Energy System Optimization Modeling Tool

Universal energy access for India remains a challenge. Grid expansion projects are under way, but it appears that 24/7 electricity nationwide is far off. Until then, much of India is dependent on diesel backup power, which is costly when compared to solar power.

Mera Gao and Husk Power Systems have already shown that solar lighting and cell-phone charging are economical, but it is unclear what exactly the next generation of affordable electrification will look like. This project explores the socio-technical-economic feasibility of two promising ways for integrating distributed solar power into agri-business to increase farmer’s income: Low-energy irrigation, and tri-generation powered food processing.

Due to the highly complex nature of these problems, the design space is explored with multidisciplinary optimization methodologies.