Electricity and electronics are an integral parts of all cities’ systems. All the systems depend on electric power and hardware to move people and things, collect data and exchange information. Without electricity, modern city management, the Internet of Things, and all resulting city services remain wishful thinking. In addition, Energy is the golden thread that allows cities and economies to prosper. 

It is simply impossible to build an efficient urban infrastructure without reliable energy access. Without Standards to tackle safety, efficiency, energy metering, grid monitoring, and energy billing etc. electricity can turn into a disaster for users or create difficult situations since almost everything from water pumping, transportation, education, health, communication to industrial activities is driven by electricity.  Standards cover about every aspect of energy generation, distribution, electrical installations, and electricity use. They ensure power generation, effective transport of electricity over long distances to cities; use of various devices and systems in buildings, offices, medical facilities, shopping centers, transportation, factories, public institutions or the utilities that supply water and  electricity.

Smart Grids are public electrical grids that include ITC (Information and Communication Technologies) functions. The objective is to ensure a balance between electricity supply and demand at any time and to offer consumers a safe, sustainable and competitive electricity supply.

Until now this indispensable balance was achieved by matching production to consumption. Today we tend towards a system where adjustment will be done also at the demand level. 

This «Smart Grid» approach is therefore going to modify in depth the interaction and the communication between various stakeholders:

• Energy suppliers ;
• Energy transportation and distribution network managers ;
• Consumers (communities, commercial buildings, individuals);
• Actors in the field of telecommunications and ICT (for data exchange and storage between all systems and actors).

Thus all is linked : smart buildings and smart cities will only be “smart” as long as they are in infrastructure networks which are dimensioned and adaptable to future energy consumption and production modes, in other words with Smart Grids.

Further, the introduction of new technologies in the processes of billing and collection, operation and maintenance, will bring substantial changes that need to be controlled when managing electricity, water, gas, etc.

Smart Grids for whom, why and what for? What are the technological barriers to the development of Smart Grids? Which investments are necessary to deploy these solutions? How to manage the decision-making hierarchy between all stakeholders? Which standards are applicable to these networks? What will be the benefits for Africa? Those are questions need to be answered by all actors in energy sector.

To exchange on this “Smart” information, Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Ministry of Infrastructure (MININFRA), Rwanda Development Board (RDB), African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission (AFSEC) and Rwanda Energy Group (REG) are organizing the third International « Africa Smart Grid Forum 2018 » from 1st to 4th  October 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. The Forum is composed of high level policy plenary sessions, followed by parallel technical sessions bringing together International and African technical experts. The Forum includes an exhibition for international and continental companies and organizations providing technology solutions and institutional support to enable smart grid implementation.

The event will be held in collaboration and partnership with the African Energy Commission (AFREC), IEC, CENELEC, DKE, State Grid Corporation of China, KATS (Korean Agency for Technology & Standards) and AFREC/AU (African Energy Commission of the African Union).

The first AFREC Seminar on Energy Efficiency will be co-located with the Forum, to be held from 1 to 2 October. 

Forum Objectives

The forum aims to inform and share experience on:

1. To quantify the potential of Smart Grid Technologies, to accelerate sustainable access to electricity for the African people

2. To demonstrate the role of Smart Grid Technologies, to invigorate businesses and generate employment within the African Continent.

3. To identify impediments against deployment of Smart Grid Technologies

4. To propose measures to expedite Smart Grids to increase electrification across the continent

5. Standardization for sustainable Smart Grid Technologies and Infrastructure

The forum will help African experts and managers to build their capacities regarding Smart Grids in view of developing a strategy for African countries to become emerging economies.

The forum will address topics both upstream and downstream of the smart meter, electricity production, transportation and distribution, demand side management, energy access and storage as well as consumer services. 

It will also give suppliers the opportunity to exhibit their products, equipments and share their solutions.

Focus areas for the Forum

The forum will focus on the following key aspects:

1. Deployment of smart grid technologies to maximize the application of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures

2. Smart Grids in megacities: Global and African experiences

3. LVDC and E-mobility prospects in Africa

4. Rural and Off-Grid Electrification: Global and African experiences

5. Continental industrial prospects and hurdles in Smart Grid Technologies

6. Roles of governments and financial institutions in promotion for use of Smart Grid Technologies

7. The convergence of the ICT and energy sector

8. Interoperability and interchangeability of smart grid equipment from diverse countries/continents

9. Benefits of Grid Analysts, IoT and artificial intelligence technologies

10. Safety of electrical installation for prosumers

11. Role of standardization in Smart Grid Technologies

Expected outcomes

The forum will help in formulation of practical proposals to enhance synergies among national, regional and continental actors and cooperation with international partners for the effective application of Smart Grid Technologies for electrification and economic development in Africa.

Target audience

The forum targets decision-makers, regulators, utilities, standardization bodies, investors, experts and suppliers of solutions from various industries.

Over Four hundred (400) international and national participants are expected and more than twenty (20) exhibitors will display their expertise, know-how and new products.

Forum documents

Participants will receive a personal badge and conference documents at the registration desk. Before forum start, participants will receive a briefing outlining each session topic and summarizing the presentation messages. All presentations will be available on the Forum and AFSEC websites.

After the Forum, all documentation will be updated and the results as well as an overview of the discussions during the interactive forum will be added. This version will be available to all participants.