KSEB's Bold Leap: Battery Backup for On-Grid Solar in Kerala

Kerala, the "God's Own Country," is quickly adopting solar power, with its rooftop solar installations seeing a phenomenal jump. As the state heads in the direction of becoming a greener one, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is actively looking into and implementing battery backup systems for on-grid solar installations. This strategic initiative ensures better grid stability, power supply reliability, and the maximum use of renewable energy. 

  The Challenge of Intermittency

On-grid solar systems, although very effective at cutting electricity bills using net metering, historically have no backup during outages. When the power grid fails, the solar system fails along with it, leaving customers in the dark. In addition, the variability of solar power – its reliance on sunlight – can generate grid supply fluctuations, which are challenging to manage for stable grid operation, particularly under growing solar penetration.

      These challenges have been recognized by KSEB. Recent KSEB reports identify the apprehension regarding the financial strain of unregulated rooftop solar expansion, wherein prosumers (who both consume and export surplus solar energy) inject power into the grid during the day but end up consuming more costly electricity at night. This creates a need for grid reform and infrastructure development.

The Battery Backup Solution: A Game Changer

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are showing promise as a key solution to these challenges. These batteries store excess solar power produced during the peak sunlight hours and discharge power when there is low solar generation (e.g., during night or cloudy conditions) or during power outage in the grid. This not only ensures an uninterrupted supply of power to consumers but also assists KSEB in:

Grid Stability: BESS is able to balance supply and demand, and prevent voltage and frequency variations resulting from variable solar input.

Peak Load Management: Energy can be drawn from storage during peak demand periods, lessening the obligation of KSEB to purchase more costly power from elsewhere.

Improved Reliability: For customers, battery backup is genuine energy independence and power without interruptions, even in the event of grid failure.

Maximizing Solar Utilization: Rather than sending all surplus power to the grid at possibly lower prices, consumers can store it for personal use, maximizing their solar investment.

KSEB's Initiatives and Future Plans

     KSEB is in the process of integrating energy storage with its renewable energy and grid modernization initiatives. The utility has set ambitious goals, such as reaching 3,000 MWh of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity and 2,000 MW of pumped storage capacity by 2030.

Some specific initiatives are:

Piloting BESS in Villages: KSEB is already piloting BESS in villages and promoting public investment in solar batteries in order to enhance demand-side management.

Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Collaboration: KSEB is joining hands with IIT Bombay in a pilot project introducing V2G technology and tapping the potential of using electric vehicles as decentralized energy storage to improve the stability of the grid. This is a novel attempt that could inject tremendous flexibility and support into the grid.

Policy Recommendations: The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KSERC) has underlined the requirement for strong energy infrastructure, such as BESS and pumped storage schemes, to handle diurnal and seasonal variations in demand and stabilize the grid. They have suggested deploying BESS at substations to offset grid instability due to high rooftop solar penetration.

The Road Ahead

Though the advantages are evident, installing battery backup at scale is not without its own set of challenges, such as:

Cost of Batteries: The upfront cost of solar storage batteries still remains expensive, though these costs are lowering steadily.

Scalability and Infrastructure: Current grid infrastructure will need extensive upgrades to support widespread installation of batteries.

Policy and Regulatory Environments: Strong and enabling policies, such as time-of-day tariffs and proper incentives, are central to promoting battery uptake.