Renewable Energy Intermittency – Challenges, Opportunities, and Way Forward

Context:

• This article is based on the news “Solving intermittency of renewables” Which was published in the Business Standard. The intermittent nature of renewable energy sources is posing a challenge in matching supply with steady demand, especially during evening peak periods.

Renewable Energy Gaps – Managing Imbalances

• Renewable energy sources generate electricity based on varying factors like sunlight, wind speed, and tides. 
• This inherent variability leads to intermittent power generation, making it difficult to match supply with demand consistently. 
  • The power demand rose to 236.59 GW in August 2023 as against the power supply of 195.22 GW in August 2022 and 196.27 GW in August 2021.
• The intermittency of renewable energy creates imbalances in the grid, which results in energy waste, grid instability, and reliance on backup power sources.  
• To overcome these challenges, experts have suggested bundling energy storage with generation to create a more stable electricity generation unit, resembling traditional non-intermittent generators. 

Importance of Renewable Energy Storage Systems

• Grid Stability and Reliability: Energy storage systems store excess energy during periods of high production and release it during periods of low or no generation, ensuring a consistent power supply and reducing grid stress.
• Integration of Variable Renewable Sources: It enables the integration of variable energy sources like solar and wind into the grid.
• Energy Management and Flexibility: They enable power providers to balance supply and demand, and support the grid during sudden changes in generation or consumption.
• Resilience and Emergency Preparedness: It enhances grid resilience by providing backup power during blackouts or disruptions. 

What are the storage solutions for renewable energy?

• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS): Lithium-ion batteries are scalable, modular, and capable of quick response times, making them suitable for both residential and grid-scale storage. 
• Pumped Hydro Storage: It involves pumping water to an elevated reservoir during periods of excess electricity and releasing it through turbines to generate electricity when demand is high. 
  • While geographically dependent, pumped hydro storage offers large-scale storage capacity and long-duration capabilities.
• Thermal Energy Storage: It stores heat or cold generated from renewable sources for later use. 
• Intelligent Grid Management Systems: These leverage digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and machine learning algorithms. 
  • These systems forecast renewable energy generation, manage grid imbalances, and dynamically adjust energy flows, maximizing the utilization of renewable resources and storage capacity.

Also read: World Energy Outlook 2023: India’s AC Power Demand to Surpass Total Energy Use in Africa

What are the challenges of the renewable energy transition in India?

• Dependency on Chinese Equipment: India heavily relies on Chinese solar equipment, with about 70% of the country’s solar capacity being built using Chinese-made solar equipment. 
  • India has no manufacturing capacity for solar wafers and polysilicon ingots and currently imports 100% of silicon wafers.
• Inadequate grid infrastructure: India’s current grid infrastructure was designed to support conventional fossil fuel-based power generation, which is more predictable and reliable. 
  • While renewables offer a cleaner and more sustainable energy option, their intermittent nature poses grid integration challenges
  • A planned approach to build huge solar plants in Leh was recently canceled due to a lack of transmission infrastructure.Frequency & voltage issues: The unpredictability of solar and wind energy production makes the frequency and voltage produced relatively unpredictable. 
  • For Examples: Power inverters need to frequently use to compensate for system irregularities that occur during solar power generation.
  • Adverse weather conditions like heat waves and storms can hamper the power supply and cause blackouts.
• Transmission Line in GIB priority and potential area: The Supreme Court’s recent designation of the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) region has significantly impacted PGCIL substations.
  • It required underground transmission lines or bird diverters, causing concerns for renewable energy developers and delays in the PGCIL transmission network expansion.
• Right of way (ROW) for the transmission line: Conducting a transmission line survey and obtaining access rights from private property holdings is challenging.
  • It necessitates permissions from a variety of government and private agencies, as well as local government authorities delaying the laying time.
• Cost burden of legacy infrastructure: High transmission and distribution (T&D) losses have plagued discoms preventing them from making decisive investments to support renewable energy.
• Cost of financing the transition: The government’s plan to add 50 GW of renewable capacity per year, from FY24 to FY28, will need funding of around trillions of dollars. 
  • Solar and wind power technologies incur higher initial costs detering businesses and individuals from switching to Renewable energy despite the long-term benefits.

Way Forward

• Revamping of grid infrastructure: The grid infrastructure requires a significant revamp to accommodate the fluctuating and intermittent nature of power from renewables. 
  • With a high level of electrification, grid infrastructure should be developed on priority. 
  • Government of India announced an INR 2.8 lakh crore (USD 35 billion) package for Inter-state transmission network to build infrastructure to evacuate renewable power.
  • A well-connected national grid that transcends several regions ensures optimal utilization of uneven distribution of energy sources.
• Focusing on price dynamics: It is crucial to move away from conventional power-purchase agreements and instead allow real-time pricing to balance supply and demand.
  • This will encourage consumers to reduce electricity usage during peak periods through apps and smart home automation.
• Innovations for Energy storage: Pumped hydro storage (PHS) projects and battery energy storage systems (BESS) are promising energy storage technologies that can play a crucial role in grid-balancing services.
• Introducing time-of-day (ToD) Power Tariffs: These tariffs encourage electricity consumption when the renewable energy supply is high and can even help balance the grid by regulating load from rooftop solar and electric vehicle users.
  • ToD tariff would be applicable for Commercial and Industrial consumers having Maximum demand of 10 KW and above, from 1st April, 2024 and for all other consumers except agricultural consumers, latest from 1st April, 2025.
• Structural Reforms: Challenges associated with discoms’ health and land must be addressed. Implementation of the proposed Electricity Act is crucial for the revival of discoms. 
  • Direct benefit transfer, discom privatisation, strict RPO compliances and safeguards against contract renegotiation are urgently needed to hasten renewable capacity addition.
• Streamlining regulations: Access to low-cost financing is imperative for energy transition.
  • The government needs to regulate administrative mechanisms such as land laws, legislation enforcement, and program administration to create an environment that attracts patient, low-cost capital focused on long-term returns.

Conclusion:

Addressing the intermittency challenges of renewable energy in India requires a comprehensive approach, including robust energy storage systems, grid infrastructure revamping, and strategic policy initiatives, to ensure a sustainable and reliable transition towards a cleaner energy future.