The Role of Smart Grid in Integrating Wind Energy in India

Abstract

With an ever increasing population coupled with a constant depletion of fossil fuel resources and many sites
reaching their ultimate capacity, India is in dire need of a Midas touch or of an Aladdin’s Lamp. A much smarter
approach towards the electrical grid is needed. This smarter approach, technically referred to as the smart grid,
promises affordable electrical environment which seems to be the need of the hour. India has large untapped resources
of wind energy, which if utilized properly, can fulfill the energy requirements of the country to a large extent. This paper
presents the journey of the Indian power sector through time, analyses various demand and supply scenarios, which are
mutually exclusive, and also assesses various issues facing the Indian Power System. This paper proposes that
integration of enhanced electrical capacity realized through a large-scale integration of renewable energy resources,
such as wind energy, in the Indian electrical grid can lead to a smarter grid platform. This platform will ensure
increased efficiency, reliability, and security, as well as reducing the environmental impact of supplying the electrical
power needs of the modern society. The result is an enhanced electricity management environment and a dynamic
programmable renewable source mobilization in India leading to energy independence and an electrical grid that is
much more reliable, secure, efficient, and greener.