Tata Power ties up with California-based AutoGrid for AI based energy management

Tata Power Delhi Distribution (Tata Power-DDL), that supplies electricity to North Delhi has partnered with California-based AutoGrid for deploying artificial intelligence based smart energy management system.

The firms have launched “a unique Incentive linked Behavioural Demand Response program to support effective utilization of Smart Meters and reduce network management cost.”

This comes in the backdrop of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approving the marquee ?3.03 trillion power distribution company (discom) reform scheme that involves a compulsory smart metering ecosystem across the distribution sector—starting from electricity feeders to the consumer level, including in about 250 million households.

“Tata Power-DDL and AutoGrid are jointly launching a behavioural demand response program for company’s residential customers to reduce peak demand and network capital costs. This pilot project aims to empower customers, by helping them understand their consumption patterns and evaluate the effectiveness of demand response (DR) programs,” the firms said in a joint statement.

“In the first phase, the program will be initiated for a period of 3 months, from 1st July to 30th September 2021 with 4,000 residential consumers with smart meter connections,” the statement added.

This comes at a time when only 57 towns in the country have supervisory control and data acquisition (Scada) systems. The union government’ plan is to have Scada in all urban areas and distribution management system (DMS) in 100 urban centres.

“Behavioural Demand Response is regarded as an essential component as it helps build up the necessary flexibility on demand side to match the flexibility on supply side. Through this pilot program, we intend to give more control in the hands of the consumers,” said Ganesh Srinivasan, CEO, Tata Power-DDL in the statement.

This also comes at a time when electricity demand in the national capital has been growing. The other discoms in Delhi are BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL), Military Engineering Services (for Delhi Cantonment) and the New Delhi Municipal Corporation.