Power management company Eaton announced on Friday that it would be providing electrical engineering services and power distribution equipment for the construction of a 5 MW solar microgrid system in Annobon province – an island off Equatorial Guinea, in central Africa.

The microgrid had battery storage and was designed to supply reliable and predictable power to meet the off-grid community’s energy demand. It would, according to the group, be the largest self-sufficient solar microgrid project in Africa.

Eaton was providing switchgear assemblies, circuit protection devices and power transformers to support reliable power distribution across the island.

The Eaton equipment included embedded communications capabilities to easily integrate with microgrid energy storage components and intelligently manage demand to support an adaptable, secure and responsive infrastructure.

To further enhance system reliability, safety and security, Eaton's engineering experts were contracted to provide support ranging from installation to commissioning and system testing of Eaton’s equipment.

The project formed part of Equatorial Guinea’s National Economic Development Plan Horizon 2020, which aimed to strengthen the country’s economy and accelerate its development through the implementation of electrical infrastructure.

Eaton was contracted to optimise the electrical power distribution equipment for the project by Management and Economics Consulting Solar, which was collaborating with Wise Power Systems International to provide solar design, engineering and custom manufacturing of double glass modules and racking with full microgrid system integration.

“We are extremely excited to bring this solar microgrid solution to Annobon Island to help raise the quality of life for the people and bring world-class, decentralised electrical grid solutions to Equatorial Guinea and Africa.

“The Annobon electrification project will bring a much needed stable, reliable, and consistent power supply to the island, and enable the development of multiple industries, bringing valuable jobs and significantly raising the standard of living,” commented Wise Power Systems International president William Rawheiser.

The Annobon province currently relied on generators for periods of reliable electricity of up to five hours a day. Residents spent between 15% and 20% of their income on supplemental power.

The solar microgrid in development was engineered to eliminate this expense by providing clean, reliable and sustainable solar electricity 24 hours a day.

“Connecting a remote community to the conventional power grid is expensive and can take years,” said Eaton electrical sector president Frank Campbell.

“The modern microgrid being applied in the Annobon province will serve as a model for bringing reliable and cost-effective electrical power to other remote communities, helping to advance their economies and quality of life.”