Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of a Low-Cost Solar Microgrid for Residential Resilience in Khartoum, Sudan Under Conflict Conditions

The armed conflict in Sudan since April 2023 has precipitated a profound energy crisis in Khartoum State. This paper presents a conceptual and techno-economic analysis of a low-cost residential solar microgrid designed to enhance energy resilience for households in Khartoum. Drawing on verified reports that drone strikes destroyed transformers at the Al-Markhiyat substation and damaged the Merowe Dam power station, and that national electricity generation collapsed from 4,400 MW to 1,100 MW, the study quantifies outages reaching 16-18 hours per day. With at least 30% of Sudanese population lacking electricity access and 4,000+ hours of annual sunshine in Sudan, solar presents a viable pathway. Proposed system: 2x 550W PV, 5kWh LiFePO4 battery, 3kW hybrid inverter, costing $850, achieving 83% cost reduction vs typical $5,000 system and payback of 4.2 months vs diesel.