Modhera is now a completely solar-powered town, with a 6MWp photovoltaic system and batteries supplying 24/7 electric power. GPM Power Plant Controller (GPM PPC) and Energy Management System (EMS) solutions were chosen by Mahindra Susten to implement complex functions and a high-level customized control philosophy in this project.
Barcelona, Spain, May 25, 2022 – GreenPowerMonitor (GPM), a DNV company, the data-driven digital solution provider for renewable energy plants, has provided the integrated onsite control, monitoring, data management and display solutions for the 6MWp solar photovoltaic system (solar PV) and 15MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) hybrid project deployed at the town of Modhera, Mehsana District, in the State of Gujarat, India.
This hybrid project is the first of its kind in the country: the village of Modhera and its 1400 households will be supplied 24/7 with solar energy, materializing the vision of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to symbolically make Modhera – home of the Sun Temple, a protected archaeological Hindu complex dedicated to the solar deity Surya – self-reliant thanks to sustainable solar power.
“This was a very prestigious project for Mahindra Susten, and we acknowledge major contribution by GPM in successfully delivering it” said Pramod Kalyanshetty, Head Procurement and Chief Risk Officer at Mahindra Susten, the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for this project of national importance.
The implemented GPM’s Power Plant Controller (GPM PPC) and Energy Management System (EMS) solutions have showcased their flexibility in hardware design and software configuration to implement complex functions and a high-level customised control philosophy in this project.
Specifically, GPM PPC and EMS are the master controllers enabling the project’s different automatic and manual controls. This architecture has really pushed the boundaries of complex controls in a renewable energy site, allowing the following: black start, islanding, anti-islanding, energy shifting, state of charge (SOC) management and balancing, as well as frequency and voltage support.
Additionally, the following systems are also integrated and monitored into the GPM solution provided:
- 271 no's x 1kW Rooftop Solar System on the residential building in Modera with API (application programming interface)
- 1610 no’s smart meters
- Electric Vehicle charging Station
- 3rd party system.
India recently conducted massive electrification projects, with national schemes deployed between 2015 and 2019, aimed at providing round the clock power to rural households and adequate power to agricultural consumers for the first, and at achieving universal household electrification focusing on disenfranchised areas. 2019 saw the announcement of the schemes’ success, with all villages connected to the national power grid.
Unlike the energy sources that are currently the most used in developing countries, which use some form of combustion or other, photovoltaic technology allows for the local creation of value without ever depleting the resources it exploits or generating continued harmful secondary pollution.
“Solar PV is a great way for India and other countries to move beyond fossil fuels and meet their emission trajectory goals. Once the technology truly scales up, there is no limit to the amount of clean energy that can be distributed through solar power, and we are starting to see its life-changing potential with projects like the Modhera Sun village electrification,” says Juan Carlos Arévalo, Chief Executive Officer at GreenPowerMonitor, a DNV company.
“Distributed solar energy is an instrument of energy justice: setting up the infrastructure to exploit this local, renewable – and, in India, almost continuously available – resource increases the economic agency of underserved communities and opens up the potential for the equitable distribution of the benefits of clean energy: connection, job creation, reduced household burden, improved health and quality of life, and all-in-all, better community resilience,” continues Arévalo.
“Combining solar PV and batteries in a hybrid project is challenging, but opens a wide range of possibilities to provide 100% renewable and clean energy to local communities. At GPM we are proud of this community livelihood improvement flagship project, that can be replicated in other regions with similar needs; we hope that this becomes a standard solution and a benchmark in the renewable energy industry”, adds Sergi Bosque Garcia, Regional Manager for MEA & India at GreenPowerMonitor, a DNV company.
For India to attain the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goal of providing universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services, last mile connectivity and quality of access to a 24/7 power source remain a challenge, and as electrification continues to progress, many more solar PV and solar hybrid projects should ensue.
About GreenPowerMonitor, a DNV company
GreenPowerMonitor, a DNV company (GPM) offers a market-leading integrated solution of software, hardware, and services for the management and maintenance of renewable energy installations.
Driven by its purpose, GPM provides digital tools to maximize the performance of renewable energy assets, optimize efficiency in the management of renewable energy portfolios, and contribute to having the greenest energy mix in the grid. GPM has a long tradition and experience in successfully managing renewable assets and providing customized solutions for our clients’ needs. Its monitoring, managing, and analytic solutions have helped more than 700 clients in 90 different countries.
Learn more at www.greenpowermonitor.com