About Workshop

In the recent past, the electric distribution sector, is experiencing rapid transformation, aiming at sustainable growth of smart and resilient power system networks. Globally, the distribution systems are witnessing an increased share of renewables, storage, EV charging stations, microgrids, power electronic interfaces, intelligent sensors and controllers, automation, and smart metering at different levels in the network. This has led to the active distribution network requiring Advance Distribution Management System (ADMS) tools. The large penetration of renewable sources having intermittent/variable outputs will pose system security, reliability, and operational challenges, which need to be addressed via proper regulatory provisions, operation, control, and protection philosophy. The need for a Distribution System Operator (DSO) has been envisaged in several countries, including India, to address various challenges associated with Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and storage-integrated smart active distribution network operation and management.

The UI-ASSIST (US-India collAborative for smart diStribution System wIth STorage) project, funded by Department of Energy on US side, and Department of Science and Technology (DST) through Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) on India side under the Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC), has addressed essential issues related to the adoption and deployment of active distribution networks, integrating distributed energy resources including storage in the network as well as microgrid level. The consortium from US is being led by Washington State University (WSU), Pullman, WA which has 16 organizations collaborating, including MIT, TAMU, three DOE labs, industries, and utilities, whereas that in India is led by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur involving 15 organizations, including 5 IITs, TERI, NTPC NETRA, Utilities, Industries and an NGO. Apart from R&D activities, this project aims at setting up several lab-level pilots and ten (10) field demonstration pilots covering rural, semi-urban, and urban settings. More details on this project can be seen at www.uiassist.org

Objective

The main objective of this workshop is to familiarize the participants from power utilities, industries, regulatory organization, load dispatch centers, and R&D organizations with different operational, regulatory, reliability, and security challenges that need to be addressed in deploying renewable and storage integrated smart active distribution systems. The experience gained through R&D activities and pilot deployments under the UI-ASSIST project will be shared by the consortia partners from India as well as US.