Smart Grids, Deployment Efforts and Challenges

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume V, Issue VII, July 2018 | ISSN 2321–2705

Smart Grids, Deployment Efforts and Challenges

 Indrima Upadhyay ¹ and Dr. Shudha Arora²

¹B. Tech Student, Electrical Engineering, College of Technology, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, India.
²Professor & Head, Electrical Engineering, College of Technology, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand, India.

Abstract:-With changing times and ever advancing technologies, it is very pertinent that the current electric power system evolves. The improvement in the existing system is whetted by exigent necessity to decarbonize electricity supply, to replace ageing assets and to make potent use of booming information and communication technology (ICTs). The aforementioned requirements are met by Smart Grids, the concept of which revolves around the idea of providing greater visibility to lower voltage networks and enabling the consumers in the operation of power system, through Smart Meters and Smart Homes. Thus, Smart Grids tend to make use of the advanced ICT to control new energy system consistently, reliably and efficiently. There are thousands of power plants that generate electricity using wind energy, nuclear energy, coal, hydro, natural gas, and a variety of other resources. These electric generating stations produce electricity at a certain electrical voltage, which is stepped up or down as per the requirement at each level of distribution of electricity. A network of electrical components deployed to supply, transfer, and use electric power make up a power system. The basic idea behind Smart Grids is to add monitoring, analysis, control, and communication capabilities to the electrical delivery system to maximize the energy throughout of the system while reducing the loses. Consumers, thus, with the advent of Smart Grid will have the flexibility and choice to manage their electrical use helping them in slashing the electrical bill.

I. INTRODUCTION

Existing electric power system has developed over the past seventy years. Electrical power from generators through generating transforms is fed to high voltage interconnected network. Such web of transmission lines, substations, transformers and more, forming a nexus of synchronized power providers and consumers, conveying electricity from the generating station to homes and businesses is an electric grid. In India, to allow the transmission of excess electricity between States in each region, in 1960s individual State grids were interconnected to form 5 regional grids- Northern, North Eastern, Eastern, Western and Southern. In October 1991, the interconnection of North Eastern and Eastern grids took place which was followed by linking of the Western Grid with the aforementioned grids, in March 2003. Subsequently with the interconnection of the Northern grid, in August 2006, a Central Grid operating at one frequency was formed. The Southern Grid, the only remaining regional grid, too was synchronously linked to the Central Grid, with the commissioning of the 765 kV Raichur-Solapur transmission line, on 31 December 2013.

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