<p>The transition from fossil fuel-based energy production to electricity-based energy production will happen in the next few decades. <br /><br /></p>.<p>As a result, car manufacturers will have to concentrate on electric cars, as against vehicles run on crude oil, said Director General of Central Power Research Institute, N Murugesan, here on Saturday.<br /><br />He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Smart Grid Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges’, organised by the Electrical Engineering division of The Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI),Mysore.<br /><br />Smart grids are designed to deliver electricity to suppliers using digital technology to save energy, reduce cost and increase reliability, he said. However, switching from the current grid system to a smart grid will not be easy.<br /><br />Quoting examples of developed nations, he said, Japan has 99 per cent reliability in power supply, with consumers suffering a maximum blackout of five minutes annually. “Such kind of efficiency requires a lot of investment into machinery and technologies,” he said.<br /><br />Predicting that use of solar and wind power will catch up in the country, he said India would become the third largest manufacturer of electricity within the next three decades.<br /><br />Striking a contrast on excessive power consumption, he noted that countries in Europe will try to reduce their energy usage by 20 per cent by 2020, as per a policy approved by the European Union in 2010. “This is a result of environmental consciousness among the people,” he said.<br /><br />Director(Technical), Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom), W M Shivakumar, said, the power sector was witnessing a slowdown due to escalating cost of fuels, lack of maintenance and other problems.<br /><br />He said, implementation of a smart grid would eliminate power blackouts, pin point electricity thefts and leaks and will help in receiving power directly from solar and wind energy grids.<br /><br />Power generation in the country should keep pace with the increase in power demands, he said.<br /></p>
<p>The transition from fossil fuel-based energy production to electricity-based energy production will happen in the next few decades. <br /><br /></p>.<p>As a result, car manufacturers will have to concentrate on electric cars, as against vehicles run on crude oil, said Director General of Central Power Research Institute, N Murugesan, here on Saturday.<br /><br />He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Smart Grid Technologies: Opportunities and Challenges’, organised by the Electrical Engineering division of The Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI),Mysore.<br /><br />Smart grids are designed to deliver electricity to suppliers using digital technology to save energy, reduce cost and increase reliability, he said. However, switching from the current grid system to a smart grid will not be easy.<br /><br />Quoting examples of developed nations, he said, Japan has 99 per cent reliability in power supply, with consumers suffering a maximum blackout of five minutes annually. “Such kind of efficiency requires a lot of investment into machinery and technologies,” he said.<br /><br />Predicting that use of solar and wind power will catch up in the country, he said India would become the third largest manufacturer of electricity within the next three decades.<br /><br />Striking a contrast on excessive power consumption, he noted that countries in Europe will try to reduce their energy usage by 20 per cent by 2020, as per a policy approved by the European Union in 2010. “This is a result of environmental consciousness among the people,” he said.<br /><br />Director(Technical), Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom), W M Shivakumar, said, the power sector was witnessing a slowdown due to escalating cost of fuels, lack of maintenance and other problems.<br /><br />He said, implementation of a smart grid would eliminate power blackouts, pin point electricity thefts and leaks and will help in receiving power directly from solar and wind energy grids.<br /><br />Power generation in the country should keep pace with the increase in power demands, he said.<br /></p>
