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With increasing installations of renewable energy and complexities of power transmission and distribution infrastructure, equipment makers are confident of opportunities for 'smart' solutions in Indian market. Following failure of electricity transmission network in mid-2012 and recent blackouts in national capital following thunderstorms have made equipment makers confident of smart grids. India boasts of 2,45,000 mw of power generation capacity but it lacks sophisticated grid network to evacuate the same.

Unlike traditional grids, modern grids generate and communicate data to the operators and even take decisions automatically to improve efficiency and reliability of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. Newly developed transformers too are equipped with sensors that can send alert for possible breakdowns in the system in time to system operators sitting several hundred kilometers.

There is no estimate of business opportunities for smart solutions but it is probably the fastest growing segment for equipment makers, largely multinational firms, which invested heavily in past three to five years for research and production in India.

"Power Grid has already undertaken a massive drive to augment its inter-state transmission systems. Now, it is time for regional transmission project developers and distribution companies to face lift their respective systems with smart solutions to prevent frequent power cuts," said Power Grid executive. He added that recent power crisis in Delhi is on account of limitations of conventional transmission systems.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy aims to add 15,000 mw of wind, 10,000 mw of solar and 5,000 mw of small hydro and biomass to India's grid during the 12th Plan period. It is in addition to 88,000 mw of thermal power projects planned for the same Plan period.

Source-On Request