Study of Smart Grids , Vision, Mission and Road Map in India

Abstract

The present electric grids use the technology of 1970‟s. But with the advancement in various concepts of power generation, problems associated with power outages and thefts, and also due to increase in demand, we require a modernized grid to avail all the needs of customers even in the situations of hype, which can be called a “smart grid”. The smart grid performs various functions such that it increases grid stability, reliability, efficiency and ultimately reduces line losses. The Indian power system is the 4th largest in the world with an installed capacity of 235 GW and with the recent synchronization of the southern grid with rest of the regional grids, we perhaps have the largest synchronous grid in the world today. Largely dominated by government owned utilities, the private sector role is about 27% in generation, <1% in transmission and about 5% in distribution. The distribution sector continues to be riddled with very high T&D losses – about 26.5% nationally (>40% in many states!) and nearly 400 million plus people have no access to power. Large parts of the country experiences power cuts for several hours every day and consumers are forced to keep storage (invertors)/ standby generation facilities. Power quality being poor, consumers require voltage stabilizers, UPS, Inverters etc. Our power system doubled in the last decade, yet our percapita consumption of electricity is about one-fourth of world average. The estimated demand by 2032 is about 900 GW, which means the power system should need to almost quadruple the existing capacity in next 18-20 years. To manage a large grid of this size and growing at this pace require smarter systems.