VIRTUAL POWER PLANT THROUGH CONSUMER PARTICIPATION

Abstract

India’s Power Sector has changed tremendously over the last few years in terms of generation capacity addition, transmission network augmentation, distribution network reforms, end-user consumption growth and the transition to open market trading of electricity over power exchanges. India’s electricity grid is aging, and the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses amount to 25%, with $5.7 billion financial losses to the utilities. In 2013-14, India had an average peak power deficit of 9% and an average energy deficit of 8.7% due to insufficient generation and transmission capacity, resulting in rolling blackouts. India suffers from severe electricity shortages, particularly during peak demand hours, and often experiences shutdowns from several hours to days in certain locations. India faced an unprecedented blackout for two days in July 2012 that affected an estimated 680 million people, which is twice the population of the United States. This blackout highlights the increasing pressure on India’s power system for infrastructure and market investments for peak load management and customer engagement. Certified Smart Grid products and technology solutions from the industry provide a robust Automated Demand Response (AutoDR) system to automatically manage demand when the grid is under stress.