Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) is planning to launch the Tata smart energy incubation hub. The Tata trust will provide INR 150 million ($2.25 million), while the Indian government’s Science & Technology department will pay out an undisclosed sum. The company is also planning the installation of a 10 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
Pravir Sinha, CEO and MD, TPDDL, provided an insight into the company’s developments in the solar sector at the 9th International Solar Alliance (ISA) stakeholder meeting. Elaborating on the Smart Grid lab, which has been built by TPDDL, Sinha said its purpose is to address grid challenges, and how distributed energy sources can connect to grids.
Sinha also highlighted how technological advancements are occuring in the grid sector, and how they are changing the gambit of electricity. He spoke on the critical challenges faced by urban and rural areas in the power sector.
The TPDDL, in collaboration with institutes like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Comillas Madrid and the World Bank, is working on the report for distributed energy and solutions for grid issues of the grid. It is supported by the Tata Trust, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Shell Foundation. The first part of the report has been completed, while a second part is in progress, and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Sinha emphasized that 20% of the world’s population is still not electrified and thus, there needs to be a paradigm shift in the way electricity is produced and distributed. He said more work needs to be done in the aeras of retail, micro-grids, mini-grids and other solutions, to help people in the remotest parts of the world gain access to electricity.
Furthermore, he mentioned the need to find different business models that are compatible with current tariffs, since it is not feasible for utilities to buy power at INR 10 ($0.157)/kWh, and supply at INR 3-4 ($0.047-0.063)/kWh. Solar costs are coming down, and thus it will also affect storage costs, reported PV Magazine.
