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

Project description

Title: Integration of Renewable Energies into the Indian Electricity System (I-RE)
Commissioned by: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
Country: India
Lead executing agency: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India
Overall term: 2014 to 2020

Context

With an ever-increasing demand of electricity on one hand, and depleting fossil fuel reserves on the other, India needs a smart approach for developing its electrical grid and ensuring access to reliable electricity to all consumers. The government of India up-scaled its target of renewable energy capacities to 175 gigawatts (GW) by 2022 and pursues the technical and economic potential based on renewable energy. 

Substantial focus is being placed on rooftop solar power stations, because they offer an outstanding opportunity to contribute to a climate-neutral energy supply that can be generated in urban spaces. However, safety, reliability, and cost-efficiency have to be taken into account when integrating rooftop solar power stations into the electricity distribution network. Additionally, environmental and social aspects such as climate change mitigation and employment generation have to be considered.

Objective

The I-RE project is supporting the Government of India in identifying the measures to be taken for achieving the target of installing 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2022.

Approach

The project is working in the following areas:

  • Supporting the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in developing options and models that allow a high share of renewable energy within the total electricity mix
  • Supporting the integration of renewable energies, especially rooftop solar power stations into the electricity distribution network operating at low and medium voltage levels
  • Raising awareness and conducting dialogues with stakeholders for the development of a power system that focusses on renewable energy
  • Developing scenarios with variable shares of renewable energy in the total electricity mix and assessing the economic impacts in each scenario
  • Developing recommendations for the dissemination and promotion of grid-based, decentralised photovoltaic systems, and suggesting mechanisms to eliminate obstacles during operation
  • Developing knowledge products based on the learnings during the project implementation for dissemination of best practice examples and capacity building regarding rooftop solar value chains

Results

  • Technical challenges in integration of high shares of distributed renewable energy generation at low/ medium voltage grid are identified and appropriate measures to tackle the challenges are recommended.
  • A technical and commercial business concept for promotion of solar energy is developed.
  • Capacities of relevant stakeholders to continuously adapt the energy-landscape to changing framework conditions have been developed. 
  • Recommendations for improved energy security and reliability, as well as for cost reduction, have been developed. 

The overall result of the project will support the Government of India in promoting renewable energy and in ensuring energy security and energy supply to the Indian Population.