An initiative deployed by the government of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and the AP Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (APSPDCL) has scoped the 2019 Innovation award for Best Smart Grid Project in India.
The India Smart Grid Forum has recognised Autogrid for the smart grid project project the firm deployed for APSPDCL.
The solutions provider deployed smart grid and Internet of Things based solutions to help APSDCL to improve its demand-side management.
The automated demand-side management programmes included the installation and adoption of:
- Time-of-use tariffs to leverage cheaper power at off-peak hours
- Soil-moisture/water-level sensor-based pump-set operation to intelligently reduce energy and water used for agricultural purposes
- Air conditioning system cycling to drive both energy efficiency and peak load shaving
- Renewable integration to incorporate more cost-effective solar and wind power supply without impacting the reliability or quality of service
The project aimed to enhance enhance the utility’s financial health and consumer experiences. For instance, the solution provider claims the project will enable benefits of over $ 150 million per year.
The savings will be achieved via peak load shaving to reduce significant capital expenses.
The award was handed over during the India Smart Utility Week conference.
Reji Kumar Pillai, president of ISGF, said: “… DSM solutions, deployed across all key consumer segments in their Andhra Pradesh project, illustrate how technology can bring transformational benefits to several sectors of the economy and citizens.
“This project serves as a model of how utilities across India and in other developing regions can leverage IoT, artificial intelligence and big data analytics at scale to cut opex and capex, save energy, reduce critical groundwater depletion, enhance agricultural sector efficiency and improve the lives of citizens.”
