Role of Smart Grid in Smartening the Indian Power Sector

The electric power industry is rapidly transforming from the era of centralised generation, transmission and distribution to a new era of decentralized systems. For socio-economic developments village and islands electrification is being increasingly undertaken with distributed energy systems. The concern for environment, government support and rapidly falling technology costs have also pushed wind, solar and other renewable energy resources into the mainstream. This has led to challenges for grid operators as they deal with changing power flows and intermittent generation profiles and moreover with the advent of deregulated power markets degree of uncertainty has also increased in the power systems. 

Smart grid is the automated and intelligent systems for smarter electricity delivery infrastructure and its implementation will ensure increased quality, reliability and efficiency by use of information available from advanced sensing, computing and communication systems deployed in the grid. The necessity to opt for technological upgradation and network strengthening in the distribution segment to address the aspects of operational efficiency and financial sustainability of the utilities, makes smart grid one of the evolving and high value market for both Indian and foreign market players. Presently, Indian smart grid market is at nascent stage, but provides a plethora of opportunities to the market players with the introduction of effective policy measures taken by the government in this direction.  

With increasing share of renewable energy on the grid, flexibility in both demand and generation is required for maintaining grid stability. The flexibility can be achieved through a combination of systems such as demand response and other demand management systems, grid integration of distributed generation resources including behind the meter resources at customer premises, electric vehicles and grid connected energy storage systems. Digital technologies will play crucial role in integration of these different systems for the stable grid operations. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics, Blockchain, Augmented Reality and Drones could also be leveraged by utilities for various applications. Introduction of large scale renewable generation, management of ageing assets, energy efficiency and increasing concerns of system reliability and integrity in the context of multiple players in the market requires adaptation of latest technology along with a cost effective solution and thus smart grid comes into play. 

The advantages of a smart grid are uncontested and it is poised to take the country’s electricity grid into the 21st century.