The African region’s smart grid market is expected to reach USD XX billion by 2022 from USD XX in 2016, growing at a CAGR of XX%.
Africa is a growing continent, with increasing demands for energy. Producing new, cleaner electricity to meet these demands is one thing; managing it efficiently is another. A number of countries in the African region are working to adopt several aspects of smart grid to bring their economies out of the muck of troubled histories and into an era of development and smart, sustainable energy futures. Several countries on the African continent are taking a chance. Approximately 585 million people lack access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa and this is set to increase to 652 million by 2030. The region will need to develop extensive electricity infrastructure. Sub-Saharan Africa can improve access to electricity services by adapting Smart Grid technologies to suit the region's pressing needs.
On the Flipside, High implementation costs hinder the deployment of smart grids. There is also public concern over issues like privacy, fair availability of electricity, and a fear of misuse of the variable tariff system. The power savings and network stabilization that they provide outweigh the disadvantages of smart grids.
Smart grid uses smart meters instead of the mechanical meters to record the power consumed in real time. It also provides a means of communication to interact with the generation plants. The advanced sensors used in this help to avoid congestion and give the grid stability. By using systems like supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), fiber optics, energy management systems, and wireless mesh networks the communications between the consumer and the supply station it will help to provide real time control of power supply and also data flow.