Smart Grids: The Missing Piece in India’s Renewable Energy Story

August 25, 2023

Over the past decade, the Indian energy infrastructure narrative has been heavily focused on one singular goal – going green. Yet, achieving the goal of complete integration remains distant due to key gaps.

In this piece, we discuss the fundamental issues in integrating green energy, how ‘smart’ grids can bridge this gap and where India is positioned today.

Key Takeaways

Integrating renewables challenging in conventional Indian grids – due to intermit- tent generation and variable consumption

Smart grids are equipped with advanced capabilities that help balance renewable energy generation and consumption patterns
More resilient and efficient grids – preventive maintenance and granular data points allowing for less frequent blackouts, improved billing and collection efficiencies
India’s schemes (RDSS, National Smart Grid Mission) and 12 pilot smart grids suggest that the government is seriously considering smart grids – presenting a possible investment opportunity