microgrids to tackle power crisis

By Udeme Akpan Power sector experts have called for increased investment in renewable energy and microgrids to complement the national grid and address Nigeria’s persistent electricity supply challenges. They made the call in separate interviews with Vanguard on the sidelines of the recently concluded Nigeria Energy Summit at Landmark, Lagos. Product Manager, DEIF, Anshul Alankar, said Nigeria needed to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy, particularly solar power, noting that the national grid could not meet the country’s growing electricity demand.

He said renewable energy offered an opportunity to expand access to electricity, especially for businesses and households seeking more reliable power supply. “The reality is that renewable energy is the in-thing, and government policy also supports it. It is important to latch on to it as early as possible, especially for the commercial sector and even for individual users.

“The grid system is not able to provide all the electricity and power needed by Nigerians and Africans to maintain sustainable energy. “Renewable is a major aspect of Nigeria’s power sector. Nigeria has surplus solar energy, and microgrids will help because you don’t need huge infrastructure to bring power across the country. “Microgrids are a more efficient way of handling local and rural areas.

You can create your own grid, minimise fuel consumption and maximise the sun, which is free,” he said. Alankar said the increasing demand for decentralised electricity was driving the development of systems that integrate solar power, battery storage, generators and the national grid. He said the company’s solutions were designed to improve fuel efficiency, optimise battery performance and maximise the use of solar energy.

“The priority should be mostly on renewables rather than fossil fuels. Our whole mindset is based on the same concept that renewables should be more than fossil fuels,” he added. Also speaking, Executive Director of Delmira Power Solutions, Dr Moriam Jagun, identified frequent grid collapses as a major challenge, saying renewable energy could provide alternative electricity sources for homes and businesses.

She said her company was the authorised channel partner for DEIF products in Nigeria, adding that the firm provided power systems for coordinating, protecting and monitoring electricity generation and distribution. According to her, the solutions are applicable to both land-based and marine power systems. The Sales Head, Engineering, Delmira Power Solutions, Engr Nmecha Chizinum Ayodele, also stressed the importance of reliable electricity to industrialisation and economic development.

He said the company was expanding its DEIF franchise from land-based applications to the marine sector in Nigeria, with plans to strengthen its presence in the Nigerian and wider African markets. “Our country has come to the point of further expansion in renewable energy, from household to grid levels,” Ayodele said. He added that DEIF solutions could remotely monitor, automate and synchronise different power sources, including the national grid, solar photovoltaic systems, generators and batteries.

According to him, integrating the different sources could help provide more reliable electricity to industries and households while reducing energy costs.