Electricity Consumption in Rural African Microgrids—A Review

Microgrids are key to rural electrification in Africa. While previous studies have mainly addressed microgrid sizing, techno-economic performance, and energy management, electricity consumption has received limited attention despite its central role in system design. The goal of this study is to review, harmonize and analyse publicly available electricity consumption data from rural microgrids across Africa. The analysis reveals a median of 44.5 consumers per microgrid, with most microgrids serving a few dozen to a small hundred consumers. The most frequently reported domestic loads are lighting, televisions, radios and fans while schools, health centers, places of worship, water pumps, and mills are the most frequently reported community-wide loads. The median consumption per consumer is 0.7 kWh/day. Moreover, a significant difference is observed between existing and hypothetical (e.g., used in the frame of conceptual design studies) microgrids, with median consumption per consumer values of 0.13 and 2.85 kWh/day, respectively, suggesting a tendency to overestimate demand during the microgrid planning phase. These findings are complemented by further insights, particularly into variability patterns and reporting practices. As new studies become available, we will continue to expand the compiled database. This work can notably be useful to microgrid developers and policymakers.