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In this paper, we make the case for an increased focus on teaching an understanding of societal context and the integral role it plays in energy infrastructure design. Power system design education is inadequate in terms of holistic understanding of the non-technical aspects of a client-society in the development of energy infrastructure solutions. These are reflected in many failed designs, primarily designed by student engineers as part of capstone projects, senior design projects, or extra-curricular work through humanitarian-oriented programs administered by NGOs. We are developing coursework that introduces students to the complexities involved in the practice of engineering in rural communities at the international level.

This paper describes some non-technical challenges of utilizing Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to achieve electrification in remote rural regions that fall outside the reach of the conventional utility grid. These non-technical challenges stem partly from the inability to utilize economies of scale, but are also related to place-based contexts of the communities that these systems are designed to serve. This paper provides some insights from a case study of DER usage for electrification in the Navajo Nation (NN) and the challenges that are involved. It describes through this illustrative case study why technology solutions and long-term policy initiatives and support -explicitly crafted using knowledge of place and people -are necessary to advance electrification goals in rural and under-served communities.

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