Energizing rural India using micro grids: The case of solar DC micro-grids in Uttar Pradesh State, India (original) (raw)
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Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification of Developing Countries, Green Energy and Technology, 2014
Conventional grid extension has been the predominant mode of electrification in India. However, solar photovoltaic technology has also been used for providing electricity access in remote, forested habitations and islands. Under the Remote Village Electrification Programme by the Government of India, around 12,000 villages and hamlets have been electrified using renewable energy. The state of Chhattisgarh in Central India has alone been able to electrify around 1,400 remote and forested villages through solar mini-grids. This chapter attempts to examine the development and operation of the solar mini-grid model for enhancing electricity access in India, with special focus on the state of Chhattisgarh. The work, based on extensive literature review, interview with key stakeholders and field visits to selected remote forested villages in the state of Chhattisgarh, shares the experiences and lessons of the solar mini-grid programme for rural electrification in the state by comprehensively analysing multiple dimensions of the programme such as coverage and trend, technical designs, institutional arrangements, financial mechanism and operation and maintenance aspects, which were key to the success of the solar mini-grids. We observe that robust institutional arrangement, strong policy support and an effective maintenance and an oversight mechanism have been the key contributing factors for the success of this initiative.
Renewable energy-based rural electrification: The mini-grid experience from India
Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development , 2014
This study investigates renewable energy based rural electrification in India, with a specific focus on the mini and micro-grid experiences. Specific references are made to solar PV and biomass based technologies implemented under publicly supported programmes like the Remote Village Electrification programme and the Village Energy Security programme. Additionally, the study also focuses on mini-grids deployed by private companies such as Husk Power Systems (HPS) and Mera Gao Micro Grid Power (MGP). In order to better comprehend a comparative perspective of mini-grid variants, the report has analysed the mini-grid experiences by examining technologies adopted, policies and incentives, business models, financing and tariff structures, and community participation. The study also highlights trends in the implementation of mini-grids (both technological developments as well as institutional evolutions), and the evolving policy dynamics used to promote and incentivise both private and publicly supported mini-grid developments in India.
Potential Use of DC Microgrid for Solar and Wind Power Integration in Rural Areas in India: A Review
ADBU Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (AJEEE), 2018
This paper describes the possibilities of the application of DC microgrids to solve the rural areas, energy problem in the country (India). DC Microgrids open a gateway for integration of solar and wind energies which together are an efficient and cleaner way of renewable energy generation, which can be integrated into the power distribution network. They have several other advantages, which include - reduction in transmission losses, improvement in power quality & reliability, reduction in emissions and even they are cost effective. The most important characteristic is that it provides a possibility for electrification of remote villages, which are far from the reach of the conventional grid. This paper presents a detailed discussion on the possibility of application of DC microgrids for rural areas in India.
Approach for Designing Solar Photovoltaic-Based Mini-Grid Projects: A Case Study from India
Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification of Developing Countries, Publisher: Springer International Publishing, Editors: Subhes C. Bhattacharyya, Debajit Palit, pp.167-201, 2014
Having the largest rural population in the world, India confronts a huge challenge for rural electrification, especially for electrifying remote, forested and tribal habitations. Solar Photovoltaic-based mini-grids have emerged as a viable option for the provision of electricity in such remote rural locations, where grid extension is either not techno-economically feasible or electricity supply is intermittent. Very often such projects are purely technology-driven and several attempts at delivering electricity services to such remote locations have not succeeded, owing to the lack of adequate attention given to important socio-economic factors such as promotion of livelihoods or the creation of strong local institutions that can own, operate and manage the project over its lifetime. This chapter aims to present an interdisciplinary framework for the development of mini-grid projects in remote rural locations, developed from field experience of actual implementation of projects by TERI. Using this framework as a guide, TERI has commissioned solar photovoltaic-based mini-grids in a cluster of five villages in the state of Odisha. The detailed design methodology, including modifications to standardised practices in order to customise and improve the performance of these solar mini-grids is presented in this chapter as a case study. It is expected that the process followed and the resulting design will serve as a useful guide for renewable energy practitioners and researchers working in remote rural locations for provisioning of electricity services.
Rural area electrification in developing countries helps to improve the quality of life of the people. It increases productivity and supports education. It also discourages people from migrating towards urban areas. In India about 70% of the population lives in rural area, hence it is necessary to electrify these villages to achieve inclusive economic growth. Transmission and distribution of power to this less densely populated areas which are located far away from the power generating stations is the major reason for not able to achieve 100% electrification in the country. Hence it is necessary to find out an energy source which can be decentralized to supply power to these hamlets. As India is blessed with solar energy which is omnipresent in almost all parts of the country, micro grid system which uses solar photo voltaic panels seems as the finest option. The solar photo voltaic system converts light energy into direct current power using photovoltaic effect. Battery is used to store the extra power generated during the day and used during nights. Inverters and power conditioning devices are used to convert direct current power generated by solar photo voltaic systems to alternative current, which is supplied to the load using power distribution network which adds to system cost. At present the capital cost and the land requirement for this system is higher than all other renewable energy power generation system. But it has very less operation and maintenance cost which makes it superior to other system. Moreover additional modules can be added to it when the power demand increases. This paper says about how rural area electrification can be achieved in India by solar photo voltaic system micro grid system and the challenges which has to be over come during implementation.
A REVIEW OF DC MICROGRID FOR INDIAN RURAL HOMES
With around 237 million people without access, India has the greatest percentage of the world's population without power (International Energy Agency). However, a lot of homes with access to electricity don't have a reliable, constant power source. Most of the Indian households, particularly those in the poor and middle classes, frequently lack access to reliable power. This can be because, despite the power tariff's subsidy, it is not affordable. Power DISCOMs are also hesitant to provide electricity to such residences as doing so would not be profitable to them, given their own precarious financial situations. India seems to be stuck in this logjam as power cannot be generated at much lower costs, even as it depends on environment-unfriendly coal-fired power plants. A dc microgrid for a home with a solar PV, a battery, and an incoming ac grid to drive dc loads can indeed help overcome many a problem. The solar-dc system at the homes can take in energy from or give out energy to the microgrid, thus sharing energy between homes.
Embracing Microgrids: Applications for Rural and Urban India
10th National Conference on "Synergy and Energy", 2015
This article details the possibilities on the application of microgrids to solve the ever increasing energy problem in the country (India). Microgrids opens a gateway for integration of more efficient and cleaner renewable generations into the power distribution network. They have several other advantages which includes reduction in transmission losses, improvement in power quality & reliability, reduction in emissions and even provides provisions for heterogeneous power quality. And most importantly, it also provides a possibility for electrification of remote villages which are far from reach of the conventional grid. The article gives a detailed discussion on the application of DC microgrids for rural and urban scenarios in India. Application in rural areas as community-microgrid is explained in detail with an example of the current work carried out in one of the villages in Bihar state. For urban scenario, application of the DC-microgrid concept to attain the goal of a Zero Energy Building (ZEB) is discussed. An example of a currently operational ZEB is also explained.
Electrification in Rural India by Renewable Energy
IJRASET, 2021
Faced with growing concerns about global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels, the international community has turned its attention to renewable energy research in the past two decades. In India and many other countries, electricity in rural areas is unreliable, inadequate, or without electricity. Remote area electrification is a major concern for the government of any developing nation. In the new microgrid model, renewable energy could be a profitable various to suburbanized power generation. Unlike households, non-agricultural enterprises that have not received due attention and political support have relatively high acceptance of Microgrid. The government has implemented various plans to realize the electrification of these areas by expanding the network, but so far, many areas have not been included in the proposed plan due to economic, environmental, and geographic reasons. In this article, we analyse the implementation and use of Microgrid in rural communities in village...
2014
We studied the feasibility of rural solar based microgrids in the Indian context using a case study approach in which solar microgrids were designed and evaluated for two villages in India (Bar Village in Chhattisgarh and Devari Bharat in Uttar Pradesh). We conducted detailed site assessments, including door to door surveys and community gatherings to assess the desire and interest in electricity and electricity services, demand, willingness and ability to pay for these services. The appetite for electricity and willingness to pay is relatively robust with a strong desire for a tariff that reflects actual consumption (rather than a flat tariff), although the willingness to pay (WTP) and ability to pay varied between the villages and was correlated with the socio-economics of each village. The WTP on an absolute basis ranged from INR 50-200 per month for essential services, to INR 100-500 for additional services. On a unit basis, these translate to ~ INR 4/kWh to INR 40/kWh. A spoili...