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GreenPowerMonitor, a DNV company the data-driven digital solutions provider for renewable energy plants, provided integrated onsite control and monitoring for the 6MWp solar PV system, and the 15MWh Battery Energy Storage System(BESS) hybrid projects at Modhera in Mehsana District of Gujarat, India.
This hybrid project in India is the first: Modhera village and its 1400 inhabitants will receive solar energy 24 hours a day. It represents the vision of Narendra Modi, India’s Prime Minister, to make Modhera, home to the Sun Temple, an archaeological Hindu complex dedicated the solar deity Surya, self-reliant through sustainable solar power.
Pramod Kalyanshetty (Head Procurement, Chief Risk Officer, Mahindra Susten), the EPC contractor for this project of national significance, stated that “This was an extremely prestigious project for Mahindra Susten”
GPM’s Power Plant Controller and Energy Management System (EMS), which were implemented in this project, have demonstrated their flexibility in hardware design as well as software configuration to implement complex functions.
GPM PPC, EMS and EMS are the master controls that enable the various manual and automatic controls. This architecture allows for the following: black start (islanding), anti-islanding and energy shifting, state management and balancing as well frequency and voltage support.
The following systems can also be integrated into and monitored in the GPM solution:
- 271 no’s 1kW Rooftop Solar Systems on the Modera residential building with API (application programming Interface)
- 1610 smart meters
- Station for charging electric vehicles
- Third party system.
India has recently completed massive electrification projects. The national schemes were deployed from 2015 to 2019, and aimed at providing power for rural households around the clock and sufficient power for agricultural consumers for the first. They also aimed to achieve universal household electrification, with a focus on the most disenfranchised parts. The success of the schemes was announced in 2019, with all villages being connected to the national grid.
Photovoltaic technology is a local source of value that can be used to create value in the area, unlike the current energy sources most commonly used in developing countries. It does not use any form of combustion and doesn’t generate secondary pollution.
“Solar PV is an excellent way for India and other nations to move beyond fossil fuels, and meet their emission goals. The technology will scale up to a point where there is no limit on the amount of solar energy that can be distributed via solar power. We are beginning to see this potential with projects such as the Modhera Solar village electrification”. Juan Carlos Arevalo is the Chief Executive Officer at GreenPowerMonitor (a DNV company).
Arevalo continues, “Distributed Solar Energy is an Instrument of Energy Justice: Setting up the infrastructure to exploit this locally renewable – and in India almost continuously available – resource increases the economic capacity of underserved areas and opens up potential for the equitable distributions of the benefits clean energy: connection and job creation, reduced household burden, better health and quality life, and all-in, better community resilience.”
“Although it is difficult to combine solar PV and batteries in an integrated project, this opens up a lot of opportunities to provide clean and renewable energy to local communities. GPM is proud of this flagship community livelihood improvement project. It can be replicated in other regions that have similar needs. We hope this becomes a standard solution in the renewable energy sector,” says Sergi Bosque Garcia (Regional Manager for MEA & India, GreenPowerMonitor), a DNV company.
India must achieve the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal, which calls for universal access to reliable and affordable energy services. Last mile connectivity and quality of 24/7 power supply are still challenges. As electrification progresses, more solar PV and hybrid projects will be needed.
