Renewable Energy Integration; The Role Of Smart Grid Systems In Ghana

Electrical Electronics Engineering | Engineering

In the landscape of modern energy systems, the integration of renewable energy sources plays a crucial role in fostering sustainability and mitigating environmental impacts. Smart grid systems emerge as instrumental frameworks in this transition, facilitating the seamless incorporation of renewable energy into the existing grid infrastructure. By leveraging advanced monitoring, communication, and control technologies, smart grids optimize the management of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution, ensuring efficient utilization of renewable resources while maintaining grid stability and reliability. Through real-time data analytics and predictive algorithms, smart grids enable dynamic load balancing, demand response mechanisms, and grid resilience, addressing the intermittent nature of renewable sources like solar and wind power. Moreover, by fostering bidirectional communication between utilities and consumers, smart grid systems empower users to actively participate in energy management, promoting energy efficiency and decentralized energy generation. As renewable energy integration continues to expand, the role of smart grid systems becomes increasingly pivotal in orchestrating a sustainable and resilient energy future, driving innovation, and enhancing grid flexibility and responsiveness to evolving energy dynamics.

ABSTRACT

The use of renewable energy sources (RES) in power generation are increasing in many countries but the nature of it brings new challenges to the prevailing electricity system. The RES cannot integrate eﬀectively with extremely variable and distributed energy resources. The introduction of smart grid technologies in modern energy systems has brought a model change in redeﬁning the energy structure in the years ahead. Ghana’s energy system in the recent years has suffered many setbacks resulting in almost six years of load shedding. The power situation has affected industrialization and domestic sectors of the country’s economy. The condition also has affected the progress of the country’s fragile economy. Due to the recent restructuring of the energy sector, a larger population does not have access to reliable supply of energy and only 59.8% of the population has access to electricity supply. Poor state of Ghana’s electricity sector is ascribed to the ineffective power plants, outdated transmission and distribution systems, as well as outmoded metering methods used. This paper examined the role and the impact of smart grid technology and RES integration in Ghana. We look at how one can introduce the technology to improve the current poor condition of the energy sector. We reviewed literature on the current energy situation in Ghana, looked at other case studies where smart grid was used effectively, identified the main challenges and proposed the way forward by introducing smart grid technology into the system.

Keywords—renewable energy source (RES), renewable energy, role of smart grid;

TABLE OF CONTENTS

COVER PAGE

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

PROBLEM STATEMENT
AIM AND OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

REVIEW OF THE TUDY
SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY (SGT)
REVIEW OF SMART GRID TECHNOLOGIES IN GHANA
DRIVING FORCES FOR SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION IN GHANA
THE CURRENT GHANAGRID
STUDIES ON COUNTRIES WHO ARE ACTIVE IN SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
POWER SYSTEM OVERVIEW
BALANCING SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF POWER SYSTEMS
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF GHANAIAN POWER SECTOR

CHAPTER THREE

POWER SYSTEM MODELING
DESCRIPTION OF SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY
PRACTICAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EXISTING AND SMART GRID
THE SMART GRID AND DEMAND RESPONSE
SMART GRID INTEGRATION INTO THE GHANAIAN GRID NETWORK
FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT SMART GRID INTEGRATION IN GHANA
BENEFITS OF SMART GRID TECHNOLOGY

CHAPTER FOUR

THE AMI AND RES GRID INTEGRATION
RES INTEGRATION AND SMART GRID
FUTURE PROJECTIONS OF GHANA’S ENERGY SYSTEM

CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION
RECOMMENDATION

REFERENCES

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Supply of a reliable, adequate and economically priced power supply is vital for the socio-economic development of Ghana. It has been noted that the growth rate of the Ghana population has a direct relationship with the growth in the per capital electricity consumption (Compton, 2011). The importance of energy to the Ghana economy cannot be denied; it is underlying currency vital to the economic prosperity of the citizens. The population growth has already raised concerns over supply difficulties, exhaustion of energy resources and substantial environmental impacts (Michaelowa et al., 2011).

The development of every country in the contemporary world is largely depends on electricity. RES has significant possibilities of allowing growth and green challenges to be dealt with equally (Sambo, 2019). Ghana has a large quantity of fossil fuel and RES, nonetheless, the country is fighting with a serious energy challenges. About 59.8% of Ghanaians have access to electricity supply according to the World Bank data in December, 2016 (International Energy Agency, 2013). Poor state of Ghana’s electricity sector is ascribed to the ineffective power generation plants, outdated transmission and distribution systems, and outmoded metering methods used. The absence of sufficient RES to support the maximum load, the deteriorating of the transmission lines to the distribution systems which are not properly sustained, absence of communication systems, unlawful connections of electrical by some consumers and outmoded metering system (Aniefiok et al., 2013). To face these challenges, it has been a goal of engineers in power industry to establish a new form of grid. The smart grid has been proposed successively in United States, Europe, Canada, Australia, and China (Aniefiok et al., 2013). Many other countries in the world are also thinking about smart grid as the upgrading trend of power grid (Mshelia et al., 2012). In Europe a prototype smart grid has been demonstrated on the Danish island Bornholm (Ackermann, 2012) and the primary objective of this prototype is to operate the region’s power system using more than 50% renewable generation. South Korea has successfully established a smart grid test bed in an island (Albadi, 2008) and integrated some renewable energy generations along with smart meters and in-home displays. Due to the topographical position, there is a substantial possibilities for RE power generation in Ghana with possibility of the solar power, wind power, biomass or biogas and hydropower generation (Bruce et al., 2010). For Ghana to meet up the excess power demand, the country has no option than to integrate smart grid and the current power system and accumulate the renewable energy power generations towards smart grid technology.

This paper investigates the impact or the role of smart grid technologies RES integration in Ghana’s power system. It will also examine the current energy situation and the idea of introducing smart grid technology into the system. We additionally propose a future direction on how smart grid technology integration can transform energy situation in Ghana’s energy network.

1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Ghana’s electricity system in the recent years has suffered many setbacks resulting in almost five years of load shedding. The electricity situation in Ghana can be described as epileptic with no sign in view of improvement. The power situation has affected the manufacturing, service and residential sectors of the economy which in turn affects the country’s economic growth. Even with the recent reforms in the energy sector where power was separated from the Energy Ministry to stand as Power Ministry, a larger population does not have access to reliable supply of electricity. The epileptic condition of the power sector can be attributed to the inadequate and inefficient power plants, poor transmission and distribution facilities, and outdated metering system used by electricity consumers. The integration of smart grid technology and renewables into the Ghanaian electricity grid system remains the only solution to the electricity crisis in the country. This paper attempts to present the way forward for the Ghanaian poor electricity situation by reviewing the power sector as a whole and the renewable energy potentials.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the paper is to explore Smart Grid Technology and Renewable Energy Integration in the Ghanaian Grid System. The objectives of the study are:

To examine the current energy situation and the idea of introducing smart grid technology into the
To identify critical drivers essential to successful Smart Grid technology (SGT) implementation

To identify the problems in the national grid and then proposed a smart grid model for the Ghanaian power sector which will include renewable energy source.

To identify the role of smart grid system in Ghana power system

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will serve as a means of examining quantitatively, the drivers employed in the implementation of SGT among critical stakeholders in Ghana energy sector.

This research outcome will provide a theoretical basis and simultaneously can be used to analyses SGT implementation.

This study serve as means making recommendations that will solve the poor condition of the power sector in Ghana and also enable the proper integration of smart grid technology into the national grid.