In India, the demand for power is surging with shortage peaking over 15 per cent. Many of the households are still not connected to the country's electricity grid. According to the Ministry of Power, India's transmission and distribution losses are among the highest in the world, averaging 24 per cent of total electricity production, in some states as high as 62 per cent.
In fact, the total average losses are as high as 50 per cent when energy theft is taken into consideration of which technical losses alone account for 30 per cent of all losses. Indian utilities need to address challenges of high AT&C losses, payment default by consumers, encroachments on electrical network creating unsafe situations, theft of electricity and electrical equipment, distribution transformer failure and rising power purchase costs.
To address what is emerging to be a serious national issue, considering the increase in demand for power and to create the required infrastructure for growth, India needs to invest in building a modern, intelligent grid. Let us first define a grid.
A grid is a collective name for all the wires, transformers and infrastructure that transport electricity from power plants to end users. The present day grid is unidirectional and does not maximize technological developments.
Even today people need to inform the utility of a problem or failure in their area. The effort is to change this in India, and across the world. Solutions such as capability of remote disconnection on non-payment by consumers, automatic alarms when network is being encroached or when people engage in theft will enable utilities stop pilferage and avoid unsafe situations or accidents. In addition, optimal asset utilisation can be planned with online data of overloading of transformers and network, which can help reduce or prevent failures.
A national Smart Grid would evolve the existing system into one that would be better suited for the information flow which is required for energy conservation, higher reliability and the introduction of variable generation power from renewable sources. Smart Grid is the convergence of Information Technology (IT), communication technology and electrical infrastructure.
It is a network for electricity transmission and distribution systems that uses two way state-of-the-art communications, advanced sensors and specialized technology to improve the efficiency, reliability and safety of electricity delivery and use. It is actually a process, an evolution of the electricity network from generation to consumption in a way that is interactive, flexible and efficient.
Proper implementation of Smart Grid might provide uninterrupted electricity to consumers across India to a larger extent, even in remote locations, while eliminating wastage of power units. Smart Grid solutions would enable utilities to increase energy productivity and power reliability while allowing customers manage usage and costs through real time information exchange. It impacts all components of the power system like generation, transmission and distribution.
The Smart Grid presents some primary benefits including lower operating and maintenance costs, lower peak demand, increased reliability and power quality, reduction in power theft and resultant revenue losses, reduction in carbon emissions and expansion of access to electricity. Smart Grids through demand response and load management reduce the per unit production cost. By reducing the peak demand, a Smart Grid can reduce the need for additional transmission lines.
Smart Grids are undoubtedly the “energy internet” of the future. The engagement and cooperation of all stakeholders (regulators, utilities, vendors, customers, etc) is a vital first step. Everybody has to work together and move at the same speed.
It will take India a few years to realize the full impact of Smart Grid when a utility control room operator can regulate an electric meter in homes.
The technology can help us reduce electricity transmission and distribution losses to 5-10 per cent annually. Without Smart Grid, India will not be able to keep pace with the growing needs of its cornerstone industries and will fail to create an environment for economic growth.
(The author is the IEEE MGA Vice Chair, Member Development)
Keywords: electricity production, Smart Grid, power distribution
Comments:
Smart Grid technology is for the last stretch of reliability - meaning going from 99% to 99.9% reliability. The Indian power grid has about 75 to 85 % reliability. You need Smart metering to enable demand response and real time pricing to let consumers reduce demand and get paid. But, with load shedding, utilities do not have to pay anything to the consumer and why would they go for smart grid then? Smart meters are needed to get 15 minute reading but the problem in India is due to corruption and line tampering. The Indian grid luckily is not seeing many stability issues due to this rolling brownout. India first needs to get to 99% reliability through increasing generation capacity, transmission capability and distribution voltage support. Except for the new communication/IT infrastructure, Smart Grid only offers what Power Engineers have been doing all along. Some may say this sounds pessimistic but then it is more realistic.
To be super power India needs to get uninterruptted power supply.For
achieving this we have to set up smart like technogies.So our concerned
energy official should discuss about this with higher level officials
and top poltical leaders as soon as possible.
I have been working on smart grid concept for sometime now and been in this sector was fortunate enough to visit the leading utiltes in the world This concept is yet to be implmented and still in the trial phase across the world. On contrary will the indian utilities be interested to invest in smart grid which itself is a huge umbrella of different concepts clubbed together? And will the consumers in India easily adapt to this rapid changes in the electrcity sector?
It is not transmission losses. It is theft by people in collusion with electricity department staff. The authorized users pay rs 50/- to the staff and use electricity for free. Now the question is how authorized people steal the power? They have got illegally 3 phase connections. While one phase is connected to the meter other 2 phases are wired in the house without meter. Perhaps you know now where is the transmission and distribution losses.
Similarly for farmers power is given on flat rate basis i.e. they charge fixed amount for unlimited running of machines. There should be meter installed so that they pay for full consumption. The farmers sell the water and earn money. These are anomalies in power distribution.
This is a good article that highlights the need for an efficient energy infrastructure. While aspects of the article on energy efficiency etc are welcome, most of the equipment and control systems needed for a smart grid will need to be procured from global majors such as ABB etc. In developed countries such as the US, smart grid connotations refer to the ability to switch on and off power consumption according to need. Fundamental question for which one would like to have an honest answer is, why and how these aspects of the electricity grid were missed during the design phase? What systemic improvements can and should we make during the design phase to holistically anticipate many of these future needs so that capex associated with the grid itself is optimal? A close analogy here is to the green revolution which to be successful has made us dependent on the fertilizer and pesticide majors.
Great article and good eye opener for the Government and all those involved in decision making in the Power Sector even if they know all these info already. When we are trying to target using Nuclear power to improve the generation by 5% as a whole, here is a way to decrease the lossess by 5% on annual basis. Power generated = loss prevented Why it would take years to implement? When we have the qualified engineers and labor, why we should take many years to reduce this. Please include this article in front page and publish it again and again till all the stakeholders realize the importance of this.
Compliments to the author & 'The Hindu'.This is an excellent article written on future energy needs in surging India and ameliorating existing power networks with hi-tech. to check the present day dificiencies. It is my firm view that pilferage of energy by high energy users in connivance of power staff is resulting in huge line losses as projected whch must be contained at reasonable levels.The author seems optimistic but I am not sure that we'll overcome the current 15% deficit to surplus levels when KundanKulam and other agitations are on. Also the quality of Engineers in Energy utilities is depleating day by day especially after software boom. My Divisional Engineer was holding a powerful DIISc in 1970s. All the guys must be given rigourous training before induction. The energy development authority in India must seek the advises of experts like Dr.subbarao Tallam and others in adapting latest technology and improve thesystem.
Good informative article!! Power generation and efficient consumption is directly related to development of a country ,when we aspire to become a global power in recent future then why we are so much behind from other developed countries- USA/China's electricity production is approximatly 6 times of India- in this area. You have not taken corruption among electricity dept officials in to account which is one of the major causes of theft and losses. Intention matters a lot for making any industry sucessful and electricity in our country is nothing short of a full fledge service industry.
Great article. Hope someone in electricity department is reading it.
I am going to be Pessimistically Optimistic here. This is certainly a great novel way to improve the electricity scenario in the country. I would have loved it, if the author presented it with some examples, atleast close ones to the Smart Grid, if they are already implemented in other countries. Ok, so here comes the pessimistic part, Currently India especially the government is in turmoil, they are not able pay attention to crucial issues of generation of power, shortages of coal, i dont think the government would pick this up so enthusiastically. So, keep this article in your diary boys and girls, cause you might make your kids seem them someday.
Good article. Power theft is a major issue and it need to be addressed immediately.
Informative & Initiative article for the National and State Electricity departments. Compliments to the author & THE HINDU. This is the time for the medias to show their interest on development of our country. If the Kudankulam Nuclear project will start, then that is the positive movement for our development.
I am a student from NIT jalandhar persuading btech in instrumentotion and control engineering .I have already read about this many times and still there is no steps taken to do so,I will definetly try it my major project.These is a very good thing to happen and its a necessity for everybody.
Energy saved is energy produced , we are talking about an Average loss of 25% due to what not, and in the extreme cases in some states as high as 62 per cent. And people now a days started talking about low loss less power transformers and the Smart meters are already becoming norm , at least here in Europe. Do not wait for the government to make a move and give a solution , go to the government with a solution and lobby them , if not this government there are lot of governments in the world looking for smarter solutions like this. And there are lot of good Indian companies which can handle such a thing. Hope private sector gets it tail up and sense a business opportunity here and make more factories run without power trouble and it in turn creates more jobs and money.
I am an Electrical Engineer worked in India and now in US (where I have been introduced to the Smart Gird Concepts). Every body in the Electrical industry in India knows that there were huge losses in the sector, they know almost 30% is wasted due to age old systems and 20% is lost unaccounted due to theft. But who cares, after all its a public sector. Dont just rule out as i sound pessimistic. If you have any contacts in the Power companies, you will see through the sad reality. On distribution side no one acts without bribe, no proper eqipment will be installed to protect the equipment, because contractors wanted teh equipment to burn down so they get chance to bid and these employees get % out of it. Transmission side needs huge investements. UNless we make it privitized part by part, We dont have such a money to atleast upgarde our systems to global standards.We cant even think of "Smart" before fisxing all these. and bcaz it is involved with Govt, i dont think it will happen soon
This is a good article with clarity of purpose and punch. I don't agree with the expected timeline though!
Since the word - Internet - was used here anyways, where are we with respect to Internet, over the past 16 years of evolution? Since its introduction in 1995, Internet is taking so many turns and advances, and still a good majority do not have access to it.
Complicating the matters more, with so many legacy systems to change/upgrade, 100% Smart Grid will take decades to mature. In fact, 100% adaption is not practical and may not be needed, considering free power and theft.
Advances in Smart Grid may be called as 'Energy Technologies' - ET, and ET will command several times larger market than IT.
This is a very informative article. As long as the power generation, distribution and infrastructure development are controlled solely by the government, India for ever be languishing in the same state. In USA because of the involvement of the private sector the quality of power is quite acceptable, reliability is excellent and the rates are competitive. Unlike India, where due to the government's inactivity and incompetence the power generation capacity is far below the demand. Yet, stupendously they offer free power to farmers and offer subsidies to other parties with connections. The first order of business should be to maintain and administer the existing system effectively, while finding ways to eradicate all types of corruption. Otherwise the prevailing political class would spend peoples money willy-nilly resulting in no net gain to the public.
We tend to forget that any system will work only through human interface. to my mind this will be another tool in the hands of the unscrupulous. only the venue of corruption will change. the operating staff will shift the blame on the SYSTEM, needing higher level intervention. AS it is.,it is impossible to meet even a Junior Engineer, let alone higher echelons in our electricity companies and unless the quality of the people who handle the complaints is improved, such systemic measures are likely to cause more damage than good.
In a country where bribery nis the order of the day,Smart Grid is a concept which is just a dream.Right frm the moment of recruiting to the day to day functioning corruption and inefficiency are the hall marks of State Electricity Boards.In Mumbai where the supply in some parts is byTatas we have no load shedding, no drop in voltage etc.When you enter the suburbs you fiind all the possible ills in electric supply. Privatisation is the requirement to improve things and any other effort is meaningless when the Public actor is involved.
It is a well known fact that the discoms incur huge losses every year. This is a refreshing article, and gives smart grid as one effective solution to this problem. the improved efficiency would definitely boost the power sector and recuperates the discoms.
It appears that the article has been written by a person without any personal experience in the operation of electrical grid network. In India, electrical grid network is taken care of by Power Grid Corporation of India. Their aim is: Operation and maintenance of HV transmission lines in optimum condition, efficient inter transfer of power between regions, always looking for reliability and to have minimum transmission losses. With availability of internet, advances in one country is easily known in other countries. Improvements are always planned and necessary action taken for implementation. Electrical grid takes care of issues which affect on a macro scale. The statement "Even today people need to inform the utility for a problem of failure in their area" is meaningless when we are talking on national scale.
Dear Sir, Very good article. Everybody should pay for the usage of power including the farmers. Giving free power is the first problem. Introduction of Management concepts in the industry should be the next priority.
Smart grid is only a concept yet to be implemented in the West. ATC losses can be cut
down to less than 15% without the expensive Smart Grid as the West has done.Hence
priority for India is loss reduction on a mission mode. It will be a giant step.
Meanwhile academic institutions must keep up with the ideas of Communication,control,and
Computer in Power(CCCP)concepts by suitably updating their curricula.
Where did the author get -"The present day grid is unidirectional" which is not correct. Power can flow in both directions in transmission lines - one direction is called 'Import', the other is called "export'. It is better that the author differentiates 'National Grid' and the 'town distribution utility'. The problems of 'National grid' and 'town distribution' are different.
Its best article.Govt should take proper responsibility because its very curios issues about power cut crises.
Smart grid makes sense, however as Venkat pointed out, we have to root out corruption first. Best to set up your own electrical wind/solar electrical supply. In U.S/European countries more people and businesses are installing their own systems, getting off the national grid which is liable to failure due to storms, etc. Adding conservation to this they are able to get 24 hour electrical supply. Big business in India could easily afford to do the same rather than impose deadly and a dangerous cancer causing nuclear plants all over India, consuming much needed river water, contaminating the sea and giving the neighborhood nightmares!. In cold Bangalore IBM and other global conglomerates gobble large amounts of govt. electricity keeping entire buildings under freezing point with air conditioning and also causing illness (Raynaud's syndrome)in their Indian employees who susffer the cold! In the meanwhile mill owners in the hot plains have to do without electricity where it is really needed
India needs to have proper balance between generation and transmission. Detailed studies on power quality, interruptions, thefts and losses should first be performed to strengthen the electricity supply -demand infrastructure. Technology would also grow and out IT/ITes background can be well utilized for technological upgrades. But we first need infrastructural, operational upgrades. Talking about wind generation (which is volatile) and solar cells (which are expensive) without even having a stable supply is preposterous.
@Seshadri Solar Power is today much cheaper to install than nuclear power plants and uses free fuel instead of Uranium. Uranium now costs in crores and is also fast running out. Imposing uranium mines in villages when studies have shown significant increase in leukaemia, birth defects and other illnesses with the introduction of uranium mining shows lack of consideration or love for one's countrymen especially our villagers who already suffer from now being included in the so-called economic miracle. Kicking a person when he's down is not in the interest of any individual who aspires to rise above animal instincts of 'Each one for himself' You should do some research before blurting out Solar is expensive. Just a solar water heater on my roof and using electricity with respect has brought my electric bills down by two-thirds. There is a new Massive one unit Wind Turbine called Maglev (it levitates on magnets and so requires little wind)It gives out the wattage of two nuclear plants!
The Internet and Electricity Recognising the magnitude of power the internet requires people formed into an internet grid and with suitable schedules to take into account local times literally pedalled their powers through smart cards connected to the power plug. This way 350000 megawatts at 100 watts peak power electricity the internetted individuals delivered via bicycling to the grid. This isothermal power they produced at 1.2 volts shockless. They are so elegant that they were produced through non-clonal love and they returned their wastes to Mother Earth via composting toilets. They worked in small self sufficient communities but handled their farm water by wells operated by their power. They were so smart via internetted control rooms that they were able to do the work of hydros by delivering power to meet demand surges. They enjoyed their muscle power buffered by animal power of buffaloes and bulls whose manure they used for their ever fertile fields. They dare not export food
The article is good. Before thinking about smart grid. they can think about improving small domestic system like in Australia where every house is with government subsidy will have solar panel system. The billing will be to the actuals reducing the consumption due to solar energy.Domestic bill also will be reduced.
Along with the smart grid, we may give more importance to decentralized power generation too. So that it will help the to meet some amount of shortage in power and better utilization of resources also. examples, installing the PV cell in the roof of home, and power generation from the gas generated from the biogas plants in the domestic sector night soil as a feed.without storing these energy it can be fed to the grid during day time as during day time use of energy in home is minimal.
First we have to generate adequate electricity to meet the growing demand, and then we can think of the smart grid technology. The Problem is not with the availability of technology we have SCADA, Demand Side Management for Revolutionizing the Transmission and distribution Aspect, Coal requirement for the thermal power plants is not adequate, we have restrictions from ministry of environment and forests over the go-no-go areas, B.K chaturvedi Committee report on Coal Mining and the restrictions on it have to be implemented, The Debate on Nuclear based power generation is still alive.We have to attend the real and legitimate fears of those protesting at Nuclear Power Plant Sites through Democratic means, There is need to look into Wind Energy and Solar Energy, Parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan have tremendous potential for Solar Energy the National Mission On Solar Energy Should look over this, There is tremendous potential for the wind based generation in the Tamil Nadu state (Madurai to Nagercoil is called Wind Cluster of India). We have all the resources available to meet the future electricity demand what is required is Political will to fulfil the aspirations of people.