Scientists in Spain studied electricity demand data for the Kobe refugee camp in Ethiopia to optimize several minigrid scenarios, also integrating the use of electric pressure cookers. Their analysis showed that introduction of the cooker required an increase in PV capacity of up 68%.
Research led by scientists from Spain's Technical University of Madrid has investigated the integration of electric pressure cookers (EPCs) in refugee camps powered by PV minigrids (PVMGs).
Using the HOMER Pro simulation software, the team demonstrated a case study of the Kobe refugee camp, which is located in the south of Ethiopia and houses 37,461 refugees from Somalia.
“This research addresses a critical gap by examining how integrating cooking needs into electricity system planning impacts lifecycle sizing, using real-world data from the Shire Alliance project,” corresponding author Sonia Ramos-Galdo told pv magazine. “We assess the feasibility and benefits of deploying EPCs powered by optimized PVMGs to enable clean cooking in resource-limited settings, with a focus on the Kobe displacement settlement in Ethiopia.”
The process started with collecting data on the field from the displacement camp from May 2021 to October 2024. Together with additional information from academic literature, HOMER Pro was used for modeling and optimization. Focusing on 19 communal infrastructures (CIs) and their demand, the team ranked them for priority (A being the highest and C being the lowest), based on several criteria agreed upon with local stakeholders. CIs included education, health and NGO office facilities.
Based on this ranking, three distribution cases were considered: the first includes only the 10 priority A CIs; the second includes all 16 CIs, excluding only three CIs with the lowest demand; and the last includes all 19 CIs. For each of those cases, scenarios in which cooking needs are considered and unconsidered were checked, resulting in a total of 12 scenarios. A 40-L Ewant electric pressure cooker (EPC) has been chosen for cooking needs.
“EPCs integrate an electric hotplate, a pressure cooker, an insulated casing, and a fully automated control system, reducing energy consumption by up to 80% compared to traditional hotplates,” explained the team. “The selected EPC has thermal efficiencies of 87% and an estimated lifetime of 5 years. The estimated electricity required to cook a meal with EPC is 0.02 kWh/meal. It has been chosen, in consultation with local stakeholders, due to its efficiency and compatibility with East African culinary practices.”
The analysis showed that the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) in Ethiopian displacement camps is currently $0.23/kWh, and the country's electricity price is $0.007/kWh for households and $0.22/kWh for businesses. The assumed budget for the simulated PVMGs with EPC was €0.53 million ($0.6 million). The simulations of the different scenarios also allowed for up to 5% capacity shortage.
“The lowest LCOE for each scenario was achieved through the combination of PV generation and battery storage, excluding diesel generation, due to the high diesel price in the Kobe RC context,” the team explained. “Implementing EPCs necessitates an increase of 31–68% in PV capacity and a 39–58% rise in CAPEX compared to the minimum investment of €199,780.”
The assessment also demonstrated that daily energy demand ranges from 174 Wh/day in the lowest-demand scenario to 266 Wh/day in the highest, with peak loads varying between 35 kW and 79 kW. “An electric cooking factor of 31–36% results in a 7% average reduction in load factor and only a 6% increase in LCOE,” the academics stated.
“The global warming potential (GWP) savings of an MG depend on its energy sources, with emissions from a PVMG being zero, allowing in the Kobe case to save 7.76 kg of CO₂ equivalent per meal compared to the baseline data,” Sonia Ramos-Galdo concluded. “Reducing reliance on traditional biomass and diesel mitigates both GWP and deforestation, preserving approximately 45 tons of firewood annually—an issue linked to conflicts over forest resources that affect women's well-being and increase their vulnerability when collecting firewood.”
The research findings were presented in “Comprehensive approach for electricity and clean cooking access through solar photovoltaic mini grids: The Kobe refugee camp case study,” published in Energy for Sustainable Development. Scientists from Spain's Technical University of Madrid and Madrid-based transdisciplinary collective Energy from Women.