The Government of Rwanda through its power sector has very ambitious targets to achieve 512 MW installed power generation capacity, from its current 216 MW power generation and have universal access (100%) by 2023/24. It is also determined to achieve 52% on-grid connections and 48% off-grid connections by 2023/24. Literature review, analyses, and site visits to various branch offices of the Rwanda Energy Group (REG) were used to evaluate and determine the success of the power sector in achieving its goals, targets and aspirations. Also, hydropower has a high generation percentage (46.8%), because it has longer plant life, higher capacity factor and availability, numerous rivers coupled with Rwanda embarking upon upgrade and vigorous expansion programmes. Furthermore, the potential to generate electricity economically with local resources including, hydropower, peat, lake gas methane and geothermal energy has however, been estimated to total around 1,613 MW. The country is therefore, utilizing <10% of its local electricity potential, excluding a substantial solar resource, while incurring a large foreign outflow. The Rwanda's electricity tariff was estimated to be about 22.2% more expensive, compared to the highest electricity tariff of other East African Community (EAC) countries. The reports of Electricity Access Roll-out Programme (EARP) also show that the number of new customer connections increased from 364,000 households in June 2012 to more than 700,000 households (31% of the total households in Rwanda) in 2017.

Until recently, the Rwanda power sector increased rapidly to double the 2010 installed capacity. The energy consumption in Rwanda experienced a steady rise correspondingly with the population and modern socioeconomic life. Consequently, Rwanda household access to electricity increased to 53% by September 2019. Not only does 47% of Rwanda's population lack electricity access, there are persistent power failures and the grid is also unstable. Using renewable energy hybrid technologies in off-grid areas might be a solution to this problem. However, the high cost of renewable energy hybrid systems has led to its slow adoption in many developing countries. Hence, it is important to find the most appropriate hybrid combinations that reduce energy cost and access electricity generation that maximizes the available renewable energy resources. This paper examines some new technology development needs related to the power sector in Rwanda. Secondly, four different 100% renewable energy hybrid systems were designed and simulated to support rural and remote areas considering an average load demand of 158.1 kWh/day with a peak load of 18 kW. The hybrid systems simulation and optimization were obtained using HOMER (hybrid optimization model for electric renewables) software. The input data were obtained from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for solar and wind resources, and hydro resources were from real-time field data for selected study site. The simulation results indicate hydro/ solar/battery hybrid is the most cost-effective and environmentally viable alternative for off-grid rural electrification because of low net present cost (NPC) and least greenhouse gas emissions. The proposed hybrid combination could apply to other rural areas in the region and elsewhere in the world especially where climate conditions are similar.

Despite remarkable economic growth and development in recent decades, Rwanda has been still facing energy crises and challenges. Although the country has considerable energy assets, less than 10% is utilized for its local electricity needs. Currently, national installed generation capacity is estimated at 221 MW, for a population around 12 million, and electricity access is estimated at 51% (37% grid and 14% off-grid networks). About half the population is without electricity access while the grid-connected users face high electricity tariffs and frequent power outages (blackouts). The national grid itself is also experiencing high losses. This paper used the HOMER software for modeling the optimal, sustainable, reliable, and affordable photovoltaic solar technologies as energy solutions for all (off-grid and on-grid users) in Rwanda. The selection and recommendation of a suitable photovoltaic (PV) solar technology depend on its annual electricity production capacity, electrical load, renewable energy penetration percentage, economic viability, feasibility, affordability, carbon footprint, and greenhouse gas emission level for climate change considerations towards a clean and greener future. The results show that the least cost of energy (LCOE) for electricity production by each of the solar PV systems with storage, PV-grid-connected household, and PV-grid connection with storage was 67.5%, 56.8%, and 33.9%, respectively, lower than the normal electricity tariff in Rwanda. The PV systems with storage proposed in this paper could be effective in increasing national energy resource exploitation, providing affordable and reliable energy access to all citizens.