Rooftop solar and grid in, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• Sri Lanka's national power grid collapsed on October 17, plunging the country into darkness for over five hours.
• The power grid operator issued a directive asking rooftop solar operators to switch off their systems, highlighting challenges in integrating distributed generation.
• Rooftop solar accounts for 48% of Sri Lanka's total installed renewable energy capacity, amounting to 2,499 MW.
• A preliminary report indicated the possible role of "non-dispatchable generation sources" in triggering the disturbance.

Detailed Insights:

• The incident renewed questions about managing growing volumes of decentralized solar generation without compromising grid stability.
• Sri Lanka's power generation capacity comprises 51% renewable energy, with hydropower at 21%, oil-based at 17%, and coal at 11%.
• Non-dispatchable generation sources, such as rooftop solar and wind power, depend on weather conditions and cannot be easily ramped up or down by grid operators.
• A sudden loss of generation from such intermittent sources may have triggered the sequence of events leading to the nationwide blackout.
• This issue is highly relevant for India, which is rapidly expanding its rooftop solar capacity, with cumulative installations reaching approximately 33.4 GW by September 2026.
• India's government is promoting rooftop solar through schemes like PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, aiming to bring it to 1 crore households.
• Integrating large-scale solar power presents challenges like intermittency, voltage fluctuations, and reverse power flow, requiring grid upgrades and energy storage solutions.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Grid Stability: The ability of an electrical power system to maintain a steady state of operation and balance supply and demand after a disturbance.
• Non-dispatchable Generation Sources: Energy sources like solar and wind whose output cannot be controlled or scheduled by grid operators due to their dependence on natural conditions.
• Rooftop Solar: Photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on the roofs of buildings to generate electricity, often for self-consumption or feeding into the grid.