Unlocking Markets and Supporting Innovation in Smart Grids

How do you build a smart grid that is reliable, safe, more sustainable, and unlocks markets for economic growth and innovation? In this webinar-based training—hosted in partnership with the International Smart Grid Action Network, learn how policymakers around the world are approaching this challenge. In the training, representatives of the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Energy and the India Smart Grid Forum describe their strategic approach and stakeholder engagement process.

Panelists

• Richard Wunderlich, Director, Smart Grid Activities of Siemens Canada, Energy Sector
• Ken Nakahara, Senior Manager, Smart Grid and Network Policy, Ontario Ministry of Energy
• Reji Pillai Kumar, President, India Smart Grid Forum
• Jennifer Hiscock, Science & Technology Advisor, Natural Resources Canada

Canadian Smart Grid Perspectives

Ontario Energy Sector

• In July 2012, Ontario’s population was approximately 13.5 million
• Ontario’s electricity sector is a $15 billion annual industry.
• Energy accounts for eight per cent of Canada’s GDP.
• Ontario uses an average 141.5 TWh of electricity annually
• Some 95,000 Ontarians are currently directly and indirectly employed in the energy sector.
• More than $10 billion has been invested in Ontario in new clean energy projects that are online or under construction.
• Ontario has attracted more than $16 billion in private sector investments in the energy sector in the past year.
• Key players in Ontario’s electricity sector include:
  • Ministry of Energy – sets energy policy and objectives
  • Ontario Energy Board – Regulator
  • Independent Electricity System Operator – Operates wholesale market and ensures supply to meet demand
  • Ontario Power Authority – coordinate province-wide conservation efforts, plan the electricity system for the long term, and contract for clean electricity resources
  • Hydro One – Transmission and distribution company, government is shareholder
  • ~50 generators – Ontario Power Generation (provincially owned) plus private generators
  • ~80 local distributors (mostly municipally owned)
  • ~4.7 million residential and small business consumers
  • ~500,000 commercial and industrial consumers
  • ~135 wholesale customers

Select Ontario Energy Initiatives

• Smart Meter and Time-of-Use rollout: 4.7 million smart meters deployed in the province and close to 4.4 million customers now on time-of-use rates.
• $50 Million Smart Grid Fund focusing on advancing smart grid and creating economic development opportunities for the province: http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/en/smart-grid-fund/
• Hydro One Advanced Distribution System Project: focused on the modernization of the company’s distribution system as well as laying the foundation for smart grid which will safely integrate renewable generation, enhance system reliability, provide up-to-the-minute information, on rates, and ultimately transform the Company’s relationships with customers.
• Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner has brought international recognition to Ontario utilities for using “Privacy by Design” principles to ensure smart grid implementations keep customer data safe.

India Energy Sector

• Indian power system is the 4th largest in the world – installed capacity: 210GW. Almost doubled in last 10 yrs; and will continue to grow at 8-10%/year for several decades
• Largely dominated by government owned utilities (central and states – 29 states and 7 union territories) – most of them have own generation, transmission and distribution utilities
• Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and State Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) in most states – some small states few have gone for Joint SERCs.
• Transmission Grid in India is one of the largest in the world:
  • 765kV/400kV lines: ~1,03,000 ckms; 220kV lines: ~132,000 ckms
  • HVDC Bipole (±500kV): 7,500 ckms – 3 nos; HVDC Back-to-back: 7 nos (3000MW)
  • Now building 1200 kV AC and 800kV HVDC networks
  • Most modern control centers – 5 regional control centers , 1 national control center, 1 back-up national control center
• Distribution sector:
  • Very high transmission and distribution losses – about 30% (>50% in several states!)
  • 400 million+ people have no access to power
  • Large parts of the country experiences power cuts for several hours every day – customers keep storage (invertors)/ auto generation facilities
  • Power quality being poor, consumers require voltage stabilizers, UPS etc.