IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017 - 47

By Vijay A. Subramony, Suryanarayana Doolla,
and Mukul Chandorkar

Microgrids in India
MICROGRID IS DEFINED AS A CONTROLlable system consisting of distributed
sources (typically renewable energy sources), loads, and energy storage systems that
together can operate either in grid-connected or isolated modes. Conventional microgrids in
India have been microhydroelectric (hydel) power sources,
with the oldest traced back to Sidrapong Hydel Power Station, a microhydel power plant located at an altitude of
about 3,600 ft at the base of Arya Tea Estate, around 12 km
from  Darjeeling  town). Commissioned in 1897, this plant
consisted of two 65-kW singlephase alternators (2,300 V,
83.3 Hz). The plant was later
upgraded to 1,000 kW to cater to
the needs of the residents in the
town and neighboring tea gardens. Apart from hydel, biomass

A

and wind have been in use, although, recently, a major
focus has been on solar photovoltaic (PV) plants. An
underlying commonality in all these plants has been that
these systems have been isolated power sources supplying local loads where the grid has not penetrated or is not
reliable due to inadequacy or inaccessibility. Recently, a
2,500-year-old monastery in the Ladhak region in the
Himalayas was illuminated using solar PV by the Global
Himalayan expedition team to cater to the needs of
roughly 150 monks who live there. They had never before
seen electric power lighting at night in that monastery.
India is one of the fastest-growing economies in the
world, and it is home to approximately 18% of the global
population, with the majority living in rural areas. The
country has the fourth highest rate of energy consumption in the world, and it has been working on its power
grid system to meet the ever-increasing demand for
energy. However, India faces an uphill task of bridging the

Possibilities and challenges.

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MELE.2017.2685880
Date of publication: 31 May 2017

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017

IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017 - Cover1
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IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017 - Cover3
IEEE Electrification Magazine - June 2017 - Cover4
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_march2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2017
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2015
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_june2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_september2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pes/electrification_december2014
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