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(GIST OF YOJANA) SMART GRIDS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY: POWERING RURAL SANITATION

(OCTOBER-2024)

Access to water and sanitation is essential for the health and well-being of individuals and communities.
The integration of smart grids and renewable energy offers an opportunity to ensure a reliable power supply for rural sanitation initiatives, such as water pumping and waste management.
The PM-Surya Ghar Yojana is expected to be a game-changer by empowering rural households with affordable solar energy.
Solar PV systems, particularly through microgrids, can help Gram Panchayats reduce electricity costs and provide reliable power for sanitation efforts, aiding India’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2070.

Providing a consistent power supply in rural areas remains a challenge.
A stable power supply is vital for the availability of clean water, which is intrinsically linked to sanitation.
Climate change is expected to worsen water scarcity, and a lack of basic hygiene practices will heighten the risk of disease transmission.
Smart grid and renewable energy integration create an opportunity for efficient rural sanitation.

Definition and Features

A smart grid is an electric grid enabled with automation, communication, and IT systems.
It monitors power flows from the point of generation to consumption, controls the power flows, and curtails the load to match generation in real-time.

Key Contributions:

Benefits of a Smart Grid

Outage Management: Automated outage management systems enable faster restoration of services during outages.
Real-Time Monitoring: Power measurements are recorded in real-time at the consumer level.

Dynamic Pricing: Implements time-of-day (TOD) consumption patterns to reduce peak load demand. Reduced tariffs during off-peak hours encourage consumption during night/off-peak times.
Consumer Awareness: Web portals and mobile apps allow consumers to track their electricity consumption and reduce it.
Bidirectional Power Flow: Allows prosumers (producers and consumers) to connect to the grid through net metering.
Improved Utility Management: Better information and control over the distribution network and improved asset management.

Key Features of PM-Suryaghar Yojana

Reliable and Affordable Power: The scheme ensures the availability of reliable and affordable power supply to rural households, crucial for efficient rural sanitation.
Incentive Structure: The scheme includes an incentive of Rs 1,000 crores for local bodies to promote residential rooftop solar (RTS) installations.
Local Mobilization: Local bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions at the gram panchayat level are tasked with promoting RTS installations through awareness campaigns.
Central Financial Assistance: Financial assistance is transferred directly to consumers through a national portal.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Governing bodies bring together consumers, residential welfare associations, DISCOMs, banking institutions, local contractors, and community members to effectively promote rooftop solar projects.

Role of Renewable Energy in Sanitation

Key elements of efficient rural sanitation:

Cost Reduction for Gram Panchayats

Gram Panchayats often struggle to meet operational expenses.
Solar PV systems can reduce electricity costs compared to conventional sources (DISCOMs).

RESCO Mode: Developer installs the solar plant, and the consumer purchases electricity at a fixed rate for 25 years.
CAPEX Mode: Gram Panchayats can invest their funds for solar plant installation, with a payback period of 4–5 years.

Surplus Biomass and Waste

Contribution to India’s Renewable Energy Goals

India aims to achieve 50% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy sources and net-zero emissions by 2070.
Surplus biomass and waste in rural areas can be utilized to produce electricity.

Benefits:

Reduction in waste management costs.
Social and environmental benefits, such as reduced air, water, and land pollution. Electricity Demand in Rural Areas

Electricity Demand in Rural Areas

Challenges of Rural Electricity Demand

Rural electricity demand is small and sparsely distributed, leading to capital-intensive power distribution networks.
Installing solar PV systems locally can reduce the need for large distribution networks.

Microgrids Supporting Rural Communities

Microgrids with smaller solar PV systems can meet the electricity requirements of rural communities.
They provide a reliable power supply for sanitation initiatives, such as water pumping, mechanical cleaning of toilets, and waste management.

The integration of smart grids with widespread renewable energy sources provides a significant opportunity to meet the power requirements for sanitation in rural areas.Adopting renewable energy will help meet the energy demands of rural communities and support India’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2070.