Context:
Sub-Saharan Africa faces a severe energy crisis, with over 50% of the population lacking electricity access and rural electrification rates dropping to as low as 5%. This transformative project addresses this disparity by leveraging circular economy principles to repurpose electronic waste from electric vehicles (EVs), such as lithium-ion batteries, power converters, and motors, for renewable energy microgrids. These second-life components are ideal for stationary applications, including solar energy storage, micro-hydro systems, and energy controllers.
This innovative approach tackles two pressing challenges: expanding energy access in underserved regions and mitigating environmental harm from increasing e-waste. The project contributes directly to SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
This studentship explores the dynamic interactions of producers, consumers, and prosumers (those who both produce and consume energy) in microgrid ecosystems. Research areas include:
- Modelling prosumer behaviour and energy usage patterns.
- Applying machine learning to analyse and forecast energy demand.
- Designing load management strategies to balance supply and demand in real-time.
- Investigating the scalability of microgrid strategies across diverse African contexts.
- This research aims to enhance efficiency, reliability, and adaptability in microgrids.
Estimated thesis submission: To be confirmed