Innovative Direct-Current Microgrids to Solve India’s Power Woes

[proud_indian]

@Nilgiri hey bro you checked it?

http://garv.gov.in/garv2/dashboard/main

real time household electrification data

To be honest, I think first and foremost access to clean drinking water, then access to pipe borne water, then electricity.

In Sri Lanka it is illegal to disconnect water to a residency even if they have not paid their bill in years, the NWSDB can take civil action to try to recover the money, but they cannot cut water supply, unlike the CEB, if you don't pay your electricity bill, lights out for you!

you are right and this government is working on all the basic amenities included water and sanitation

in last 2 years they have constructed about 40 million toilets and within next two years we will achieve 100% open defecation free society

@supun1 check these links

http://garv.gov.in/garv2/dashboard/main

http://sbm.gov.in/sbmdashboard/Default.aspx

 

[supun1]

In Delhi do you have access mains pressurized sewer pipes? @proud_indian

 

[Śakra]

India is an electricity surplus country. The problem is the DISCOMS are too indebit to afford electricity so they loadshed instead.

 

[supun1]

India is an electricity surplus country. The problem is the DISCOMS are too indebit to afford electricity so they loadshed instead.

roughly half the cost of providing a mains electricity service is distribution and transmission. If there are power cuts because of load shedding, clearly electricity is not in surplus.

 

[Śakra]

roughly half the cost of providing a mains electricity service is distribution and transmission. If there are power cuts because of load shedding, clearly electricity is not in surplus.

http://www.cea.nic.in/reports/annual/lgbr/lgbr-2016.pdf

Energy Peak Power
Requirement (MU) Availability (MU) Surplus(+)/Deficit(-) Demand (MW) Supply (MW) Surplus(+)/Deficit(-

1,214,642..............1,227,895 ............+1.1% .............164,377.............169,403 .................+2.6%

 

[supun1]

http://www.cea.nic.in/reports/annual/lgbr/lgbr-2016.pdf

Energy Peak Power
Requirement (MU) Availability (MU) Surplus(+)/Deficit(-) Demand (MW) Supply (MW) Surplus(+)/Deficit(-

1,214,642..............1,227,895 ............+1.1% .............164,377.............169,403 .................+2.6%

Then you have a distribution problem.

 

[Śakra]

Then you have a distribution problem.

DIDN'T I JUST SAY THE DISCOMS ARE TOO INDEBT TO BUY MORE ELECTRICITY???

 

[supun1]

DIDN'T I JUST SAY THE DISCOMS ARE TOO INDEBT TO BUY MORE ELECTRICITY???

So you're saying India has high-quality distribution assets but it lacks the money to buy the electricity from the generator? That's like a shoe seller saying, I'd like to sell more shoes, but I don't have money to buy more shoes.

 

[Nilgiri]

So you're saying India has high-quality distribution assets but it lacks the money to buy the electricity from the generator? That's like a shoe seller saying, I'd like to sell more shoes, but I don't have money to buy more shoes.

No the discoms have to collect the consumer bill payments essentially (and thus suffer much from pilfering) while having to pay for the power they acquire 100% from the generation companies. This leaves a big mismatch (between their revenue and payments) which is augmented by the credit they took on over many years to expand/update their infrastructure (which is terrible and overdue in many cases).

The high quality distribution lies at top echelons of the power sector (country wide, state wide distribution, direct transmission to heavy industry and single source huge consumers etc), the mid level to low level distribution is horrendous (both the physical state and also the fiscal state) in many areas. It will take a long time for the situation to be rectified, but small scale networks like village DC will help because they dont add any strain to the discoms given they are no longer middlemen. The govt then can proceed with its reforms and NPA relief for discoms while ensuring the root cause (pilfering and over expansion) is addressed with adequate policy and technology.

 

[faithfulguy]

This is the 21 century battle of Edison vs Tesla... In India.

 

[supun1]

This is the 21 century battle of Edison vs Tesla... In India.

Stop it!

 

[anant_s]

Can somebody live in India tell me exactly how stable the grid electricity is?

You would need to define the word Stability here.

usually in grid management few factors are considered in determining the efficiency of operation:
these are:
1. Lines operating on current value which is less than their design peak value.
2. Grid frequency within band of 50+/-0.7 Hz (this value is for India)
3. No overdrawing.
4. Line voltage with +/- 5% of rated voltage level.

Now in India, the country is sub divided into 5 regions (see 5 colors) called regional sub grids which are interconnected by means of HVDC links

Off late owing to strict imposement of discipline, grid line outages has reduced significantly. Also increased inter-grid connects allows transfer of excess power from one region to another easily and there hasn't been any national grid failure in past many years.
However a lot of lines are pretty old and Powergrid is now investing massively to upgrade all its long distance utility lines to 400 kV minimum (it is operating +/-500 kV HVDC and 800& 765 kV EHVAC lines). we have a very reliable transmission network.
However the problem is down below at 220 kV State distribution network which are notorious for lack of maintenance and as a result often face failures (especially in summer months).

DC is the most efficient way to transmit power for short distances

It is, but problem is utilities generate power as 3 phase AC and the price of putting and DC converter circuit costs a lot (along with higher conductor cost). This makes transmission on DC mode for short distance and loads highly cost ineffective.

 

[ssethii]

First time I heard that a country has surplus electricity but resort to load shedding because they cannot afford it.