No abstract

This paper outlines a bottom-up concept for microgrids. A case study for Bangladesh illustrates the potential for building on the existing infrastructure of solar home systems and underlines the strength of the approach: it aims at economic and infrastructure development created from the communities themselves. Individual stand-alone energy systems are linked together to form a microgrid that can expand towards and eventually interconnect with national or regional grids. This approach can be likened to the concept of swarm intelligence, where each individual node brings independent input to create a conglomerate of value even greater than the sum of its parts.

Despite large amounts of readily available renewable energy, most island states in the Caribbean are still heavily dependent on mostly imported fossil fuels for their energy production. Making use of empirical analyses, this paper explores the barriers to the development of RE for power generation in the Caribbean, and outlines a strategy of how to overcome these barriers. Semistructured interviews with three "super-experts" serve to supplement the findings of a preceding literature review. Approximately 30 experts are consulted to confirm and rank the identified barriers to RE according to their importance. The endproduct of this study is a ranking matrix that will serve as a strategy instrument for decision-makers, who are then able to prioritise barriers and initiate their removal.