Amir Saeed

To address the complexities of Pakistan's evolving energy landscape, a comprehensive grid modernization is essential, focusing on smart meters, advanced data systems, and improved communication technologies for effective management of the distributed energy resources.

Talking to WealthPK, Syed Faizan Ali, a member of the Prime Minister's Solarization Committee, highlighted the critical need for a comprehensive overhaul of Pakistan’s power grid to address the challenges posed by the evolving energy landscape. While the country currently has surplus energy generation capacity, the integration of both utility-scale renewable energy and distributed solar power has introduced complex issues, requiring immediate attention.

Faizan stressed that understanding the balance between demand and supply is key to determining whether more energy is needed or whether the focus should shift to optimizing the existing resources. Utility-scale solar energy, which is centrally controlled, presents fewer challenges, as it can be effectively managed by system operators. Issues such as intermittency can be addressed with quick-ramping power plants.

“However, the distributed energy resources, particularly rooftop solar systems, pose significant difficulties due to their decentralized nature. These small-scale systems are spread across vast areas, making real-time monitoring and control a daunting task.” Faizan pointed out that this lack of visibility often led to problems being detected only after they occurred.

The challenges associated with the distributed energy resources include low power factors in high-demand areas like DHA and Gulberg, frequent transformer failures, and power quality issues caused by harmonics from the poorly designed inverters. “Additionally, reverse power flow, where excess solar energy flows back into the grid, creates negative loading on upstream transformers, particularly at the 132-kV level.

These issues highlight the urgent need for modernization in the distribution network to ensure stability and reliability.’’ Faizan proposed several solutions to address these challenges. He advocated the installation of smart meters at the consumer level to monitor grid edge activity in real time. Performance management systems should be implemented at the distribution transformers to track their efficiency and detect potential failures early.

Feeder-level monitoring and automation are also necessary to control power flows across the network effectively. Upgrading communication technology is another critical component of grid modernization. The current reliance on 3G/4G networks is insufficient to handle the vast amounts of data generated by distributed energy resources.

Faizan suggested exploring alternatives such as power line communication (PLC), radio frequencies, optical fiber, and long-range low-power networks to enhance the data transmission capabilities. “A robust data management strategy is essential to handle the influx of information from consumers, transformers, and substations. The decisions must be made regarding whether this data should be stored locally or in public or private cloud systems.

Once collected, advanced software platforms should be deployed to analyze the data and provide actionable insights for proactive grid management.’’ Faizan emphasized that modernizing grid infrastructure is no longer optional but a necessity. By upgrading technology, communication systems, and data analytics capabilities, the country can effectively manage the distributed energy resources and ensure a stable and efficient power supply for its future needs.

Credit: INP-WealthPk