  Detailed knowledge of the energy needs at relatively high spatial and
temporal resolution is crucial for the electricity infrastructure planning of a
region. However, such information is typically limited by the scarcity of data
on human activities, in particular in developing countries where
electrification of rural areas is sought. The analysis of society-wide mobile
phone records has recently proven to offer unprecedented insights into the
spatio-temporal distribution of people, but this information has never been
used to support electrification planning strategies anywhere and for rural
areas in developing countries in particular. The aim of this project is the
assessment of the contribution of mobile phone data for the development of
bottom-up energy demand models, in order to enhance energy planning studies and
existing electrification practices. More specifically, this work introduces a
framework that combines mobile phone data analysis, socioeconomic and
geo-referenced data analysis, and state-of-the-art energy infrastructure
engineering techniques to assess the techno-economic feasibility of different
centralized and decentralized electrification options for rural areas in a
developing country. Specific electrification options considered include
extensions of the existing medium voltage (MV) grid, diesel engine-based
community-level Microgrids, and individual household-level solar photovoltaic
(PV) systems. The framework and relevant methodology are demonstrated
throughout the paper using the case of Senegal and the mobile phone data made
available for the 'D4D-Senegal' innovation challenge. The results are extremely
encouraging and highlight the potential of mobile phone data to support more
efficient and economically attractive electrification plans.
