Electricity In India Research Articles

Strides for aberrations: The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 of India

The article evaluates the provisions of the newly introduced Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 by the government of India. As a holistic reform package for the electricity sector is coming after a long time, the bill deserves scrutiny regards its merits and other issues raised by various stakeholders. This article is an attempt to assess the bill with a focus on its implications for India's electricity sector. It examines the major features in the bill including the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), the establishment of ECEA, enhanced payment security mechanism, the distribution Sublicense model, and the reforms in electricity pricing and subsidy system in the country. The repercussions of revamps in electricity pricing and subsidy system on farming communities and free electricity programs in many states incited opposition from stakeholders. It is found that the bill attempts to trespass the limits of the quasi-federal system in India, where it affects certain privileges of the state governments. The paper concludes that persisting crisis in the operations of the current regulatory paradigm in the electricity sector deserves a comprehensive renovation, but the abortive approach of the Bill on certain critical issues of the sector needs to be addressed.

DPR Requirements for Preparation of Geotechnical Investigation and Construction Materials Survey Chapter for Hydro Electric Project

Abstract: The environment-friendly renewable sustainable energy source is the need of time to promote and propagate to meet the growing power demand. More than 65% of India's electricity is generated by thermal power plants and 85% of the country's thermal power generation is coal-based. Our coal and gas reserves are limited and can last only for another 20-30 years. India is having enough hydropower potential i.e. to a tune of 148 GW (which would be able to meet a demand of 84 GW at 60% load factor) but as of date, its contribution is only 12.2% out of our total demand. Though the initial cost of hydro projects is comparatively high but the maintenance cost is minimal. To initiate a project Detailed Project Report (DPR) is required to be prepared. Since huge investment is involved in the hydroelectric project, hence, exhaustive techno-economic examining is required to decide for investing. Covering all the aspects of investigation enables the apprising agencies to examine the report holistically and provide clearances in a minimal time frame. In the scope of construction materials survey and geotechnical investigation, the availability and suitability of construction materials are to be assessed. The geotechnical investigation provides design parameters to the designer. Keywords: detailed project report, construction materials survey, rock, soil, concrete, rockfill.

Applications, planning and socio-techno-economic analysis of distributed energy systems for rural electrification in India and other countries: A review

Electricity is significant for acceleration of economic growth, employment generation, poverty alleviation and human development especially in rural areas. With advent of mobile phones and computer systems, electricity has become human’s basic necessity. Renewable energy sources driven decentralized energy systems have gained attention to satisfy the electric needs of rural communities. This paper attempts to present an exclusive literature review for application of decentralized energy system for development of rural microgids. Comparative analysis in terms of governing principle, installed capacity, performance parameters, operating efficiency, and GHG emissions for both renewable and non-renewable energy Distributed Energy Systems (DES) technologies has been presented. Optimization algorithms developed for optimal planning, sizing and citing of DESs and storage has been studied. Socio-techno-economic studies for assessing the feasibility of developed rural microgrids has been presented. Inferences based on the literature study to attract significant attention of microgrid developers and operators has been notified.

Diffused Regulation of India's Electricity Distribution: A Case Study of a Distribution Region in Uttar Pradesh

Diffused Regulation of India's Electricity Distribution: A Case Study of a Distribution Region in Uttar Pradesh

Designing terawatt scale renewable electricity system: A dynamic analysis for India

Installing multi-terawatt capacities of renewable technologies, mainly wind and solar, could be a potential solution for reducing carbon emissions to reach a safe climate threshold. However, due to variabilities in solar and wind generation, energy storage will play an essential role in the decarbonization of the electrical grid. We examined the implications of adding wind and solar on a terawatt-scale in India's electricity mix and estimated the storage (energy and power capacity) requirements by balancing hourly supply and demand for a 30-year-long-period starting from 2019 until 2048. We used meteorological reanalysis data from MERRA-2 (Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Application) for hourly wind speed and solar irradiance for the simulation. The results indicated that a solar-dominated capacity mix needed small seasonal storage and required larger storage power capacity to support ‘boost’ charging during the few high sunny hours to meet the demand for many non-sunny hours. Wind-dominated generation depended on large seasonal storage – most charging occurs during monsoon months (July through September) – and discharging in autumn to early winters. The paper discusses the performance of different terawatt scale designs and concludes with their implications for India's energy transition.

Off-Grid Rural Electrification in India Using Renewable Energy Resources and Different Battery Technologies with a Dynamic Differential Annealed Optimization

Several families in India live in remote places with no access to grid-connected power supply due to their remoteness. The study area chosen from the Indian state of Odisha does not have an electrical power supply due to its distant location. As a result, this study analyzed the electrification process using Renewable Energy (RE) resources available in the locality. However, these RE resources are limited by their dependency on weather conditions and time. So, a robust battery storage system is needed for a continuous power supply. Hence, the Nickel Iron (Ni-Fe), Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) and Lead Acid (LA) battery technologies have been analyzed to identify a battery technology that is both technologically and economically viable. Using the available RE resources in the study area, such as photovoltaic and biomass energy resources, as well as the various battery technologies, three configurations have been modelled, such as Photovoltaic Panels (PVP)/Biomass Generator(BIOMG)/BATTERY(Ni-Fe), PV/BIOMG/BATTERY(Li-Ion) and PVP/BMG/BATTERY(LA). These three configurations have been examined using nine prominent metaheuristic algorithms, in which the PVP/BIOMG/BATTERY(Ni-Fe) configuration provided the optimal Life Cycle Cost value of 367,586 USD. Among the all metaheuristic algorithms, the dynamic differential annealed optimization algorithm was given the best Life Cycle Cost values for all of the three configurations.

Domestic and international CO2 source-sink matching for decarbonizing India's electricity

India is the third largest CO2 emitter in the world and the ascending trend has not shown clear signs of leveling off. Electricity generation is the most important contributing sector. This paper examines the role of CO2 capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) in decarbonizing India's electricity. We build a source-sink matching optimization model and unlike previous research, include transport by ship to overseas CO2 storage sites. We initialize the model with open-source data on power sector emissions and sinks to work out the least-cost solutions for achieving various CO2 matching scenarios. CO2 can be captured in fossil-fuel-fired power plants in India, while the utilization and storage could be either within or beyond the country's border. We assess the potential chain of shipping CO2 to the Middle East for enhanced oil recovery and CO2 storage. The economics of such international CCUS chains may affect the role of CCUS in India's decarbonization scenarios. We provide first order estimates of costs and conditions to make such a proposition attractive. The model is available with an open-source license and is customizable to include additional sources, onshore and overseas sinks, and shipping terminals.

Electrification and welfare for the marginalized: Evidence from India

Uneven electrification can be a source of welfare disparity. Given the recent progress of electrification in India, we analyze the differences in access and reliability of electricity, and its impact on household welfare for marginalized and dominant social groups by caste and religion. We carry out longitudinal analysis from a national survey, 2005–2012, using OLS, fixed effects and panel instrumental variable regressions. Our analysis shows that marginalized groups (Hindu SC/ST and Muslims) had higher likelihood of electricity access compared to the dominant groups (Hindu forward castes and OBC). In terms of electricity reliability, in a period when the all households lost electricity hours, marginalized groups lost less electricity hours in a day as compared to domi- nant groups. Results showed that electrification enabled marginalized households to increase their consumption, assets and move out of poverty, but the effect was smaller as compared to dominant groups. Overall, the effects were more pronounced in rural areas. The findings are robust to alternative ways of measuring consumption, and other robustness checks. We posit that electrification increased household welfare of marginalized groups, but did not reduce absolute disparities among social groups.

Decision making approach for assessing the suitable hybrid renewable energy based microgrid system for rural electrification in India

In the present work, a decision-making framework in the form of TOmada de Decisao Interativa Multicriterio (TODIM) has been employed to identify the best microgrid scenario for a given location. The study has considered a total of eight microgrid scenarios that have been appraised with due consideration to economic and environmental metrics. Net project cost and cost of energy have been considered as the economic metrics while renewable energy fraction and greenhouse gas emissions as environmental metrics. HOMER has been used to carry out the optimization analysis and hence the aforementioned metrics. TODIM methodology is then applied to rank the considered microgrid scenarios. An inclusive evaluation shows that the hybrid renewable energy based microgrid system encompassing photovoltaic (PV), diesel generator (DiG), battery (BAT), fuel cell (FC), wind turbine (WT) and convertor (CONV) turns out to be the best scenario for the considered area.

Meeting India's electricity demand in 2030

Given the intricate nexus between energy and climate change, current policy thrust is laid on decoupling the two, so that targeted climate goals can be attained. In this context, the present study attempts to offer the optimal energy mix for the Indian electricity sector for 2030, by accounting for cost-minimizing constraints, as well as emission targets set by India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The analytical contours of the paper are divided into two major segments. In part one, emphasis is laid on estimating India's electricity demand for 2030 by employing regression methods of demand projection. Part two on the other hand carries out a cost optimization exercise based on linear programming methods incorporating the projected demand for 2030. The findings of the study are highly relevant from the policy making point of view of. The average cost of generation in 2030 was found to be INR 4.01 per kWh. In addition, it was also revealed that while following the proposed generation pattern, the country will be able to exceed its target of achieving forty percent generation capacity from non-fossil fuel sources.

Electrification and Welfare for the Marginalized: Evidence from India

Uneven electrification can be a source of welfare disparity. Given the recent progress of electrification in India, we analyze the differences in access and reliability of electricity, and its impact on household welfare for marginalized and dominant social groups by caste and religion. We carry out longitudinal analysis from a national survey, 2005-2012, using OLS, fixed effects, and panel instrumental variable regressions. Our analysis shows that marginalized groups (Hindu Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe and Muslims) had higher likelihood of electricity access compared to the dominant groups (Hindu forward castes and Other Backward Caste). In terms of electricity reliability, marginalized groups lost less electricity hours in a day as compared to dominant groups. Results showed that electrification enabled marginalized households to increase their consumption, assets and move out of poverty; the effects were more pronounced in rural areas. The findings are robust to alternative ways of measuring consumption, and use of more recent data set, 2015-2018. We posit that electrification improved the livelihoods of marginalized groups. However, it did not reduce absolute disparities among social groups.

Affordable Power for Rural Electrification in India

Affordable Power for Rural Electrification in India

Impact of Demand Growth on Decarbonizing India's Electricity Sector and the Role for Energy Storage

Impact of Demand Growth on Decarbonizing India's Electricity Sector and the Role for Energy Storage

Developing a Framework for Rural Electrification in India- Analysis of the Prospects of Micro-grid Solutions

The present research examines the perceptions of rural consumers towards the microgrid and rural electrification (RE) based solutions and develops a framework for improving the establishment of rural RE based microgrid solution captured from a case study in the Kalimpong district of North Bengal. The study adopted a mixed methodology study design includes the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the study through stakeholder interviews and questionnaire-based primary survey of the sample households. The perceptions received from sample households were validated with the response from other stakeholders, including academicians, researchers and sectoral experts. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings of the present research indicate that to accelerate the socio-economic development of the hilly terrains of North Bengal region, multi-provider licensed based microgrid preferably with renewable-based is a preferred mode which ensures reliable and affordable access of electricity.

Optimization of an off-grid integrated hybrid renewable energy system with different battery technologies for rural electrification in India

ABSTRACT A large population of India is living in villages, some of them are living in remote areas isolated from the grid. It is not feasible or economical to extend the grid connection to provide electricity for those villages, but an autonomous integrated hybrid renewable energy system can be a viable option. This study focused on emerging a grid-independent integrated hybrid renewable energy system (IHRES) to provide electricity and freshwater availability for a cluster of un-electrified villages located at Odisha state in India. In order to provide a continuous power supply, the study focused on three different types of battery technologies, such as Lead-Acid (LA), Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) and Nickel-Iron (Ni-Fe). To obtain an optimal IHRES configuration, twelve different IHRES configurations are modelled using nine metaheuristic algorithms in the MATLAB© environment. From the results, it is found that the Ni-Fe battery-based IHRES results in a minimum Annual Levelized Cost (ALC) as $66,650 and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) as 0.21779 $/kWh when compared to other battery-based IHRESs. The proposed Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA) has proven its robustness and convergence efficiency by providing the optimal ALC and LCOEs with fast convergence to the global best optimal solutions. Further, the proposed system has been examined at a different maximum allowable loss of power supply probability (LPSP*) values. Finally, the sensitivity analysis has been conducted with the variable input parameters, such as interest rate, biomass collection rate and cost of biomass. It is found that the variation in interest rate affects the system performance significantly.

Reclaiming Spaces of Energy Consumption through Rethinking Approaches to Rural Electrification in India

The perception engages with the central theme of triggering an energy system change for providing energy access at the last mile. An energy system change is about managing a transition in terms of production of energy and its consumption. In order to do that, there is an imperative to conceptualize electricity provisioning and the associated politics in the field of socio-technical and sustainable transitions. The policy process needs to understand that rural energy ecosystems are plural and heterogeneous, based on specific renewable energy resource endowment, local resource base, as well as consumption patterns. As regards approaches to address needs for power for all in terms of energy access, a lot remains to be done beginning from assessment of local resource potential for localized, embedded, on-site generation of electricity. This calls for an ideological transformation to creation of a league of prosumers (producers who are consumers as well).

The Critical Role of Policy Enforcement in Achieving Health, Air Quality, and Climate Benefits from India's Clean Electricity Transition.

The coal-dominated electricity system poses major challenges for India to tackle air pollution and climate change. Although the government has issued a series of clean air policies and low-carbon energy targets, a key barrier remains enforcement. Here, we quantify the importance of policy implementation in India's electricity sector using an integrated assessment method based on emissions scenarios, air quality simulations, and health impact assessments. We find that limited enforcement of air pollution control policies leads to worse future air quality and health damages (e.g., 14 200 to 59 000 more PM2.5-related deaths in 2040) than when energy policies are not fully enforced (5900 to 8700 more PM2.5-related deaths in 2040), since coal power plants with end-of-pipe controls already emit little air pollution. However, substantially more carbon dioxide will be emitted if low-carbon and clean coal policies are not successfully implemented (e.g., 400 to 800 million tons more CO2 in 2040). Thus, our results underscore the important role of effectively implementing existing air pollution and energy policy to simultaneously achieve air pollution, health, and carbon mitigation goals in India.

Smart Solar Grid integrated PV System with Faulty Permanence Enhancement: For Better Rural Electrification in India

Smart Solar Grid integrated PV System with Faulty Permanence Enhancement: For Better Rural Electrification in India

The effects of rural electrification in India: An instrumental variable approach at the household level

Governments in developing countries are investing billions of dollars to increase electricity access in rural areas, but the literature on the impact of these investments has produced mixed results. We leverage a unique characteristic of household electrification policy in Uttar Pradesh, India, whereby only households within 40 m of an electricity pole are eligible for a legal electrical connection, to estimate the causal impact of electrification using a pre-registered instrumental variable design. With an original survey of 686 households across 120 habitations in the Bahraich district of Uttar Pradesh, we find that legal electrification has a positive impact on household expenditures, adult household activities, and ownership and usage of appliances. The results suggest a more optimistic picture about the impact of rural electrification than some previous studies.

Design and Implementation of Rural Electrification Framework using Photovoltaic

The need to electrify all rural areas in India is quite compelling. However, the focus has now shifted from traditional fuel-based systems to generate electricity to renewable sources for energy generation. Though there are subsidies and policies that encourage the use of solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems, there is a need for an appropriate framework. This framework could not only offer substantial directions but it would also act as grounds to enhance rural electrification in India using solar PVs. From this perspective, the current research attempts to structure an innovative framework for solar PV system that could facilitate rural electrification in India. In particular, the district of Damoh in Madhya Pradesh was chosen as there are many villages without electricity in this district. PVsyst software was utilized to simulate the outcomes that included mathematical models and diverse components based on PV, for simulation. Three designs were developed to facilitate the simulation. These included; PVs linked with microgrid devoid of battery, individual PV systems without microgrid link and solar PVs linked to microgrid with battey. The framework for rural electrification using solar PVs will offer policy makers with insights with regards to implementing PV systems. It will also offer inputs as to the feasibility of implementing a specific system on several parameters. These would comprise of; number of households within a village, detached households etc. Nonetheless, research in future is also warranted to explore the scope for other sources of renewable energy