The groundbreaking ceremony of ABB microgrid with battery energy storage at the campus of Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IITR), was held to commence the smart campus development project. This is part of the larger R&D collaboration outlined in an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) between ABB and IITR signed in July, 2018. The agreement for technology collaboration also includes the creation of a Smart Grid Resource Center, joint R&D facilities and support for PhD students.
The smart campus development, in addition to the microgrid, would include technology solutions like smart metering, SCADA, ring main unit (RMUs) and a backbone of wireless broadband communication platform. It aims to create an operational smart grid network integrating all sources of energy including diesel generation and renewable energy. Another objective is to create a research platform to meet the requirements of the evolving grid like bi-directional flow of electricity with localized generation and enhance environmental awareness to influence consumer behavior to maximize usage of clean energy. This will serve as one of the pilot projects for Government of India's Smart Cities Mission. The project cost is being partially funded by ABB India under its CSR initiatives.
IIT Roorkee currently has solar PV systems installed at 27 locations across the campus amounting to 1.8 MW of solar generation. When the 11 kV ABB AbilityTM PowerStore microgrid is commissioned in 2020, ABB's advanced microgrid technology will enable the institute to increase the use of renewable energy, identify potential of demand side control, and integrate other power sources. The ABB AbilityTM Microgrid, SCADA, and smart metering will enable complete remote monitoring and maintenance, as well as visualization of overall energy requirements of the campus.
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