Smart grids

Pakistan’s electricity infrastructure has served the country well for the past several decades. However, with the passage of time and rapidly increasing demand, it is fast approaching its limitations. This is evidenced by the rising power crisis in the country. Remember, electricity has to be used the moment it’s generated – a power plant can’t store a surplus of energy to power air-conditioners during the next heatwave. Meanwhile, the growing population continues to plug more and more power-hungry gadgets and appliances into the grid.

From national challenges like the security of the power system, to those global in nature such as climate change, the hurdles standing in the way of Pakistan’s social and economic progress are myriad. Luckily, solutions are available – and many, including myself, believe that Pakistan is currently poised for an historic change. I believe that this change will be catalysed by 21st Century communications technologies. Nowhere is the power of technology more evident than in the ability of smart grids to manage electricity power generation and consumption. Transitioning from existing grids to smart grids can help resolve many of the woes specific to Pakistan’s power sector.

Pakistan’s current power grid, while no doubt overburdened and antiquated, nonetheless manages to meet the national requirements in a relatively reliable fashion. It allows various areas to share electricity resources in order to keep circuits flowing, and manages to maintain a more or less steady flow of power. Having said that, there are growing problems with the national grid which are directly associated with the management of power resources – and in order to keep pace with the growing commercial and consumer demand, this system needs to evolve.

Properly distributing power through the grid is a sort of juggling act. Power usage in any given area fluctuates depending on the time of day, and season. Summer months in Pakistan traditionally lead to higher consumption as more people turn on their air-conditioners – and urban areas by default require more power. However, given the national power shortfall, this juggling act often fails. This is one reason for unscheduled power outages. These problems are exacerbated by issues such as power theft, low recovery rates in billing, and so on.

To date, the approach to resolving Pakistan’s power crisis has been to expand the grid and build more power stations. Over the past decade or so, Pakistan has seen a multitude of new power projects come into play. Yet while these have no doubt provided some short-term relief, the power crisis remains a constant thorn in our national sides. Note, more power generation plants not only mean higher electricity costs due to the increased cost of associated infrastructure investment, but they also do not address the issues of power management or recovery.

This is where smart grids come into play. Smart grids bring into play communications and other technologies which allow a more fine-tuned and real-time approach to power and grid management. Globally, electric supply management is already quickly adapting to smart solutions. Consumers can monitor and manage usage with a combination of smart meters and smart grids. Distributors have the benefit of automated meter reading, remote connection and disconnection of power, plus sending automated alerts for outages. Most importantly, line losses can be minimised with theft detection being an integral part of the smart solution. Smart grids can also enable retail electric providers to offer time-of-use rates that differentiate peak and off-peak consumption to encourage electricity consumers to shift their consumption patterns accordingly.

The implementation of smart grids in Pakistan will require input from a number of stakeholders. It is, of course, essential to have a reliable and efficient communications network in place to transmit data from smart meters to utility data centres for processing. However, both public and private sector stakeholders will play a significant role in defining the smart grid eco-system. When it comes to consumers, their expectations and needs will play a key role in defining the deliverables. With the ability to provide greater integration, smart grid users will look for value-added services, energy on demand, and across-the-board connectivity. Consumers will expect real-time tariffs, and the ability to sell surplus generation back to the grid. Power generation and distribution companies will be required to play a greater role in defining policies within this new eco-system. They will need to make the necessary investments to ensure higher levels of power and system security, as well as creating a level playing field for competition. In time, the paradigm will shift from ‘infra-structure driven’ to ‘service-driven’.

Perhaps the most important player, however, will remain Government. The transition to Smart Grids is a revolutionary step and requires a depth of vision and future outlook. I believe that this change in mind-set is already taking place, thanks to public sector organisations such as Nepra. Those following the news may also have read about the recent visit of WiMax Forum president Declan Byrne to Pakistan – key on Byrne’s agenda was the promotion of Smart Grids and how they can help resolve Pakistan’s power crisis. With all stakeholders working together, and the appropriate application of ingenious ideas, advanced technologies, entrepreneurial energy, and political will, I am confident that there will soon come a time when you won’t remember life before smart grids.

(The writer is the CEO of Wateen Telecom, and a board member of the World WiMax Forum, the global advisory body responsible for setting WiMax standards. The views expressed in this article are not necessarily those of the newspaper)