  Electricity access in refugee camps is often limited to critical operations
for humanitarian agencies and typically powered by fossil fuel generators. We
study the economic and environmental benefits that optimised fully renewable
and diesel-hybrid mini-grid designs can provide in humanitarian settings by
displacing diesel use. Considering the case study of Nyabiheke camp in Rwanda
we found that these benefits are substantial, with savings up to 32% of total
costs and 83% of emissions, and cost payback times ranging from 0.9 to 6.2
years. Despite of their different cost structures, we find that all
hybridisation levels of the system provide cost and emission savings compared
to the incumbent diesel system. We highlight how modelling tools can facilitate
the introduction and progressive expansion of systems as well as inform
operational considerations on the ground. This study demonstrates how financial
resources, environmental objectives and operational timeframes will influence
the most appropriate system design for humanitarian actors on a case-by-case
basis.
