Smart Transformer – Technology Trends

Smart Transformers

Smart digitized transformers that provide remote control and data analytics of critical parameters for predictive maintenance are now gaining traction in India, on account of their increased deployment from utilities ....

Transmission and distribution (T&D) utilities are interested in monitoring the status and conditions of their transformers fleet in order to prevent failure or malfunction. For this they follow a strategic and systematic approach referred to as Asset management system. Now with increasing digitalisation and Internet of Things (IoT) implementation T&D utilities have evolved from precautionary maintenance to predictive maintenance in their asset management strategies.

Utilities are now relying more on smart, digitized transformers that provide remote monitoring and data analytics of critical parameters in real time for predictive maintenance. It helps utilities take corrective action to prevent grid disruptions and blackouts from happening before failure occurs. This increases reliability and makes it possible to use grid assets and power networks more effectively.

Smart Transformers

Though there have been a number of technological improvements to transformers so as to perform the important function of adjusting voltage levels. These include AC & DC technology with ultra-high voltage, biodegradable oil-filled transformers, ultra-low sound transformers and high efficiency distribution transformers.

However, as load peaks (both predictable and unexpected) - it leads to generation of high temperatures that cut the life cycle of the transformer. In addition, sometimes unexpected failures may result in accidents on the network leading to financial and other penalties. Thus, improvements in monitoring and maintenance optimization remain top priorities for many utilities.

The utilities therefore want to track and monitor their transformer fleet status and condition so that they can interfere before a fault or malfunction occurs and that has been made possible through adoption of smart and digital technologies. Thus, a transformer that comes with intelligent electronic devices and intelligent diagnostic and monitoring features are broadly termed as Smart Transformer.

Smart transformers are integral elements of the Smart Grid that works separately to constantly adjust the voltage and to keep in touch with the smart grid so as to ensure remote control when needed as well as to provide power supply and transformers information and feedback themselves.

These smart transformer solutions are largely composed of 3 components – hardware, software and services – operating together to provide efficiency and reliability for the utilities.

Incorporated with devices such as digital sensors, dissolved gas analyzers and digital safety equipment they help in collecting data for local tracking, diagnosis and control. Same data can also be monitored using cloud at station level for control as well as preventive and predictive maintenance.

Being designed to provide voltage efficient electricity for the energy requirements of the facility; large commercial installations are increasingly using these transformers to make the use of power efficiently and in a cost-effective manner. Even at the distribution and transmission levels the use of these transformers is gaining ground.

Key Benefits

The smart transformers are enabled with digital capabilities that allow remote monitoring and data analysis in real time of its vital parameters. Thus, they are ideally suited for tracking and regulating electricity supply during fluctuation and ensuring voltage optimisation even in the case of new demands.

They play an important role in protection of the power system from load disorder by insulating the source from load harmonics and voltage sags. These transformers also help in improving the power quality by summarizing loads to the mains with the same phase current or even for the unbalanced loads. This helps in increased reliability of power network system thereby allowing improved utilization of grid resources and assets.

Apart from improving efficiency and product life, the digital capabilities of these transformers boost reliability and mitigate outages by preventative actions. Thus to cater to the new and emerging grid challenges, digital transformers are increasingly gaining traction as they assist in reducing grid losses and improving power supply reliability.

In addition to the various technical functions mentioned above, the customer’s cyber-security concerns could also be addressed by these smart digital transformers through addition of security features like the RFID access card-enabled Wi-Fi to this. Also, the stored data is encrypted and the user requires a decryption key to read the data.

Growing Need

Smart transformers are ideal for the power systems that are designed for renewable energy integration as they supply accurate power requirements and responds immediately to power grid fluctuations, acting as a voltage control system. Since a large number of small local energy producers operate renewable electric power plants which alter the flow of power in the distribution network on the consumer’s end of the grid. In addition, there are a number of critical nodes at the distribution transformer level that will increase over the coming years, leading to the requirement for the type of monitoring & control previously limited to large power transformers.

Meanwhile, the increasing use and charge of electric vehicles in residential areas, that is bringing about dramatic changes in patterns of consumption. This large local charging activity can also cause overloads at the distribution transformer level.

Thus, smart distribution transformers can provide intelligence at the distribution transformer level as well as help in optimizing operational and maintenance costs to maximize reliability and managing of the asset more efficiently.

Also these smart transformer systems are ideal for rural network applications. The interface includes a distribution transformer equipped with OLTC for automatic voltage regulation and a communications system. It helps to create a route between remote locations where the transformer is located and the gateway where data is collected from another smart transformer

in the region.

Way Forward

Smart transformers are intelligent enough to satisfy the demands of future power systems and can also enhance safety, and are therefore highly popular and useful for future applications. In order to achieve higher precision, technology providers are working on integrating sensing technology directly in the transformer during the production process.

In addition, to make transformer both safer and environmentally friendly, technology providers are looking into integrating the digital technologies into dry-type transformers. These transformers will be ideally suited for applications with high risk, like densely populated areas and in vulnerable ecosystems.

Over the coming years, the use of smart transformers is set to increase at distribution and transmission levels forming an integral part of the new electricity grid which monitors voltage independently and maintains communication with the smart grid so as to permit remote management and input on power supply parameters in real time. n

Wind Solar Hybrid Reluctant Growth

The concept of solar wind hybrid can take a few years before india can see its wide spread implementation on account of several technical challenges involved...

By contrast to traditional sources of power in many respects, renewable resources such as solar and wind are very advantageous, so that they are clean and available indefinitely. But the only drawback is that their outputs depend upon the climatic conditions. With increasing energy costs, the use of wind solar hybrid plants are gaining importance as they offer a high reliability of power supply, and also because the wind turbines and photovoltaic (PV) panels have been witnessing reduction in prices.

The hybrid PV / wind system has become viable alternatives in recent years to meet the demands for environmental protection and electricity supply. Most importantly, with the complementary characteristics between solar and wind energy resources for certain locations, hybrid PV/wind system with storage banks presents an unbeatable option for the supply of small electrical loads at remote locations where no utility grid power supply.

India Taking Stride

As a tropical peninsula, India has an immense supply of renewable resources that will significantly reduce its carbon footprint if it is used to its full potential. Since India has made a global commitment to installs 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, as well as 40 per cent of the country’s electric power capacity would come from fossil fuels by 2030.

Thus, renewable hybrids can play a key role in helping India accelerate the decarbonisation of power generation and lowering the cost of electricity in the medium term.

Wind -Solar hybrid projects were seen as one of the options before the Union government to help it meet the ambitious renewable targets of 175 GW by 2022. To tap this segment, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued the draft WindSolar Hybrid Policy in mid-2016.

Following several discussions with the stakeholders over a two-year period, MNRE unveiled the final policy document “National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy” in May 2018. The main objective of this policy is to establish a framework to encourage large-scale hybrid wind-solar electricity projects.

Further, the policy also aimed at optimising and improving the efficacy of the usage of transmission infrastructure and land, which in turn will mitigate

inconsistencies associated with the generation of renewable power and and help in attaining better grid stability. Apart from that, the policy will also motivate the development of solutions and technological advancements in the field of wind-solar hybrid power generation.

Providing the Initial Boost

A step forward has been the announcement of scheme by the India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for the establishment of 2 500 MW of Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS)-connected wind-solar hybrid projects.

The Scheme is intended to facilitate the installation of new hybrid wind-solar projects at a price that has been found through the transparent reverse bending process by the nodal agency Solar Energy corporation of India (SECI). Meanwhile, under Section 63 of the Electricity Act 2003, the new guidelines will provide the structure and process required for transparent bidding.

The scheme is being implemented to build, own and operate (BOO) 2500 MW hybrid projects. Applicant with a project capacity of at least 50 MW at one project site will be entitled for bidding capacity to a total of 200 MW and 500 MW. Under the Scheme, the projects will be defined by separate points of injection into the grid at interconnection/metering point

of ISTS substation or in case of sharing of transmission lines, by separate injection at pooling points.

Slow Start

Unfortunately, the wind-solar hybrid model is currently struggling to take off in India. Nearly a year since their launch, hybrid segment has seen a slow start, with experts attributing the same to the policy guiding auctions.

Of the 3,200 MW of the wind solar hybrid tenders that central and state government agencies launched last year, only 2,400 MW have materialised. While of that only 1,600 MW have been allotted, representing mere 34 per cent of the subscription. The auctions have witnessed participation from a handful of developers like Adani, Softbank, and ReNew Power.

The tepid response to the tenders even led the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to cut the capacity of one of its tenders from 2,500 MW to 1,200 MW. While Two other wind-solar hybrid tenders, one from NTPC for 174 MW in Karnataka and another for 600 MW in Andhra Pradesh, have got cancelled.

According to industry experts, low ceiling tariffs of INR2.7 per unit set by SECI; expectation of a minimum 38 per cent

combined utilisation factor (CUF) in the tenders; and lack of good sites are among the reasons impacting hybrid projects. Significantly, the industry has been demanding higher tariffs even as the government has mostly capped tariffs at below INR 3 per unit.

Challenges

Hybrid energy projects are at a nascent stage globally and like every new technology or innovation, it is currently going through a stage of evolution. However, that has not stopped developers from adopting this model for developing renewable energy systems.

In India, Karnataka launched the first large-scale solar wind hybrid project, which incorporates 50 MW of wind and 29 MW of solar power. However, this plant was developed for captive use. In future large scale adoption and commissioning of hybrid energy projects would depend on multiple factors.

Though the policy has been designed as a framework to promote large-scale wind solar hybrid systems connected to the network for optimal and efficient use of the transmission

infrastructure and land, reducing variability in generating renewable energy and improving grid stability.

However, the policy lacks a clear framework for converting existing wind or solar projects into hybrid projects, instead focusing solely on procurement by government agencies from new projects, which is a shortcoming.

A few other challenges on the policy front includes - metering technology and standards, forecasting and scheduling, grant of connectivity to the grid, RPO mechanisms for discoms, rules defining PPAs for hyrbrid projects, amongst others.

The main purpose for adoption of a solar-wind hybrid is to get an uninterrupted power generation, as they complement each other to overcome their individual erratic generation challenges. However, without incorporation of a storage technology – they are not good enough to meet the peak demand curves.

Here the inability to incorporate the storage in the large scale solar wind hybrid project also hits on its wide spread adoption. The technology side will play a significant role in the broad-based implementation of these projects, with storage costs as an important component of hybrid projects.

The renewable storage costs and technologies currently prevailing for large-scale renewable power projects are not in favour of project viability and sustainability. Unless there is a breakthrough in storage technology that reduces per watt costs considerably, solar & wind projects with 100 per cent storage will remain confined to select geographies and projects.

Way Forward

The growth of hybrid plants will promote renewable energy expansion in the Indian energy mix, ensure grid stability, and encourage efficient land and other resources use to make the industry competitive.

Though, it may take a couple more years to bring smooth flow to the concept, since the integration of the two systems involves several technical challenges.

On the other hand, while the industry has welcomed the latest Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, it may be necessary to revise its certain aspects in light of a number of serious concerns.

It is now up to states with strong wind and solar profiles to develop an acceptable regulatory structure that maximizes the effectiveness of the policy recommendations. The position of states is vital to the overall success of the policy.

At present, only a few hybrid plants are present in the country. Expert believes that hybrid plants can only take off in India in significant ways if they receive sufficient fiscal incentives and favourable regulatory measures at initial stages. n

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Tata Power and The Rockefeller Foundation announce the launch of breakthrough enterprise TP Renewable Microgrid

Tata Power and The Rockefeller Foundation announced the launch of TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd., which will address one of the most pervasive challenges in modern India: the lack of access to affordable, reliable electricity for millions of rural homes and enterprises.

By scaling up an innovative microgrid model to be implemented in collaboration with Smart Power India (SPI) and the Institute for Transformative Technologies, TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd. will provide clean power to nearly 5 million households, directly impacting the lives of 25 million people over the next decade.

This unique collaboration will amplify the Government of India’s ongoing campaign to provide electricity to rural areas, unleashing the potential of renewable microgrids to serve households and businesses that suffer from poor reliability and coverage by traditional grid-based power.

Rural businesses and households continue to rely on alternative sources to power daily needs—with more than 40% of rural enterprises in states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh relying on non-grid sources of power such as diesel.

TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd. will provide a competitive and cleaner source of power, expanding access and lowering effective electricity costs and carbon emissions by 1 million tons per year as well as reducing the amount of diesel burned by 57 million liters yearly. Over time, the opportunity to deploy grid-interactive solutions will materialize, creating a more integrated, stable and smart rural grid.

TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd. will be operated and managed by Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power company with approximately 11,000 MW of installed generation capacity and over 2.6 million customers under management across Delhi, Ajmer and Mumbai. Tata Power brings significant experience in distributed energy, having established a joint venture with the Delhi government to serve a large portion of the local population, including sizeable slum communities.

“We are proud to bring energy to millions of people. Once at scale, TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd. anticipates supporting 100,000 rural enterprises, creating 10,000 new green jobs, and providing irrigation for over 400,000 local farmers,” said Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha. “We look forward to empowering communities across India by creating micro enterprise and opportunities for all people.”

TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd.’s anticipated rollout of 10,000 grids will drastically expand the global microgrid footprint, and will act as a catalyst for governments and the private sector to collaborate in building clean, resilient and stable grids in other markets.

SPI, which was launched by The Rockefeller Foundation in 2015, would provide technical expertise to the enterprise, having built microgrids that today provide clean, distributed electricity to more than 200 villages in rural India.

“We have an unprecedented opportunity to transform the lives of millions of people in India by providing access to power,” said Dr. Rajiv J. Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. “Providing reliable electricity to the communities that need it most is one of the best ways for us to end poverty and unleash economic opportunity in our lifetimes.”

In addition to building, owning and operating microgrids in India, TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd. intends to provide ancillary micro enterprise services to benefit communities.

TP Renewable Microgrid Ltd. reflects a scaling-up of The Rockefeller Foundation’s efforts to tackle energy poverty worldwide.

In September 2019, The Rockefeller Foundation also announced the launch of the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty (GCEEP) to fast-track sustainable power solutions, investments and partnerships that will deploy globally over the next decade. n

GE Achieves Record Transmission of Power on a Super Energy Highway in India G E’s Grid Solutions business achieved a new milestone in its Champa-Kurukshetra ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) project in India with the 1,305-km link now capable of transmitting 4,500 MW of electricity. This follows the recent successful energization of the third of four poles planned for the ±800kV UHVDC transmission line.

A special feature of the Champa project is the use of an overhead line with dedicated metallic return, which uses a neutral conductor as a part of the DC circuit. GE is the first company in the world to demonstrate this technology with this project and is therefore providing additional value to the customer by eliminating the typical technical and environmental issues associated with the traditional electrode solution.

The transmission line is a crucial component of the Indian government’s electricity-for-all initiative and will help provide reliable electricity for millions of people living in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and surrounding areas. The project is being executed by GE T&D India Limited, the listed entity of GE’s Grid Solutions business in India.

Phase 1 of the project, completed in 2017, provided 3,000 MW of transmission capacity. GE’s recent energization of Pole 3 added another 1,500 MW of transmission capacity, marking a key benchmark towards the completion of Phase 2. Once Pole 4 is commissioned, the entire system will transmit 6,000 MW of electricity at 800kV - making the project one of the largest generation-to-consumption transmission systems in the world. n

Sumant Sinha of ReNew Power honoured with the ‘Distinguished Alumnus Award’ by IIM Calcutta I n recognition of his extraordinary contribution in the field of business entrepreneurship, Sumant Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director, Renew Power Private Limited (“ReNew Power”), India’s largest Renewable energy company, was awarded IIM-Calcutta’s Distinguished Alumnus Award on 14 November 2019. the Aditya Birla Group for 5 years till 2007, and then COO at Suzlon, before starting ReNew in 2011. On receiving the honour, Sumant Sinha, CMD of ReNew Power said, “It is always a matter of great pride to receive recognition from one’s alma mater. IIM Calcutta has been a significant part of my formative years and has helped me understand and realise the potential of business as a tool to change lives and livelihoods. I’d also like to thank all Renew employeesfrom the bottom of my heart for all their efforts in making ReNew the largest clean energy company in India and for being an integral part of my entrepreneurial journey.”

A leading first-generation entrepreneur, Sumant Sinha began his career as an investment banker in the US and UK with leading global banks such as Citibank and ING, post which he returned to India and was the Group CFO of

Under his leadership, ReNew has become the first clean energy company in India to cross 5,000 MW of commissioned capacity. ReNew power was also the first renewable energy company in India to attain the Unicorn status and has raised more than $1.4 Bn of equity till date, with a total asset base in excess of $6.5 Bn.

This is the second time that Sumant is being honoured with a distinguished Alumnus Award. In 2018, he had received the ‘IIT Delhi Distinguished Alumnus Award’ from his other alma mater – IIT Delhi.n

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20-22 Nov 2019 CII Global Energy XPO Aerocity Central, New Delhi, India

An Exclusive display of eminent brands of energy sector verticals featuring Renewable Energy, Conventional Generation, Transmission & Distribution, Energy Storage & Charging Infrastructure, Power Equipment Manufacturers & Service Providers, Oil & Gas, New Technologies and Start-ups, Electric Vehicles, International and State Pavilions For Details Visit : http://www.gexpo.in

18-22 Jan 2020 Elecrama 2020 India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, India

ELECRAMA brings together the complete spectrum of solutions that powers the planet from source to socket and everything in between. Featuring not just equipment & technology, but peerless thought leadership platforms for everything electric - from technical conclaves to industry summits..

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27-29 Dec 2019 Intersolar India 2019 Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bengaluru, India

Intersolar India at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre is India’s most pioneering exhibition and conference for India’s solar industry and has a focus on the areas of photovoltaics, PV production and solar thermal technologies. 2019, Intersolar India will be held for the first time under the umbrella of The smarter E India – India’s innovation hub for the new energy world. For Details Visit : https://www.thesmartere.in/en/intersolar-india

13-15 Feb 2020 3rd Renewable Energy Expo Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, India

This event will be bringing together businesses, sustainable energy industry trade associations, government agencies, and energy policy research organizations to showcase the status and potential of the cross-section of renewable energy industry.

For Details Visit : http://www.renewableenergyexpo.biz

15-18 Feb 2020 10th World PetroCoal Congress and Expo Convention Centre-NDCC, New Delhi

The 10th World PetroCoal Congress-2020 conference & expo aims to encourage fruitful dialogue for sustaining future growth of Petroleum – Coal Sector and make an attempt to provide solutions to the problems faced by the Oil, Gas and Coal industries world over. Specially focused on key industry issues and emerging energy solution while pursuing business building and networking... For Details Visit : http://www.worldpetrocoal.in

14-16 Feb 2020 India Solar Expo 2020 IIA Bhawan Grounds, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow, India

Indian Industries Association (IIA) welcomes you to the world of endless opportunities in one of the world’s biggest solar market. India is a market which is seething with an insatiable appetite for power, so what are you waiting for!!! Come and explore this wonderful opportunity, at- India Solar Expo 2020..

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