The place European nations have elevated their share of photo voltaic vitality by 50 p.c, Nepal appears to be lagging behind. In a single yr, it reduce the edge of photo voltaic integration in Nepal’s vitality manufacturing and consumption venture, to 10 p.c from the 15 p.c cap from final yr. Not solely that, the Nepal Electrical energy Authority (NEA) has additionally lowered the per-unit charges it offers to surplus photo voltaic vitality producers—from Rs 7.3 to Rs 5.9.
Such drastic modifications, stakeholders say, will additional discourage trade and households from integrating solar energy into their every day vitality wants. The scenario shall be dire as Nepal will increase its vitality consumption wants with the federal government selling electrical tools and car promotion.
On this context, some researchers of Gham Energy, a number one photo voltaic vitality firm, performed a examine to establish and counsel how correct photo voltaic vitality may help Nepal to scale back the stress on hydroelectricity.
What’s the analysis about?
The analysis was carried out beneath Grid Resilience by means of Clever Photovoltaic Storage (GRIPS), a joint venture of organizations from the UK and Nepal working within the photo voltaic vitality sector. GRIPS goals to extend the reliability of unpolluted vitality provide whereas being environmentally pleasant, the place the crew will set up a wise photovoltaic system with storage.
For the venture beginning in September 2023, the Gham Energy crew is doing the positioning identification and market evaluation for the analysis venture that may run for 2 years. “Beginning subsequent yr, we could have an set up in Sanepa with panels with a manufacturing capability of fifty KW together with a battery of 200 KW capability. We could have a number of baselines to gather additional knowledge,” shared Anjal Niroula Singh. , the CEO of Gham Energy.
The corporate designed the system for optimum use and modified it with a number of algorithms and synthetic intelligence to get one of the best outcomes.
Over the course of two years, it should additionally conduct information dissemination workshops and conferences with stakeholders. In the meantime, it should additionally conduct vitality audits. The information it collects will present quantifiable numbers for stakeholders that may additional strengthen its declare that photo voltaic vitality must be prioritized. It additionally hopes for analysis so it could actually catalyze coverage updates.
Additionally, with the correct buyers, it’s open to scaling and gathering extra knowledge to show its declare. “The analysis venture is funded by UK Innovate and coordinated by three worldwide companions. The primary aspiration of the venture is to show that photo voltaic vitality can scale back the load and prices for customers and different stakeholders, ” shared Singh.
The goal
At present, Gham Energy is concentrating on the set up of photo voltaic grids in massive industries and hospitals. Since photo voltaic vitality is restricted, it focuses on areas that use numerous vitality through the day. For the evening, one wants a battery so it additionally expands in that part.
“However industries and even households are seeing irregular and unreliable electrical energy provide from NEA,” Ananta Thakuri, the corporate’s head of analysis and improvement, says, “In that case, if not photo voltaic, they should spend on diesel turbines for his or her wants, including additional price. With us, they pay Rs 11 for photo voltaic vitality with panels and uninterrupted provide of their space.
In keeping with the load profile of the vitality consumption knowledge, there are two peak hours–one within the morning and one within the night. That means that many of the NEA’s vitality is wasted all through the day. It additionally put enormous wires underground to fulfill the demand, and that too was wasted.
“With photo voltaic vitality, we are able to purpose to flatten the peaks. In our early projections, we are able to say that photo voltaic vitality can fulfill 2-3 p.c (equal to 20-40 MW) of the demand in peak hours. That is extra economically viable for the nation,” Thakuri shares.
Now, with the event of electrical automobiles as nicely, the corporate hopes that solar-powered grids with batteries will be built-in into the system for higher administration of vitality load distribution and profit customers and NEA.
Charging stations have been added, however few. Nepal has introduced that it’s concentrating on to have 15 p.c of its complete automobiles be electrical. Nevertheless, the NEA isn’t prepared for the addition of the load system, which is alone with the hydro vitality.
Gham Energy is experimenting with batteries that even have a wise change, which acts as a transformer and manages fluctuations, making the system extra secure. The crew additionally wished to emphasise that batteries are presently restricted to working as an influence backup. Nevertheless it has different makes use of as nicely and it is time the Nepal department explores them as nicely.
It additionally created an advisory committee that included numerous stakeholders together with former NEA officers and representatives from the Various Power Promotion Heart (AEPC). The committee expects to carry extra dialogues over the following two years and progress the coverage debate and reforms.
The researchers say that the goal of the venture is to not show that solar energy is best than hydro vitality. “What we need to create is an ecosystem of a combined vitality system that optimizes vitality distribution channels with hydro vitality, photo voltaic vitality, and good batteries to regulate the vitality provide,” stated Singh.
Nevertheless, there are some vital issues to unravel. Like different sectors, the vitality sector struggles with a scarcity of information. “Since there isn’t any knowledge, we’re gathering knowledge from the bottom,” stated Thakuri, “The NEA says it’s digitizing, however the issue lies in the truth that your entire community isn’t digitized.”
