Kerala is looking at microgrids for providing power supply to around 70 tribal settlements whose remoteness makes it difficult for them to be connected to the distribution network of the Kerala State Electricity Board.
Work on establishing renewable energy-powered microgrids for electrifying these hamlets is expected to kick off in the 2022-23 fiscal and be implemented over the next two-three years.
The Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) has been tasked with the installation of hybrid/standalone solar power plants in the selected settlements, all of which are situated in forest areas. Wherever possible, small wind turbines will complement the solar units.
Small in scale as the name suggests, microgrids are independent systems which serve the electricity requirements of a specific locality. In addition to the solar and wind energy modules, the grids also incorporate a battery storage system. The majority of the hamlets identified for the project are in Idukki, Wayanad, and Palakkad districts. A number of remote settlements in Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts too are on the list.
The Power department announced plans last year for the electrification of remote settlements which lacked power supply. ANERT had launched work on microgrids for two tribal settlements in Palakkad and Wayanad. This work is expected to be completed soon.
''We've also completed survey in five settlements in Ernakulam district. Surveys need to be carried out in the remaining locations for finalising the energy source and sites. If the rooftops of the houses cannot accommodate solar panels, for instance, we may have to mount them on the ground. But that may not be practical in areas prone to human-wildlife conflict,'' says ANERT CEO Narendra Nath Veluri.
Under the component 'Promotion of Renewable Energy Systems,' the State Budget for 2022-23 has earmarked ₹3 crore for ANERT for installing hybrid plants. According to the Annual Plan, microgrids are proposed in locations where grid failure is high and also areas where solar home-lighting systems (HLS) were earlier provided to improve the living conditions of the residents.
The 2022-23 Budget has an outlay of ₹10.06 crore for promoting renewable energy systems, which include the microgrid project as well as a number of pilot initiatives on new renewable energy technologies such as solar pumps, solarising boats, and vendor push-carts and waste-to-energy programmes.
