Smart Electricity Distribution for Smart Cities

ABB signed a MoU with IIT Roorkee for a pilot project of Smart City Mission

Navneet Kr. Gupta

Newswave @ New Delhi

ABB (India Limited) is going to collaborate with IIT, Roorkee to construct an operational Smart Electricity Distribution network and management system (SDNMS) in its campus.

ABB signed a MoU with IIT Roorkee at New Delhi on 5^th July. This agreement will serve as a pilot project for the GoI’s Smart Cities Mission. The agreement also includes the creation of a Smart Grids Resource Centre and joint R&D facilities in the field of efficient power generation and distribution with a focus on clean energy over the next five years.

Cost-effective smart distribution system

India, the world’s third largest consumer of electricity, is working to transform its urban energy infrastructure to make it more citizen friendly and sustainable. A cost-effective smart distribution system has the potential to significantly reduce India’s carbon footprint.

Mr. Sanjeev Sharma, CEO and MD, ABB India, said, “ABB has a strong relationship with India, having collaborated on several projects over many decades. Our agreement with IIT Roorkee strengthens ABB’s mission to nurture innovative thinking that helps people lead better lives.”

Smart grids and intelligent automation

Sharma said, “The project signed today serves as a proof of concept of using smart grids and intelligent automation to efficiently manage power distribution. It would make India’s vision of power to all a reality and ultimately realize ABB’s goal of building technology that runs the world without consuming the earth.”

IIT Roorkee has been doing pioneering work in recent years to build a more eco-friendly campus using solar energy for power generation and utilization in various forms. ABB has a strong portfolio of products for the integration, distribution and automation of interconnected renewable energy sources that form local distribution grids.

Prof. Ajit Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Roorkee, said, “IIT Roorkee has been harnessing solar energy not only for electricity generation but also for providing direct hot water to all its hostels and residences in the campus, and also carries out solar based cooking in the hostels.”

Zero Co2 emission

Prof Ajit Chaturvedi added, “The smart energy management and distribution agreement with ABB takes us many steps closer to creating a 100 percent green campus and achieving zero carbon dioxide emission in the long run.”

IIT Roorkee and ABB will collaborate in assimilating various supply and demand side equipment, devices and systems into an automated and hybrid energy distribution and management system for the campus. ABB will also provide design, engineering, procurement, testing and other services for the SDNMS project, expected to be operational in  2018-19.

ABB technology has had significant impact on India’s energy infrastructure. Its electrification and automation systems power the world’s largest single-location solar project in Tamil Nadu and its network management solutions ensure 60 million people in Karnataka receive reliable power. ABB Ability-enabled technology will support a digital substation in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which will be instrumental in transmitting clean energy from nearby solar plants to the rest of the state.