Today Renewable Energy is Driving Innovation in Energy Efficiency and Green Technologies thus paving the path to a carbon neutral society. However, there are a few challenges we need to address to seamlessly integrate it into the mainstream electricity infrastructure and leverage Renewable Energy, efficiently, effectively, comprehensively and in a sustainable manner.
Is Renewable Energy merely a means to fill up the gap left by conventional energy generation capacity or resources? Or it is a ‘clean energy’ being leveraged to reduce the carbon emissions… yes of course.. But there are some major fringe benefits of following the RE path for fulfilling our rising energy demands..
The initiatives in the RE utilization have driven a whole new wave of Innovation in different fields of technologies. In fact, it has contributed to the evolution of a new Renewable Fuel: “The Fifth Fuel” in a big way.
DID YOU KNOW? There is a renewable-energy resource that is perfectly clean, remarkably cheap, surprisingly abundant and immediately available. It has potential to reduce the carbon emissions that threaten our planet, our dependency on oil imports that threaten our economy, and energy costs that threaten our wallets. It does not pollute, does not depend on weather, does not inflate prices and does not take a decade to build.
This miracle resource is better known across the world by the distinctively boring name of “Energy Efficiency”. It turns out that it is much less expensive, less destructive and less time-intensive to reduce demand through efficiency than to increase supply through new drilling or new power plants.
Energy Efficiency is appropriately considered today as the 5th Fuel to serve our increasing energy requirement.
Energy efficiency has today become the largest energy source. It is bigger than OIL, and much bigger than WIND, SOLAR, HYDROELECTRIC POWER & BIO-FUELS combined. The utilization of this “5th Fuel” is clean, possible and profitable, generating millions n billions of “NEGAWATTS” tirelessly & endlessly.
You would ask, why am I giving credit to the RE for driving Energy Efficiency movement & Innovations in a big way? Well, for one, initially the cost of RE generation was pretty high which led to finding ways to optimize and reduce the consumption without compromising the comforts, needs and even “wants” of the consumers – “Necessity is the mother of Invention” … A case in point is “Solar Energy” – The PV Solar is still in the stage where the Generation Cost per Unit (KWh) is still much higher than the comfort level of the Eco-system, particularly at KW scale, where it can really help in evolution of truly Hybrid & Distributed Micro Grids.
If you had Rs.1000 Crores to invest, would you invest it on the supply or the demand side? Keeping in mind that a penny saved is penny earned, but in power context, it is well know fact that a unit (of electricity i.e. KWh) saved is equivalent to 2.5 to 3 units generated.
Energy use is a big challenge for ours, and the next Generations! “The same way of thinking that got us into trouble won’t get us out of it.”
At the heart of the worldwide rollout of Smart Meters and the Smart Grid Network Infrastructure, lies the goal of Energy Efficiency from the Generation, Transmission and Distribution to the End Customer. The Key Economic & Social Driver for “SMART GRID” Initiatives Globally is nothing but “Energy Efficiency”. Governments worldwide are mandating improved Energy Efficiency, requiring an investment in the new Smart grid and Smart Energy Management Structure. The goal is to create a smart grid that will change the way power is deployed for sustainable energy around the world. It will transform the way we use Energy.
Over 1 trillion KWh of energy are wasted annually through inefficient inverters and AC/DC adaptors. This is set to rise as the number of low power DC devices increase exponentially, e.g. the number of connected devices is expected to rise from 6bn to 50bn by 2020, as we use more computers, mobile devices and gadgets. Furthermore, lighting is going through a revolution, with new availability of efficient DC LED solutions.
To power this through AC/DC adaptors is both wasteful and annoying, particularly as adaptors are bulky, mains sockets are in the wrong place or in short supply, and it prevents plugging them in directly to local renewable energy supplies, such as PV, Batteries, CHP and Fuel cells, which are all sources of DC.
The current model is unsustainable, and that is why many groups have been working for several years to rethink the axiom of power and electricity consumption to develop Smart DC technology that works at variable voltages over a Smart DC Network, providing efficient power to household lighting, Smart Hubs, Smart DC sockets for computers, and smart power integration.
It is estimated that this could help reduce electricity bills by up to a third, and significantly reduce grid peak demand through powering devices efficiently from off-grid or off-peak resources, and through smart control and advice.
Systems should also be designed to ensure – ‘No home is left behind’, in adopting low cost renewable energy solutions, whether they are houses or flats in urban spaces. We could also develop solutions for hotels, student accommodation and small offices. Need to develop a range of Home Energy solutions that provide smart energy monitoring, easy to install micro-generation and storage, and provide efficient power via smart DC Hubs, DC micro-nets which can re-use household wiring to power home lighting or provide smart DC sockets for appliances.
Vision is to change the way we produce and consume electricity in homes. Specifically through focusing on the “Long-tail” of energy consumption – using advanced monitoring and control to reduce high load appliance use, and through using smart DC micro-nets to reduce the inefficiencies of trillions of DC/low power lighting and electronic devices being powered from the grid via AC/DC adaptors.
Smarter buildings for Smart Grid Integration: DC Micro-grids Can Help In Buildings. Micro-grids are for buildings not just ‘Smart’ grids. New DC Power Standards Are also helping in proliferation of DC as Industry standards are key. There are new standards for generating and distributing DC power in buildings.
Hybrid AC/DC Buildings Are the 1st Step: We can begin to leverage Hybrid Power for Building Interiors Now! Low Voltage DC Is Key: LVDC technology can help make it happen as it offers Flexibility, Energy Savings and Sustainability/Reliability.
Energy Efficient Designs: Ohm’s Law makes the difference. Energy Conversions impact Energy Efficiency of any Product, Appliance or System. With DC, Efficiency is >10-15% higher with solar, wind & on-site storage. For example, AC & solar sources can be connected to the same DC Loads. Hence, allowing maximized return on investments in alternative energy.
Data Centers Next: All the Data Centers today are focused on energy efficiency. Data Centers are Huge energy user in buildings; Not just Google or Facebook, 99% are “small” (server rooms, closets, etc…2.5 million total) that contain majority of all servers (57%)@from 2-32 servers per location. These Sites have very less internal expertise in power/space/heat management. In fact at least 6 billion KW hours could be saved each year with a 10% improvement in data center energy efficiency.
“DC power could fundamentally change the way power is distributed in commercial and even residential buildings…”
In fact the First ever, International Conference on LVDC is being organised in India in October 2015 by BIS & IEC with the theme: LVDC – Redefining Electricity.
A few Challenges:
In INDIA, in the enthusiasm of rolling out one of the most Advanced & Robust Electricity Infrastructures to ensure the “ENERGY SECURITY”, numerous ambitious and grand initiatives have been undertaken; and more initiatives and Pilot Projects are being envisaged in the coming months and years…
A whole lot of Medium Scale & Grid Scale Renewable Energy Generation Projects are being Deployed & Commissioned nationwide; but there is no co-ordination or intervention with such initiatives to enable these Generation Plants to seamlessly Integrate into the Nation-wide Smart Grid Infrastructure.
Solar Energy & Wind Energy is going to play a major role in the Smart Grid Deployments. Both these industries & stakeholders need to understand the expectations on various aspects of the Smart Grid Standards, Architecture, Communication Interfaces & protocols for smooth Renewable Integration.
The relevance of Communication Architecture, Protocols & Interfaces in Renewable Integration cannot be ignored anymore. The “NET METER” must also follow the standards & protocols being used by the Electricity Distribution Utilities, as well as by the Consumers for their Home or Building Energy Management System to be able to give relevant data to each stakeholder of the Electricity Eco-System. In today’s scenario of Smart homes, Smart Buildings and Smart Grid, an Electricity Meter is needed to give relevant Data to all the Three Stakeholders viz: the Utility, the Building Management System and the Home Automation cum Energy Management System; and if the Installed Meter/Net Meter can not cater to this need, Individual Meters shall need to be installed for the each stakeholder of the Energy Management Eco-system.
With the proliferation of Distributed Energy Systems around the world, and some of these energy sources getting connected to the distribution network, the topic of ‘metering’ the energy exchange between the Grid and Consumer is assuming new proportions. Many regulators and distribution companies have issued policies on metering requirements of this exchange. India too has issued many guidelines on the subject, but they vary from state to state. Further, they do not address most of the concerns of the consumers, and even of the unified electricity infrastructure.
Grid Integration of Renewable Energy: Issues at a Glance:
The integration of large quantities of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power will require changes in how our transmission system operates. The issues that need serious considerations are: Variability of renewable energy sources; High-penetration variable generation; Bidirectional Power Flow in Distribution Networks; Localized Voltage Stability Problem; Frequency response; Solar and wind forecasting; Grid Congestion, Weak Grids; System balancing; Energy storage; Transmission; Energy management systems; Cost, Reliability & Efficiency of Grid Interface Integration costs; Emissions.
Challenges in Renewable Integration
Rooftop Solar Inverters 1KW – 5KW: Off-Line or Grid Interactive? What parameters to measure? What communication Protocols? Grid Synchronization! Islanding Control: with Consumer or with Utility? Does it really need a separate “NET METER”? Dynamic Profile Control!
Net Metering: Tariff Disparity, Subsidy & Billing Computation; Defining Metering Points in the Network; Different Nature of Energy: AC & DC; Conversion Losses Computation; Energy Source Signature Tracking: Panel or Battery; Generation & Consumption Profiling; Lack of Policy & Regulatory Clarity; Lack of harmonization in Communication Standards and Data Interfaces.
In case of “Grid-Interactive” Solar PV Systems, where anybody can Install the System and connect to the Grid for feeding the partial/surplus power generated by the System, there are namely Two major issues that need a very diligent study, analysis and solution: “NET METERING” & “GRID SYNCHRONIZATION”.
“Net Metering”: is it merely the “IMPORT-EXPORT” Metering, as the name suggests? Absolutely NO. Net Metering really encompasses a lot more than merely measuring the energy imported from the GRID & exported to the GRID. When we contemplate the various aspects of ‘Renewable Integration’ in the true sense, the Simple Box being touted as NET METER transcends to a wholly different level. It is expected to measure, compute & generate a lot more data to derive the optimum benefit from the renewable energy generation system installed. The prevalent definition of Net Metering could still be argued as valid from the point of view of the Utility, but from consumers’ point of view, it really falls short of expectations/needs. And, if a meter giving merely import – export data is installed under the name of “NET METER” then the consumers shall have to install multiple meters to give them the true picture of Renewable Integration and its benefits from the consumers’ perspective.
The major driver of the consumers in installing Solar RE Systems is to bring their respective monthly Electricity Bill down, Subsidy by the Government works as a sweetener; and to top it all, if they get paid by the utility for the surplus electricity generated and fed to the Grid… it really makes a very good business case for the Electricity Consumers to be part of this Eco-system.
Now, let us understand what kind of Data do consumers need from such systems to manage the system most efficiently. It should give them comprehensive picture on the Electrical Energy Generated by the system every day, the exact share of electricity consumed from the Grid as well as Solar System, and, last but not the least, the energy exported to the Grid. Since, you can not Manage what you can not Measure; it becomes imperative for consumer to measure all these different generation & consumption figures to take a well calculated decision as to how much energy to use from the solar and how much & during which Time Slots to use energy from the grid; whether to export any energy at any particular day or time to the grid or rather store it in the Batteries for own consumption at the appropriate time…
Thus, unless the “NET METER” can help the Consumers devise their respective ‘Energy Management Strategy’ and also enable them to dynamically alter it “on the Fly”; it would be absolutely under-utilized; and it is highly probable that in the absence of any clarity of the benefits of Installing the Solar PV Systems, the consumers get rather disillusioned with such Ideas and Schemes of the Government and the whole Initiative backfires or falls flat with all investments, resources & subsidies gone waste.
“Grid Synchronization” also has implications of its own, which if not addressed immediately may also bring this Initiative to a grinding Halt.
INVERTERS in India are mainly manufactured in MSME (Micro Small & Medium Enterprise) segment, and lion’s share of this is in the un-organized sector. This has a severe implication on the High End Features, Quality & Reliability of the Inverters manufactured by this segment. Consumers may buy inverters from such vendors, which may not be capable synchronizing with the grid; and hence defeating the very purpose of the Government’s such initiatives.
It is MOST IMPERATIVE that complete Specifications and Compliance Criteria for Grid Synchronization of the Inverters be defined explicitly. The STANDARD for “GRID SYNCHRONIZATION” be NOTIFIED, Test Laboratories be equipped for conducting such Tests and complete Eco-System to make this a Success be mobilized before allowing the Consumers to go for the Grid – Interactive Solar PV Systems. Even, a mass awareness campaign to be driven on the Compliance’s Imperativeness and Certified Manufacturers listing to enable the consumers not falling prey to the spurious products.
It is imperative to explore these crucial aspects of our new Electricity Infrastructure; the challenges, the current Practices & Technologies, Architectures, Interfaces & Protocols; and identify the way forward for Smooth Renewable Integration, as well as Unified & Secure Communication Architecture to provide a Scalable, Versatile & Robust Communication Backbone for the Next generation Electricity Infrastructure.