Integration of Renewable Energies into the Indian Electricity Systems (I-RE)

The objective of the project is to strengthen the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy – MNRE and other stakeholders, on aspects related to grid integration of distributed solar energy and electrical storage with an objective to achieve the envisaged government targets. In particular, the project would additionally support MNRE for the following objectives:

• Identify and support selected prominent and historical cities for development of 100% RE roadmap and demonstration projects.
• Support Discoms (electricity distribution companies) to enable a transformation towards a low-emission, climate compatible and sustainable energy supply.

The project is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The project has initiated and executed several technical studies, trainings and pilot project implementation to support MNRE in the field of renewable energy planning and framework design for the dissemination of renewable energies, specifically distributed grid-connected PV.

The project combines climate and energy policies, particularly in urban development and supports key climate and energy policy stakeholders (mainly distribution network operators) in the transition to a low-emission energy sector with the aim of achieving the national climate targets and NDCs. The project also develops framework conditions for a decentralised PV energy supply, demonstrating its feasibility by means of a prototype.

With a new focus on the decarbonisation of the cities, the project is also supporting cities in India (either a tourist place or a capital) which shall be developed as “Renewable Energy- RE” City.

• Considering the Government of India’s vision of identifying and developing Solar/ RE Cities i.e. where the electricity requirements of the cities will be met through Renewable Energy, the project is supporting 4 cities in the concept development and providing consultancy and implementation support for its transformation into ‘RE Cities’.
• To demonstrate use of solar in public space known as Urban PV, the project supported for the demonstration of a ‘plug-n-play’ solar PV at various prominent places to create awareness and business models for public charging stations powered by Solar.
• Focusing on analyzing the hosting capacities for the electrical transformers in the distribution grids, the project also commissioned a grid integration study which helped the regulators in modifying the hosting capacities of grid connected dirstributed solar PV systems.

• National Level – Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
• State Level – State Nodal Agency, Electricicty Distribution Companies, State Government Departments
• Municipal Level – Municipal Corporation, Electrcicty Consumers (Residential, Commercial and Government) and Students.

• The project has entered into Memorandum of Understandings with the city nodal agencies, municipal corporations of Ayodhya (UP), Amritsar (PB), Gandhinagar (GJ) and Thiruvananthapuram (KL) for its development into a 100% RE City.
• As per workplan, the project has developed energy action plans for each of the city which would assist the city to follow a cleaner and greener pathway, to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) and make use of climate related benefits, while achieving other development goals. Additionally, the project will develop roadmap on how each of the four cities can meet their electricity needs with 100% Renewable Energy (RE)
• As per the plan, the project has estimated a cumulative of 1500 MWp of ‘distributed solar PV system’ across the 4 cities using a combination of satellite images, drone and in-person surveys.
• Additionally, the project is also working toward the aggregation of the estimated potential across various consumer categories. By training and emapanelling >700 volunteers across the 4 cities, the project is creating a “Local Implementation Network” for the promotion and proliferation of distributed solar PV systems across residential consumers.
• The project has developed the project implementation strategy and is providing implementation support to city nodal agencies for the deployment of >15 MWp of solar PV systems across govt. buildings.
• Additionally, to demonstrate use of solar in public space known as Urban PV, the project installed 40 such systems across prominent locations in Gandhinagar (GJ).
• Under a study, the project also identified and evaluated major technical challenges in integrating large number of decentralised solar PV systems in the electrcicty distribution grid. Additionally, the project evaluated technical solutions to address these challenges and help distribution companies to prepare their networks in accommodating these systems.
• In a subsequent study, the project scientifically estimated the role of solar rooftop PV and battery storage in providing the grid support services such as active/reactive power support and balancing services.

Improving the ecosystem for integration of the decentralised solar PV systems into the electricity distribution grid.

The GIZ project team undertook multiple studies with an aim to prepare the electricity distribution companies for the significant addition of the distributed renewable energy systems – DREs into the electricity distribution grid without affecting the reliable grid operations. The results of these studies and subsequent capacity buildings expercises resulted in the effective network planning, amendments in the regulations to enhance the DREs capacity and augmentation of networkd for the safe and reliable operations. Using the results of the study multiple electricity distribution companies increased their DRE hosting capacity v/s the distribution transformer capacity. An electricity distribution company – BRPL (Delhi) based on the recommendations developed a project to pilot PV+BESS systems for grid anicilary services.

Transforming the cities in India into RE City

GIZ is supporting 4 cities for its development into 100% RE city where the energy needs of the city will be fulfilled by Renewable Energy.  The project is in process of developing an “energy action plan” and a “100% RE roadmap” which would assist the city in mainstreaming ‘low-carbon’ energy planning in the urban context.  For the implementation support, the project team has estimated a potential of 1500 MWp of distributed solar PV systems across the cities. The project is working towards the aggregation of the demand of solar PV systems by developing the project implementation strategy and implementations support for  > 15 MWp across govt buildings. By identifying, training, empanelling and incentiving >700 volunteers, the project supported in the demand aggregations of multi MWp’s of solar rooftop systems across residential consumers.