State-owned distribution utilities are implementing 14 smart grid pilot projects in India. They are still in the initial phase of finalizing the budgets and contractors for these projects.
An Electrical Grid with Automation, Communication and IT systems act as a Smart Grid that can monitor power flows from points of generation to points of consumption (even down to the appliance level) and control the power flow or curtail the load to match generation in real-time or near real-time.
The journey of Smart Grids in India started with a few pilot projects. These projects were initiated in various parts of the country, including Chandigarh and Rajasthan. As these projects started showing promising results, more Smart Grids were established across the country.
By implementing efficient transmission and distribution systems, system operations, consumer integration, and renewable integration, we can achieve Smart Grids. Smart grid solutions help monitor, measure, and control power flows in real-time, contributing to loss identification. After identifying the losses, we can arrest them by taking appropriate technical and managerial actions.
The Smart Grids were not just about efficient power distribution. They also facilitated distributed generation, especially rooftop solar generation, by allowing movement and energy measurement in both directions using control systems and net metering. This helped create a new breed of consumers known as “prosumers” – those who both produce and consume electricity.
Smart grids in India
As the success stories of these grids started to unfold, the government launched the National Smart Grid Mission in 2021. Under this mission, as many as 23 crore Smart meters have been sanctioned so far out of which 3.65 crore Smart meters have been ordered. The states have so far installed 66.18 lakh smart meters.
The tale of India’s Smart Grids is still being written. With a target to install 250 million smart meters by 2025-26, the future looks bright. As these grids continue to evolve and expand, they promise to transform India’s power sector into a secure, adaptive, sustainable and digitally enabled ecosystem.
The National Smart Grid Mission, launched in 2021, has sanctioned as many as 23 crore Smart meters so far, out of which there are orders for 3.65 crore Smart meters. So far, the states have installed 66.18 lakh smart meters.
The tale of India’s Smart Grids is still being written. With a target to install 250 million smart meters by 2025-264, the future looks bright. As these grids continue to evolve and expand, they promise to transform India’s power sector into a secure, adaptive, sustainable and digitally enabled ecosystem.
Status of Smart Meter sanctioned and installed in states
| States | Smart Meters Sanctioned | Smart Meters Ordered | Smart Meters Installed |
| UP | 3.09 cr | 1.01 crore | 12 lakh |
| Tamil Nadu | 3 cr | 1.40 lakh | 1.26 lakh |
| Maharashtra | 2.35 cr | 10.75 lakh | 0 |
| West Bengal | 2.12 cr | 15164 | 15164 |
| Bihar | 1.72 cr | 60.08 lakh | 16.54 lakh |
| Kerala | 1.32 cr | 805 | 805 |
| Haryana | 84 Lakhs | 10.10 lakhs | 7 lakh |
| Assam | 67 lakhs | 53.40 lakhs | 7 lakh |
Features of Smart Grid
Smart grid has several positive features that give direct benefit to consumers:
- Real time monitoring.
- Automated outage management and faster restoration.
- Dynamic pricing mechanisms.
- Incentivize consumers to alter usage during different times of day based on pricing signals.
- Better energy management.
- In-house displays.
- Web portals and mobile apps.
- Track and manage energy usage.
- Opportunities to reduce and conserve electricity etc.
Benefits of Smart Grid Deployments
The Smart Grid implementations provide several groups of the society with multiple benefits. These groups include utility, customers, and the regulators. Some of the benefits are:
- Reduction of T&D losses.
- Peak load management, improved QoS and reliability.
- Reduction in power purchase cost.
- Better asset management.
- Increased grid visibility and self-healing grids.
- Renewable integration and accessibility to electricity.
- Increased options such as ToU tariff, DR programs, net metering.
- Satisfied customers and financially sound utilities etc.
Many small-scale microgrid projects are operating across India, some prominent among them are those running by M/S Husk Power System (villages across Bihar, UP, Odisha, Jharkhand, etc.), MeraGao Power (Villages across UP), Sagar Island Microgrid in West Bengal.
As of May 2016, they cancelled projects in Maharashtra (Baramati), Chhattisgarh (Siltara and DDU Nagar of Raipur), Kerala (selected distribution section offices over many geographical areas) and Rajasthan (Jaipur), and they might resume them from scratch in the future. They approved the latest smart grid pilot at Chandapura, Karnataka on May 30, 2016.
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