Off-grid is the future

This story first appeared in the December issue of EVtalk – CLICK HERE to download the magazine FREE

The extension of national grids is nowhere near to keeping up with population growth in Africa and some other places.

Even in the United States, the sheer cost of upgrading the national grid – with its vulnerability to terrorism and natural disasters – is leading to a successful search for alternatives.

The new IDTechEx report Off-grid Zero-emission Electricity: New Markets, New Technology Roadmap 2018-2038 reveals the market drivers and the changing technologies involved.

It concerns rapid expansion of clean distributed energy as micro-grids and mini-grids of 0.5kW- 1MW.

There are detailed forecasts and technology roadmaps. The introduction explains off-grid history, definitions, comparison of the ten energy harvesting technologies, the fringe topic geothermal and nature, challenges of off-grid batteries and electricity cost comparisons.

A chapter on progress and opportunities worldwide profiles continents and 21 countries.

The report compares technologies in more detail than earlier. The emphasis is on what is new and important for the future: this is seen in the drill-down chapter on electricity from light and infrared scoping perovskites etc, building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), solar versus piezo roads and “Silent City”.

That leads to a chapter on electricity from wind, including a close look at the newly commercial aerial wind energy (AWE) and such things as piezo and photovoltaic sails as multi-mode harvesting becomes important.

Off-grid electricity from water is then revealed with a detailed look at off-grid battery technologies at the end of the report.

The presentation is compact with detailed infograms and forecasts, and a creative, critical approach by the many PhD level analysts who have toured the world to gain information using local languages for technical interviews.

It is shown that the biggest markets are on the mainland, initially, mainly in developing countries, but mini-grids are popular in island states – both developed and developing.
It is estimated there are more than 10,000 inhabited islands around the world with an estimated 750 million islanders, and the report profiles many and gives statistics, trends and achievements.

In most cases, renewables are already a cost-effective replacement for their diesel generators and others benefit from solar panels taking much of their load.

The report questions the popular belief that electric vehicles will provide an ongoing increase in demand and funding for grids, arguing that the vehicles and the charging stations where needed will become micro and mini-grids, not connected to national grids.
For example, Tesla promises solar bodywork and Elon Musk says he will take all of his charging stations off-grid worldwide.

Audi has licensed Hanergy solar body work but Hanergy has already demonstrated its own purely solar cars for launch in 2020.

There is a clear roadmap to 2.2 million larger vehicles becoming candidates for energy independence in 2028, including the largest ships having zero emission instead of each emitting NOx and particulates of millions of cars.

New forms of wind and solar power will be involved. Indeed, the new solar roads will appear on ships, not just in towns, where they have 2.5 times the available area of building roofing.

The trend is obvious: off-grid is the way to go.

Learn why off-grid is now a prudent diversification for utilities and fossil fuel companies. Indeed, energy company E.ON, Austin Energy and Shell have already invested in AWE.
The report shows how off-grid is a fertile hunting ground for start-ups and everything in between, with many new technologies and applications arriving.

The potential is considerable and for the first time it has now been fully scoped by this report.

There are actual examples of people coming off-grid and enjoying both lower cost and better continuity of service. Learn how 3MW large ships will become zero emission – a sophisticated travelling island grid.

There is a comprehensive analysis of technologies – systems, energy harvesting and energy storage. Understand the significance of AWE using tethered drones, assess solar roads, electric wave blankets and more.

Many forms of “blue energy” suitable for mini and micro-grids are revealed – magnetostriction, triboelectrics, 6D motion harvesting, hurricane-proof small water turbines and new wind turbines that downscale efficiently for green microgrids.

Australia and New Zealand are included in the report, available through www.idtechex.com/research/reports/off-grid-zero-emission-electricity-2018-2038-new-markets-new-technology-roadmap-000562.asp

Off-Grid Electric Vehicle Charging: Zero Emission 2018-2038 is a related report.

Visit HERE

for more information.