Vijayawada: Smart renewable microgrids to reduce cost of power supply

Vijayawada(NTR District): For the first time in the country, the State government is poised to develop smart renewable urban microgrids using smart devices, smart meters, local solar rooftop generation and deep consumer engagement to reduce transmission and distribution losses using existing infrastructure with the collaboration of a startup EdgeGrid, according to Janardhana Reddy, CMD of Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Corporation.

"The Discoms are taking a step further in making the power sector more technology driven and consumer friendly. The aim is to build a power sector that is both climate-friendly and consumer-friendly while ensuring quality supply of green power to consumers," he said.

These projects are taken up in four areas in and around Vijayawada including Tadepalli area covering residential and commercial consumers.

The commercial consumers include Electric Vehicles and battery swapping stations in Vijayawada MG Road, Cold Storages and Ice factories in Guntur and Vijayawada.

EdgeGrid is a climate-tech platform helping small-scale industries, commercial buildings and residential communities, Electric Vehicles (EVs) and charging networks to move to climate-friendly power and help consumers to save costs and earn incentives from these initiatives.

Founder and CEO of EdgeGrid Sunil Talla said that EdgeGrid's platform enables customers within a feeder and locality to consume energy efficiently and generate energy locally.

The aim of the programme is to reduce costs, increase asset utilisation, better integrate renewables and minimise losses.

These initiatives will help to reduce cost of supply to serve the end consumers.