Optimal energy management system for a community microgrid: A case study from the Gambia

Remote communities often lack access to reliable electricity. This study investigates the feasibility of a microgrid system tailored for Kantong Kunda, a rural community in The Gambia. The community's current energy consumption and demand are determined through data collection using the Epicollect5 survey tool to characterize the local energy consumption and demand profile accurately. HOMER Pro software was employed to simulate and optimize hybrid microgrid configuration, prioritizing both cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability. The proposed system integrates 79.8 kW of Solar Photovoltaic (SPV), a 60-kW diesel generator, 374 batteries, and a 22.8 kW converter. The optimized design yields a Net Present Cost (NPC) of $251,474.80 and a Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) of $0.08527/kWh, which is well below the region's grid electricity tariff. This configuration yields 16.1 % excess electricity, a 10.5 % Return on Investment (ROI), a 14.2 % Internal Rate of Return (IRR), and a 6.03-year payback period, while cutting total emissions by 133,981.4 kg compared to a diesel-only baseline. The work contributes a microgrid design designed for rural African communities, and the findings demonstrate that microgrids can deliver reliable, affordable, and low-carbon electricity through decentralized energy systems for remote communities.