EM'POWERING' LIVELIHOODS IN RURAL INDIA

• Published in: Energy future (New Delhi) Vol. 11; no. 1/2; pp. 42 - 45
• Main Authors: Ramanathan, Gayatri, Anand, Aneesh
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Delhi The Energy and Resources Institute 01.10.2022
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Capital costs; Electric power distribution; Electric power generation; Electric power grids; Electricity; Electricity consumption; Electrification; Emissions; Energy distribution; Households; Industrial plant emissions; Power plants; Renewable energy sources; Renewable resources; Residential energy; Rural areas; Rural electrification; Rural environments; Solar energy; Towns; Transmission lines; Uttar Pradesh India; India
• ISSN: 2278-7186

India's per capita electricity consumption stands at 1255 kW-which is around one-third of global average per capita electricity consumption.1 Another figure which sheds light on the grim reality of electrification in India is that only 87% of the country's population has access to grid-connected electricity, while 13% remains bereft of grid-connected electricity and relies on non-grid sources of electricity to meet their energy needs.2 Where access to grid-connected electricity exists, the cost of electricity supply and service are exorbitantly high even as the rural demand density remains low and fragmented.3 Issues of supply and quality are the most significant challenges associated with grid-connected electricity in rural India. According to a study conducted by the Centre for Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), most households surveyed reported facing unanticipated supply disruption and voltage related issues with grid-connected electricity.4 The challenge of rural electrification and access is a large one. A mini-grid is a set of small electricity generators interconnected to a distribution network that supplies electricity to a small, localized group of customers powered by renewable sources of energy (i.e., solar, wind, hydro).5 A solar mini-grid, which has an electricity generation capacity that ranges anywhere between a few kilowatts to 10 megawatts, operates in isolation from the national grid network, serving only a limited number of consumers. Economic: Solar mini-grid projects have lower capital cost in comparison to large power plants with long transmission lines.