Smart solution to power cuts in Telangana

Smart solution to power cuts in Telangana
x
Highlights

Smart Solution To Power Cuts In Telangana. The electricity department is still in the Stone Age as far as technology is concerned. In case of a power failure or outage, the officials are clueless until a customer calls.

There is a huge gap between power supply and demand and this is precisely the reason for power cuts and power holidays. What if, even when there is supply gap, power can be managed without power cuts? Discom officials have struck upon a new technology called ‘Smart Grid’, which will be implemented at Jeedimetla IDA on a pilot basis, which promises no power cuts

The electricity department is still in the Stone Age as far as technology is concerned. In case of a power failure or outage, the officials are clueless until a customer calls. Even though Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system was implemented, it was limited only to track the outages at transformers. If there is a power failure due to fault in lines, the department is entirely dependent on information from customers.
Smart Grid
In a joint venture with the central government, the southern discom officials are testing the ‘Smart Grid’ technology, which helps manage power, even when there is gap between demand and supply. This new technology would be implemented at Jeedimetla IDA on a pilot basis. With this technology, even smallest of the power outages can be detected and tracked online through computers. The southern discom officials are about to install the required technology at local electricity engineer offices. The SCADA office in Erragadda will have the monitoring system.

Why Jeedimetla IDA?
“We have selected Jeedimetla IDA as it has a collage of HT (High Tension), commercial and domestic connections. The mix of connections will help us study the technology in greater detail,” informs a spokesperson with TSSPDCL.

The new technology will map the electricity usage patterns and will detect the power outages to the exact location. However, the users in the area will have to be affixed with smart meters.

How the system works
Along with the smart meters, a device will be fixed at home. This device informs the usage of electricity.

“For example, if there’s heavy loading at 7 pm and the supply isn’t sufficient, then a message would be sent to the devices, saying ‘Use only lights’. If any household operates more than the required load, the meter trips down. This is an efficient way where we can manage load without cuts,” informs a senior official with TSSPDCL.

To be tested for 18 months
The technology will be tested for 18 months. Basing on the results, the technology will be extended to all areas in the city.

This Smart Grid technology is being tested at 14 other places across the country. The estimated cost for the technology is Rs 24 crore and the Central Power Research Institute will be serving as a consultant. Though the project was supposed to start by July, it was delayed by a month due to technical glitches.

Show Full Article
Print Article
Next Story
More Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENTS