How Microgrids Can Help India Fight Against The Energy Crisis

By now we all are quite aware of Sustainable Development Goal#7 that is “Ensuring Access to Affordable and Clean Energy” which further can be elaborated to ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all will open a new world of opportunities for billions of people through new economic opportunities and jobs, empowered women, children and youth, better education and health, more sustainable, equitable and inclusive communities, and greater protections from, and resilience to, climate change.

India is a country of 1.4 billion people; we are a growing and developing nation with lots of aspirations and we are rapidly progressing in every economic and human index.

India’s electricity demand is expected to triple by 2040, with rapid industrialization and population growth being the principal contributors to the surge. In response to this challenge, both public and private electricity service providers in India continue to develop strategies for transforming energy infrastructure with innovative technologies. One such strategy and solution to this is to deploy Micro/mini-grids in areas where electricity access and reliability levels are low, to start with.

In the last decade, we have done quite a bit of progress in terms of electricity generation and distribution to every nook and corner of this country, but still, a lot needs to be done to make a real impact on the rural and semiurban population of India which is still reeling under the issue of load shedding and lack of qualitative and reliable power and hence it signifies the need and importance of Microgrids/Minigrids.

Micro/Minigrids are comparatively small and local grids power through a single or combination of 2 or more renewable sources such as Solar, Wind, Hydro, Biomass, and Biogas, most commonly and provide a local source of power to the household, business, SMEs, micro-enterprises, etc which work independently of the Govt Grid and has its own operation and maintenance team which take care of the day-to-day operations of the plant.

As the area of operation is small and well defined it is easy to manage, also, these micro/mini-grids can be made Smart, thus automating most of the functions to minimize human interface/ interference and hence it helps in maintaining the sanity of data.

Presently Microgrids works basically on three Business Models
• Customer Owned
• Microgrid as a Service (Operational Expense)
• Pay as you go (Small & remote system)

Based on above classification Microgrids can be further categorized as

1. Off Grid: Facility Microgrids---For remote facility/establishment where the traditional grid has not reached.

2. Off Grid: Community Microgrids---For multiple consumers & producers where the traditional grid is either not reached or there is a severe issue of reliability and quality of power.

 

3. On Grid: Facility Microgrids---For any facility/establishment to avoid the issue of reliability, optimize cost of energy & ensure resiliency.

4. On Grid: Community/ Area specific Microgrids---For multiple consumers & producers where traditional grid is either not reached or there is an issue of reliability, to optimize cost of energy & ensure resiliency.

Now a days many cities and companies are working on Urban Microgrids too (as in above point 3 &4) , earlier whenever the Micro/mini grids term is being used it is considered under the rural/ semi urban set up but need of the hour is we will have to work and synchronize the concept of Mini/Micro grids and should not divide/categorize it based on Rural (as explained above in point 1&2) & Urban (Point 3&4 Above)

Objectives of such micro/mini grids are quite significant and can play a major role/ catalyst in bringing economic development to the places and people which are lagging in development due to lack of affordable, reliable, and quality power.

Microgrid through its reliable and affordable power source and management
• Can help local enterprise for value addition and business enhancement • Will reduce pollution and Co2 emission
• Provide jobs as local manpower can be deployed to operate and maintain these plants with basic training

Micro/Mini grids have vast potential and is a reliable source of power generation & distribution. Microgrids has to be made an important part of our energy infrastructure to avoid or mitigate energy crisis which we face every now and then, due to any issue/challenge in supply of power through conventional source of power which depends mostly on coal, crude oil etc, which is depleting and more than that it is polluting the environment and is a major source of global warming.

We need to overcome some barriers and challenges to make these Micro/Mini grids and important mix of Power/Energy management system.

Major challenges are
• Access to appropriate finance
• Managing possible grid encroachment or expansion
• Regulatory uncertainties
• Tariff stabilization
• Customer awareness and training
• Unwillingness or lethargic approach of Discoms

I am quite sure and certain that in times to come Micro grids are the future of Power Generation and T&D in India and it will slowly and steadily take the major chuck of business from huge Power Generating companies and Discoms unless and until they themselves become part of the change.

- Kunal Amitabh, Vice President Social & Commercial Projects, Boond Solar