India’s oldest engineering college IIT Roorkee set to get smart campus, aims to become zero-emission

The Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) started off its smart campus development project with the groundbreaking ceremony of the ABB microgrid with battery energy storage at the campus. This is part of the larger R&D collaboration as per a MoU signed between ABB and IIT Roorkee in July 2018. The agreement for technology collaboration also includes the creation of a Smart Grid Resource Center, joint R&D facilities, and support for PhD students.

What all would the smart campus development project at IIT Roorkee include?
The smart campus development, in addition to the microgrid, would include technology solutions like smart metering, SCADA, ring main unit (RMUs) and a backbone of wireless broadband communication platform
It aims to create an operational smart grid network integrating all sources of energy including diesel generation and renewable energy
Another objective is to create a research platform to meet the requirements of the evolving grid-like bi-directional flow of electricity with localized generation and enhance environmental awareness to influence consumer behavior to maximize usage of clean energy
This will serve as one of the pilot projects for Government of India’s Smart Cities Mission
The project cost is being partially funded by ABB India under its CSR initiatives

What is the purpose of microgrids and why do we need them?
In spite of understanding the importance of renewable energy, it is not possible to have large scale integration of renewable to the main grid due to its limited capacity. Thus, the concept of microgrids has gained lot of interest in recent days.

Though the major part of the generators/loads works in the AC platform, the increase in the use of computer loads/electronic gadgets and power generated by the photovoltaics (PV) works at DC. Hence, there is a need of AC and DC microgrids to separate out the AC/DC sources/loads and thereby overall efficiency of the system can be improved.

These microgrids when added to the flavours of technology can make the world’s electricity to work in a smart way — whether it can be in terms of opening doors for the end users to take part in demand-side management which reduces the peak loading on the grid by the installation of smart meters, or in terms of improving the protection part of the system to identify faults thereby improving the overall reliability of the energy system.

Why is IIT Roorkee trying to go green?
IIT Roorkee has done pioneering work in recent years to build an eco-friendly campus using renewable sources. The goal is to become a self-sustaining and zero emission green campus.Though the major part of the generators/loads works in the AC platform, the increase in the use of computer loads/electronic gadgets and power generated by the photovoltaics (PV) works at DC. Hence, there is a need of AC and DC microgrids to separate out the AC/DC sources/loads and thereby overall efficiency of the system can be improved.

These microgrids when added to the flavours of technology can make the world’s electricity to work in a smart way — whether it can be in terms of opening doors for the end users to take part in demand-side management which reduces the peak loading on the grid by the installation of smart meters, or in terms of improving the protection part of the system to identify faults thereby improving the overall reliability of the energy system.

Why is IIT Roorkee trying to go green?
IIT Roorkee has done pioneering work in recent years to build an eco-friendly campus using renewable sources. The goal is to become a self-sustaining and zero emission green campus.

“The microgrid is one such important element and the smart electricity distribution network and management system that we are undertaking will enable us to create a 100 percent green campus and achieve zero carbon dioxide emissions in the long run,” he added.

“This is yet another milestone and we are privileged to work with IIT Roorkee to set up a microgrid in the oldest engineering college campus in the country,” said Pitamber Shivnani, President, Power Grids, ABB India.

“This microgrid, along with the smart grid model that will be set up on campus will demonstrate the future of power,” he added.

How will the microgrid ensure green energy use in IIT Roorkee?
1. IIT Roorkee currently has solar PV systems installed at 27 locations across the campus amounting to 1.8 MW of solar generation. When the 11 kV ABB AbilityTM PowerStore microgrid is commissioned in 2020, ABB’s advanced microgrid technology will enable the institute to increase the use of renewable energy, identify potential of demand side control, and integrate other power sources.

2. The ABB AbilityTM Microgrid, SCADA, and smart metering will enable complete remote monitoring and maintenance, as well as the visualisation of overall energy requirements of the campus.

3. The advanced energy metering solutions will be used for energy accounting, billing and collection process.

4.The metering solution will measure energy supplied by grid and diesel generators in separate registers to apply differential tariff, which will sensitize the campus residents/user community about the cost impact due to diesel consumption.

5. ABB SCADA will offer the operator a centralized view of the grid condition and network snapshot.

6. It will also enable power restoration swiftly from the central control, achieving minimum duration for power outage, thus improving availability.

7. Retrofit of the ring main unit (RMU) will enable remote switching operation from the central command center and minimize people movement for manual switching.

8. The wireless broadband communication backbone will pave the way to integrate other services on a common platform, which will be on the lines of an operating model of a smart city.

IIT Roorkee has a smartgrid laboratory
The Smartgrid Laboratory at the electrical engineering department of IIT Roorkee is developed under DST sponsored international collaborative projects such as Indo-UK High Energy And Power Density (HEAPD) solutions to large energy deficits, US-India CollAborative For Smart DiStribution System WIth Storage (UI-ASSIST), Zero peak Energy building Design for India (ZED-i) and Demonstration of MW scale Solar Integration in weak grid using Distributed Energy Storage architecture (D-SIDES).

The Smartgrid Laboratory is equipped with ultra-modern technological devices such as Real Time Digital Simulators (RTDS), Power Amplifiers along with Photovoltaic (PV) plants, Wind and PV emulators to test for various applications.

Under the guidance of well-experienced faculties, the research scholars have developed a prototype DC microgrid in the laboratory and the influence of the microgrid on the Indian power system network is studied in terms of fault analysis, energy management techniques, demand-side management and load flow analysis.

As most of the remote villages are not yet electrified, the implementation of these microgrids in remote places can change the lives of many people of the country and improves the GDP of the country.

In this regard, the DC microgrid is operated and tested under isolated and grid-connected modes. Thus, the overall outcome of the ongoing technical research in the laboratories of the institution helps in smooth/effective implementation of the smartgrids in real time due to which a common man in particular and also the country in the whole is benefitted.

About IIT Roorkee
IIT Roorkee is an institute of national importance imparting higher education in engineering, sciences, management, architecture and planning, and humanities and social sciences.

Since its establishment in 1847, the Institute has played a vital role in providing technical manpower and know-how to the country.

In the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2018, the institute has been ranked 3rd among the IITs, while on the citations criterion it has been ranked 1st among all the Institutes in India.
IIT Roorkee is an institution with a pioneering contribution in the field of education, training, research and development, advisory services in various fields including hydro, hydrology, water resources, geology, earthquake, renewable energy and environmental management advisory and has world-class laboratories related to hydropower and water sector.

Source: India Today