The power sector, over the years, has undergone a significant transformation. The transformation, in large part, has been driven by the emergence of renewable sources of energy, which now promise cleaner and affordable power, evolving demand consumption patterns, and new technologies that promise to make our grids more efficient and reliable when fully deployed.

Grid modernisation has become mainstream, of late, and covers a wide range of technological interventions that make grids ‘smarter’ and more responsive to a rapidly changing world. What it means is the grids that have relied on dated, and sometimes obsolete technologies, are now ripe for the next phase of evolution in the power sector.

To be sure, the up-gradation of grid infrastructure is an ongoing process that seeks to plug T&D losses on account of various ground-level issues. In a larger sense, though, modernisation of the grid is driven by a slew of more recent developments that relate to fundamental shifts in the power sector. As countries around the world come to terms with a host of clean energy options that seek to replace legacy processes with modern and more environmentally responsible ones, the importance of modernising the grids assumes even greater importance.

With the mainstreaming of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro, among others, the operating complexity of the energy value chain has only gone up. Managing the contemporary power grid, therefore, demands an ever-increasing degree of automation, and the use of new digital technologies to monitor and respond in real-time.

The primary goals of grid modernisation are improving the reliability and safety of the network, integrating clean and distributed sources of energy into the grid, and improving the quality of power supply with the help of technological interventions. At a fundamental level, this would mean bringing in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), data analytics capabilities, and more robust telecommunication systems to support digitisation. These measures help address systemic faults inthe network and curtail losses owing to the common problems of pilferage and theft, defective meters, and meter reading issues, among others.

As digital technologies become more accessible and affordable and their deployment has gone up, power utilities now realise more than ever the value they bring. It is now becoming clear that investments in grid modernisation can drive greater transparency in operations and a higher degree of consumer centricity.

Drones are becoming increasingly popular for inspecting transmission lines and towers, especially in remote regions. The high-quality pictures and data transmitted by such drones have been proving invaluable and far more efficient than manual inspection methods, and cost-effective too. Power generation and distribution companies can thus pare down their maintenance costs significantly while ensuring that faults are minimised and addressed with minimal disruptions. In the last mile, too, the benefits of deploying drones for identification of line faults and ageing infrastructure can have economic benefits for urban power distribution companies.

The spurt in artificial intelligence (AI) tools is a trend that is impacting every aspect of our lives and the power sector too can benefit from maximising the power of such cutting-edge technology. By tapping into the immense potential of big data and leveraging the power of predictive analytics, along with machine learning, power companies can derive substantial benefits in the form of efficient operations and enhanced bottom lines.

Digitisation has been permeating every business process and value chain across sectors, helping unlock a wide range of benefits for both companies and consumers. Sensors have become ubiquitous now and are powering IoT technologies to make machines and process equipment smarter. Embedded sensors can now allow critical power grid components to transmit data on their health and warn about leakages and faults in the system. Preventive maintenance will also be made possible through monitoring of data relating to the temperature, wear and tear, and operational efficiencies of power transmission and distribution systems.

The infusion of new technology isn’t just a supplier side need; it also augurs well for the end consumer, too. Today’s energy consumer is digitally connected and would like to make informed choices. With smart, digitally enabled grids, the ability of power distribution companies to grow their engagement with consumers will only improve. That is both a desirable and a much-needed outcome to secure the power sector’s growth in an evolving ecological landscape, and its crucial role in shaping a sustainable future.

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