Review of Smart Grid Technology and the Nigerian Electricity Act: Addressing Power Sector Challenges Through Policy and Innovation

After enactment of Electricity Act 2003 in India, a comprehensive change is happening in Indian power sector, and power distribution utilities are going through a reformation process to cope up with the regulatory change for reduction in Aggregated Technical and Commercial Loss, improvement in Power Quality, Reliability of Power Supply, Improvement in Customer Satisfaction and rationalization of electricity tariff. Apart from restructuring and unbundling of the power sector there is a need for introduction of ‘smart grid’ technology to increase the operational as well technological efficiency of the power distribution network to meet the growing energy demand of India in line with the GDP growth of the country. Smart Grid is sophisticated, digitally enhanced power systems where the use of modern communications and control technologies allows much greater robustness, efficiency and flexibility than today's power systems. A smart grid impacts all the components of a power system especially the distribution level. One subset of smart grids is smart metering / advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) etc. In a smart grid, all the various nodes need to interconnect to share data as and where needed. Smart Grid envisages providing choices to each and every customer for deciding the timing and amount of power consumption based upon the price of the power at a particular moment of time, apart from providing choices to the consumer and motivating them to participate in the operations of the grid, causing energy efficiency and accommodating all generation and storage options, Smart Grid also envisages various properties for the Grid like self-healing and adaptive The suite of Smart Grid products and technologies help maximizing system uptime, while also helping the utility more quickly to restore power to homes and businesses in the event of an outage. Government of India has recently formed “Smart Grid Forum” and “Smart Grid Task Force” for enablement of smart grid technology into Indian Power Distribution Utilities as a part of their Smart Grid initiative to meet their growing energy demand in similar with the developed country like USA, Europe etc.

Evolving concept of smart electric grid results the grid operation efficient, intelligent and secure across all aspects of the electricity value chain-from generation to consumer. This paper first briefly presents the overview of Indian power sector followed by general framework of smart grid. The major benefits and key challenges to implementing smart grid in India are discussed. This paper also covers smart grid initiatives and implementations in the context of power sector evolution in India.

A great deal of variation exists both within the power industry and academia to what exactly should be included under the broad umbrella of a smart grid. This paper is based on a survey consisted of recently developed various smart grid concepts, architectures and details of associated technological demonstrations implemented worldwide. The survey is based on initiatives taken by EU and IEA (e.g. ETP, EEGI, EERA and IEA) and description of projects conducted in Europe and US (e.g. FENIX, ADDRESS, EU-DEEP, ADINE, GridWise and SEESGEN-ICT). The report presents drivers, visions and roadmaps to develop smart grids worldwide including China and India. The survey encompasses various smart grid concepts, i.e. development of virtual power plant, active demand in consumer networks, DER aggregation business, active distribution network and ICT applications to develop intelligent future grids. The comparison is carried out on the basis of technological and commercial aspects. In addition, the existing features of smart grid technology and challenges faced to implement it in Finnish environment are addressed. As a matter of fact, the implementation of smart grid is consisting of more than any one technology, therefore, this transition will not be so easy. The fully developed and realized smart grid will be beneficial to all the stakeholders. Smart grid will be an outcome of an evolutionary development of the existing electricity networks towards an optimized and sustainable energy system and it will have positive impact on the climate change

Smart grid is the future of electricity that can revolutionize the way present electricity grids are monitored and controlled. Smart grid uses highly automated and digitized operation for real time applications. Smart grid is in its developing stage in India. National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM) was launched by Ministry of Power, that plans and monitors policies and programs for development and deployment of smart grid in India. Total of 14 pilot projects and 1 smart city project are announced so far for smart grid development in India. This paper reviews smart grid, along with its various building blocks. Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, and Japan are comparatively studied, for smart grid development and implementation. Smart grid projects undergoing in these countries along with their technological developments are also described. The driving factors for smart grid development in these countries and India are summarized.

Installation of distributed generation ( DG ) in distribution networks, in addition to the benefits, will also cause drawback and disadvantages which can bring difficulties for grid operator. Thus, prior to installation of DGs , it is essential to have deeply studied about their installation in the network and it is needed to make some changes in traditional network. Implementation of smart grids is one of the main requirements for the proper and efficient operation of DGs . In Iran, Smart grid is also being implemented, but with the development of DGs , electricity distribution companies face new problems related to DGs every day. One of the most important problems is about effects of the DGs on proper operation of protective equipment which is mainly due to radial distribution network. That is because in Iran, despite the implementation of smart grids, distribution networks are designed and implemented radially and airlines with isolated neutral point is usually used in the distribution network. So, in this article, the impacts of distributed generation resources on distribution networks in Iran and Protection and operational problems which may cause in this area are studied and solutions to these problems are provided.

Challenges and potentials of implementing a smart grid for Pakistan’s electric network

The numerous challenges faced by the power sector in India, like high transmission and distribution loss, power theft, frequent power outages and under billing, have impelled to adopt new technologies like smart grid to make the power grid more efficient and secure, leading to the need for interdisciplinary research in the area of power systems and management. An ambitious target of the Government of India to produce 175 GW of renewable energy by 2022 has created a drive towards implementing smart grid technology in India. Though the smart grid seems to be a promising solution, it requires considerable investment, infrastructure development and social acceptance by the consumers. Investigation of smart grid pilot projects in India clearly indicates a lack of consumer involvement and poor infrastructure development. This research aims to identify factors that can be considered barriers to smart grid technology acceptance in India and develop a hierarchical model. The present work has implemented a systematic and scientific approach that includes content analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) and Matrice d'impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classment (MICMAC) to develop a hierarchical model for smart grid technology acceptance. The result highlights the importance of consumer awareness and various factors affecting the consumer’s participation in the successful delivery of smart grid technology. It will undoubtedly help policymakers frame the long-term strategies for implementing smart grid technology, especially in a developing country like India. This paper’s contribution from a developing country perspective, made by findings on prioritising barriers, can help managers and policymakers plan a strategy for implementing the smart grid. The findings will undoubtedly help understand the significant factors for smart grid development. They can also be used as a reference for other developing countries with similar economic and social conditions that are planning to promote smart grids.

Renewable power generation sources used as distributed generations (DGs) are increasing rapidly all around the world. Apart from environmental advantages, DGs result in reduction of power losses, improvement of bus voltages, increased system reliability, stability, power quality and ease of operation. In this work, the impacts of DG on power losses, bus voltages and short circuit level of the power system are investigated with different case strategies of DG interconnections. With every strategic case, the DG impacts on power system are analyzed by network simulation through Power System Simulator Siemens Network Calculator software (PSS SINCAL). Significant power losses and voltage improvement were observed depending on size and strategic locations of DG interconnections. Slight increase in network short circuit levels is observed within permissible limits of protection devices. The communication prospects of DG and Smart Grid Integration are also discussed to enable the monitoring, control of interconnected DG units with a two-way electricity and information flow to develop an automated distributed energy network. Finally, an attempt is made to strategize a simple and gradually applicable model of controlling the network conditions through the integration of DGs. Using the state of art of DG integration models, the gradually implementable smart grid system is proposed for under developed countries, like Pakistan.

Strategy and implementation of Smart Grids in India

One of the policy goals of sustainable development is the delivery of adequate housing for Countries in the global south. This is because in many countries of the global south housing is delivered more through private mechanisms, consequently this poses challenges to adequate housing delivery for most countries of the global south and the Nigeria populace. Some of the challenges faced in providing decent and adequate housing for the people include problems of unskilled workmen, unachievable westernized building standards, housing finance, high level of urbanization, poor policy programmes, and contravention of building standards in addition to poor building materials. This chapter explores housing challenges in Nigeria. In this chapter problems of housing in Nigeria will be explored; the trajectory of the history of national housing delivery and housing policies will be presented. Also, various challenges bedeviling adequate housing delivery in Nigeria is explored and explains how the quality and quantity of housing delivered in Nigeria has affected by these challenges.

This study, part of an ongoing global study, aims to advance information society research and practice by examining and understanding the information and communication technologies (ICT) adoption in enterprises in the context of the sustainable information society (SIS). In this study, the ICT adoption is described by four components. i.e. outlay on ICT, information culture, ICT management, and ICT quality, whereas the sustainability is composed of ecological, economic, socio-cultural, and political sustainability. This study employs a quantitative approach to identify the levels of ICT adoption and sustainability in enterprises as well as investigate the correlation between these two constructs. The survey questionnaire was used and data collected from 394 enterprises were analyzed. The research findings reveal that there were significant statistical differences between the highest level of outlay on ICT and the lowest ones, namely the levels of ICT quality and ICT management. Moreover, the economic sustainability was at the highest level, whereas the lowest and similar levels were specific to ecological and political sustainability. Finally, it is investigated that the ICT quality, ICT management, and information culture have a significant impact on the sustainability, whereas the outlay on ICT does not have such an impact. This study advances the information society research and practice by measuring the ICT adoption, sustainability and correlation between them in the Polish enterprises.

The integration of smart grid technology in developing countries presents both significant challenges and opportunities for improving power distribution systems. This study investigates the potential for smart grid implementation in Nigeria, focusing on the unique obstacles faced by the country's power sector and the benefits that could be realized through modernization. The research methodology involved a comprehensive literature review, stakeholder interviews, and case study analyses of pilot smart grid projects in Nigeria. Results indicate that while infrastructure limitations and regulatory hurdles pose significant challenges, the potential for improved energy efficiency, reduced power theft, and integration of renewable energy sources present compelling arguments for smart grid adoption. The study concludes that a phased approach to smart grid implementation, coupled with targeted policy interventions and public-private partnerships, could significantly enhance the reliability and sustainability of Nigeria's power distribution system. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on smart grid adoption in developing countries and provides actionable insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders in Nigeria.

Smart grid technologies are expected to increase system efficiency and reliability using advancement in automation, communication, computation, and optimization. Several control algorithms have been developed or enhanced for operation and control of smart distribution grid. In recent years, volt/var control (VVC) algorithms have been proposed for energy saving in distribution systems due to advancement provided by smart grid automation and control. VVC helps to lower distribution feeder voltage to decrease energy consumption. However, quantification of this impact is hard due to several external factors such as weather and end users' behavior. On the other hand, existing evaluation methods of VVC algorithms are either not suitable for long-term study or intrusive. This paper addresses these issues by proposing a new technique to estimate “distribution system demand without smart grid implementation” utilizing “data measured from system with smart grid implementation.” Interdependence of voltage and load is considered based on estimated load characteristic. Our key contribution is developing a method for quantifying the real-time energy saving of smart grid automation and control focused on VVC and implementing in an electric utility in eastern Washington, USA. The algorithm is developed using both commercial and open-source software.

Smart Grid and Retail Competition in India: A Review on Technological and Managerial Initiatives and Challenges

As a result of the changes that occur in the electrical distribution networks, there is guidance tendency toward users, not only to power systems. This is a feature of the smart grid that will ensure safety operational and power quality, and also facilitates network connection of renewable source. Smart grid can intelligently integrate the behavior of all users connected to this network — electricity producers, users and prosumers, in order to ensure efficient delivery, sustainable, economically and with security conditions of electricity. The power balance and ancillary services provided by the storage systems in distribution network represent two aspects of one problem that must be treated properly, with in an appropriate manner, taking into account the parameters of typical distribution network. Current limits of energy storage force production to correspond to the energy used in any moment. Using storage systems is a necessity for the power system, considering the current tendency to grow of renewable sources penetration, the requirements for reliability and power quality improvement and also the implementation of smart grid. Storage systems have an important role in increasing the system efficiency and ensuring stable operation of the system by contributing to secondary and fast tertiary control. In the first section, a general analysis was performed, in order to identify the current state-of-art of energy storage systems. An example was designed, starting from a real electric distribution system, in order to create an arrangement of possible issues and solutions for electricity storage systems which provide ancillary services.