By Kunal Nagpal (TERI)/New Delhi, India Imagine a world where technology– an integral part of millions of electronic devices–is applied to the processes through which communities and complexes receive power. A system that communicates within itself and with the external world, seamlessly resolves problems, and delivers uninterrupted services. This kind of intelligent mini electricity network is now possible through a unique Smart Mini-Grids (SMG) system envisaged by the global think tank on sustainable development, The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI). Given India’s current power scenario, several power stations of very high capacity need to be installed in order to meet the growing and projected energy requirements. By their very nature, these large scale power plants are centralized, that is, the power is generated centrally and distributed far and wide. Even if the resources for such power plants – in terms of financial, fuel, and real estate- suddenly became available, the centralized power option is still not feasible for many cases in India. This is particularly true for the relatively smaller dispersed loads in remote, far flung areas. A significant amount of power, given the existing average transmission & distribution losses of around 30 percent would be lost before delivering at the required sites, thereby also reducing the overall efficiency of the electrical system. Hence, while waiting for the overall power situation to play catch up, it is prudent to explore other viable options for obtaining cost effective, clean, green, and most importantly, reliable electricity. Campuses and complexes generating and distributing their own power through distributed generation and renewable energy (RE) resources- in essence through personalized Mini Grids- are therefore a more dependable, feasible, controllable, and greener solution. Furthermore, these Mini Grids are easily set up to seamlessly interface with the existing utility grid. (Officially, a mini-grid is defined as a distributing electricity network operating at less than 11 kV, which is sometimes connected to the wider utility grid.) A mini-grid system can be operated through a combination of multiple energy resources, both renewable such as solar, wind and biomass, and conventional such as diesel. If a mini-grid is powered solely from renewable energy sources, however, the intermittent nature of these renewables does not always provide the flexibility of utilizing the power as per the requirement of the industry or community.  This results in an undesired mismatch between resources and loads (usage) and loss of extra power when available. In this regard, a more appropriate solution is a Smart Mini-Grid (SMG) system which can optimally and perceptively manage the load (usage) and distributed generation resources. A Smart Mini-Grid system utilizes digital information technology to intelligently balance multiple and varied energy resources against the dynamically varying and complex loads of the system. In addition, an SMG not only increases the overall efficiency, but also helps improve the overall power quality of the system. SMG controlled distributed energy sources can then be added to increment generation capacity, whenever and wherever required. These systems can not only deliver power to the local areas (such as rural settings, campuses, complexes, etc.) more efficiently and reliably, but can also feed excess power into the utility grid. An SMG system has the additional advantage of being cleaner and more environmentally benign, while simultaneously augmenting the supply of utility grid and reducing transmission losses. Institutions, campuses, localities applying an SMG for secure power availability can ensure maximum utilization of renewable energy (RE) resources through a careful coordination between energy demands and the electricity production. This enables a relatively lower installed RE capacity, which results in reduced upfront capital costs. The SMG system also helps minimize the use of fossil fuel based generation by the management of loads through smart controls and techniques. This allows for reduced ongoing operating costs while simultaneously improving power quality, efficiency, and flexibility of the overall system. SMGs are applicable not only for remote or rural applications, but are powerful solutions for the reliable energy requirements of office complexes, factories, residences, hospitals, hospitality institutions, shopping complexes, and even suburban neighborhoods. A few unique features of the SMG systems employed at TERI’s campuses include: Optimum renewable energy utilization i.e. solar and biomass at different operating conditions    Improved efficiency, reliability and flexibility of the system through incorporation of smart, intelligent tools and techniques, allowing for automatic adding or removing of the loads and resources based on their availability and set priorities Uninterrupted supply to identified network critical loads Such smart, reliable systems can be set up at any campus or facility and will go a long way in decreasing reliance on the main grid while increasing the consumption of cheaply and locally generated renewable energy. Through the implementation of SMG technology, communities and complexes will be empowered to better manage and utilize their energy resources while also decreasing costs across the board. Many such SMGs setup across the country will eventually lead to the grounds-up smartening of the main grid while simultaneously reducing the need for larger, expensive, and environmentally damaging centralized power plants.

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Adapting to Climate Change