Discoms are expected to play a key role in meeting the ’24×7 Power for All’ target set by the government. But variations in demand— both seasonal as well as intra-day—can bring in inefficiencies in the electricity distribution system. These inefficiencies compel the discoms either to purchase expensive short-term power or invest to strengthen the reliability of supply. In addition, discoms must now also take into account newer forms of load such as electric vehicle charging or distributed renewable energy such as rooftop solar.
The power situation in the capital city of New Delhi is a case in point. The BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), a Delhi discom servicing the southern and western parts of the city, faces the challenge of meeting the burgeoning electricity demand as well as dealing with significant variations in demand. In order to address these issues, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation commissioned PwC to develop a peak load management strategy for the BRPL. Based on extensive consumer and load research, PwC has developed Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for three intervention area: replacement of inefficient fans with super-efficient BLDC fans, solarization of over-loaded DT’s and an Automatic Demand Response programme.
The DPRs were presented at a high-level stakeholder workshop held on 15th October 2019. The workshop was attended by representatives of the BRPL, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management Center (EE&REMC), Central Electricity Authority (CEA), Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), key consumer associations and think tanks. The workshop saw brain storming sessions on finalizing the DPRs and designing a strategy for their implementation.