(IEEE, 2021) Michael, E. Irechukwu; Michael, N. Irechukwu; Samuel, S. Mushakangoma
Power system distribution network planning
(PSDNP) encompasses several tasks including ensuring sufficient
substation capacity and distribution capacity for the end users.
Both rural communities and urban dwellers benefit when there is
a well-planned distribution network. City power consumers enjoy
stable electricity supply and the number of annually connected
rural households increases with an efficient planning scheme in
place. However, this is not the case in many cities and rural areas
in sub-Saharan Africa. Poor distribution network planning by
many power utilities has led to the annual energy demand growing
at a much higher rate than the number of electrified households in
many sub-Saharan African countries. Therefore, this paper
discusses challenges faced by power utilities and energy consumers
due to poor distribution planning techniques. This paper proposes
an implementation plan to address the inefficient planning
challenges faced by the rural communities and urban dwellers.
After that, a case study is selected in East Africa, and the solutions
are applied.