Blockchain is a distributed, digital transaction technology that allows for securely storing data and executing smart contracts in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. Rather than being controlled by one entity, blockchain is spread across multiple systems and uses a form of data logging to ensure that the information cannot be changed or corrupted by anyone else. By decentralizing data and protecting the way it is managed, blockchain promotes transparency and the sharing of information.

Blockchain technology has been considered as the next big technological breakthrough which finds its way from online transaction to e-governance and has tremendous potential across all the sectors e.g. financial sector, logistics and supply chain, energy sector etc. Blockchain has attracted the attention of the power industry with its potential to unleash an energy revolution in which both electric utilities and consumers will produce and sell electricity. The booming demand and increased growth of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) such as solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, batteries, microgrids, electric vehicle charging and embedded networks has moved the power balance from centralized agencies to the edges of the grid. Blockchain could offer a reliable, low-cost way for financial or operational transactions to be recorded and validated across a distributed network with no central point of authority. All that’s required to bring the revolution into the mainstream is an energy market model that takes power from central players’ hands and puts customers in command of a co-created future.

While there are more than 24 use cases of blockchain technology in the power sector, the one that is currently gaining the most attention is P2P power trading, where small-scale generation owners may directly sell excess energy to other consumers. Energy trading in P2P network is enabled through smart contracts executed on blockchain. Blockchain- enabled technologies can add to the speed of adoption as they can be applied to applications for Community Net Metering, Virtual Net Metering, EV Charging, Virtual Power Plant etc.

Blockchain for Energy and Utilities | held from 07 Jan – 05 Feb 2021

The recorded version of the training can be undertaken by the participants at any time suitable to them by registering at https://indiasmartgrid.org/onlinetrainingprogram/. This training program introduced the participants with the technology; deep dive into the applications and platforms; address the maturity of blockchain technology; share relevant power sector use cases regulations and policy support required to incorporate these use cases.

The lockdowns owing to COVID-19 around the world have dramatically changed the way we live and work within a short span of time. The operations and work style of governments, city/local administrations, businesses and utilities (electricity, water and gas) have changed drastically in the past few months. There is a greater need for governments, city managers and local authorities as well as all utilities to deploy advanced automation, remote working, remote monitoring, robotics and artificial intelligence to handle day-today operations. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Science (DS), Machine Learning (ML), Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), Drones and other types of Robots could play crucial roles in various infrastructure and services in city management including utility operations. These new technologies and tools could make the operations more efficient, faster, reliable and economical. In the post COVID-19, the pace of digitalization efforts in all businesses including utilities are gaining rapid momentum and officials are getting used to the paper- less operations. The digital devices (including the proposed 250 million smart meters) will generate humongous volume of data in each utility which would require AI tools to analyze and transform into business intelligence. In the aftermath of COVID-19, the digital platforms have become the coveted assets for utilities in their business continuity and resiliency; and this movement towards digitalization is irreversible. Emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Science and Advanced Analytics, Blockchain, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Robotics, will radically revolutionize the city management and utility operations and overall governance in every domain in the near future.

Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Utilities and Smart Cities | held from 14 September – 04 November 2021

The first Online Training Program on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Utilities and Smart Cities was supported by Ministry of Power (MoP) and National Smart Grid Mission (NSGM).The recorded version of the training can be undertaken by the participants at any time suitable to them by registering at https://indiasmartgrid.org/onlinetrainingprogram/

Since inception in 2011, India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) has been spearheading the movement towards digitalization of utilities in India. Although, the actual implementation in many utilities may still be not satisfactory, there is already a unanimous voice for asking this journey to full digitalization. The DISCOMs that have proper billing and collection systems and online payment facilities are able to collect their dues much better than those who do not have such systems. Similarly, where ever smart metering systems are in place, utilities are able to issue bills based on actual consumption. In the aftermath of COVID-19, these digital platforms have become the coveted assets for utilities in their business continuity and resiliency.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) or smart metering system eliminate the need for physical meter reading by the utility's personnel visiting the customer premises which most customers would detest in the present scenario. Even before COVID-19, Ministry of Power (MoP), Government of India was planning to launch a ground breaking program mandating smart meters for all 250 million+ electricity customers in India. This is expected to be announced very soon. AMI is an integrated system of smart meters, communication networks and data management systems that enables two-way communication between utilities and customers. To Rollout of 250 million smart meters all across India in 4-5 years would require massive capacity building in all areas – meter design, manufacturing, meter installation, communication and IT systems planning and design, implementation and system integration, project management and change management. AMI is a new concept that require in-depth knowledge of three distinct technologies: metrology, telecommunications and IT for its successful implementation and operations.

Online Advanced Metering Infrastructure Training | held from 20 May to 9 June 2020

The recorded version of the training can be undertaken by the participants at any time suitable to them by registering at https://indiasmartgrid.org/onlinetrainingprogram/

Advanced Metering Infrastructure Training Workshop | held from 04 to 05 July 2019

Smart Grid is a modernized electric grid that uses the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) referred to as the next-generation power system and expected to improve the reliability, resiliency and efficiency of future power systems with larger share of Renewable Energy (RE) sources. In today’s world, reliability requires Cyber Security. A cyber-attack on the power grid could result in complete disruption of all activities in the society. Cyber Security is a growing concern and a key success factor for smart grid deployment. ISGF, in association with the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center (NCIIPC) and Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI), Mumbai had organised the Training Program on Cyber Security for Power Systems in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Online.

Online Cyber Security for Power Systems | held from 21 May – 05 June 2020

The recorded version of the training can be undertaken by the participants at any time suitable to them by registering at https://indiasmartgrid.org/onlinetrainingprogram/

Cyber Security for Power Systems | held from 29 - 30 August 2019

Cyber Security for Power Sector with PGCIL /Huawei | held from 01 July, 2016

Cyber Security for Power Sectors | held from 17-19 September, 2015

Cyber Security for Power Sectors | held from 20 - 22 January,2015

Cyber Security for Power Sectors | held from 12 – 14 November 2014

Cyber Security for Power Sectors | held from 07 – 09 August 2014

Cyber Security for Power Sectors | held in January 2014

The recorded version of the training can be undertaken by the participants at any time suitable to them by registering at https://indiasmartgrid.org/onlinetrainingprogram/

Electric Mobility and Charging Infrastructure | held from 18 - 19July 2019

Brainstorming Session on Fast Tracking e-Mobility Plans in India with World Bank| held on 25 September 2018

Round Table Discussion on Electric Vehicles: Technologies, Policies and Charging Infrastructure | held on 04 May 2016

Workshop on Electric Vehicles | held on 19 August 2016

Workshop on Effect of Electric Vehicle Penetration on Electric Grid | held on 11 April 2015

ISGF had prepared an Energy Storage Roadmap for India with the objective to help policy makers and utilities in decision making related to investments in energy storage for integration of renewable energy leading to a reliable and low carbon grid in India. The project evaluated the impact of distributed energy generation sources and electric vehicles on the distribution grid and the techno-commercial viability of energy storage solutions to overcome the grid integration challenges. The Roadmap was developed in association with India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and supported through a grant from MacArthur Foundation. On 16th July 2019, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Power and ISGF had jointly organized the Key Stakeholder Consultation Workshop in New Delhi for presenting the Draft Energy Storage System Roadmap for India and took suggestions for finalizing the Roadmap.

ISGF conducted The Smart City Water Distribution Workshop on 03 March 2021 on the side-lines of India Smart Utility Week (ISUW 2020). The Workshop was attended and witnessed by participants and delegates from Ministries, Municipal Corporations, and several Technology Solution providers from India and Abroad. India’s water resources are struggling because of anthropocentric as well as climate-induced reasons leading to declining per capita water availability, lack of storage capacity, and spatial and temporal variations. Water utilities are failing majorly in asset management, controlling non-revenue water (NRW), maintaining water quality, managing water demand, etc. Quality real-time data through adoption of digital technologies can significantly improve water management in the country. With the advent of the digital era, governance systems for water utilities too have continuously adopted advanced technologies to transition towards new systems with data-centric approach. It will create a platform to maintain and monitor water distribution and protect water resources through digital technologies which will play a crucial role for water allocation and industrial and municipal waste management. The automation and IT systems and the last mile connectivity solutions for building a smart electricity grid can be leveraged for automating the water and gas distribution systems at marginal cost. Similarly, the billing and collection systems of the electric utility can be leveraged to provide a single bill for all 3 services – electricity, water and gas. This will not only enhance convenience of the customer who has to pay only one bill but will also reduce the cost of business operations for the gas and water utilities. From this perspective, ISGF feels there is a compelling business case to bring water distribution companies to the smart grid forum and explore the collaborative business opportunities.

Seminar on Smart Water Distribution held on 03 March 2021

Smart City Water Distribution Workshop | held on 06 March 2020

Smart City Water Distribution Workshop | held on 14 March 2019

Smart City Water Distribution Workshop | held on 07 March 2018

A virtual seminar on City Gas Distribution was organized on 04 March 2021 as part of ISUW 2021.Government of India (GoI) is planning to increase the share of gas in the energy mix of the country. Under the Ujala program cooking gas connections have been given to more than 100 million households in the past 5 years. Besides this, GoI has issued licenses for City Gas Distribution in 228 districts in the country. This will increase the share of gas in the economy to 15% by 2030 from the present levels of 7 %. We are about to witness a huge expansion in City Gas Distribution (CGD) sector. The automation and IT systems and the last mile connectivity solutions for building smart electricity grids can be leveraged for automating the water and gas distribution systems at marginal cost. Similarly, the billing and collection systems of the electric utility can be leveraged to provide a single bill for all 3 services – electricity, water and gas. From this perspective, ISGF feels there is a compelling business case to bring city gas distribution companies to the smart grid forum and explore the collaborative business opportunities. ISGF initiated many activities in the gas domain and also constituted a City Gas Distribution Working Group to start knowledge creation and to bring stakeholders on one platform which received acceptance amongst the industry. This session had provided an effective platform for virtual interactions on new themes related to post-Covid transformation in CGD business, efficient operation and maintenance management; and intervention of hydrogen and CNG driven vehicles.

Seminar on Smart Gas Distribution held on 04 March 2021

Smart City Gas Distribution | held on 06 March 2020

Smart City Gas Distribution| held on 15 March 2019

Smart City Gas Distribution| held on 08 March 2018

ISGF in collaboration with IEC and IEEE organized a virtual workshop on World Smart Energy Standarization on 03 March 2021.Grid integration of renewable energy has picked up in last couple of years. Standards related to renewable energy grid integration will play very important role towards grid infrastructure augmentation and its stability. Solar micro grids are also becoming popular which demands standardization of domestic solar inverters with grid synchronization and remote isolation features for consumer to distribution level. Large-scale renewable integration in the grid has got a big push by recent launch of a 30 GW solar and wind energy park in Gujarat.

World Smart Energy Standardization Co-ordination Workshop with IEC- IEEE 2020 held on 3 March 2021

World Smart Energy Standardization Co-ordination Workshop with IEC- IEEE | held on 03 March 2020

3rd World Smart Energy Standardization Co-ordination Workshop with IEC- IEEE | held on 12 March 2019

World Smart Energy Standardization Co-ordination Workshop with IEC – IEEE | held on 05 March 2018

World Smart Energy Standardization Co-ordination Workshop with IEC – IEEE | held in March 2017

The third Roundtable on “Interconnection of Regional Grids in Asia was conducted on 2 March as part of ISUW 2021. The roundtable was attended by key stakeholders from GCC, SAARC/BIMSTEC and ASEAN regions. The interconnection of regional grids has gained attention in the era of increasing share of variable renewable energy (VRE) resources on the grids. Larger power systems could also offer large quantities of demand flexibility and dispatchable generation resources at lower cost. Interconnected grids could offer the opportunity to replace their own costly generation by a relatively cheaper imported power. The participants expressed interest on the concept and discussed various aspects of the European Experience of Interconnection of Regional Grids; Action Plan for Feasibility Study of Identified Interconnections and Market Design for Interconnected Power Markets in Asia; Interconnection of Regional Grids in the context of OSOWOG.

Roundtable on Interconnection of Regional Grids in ASEAN-SAARC and GCC Regions | held on 03 March 2021

Roundtable on Interconnection of Regional Grids in ASEAN-SAARC and GCC Regions | held on 06 March 2020

Roundtable on Interconnection of Regional Grids in Asia, ASEAN Grid, SAARC, BIMSTEC Grid and GCC Grid | held on 15 March 2019

56 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas by 2020 and 80 percent of the world’s energy is consumed here. The urban population in Asia-Pacific will grow by 16 percent between 2020- 2030, and by 2050 more than half of the world’s urban population will be in the Asia- Pacific region. Cities in emerging economies, where 95 percent of population growth to 2030 and beyond will occur, will account for the majority (70 percent) of global growth in energy use through 2030. For instance, according to 2018 Global Status Report, the energy needed for cooling buildings will triple by 2050 – a growth equivalent to the current electricity demand in the USA and Germany combined. Governments throughout the region struggle to keep pace with the growing demand for energy infrastructure while striving to meet the requirements for livable and environmentally sustainable cities. It is safe to say that the development of sustainable urban energy, complemented by other enabling systems of provision is crucial to combat climate change. Cities can be climate-solvers and can help countries in Asia-Pacific to achieve their international climate commitments. The workshop discussed on the following key topics.District Energy Developments Global and Indian Scenario; Integrated Energy Applications: Smart Grids – Peak Load Shaving - Energy Storage - Demand Side Response (DSR); Developing, Financing and Managing Energy Utilities.

ISGF has continuously worked for development and advocacy of Smart Grids and Smart Cities in India since its inception, it now plans to replicate its journey of the Smart Grid domain in the Smart Water Distribution Domain. ISGF organized a Brainstorming Session on “Addressing India’s Urban Water Crisis Using Smart Technologies “on 17th July, 2019 at CBIP Building, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, India. The stakeholders discussed trends, share best practices in the water domain.

The emergence of India as a strong economic power is receiving widespread recognition in the world. Having completed household electrification through SAUBHAGYA, next challenge is to provide 24x7 electricity to all the households for which new technologies and smart grid systems are required. To achieve this goal, Government of India (GoI) has launched several programs with multi-billion-dollar funding. Smart Grid is also necessary to integrate rapidly growing renewable generation resources. Smart metering is another key priority for utilities in India to improve their metering-billing-collection efficiency. GoI has also moved forward with the ambitious program to build 100 Smart Cities and rollout 6-7 million electric vehicles which also require smart grids. Govt of India is also pursuing an ambitious target of adding 175GW of renewable energy on the grid by 2022 which comprises of 40 GW rooftop PV from around 20 million buildings. With increasing share of renewable energy on the grid, flexibility in both demand and generation is essential for stable grid operations. Digital technologies will play crucial role for the stable grid operations. Emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics, Blockchain, Augmented Reality and Drones are also being leveraged by utilities for various applications. Although India have successfully completed village electrification and universal access to electricity for all, still it is a long march for the Indian power sector to achieve the goal for 24x7 quality Power for All. To explore and gather ideas from different stakeholders regarding this goal, a Brainstorming Session on “Next Round of Programs and Projects to ensure 24x7 Power for All” was organized by ISGF on 23 April 2019 in New Delhi.

ISGF in collaboration with Business Sweden & Swedish Energy Agency organised a Technical Workshop on Power Quality of Smart Grids & EV Charging Infrastructure on 28 August 2019. The objective of the workshop was to build on the previous dialogues held between India and Sweden. The aim was to find opportunities for collaboration related to Smart Grid technologies and rapid yet profitable expansion of Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure through new insights on technology, enabling policy framework, and the role of various stakeholders.

ISGF has been awarded the project Study “Development of Roadmap for Implementation of Smart Grid-Concepts, Practices and Technologies in SAARC Region” by SAARC Energy Centre, ISGF had carried out detailed assessment of power sector of the eight SAARC member states and developed a smart grid framework along with a milestone matrix defining the key smart grid activities needed to enhance the business and operational performance of the utilities. ISGF also identified various projects that need to be implemented in SAARC member states as part of near-term smart grid interventions. To disseminate the findings of the study among the leaders from the power sector in SAARC member states, SAARC Energy Center in collaboration with Department of Hydropower and Power Systems, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bhutan had conducted a workshop on 30th September and 1st of October, 2019 in Thimpu, Bhutan. ISGF experts had presented the key findings and results of the study including high level roadmap on smart grid activities that need to be undertaken by utilities of each SAARC member states in short term (FY 2020), medium term (FY 2025) and long term (FY 2030)

ISGF has embarked on a project “Design of Time of Use (ToU) Electricity Tariff in the State of Gujarat”, with the objective to reView and analyse the effect of real time pricing of electricity on consumers behaviour and its subsequent impact on generation, transmission and distribution utilities of Gujarat. This project is funded by Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF) and is supported by Gujarat Energy & Petrochemicals Department (GEPD) and Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC). On 6th December 2019, ISGF organised Stakeholders Consultation Workshop in Gujarat to take feedback from stakeholders for detailed design and implementation strategy. The workshop was inaugurated by Shri Anand Kumar, Chairman, GERC and special address was delivered by Shri Pankaj Joshi, Principal Secretary, GEPD and Shri Mahesh Singh, Managing Director, UGVCL.

Ministry of Power in 2014 had launched fourteen smart grid pilot projects to modernize power distribution networks in India amongst the same 7 projects are completed and 4 projects are in process of completion. The project in Panipat, Haryana is one of the fourteen smart grid pilot projects. Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) had inked Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Haryana Government in December 2015 for demonstration of Smart Grid Pilot Project in Panipat. ISGF in association with NEDO had organized a workshop on Smart Grid Pilot Projects: Presentation of Results of Successful Projects on 13th March 2019 as part of India Smart Utility Week 2019.

To learn from India on the implementation of Smart Grids and to address the challenges in various ASEAN countries, ASEAN Secretariat approached ISGF to conduct a Smart Grid Foundation Course for 17 Senior Officers from ASEAN countries, which was held from 01-05 October 2018 in New Delhi. ISGF welcomed the delegation from Brunei, Cambodia, Laos – PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The Smart Grid Foundation Course by ISGF was planned to provide latest updates, various technologies and use cases, experience sharing from the project heads of successful projects in India and around the World along with Technical Tour to the Tata Power – DDL Smart Gird Lab; SCADA Center and Northern Regional Load Dispatch Centre. The training program comprised of three days of class room sessions and two days of field visits. Some important topics covered during the course were Smart Gird Maturity Model, T&D Automation, Smart Grid Planning, Communications and Smart Metering, Electric Vehicles and its charging infrastructure, Digital Architecture and Cyber Security for Smart Grids, VER, DER, Energy Storage, Emerging Technologies, Enterprise IT Systems, Model Smart Grid Regulations and ToU Tarrif.

Smart Grid Foundation Course | 07 -09 August 2018

ISGF organised 3 days Smart Grid Foundation Course from 07 – 09 August 2018 in New Delhi for utility engineers, industry executives and fresh graduates to understand the nuances of smart grid technologies, architectures, standards, business models and implementation experiences of past projects. The course was supported by Skill Council for Green Jobs

Certificate Course on Smart Grids | held from 01 August- 30 September 2016

ISGF along with VJTI has developed a Certificate Couse on Smart Grids (CCSG) of 10 weeks duration. This was a full-time course and had been developed as a unique and first-of-a-kind program on Smart Grids with an aim to prepare utility engineers, industry executives and fresh graduates to understand the nuances of smart grid technologies, archi tectures, standards, business models and implementation experiences of past projects. This program not only covers the foundations of the Smart Grids but also adds a practical flavour by deep diving into the details of core challenges that need to be addressed on various dimensions of it including field visits. The first batch of CCSG was conducted from Sept – Dec 2015

Certificate Course on Smart Grids | held from 21 September -18 December 2015

Smart Grid Boot Camp | held in 2014 and 2015

To build Smart Grids and Smart Cities in the next decade and achieve the required target, the country requires lakhs of engineers with proper skills. Keeping this in mind, ISGF is organizing a series of Smart Grid bootcamps in various cities in India. The Smart Gridboot camp sare designed to comprehensively cover Smart Grid technologies and industry trends and spread awareness. The participants of these bootcamps get to learn about the “what” and “how” of Smart Grids and also discover opportunities to ride the technological wave in the power sector.

Forum of Regulators (FOR) in September 2015 issued the Model Smart Grid Regulations which some State Regulatory Commissions have already notified. It is necessary to educate the regulators, policy makers and utility staff on the practical benefits, costs, and implementation challenges of Smart Grid Projects. Towards this objective ISGF with support from Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation embarked on a monumental task of compiling “Smart Grid Handbook for Regulators & Policymakers. “The handbook contains 17 modules which covers all the aspects of the smart grids which will help all the stakeholders to be more updated.

The draft version of the Handbook was issued in march 2017 at India Smart Grid Week and ISGF conducted workshops (four day each) in Hyderabad and Kolkata which were attended by senior officials from Regulatory Commission and Utilities. After taking the feedback the final version of the “Smart Grid Handbook for Regulators and Policy Maker” was released during Smart Grid Training Program attended by Regulators, and other Stakeholders scheduled in 14th & 15th December 2017 in New Delhi. This handbook covers different aspects of Smart Grids including concepts, technologies and implementation experiences. It aims to create awareness about the challenges and opportunities of Smart Grids while serving as a ready reference

ISGF in association with Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU)had organized workshops as part of the Capacity Development Technical Assistance of Asian Development Bank in various states of India. The objective of this program is to disseminate the knowledge of ‘Grid network stabilization solution of Renewable Energy Integration’ through case studies, discussion and field visits

GoI has launched several targeted programs to achieve the noble objective of providing 24x7 Power for All set by Hon’ble Prime Minister. Government of India is planning to roll out of 250 million Smart Meters in next 2-3 years. For successful implementation of several of these programs, smart grid technologies are going to be the key enabler. Several building blocks of smart grids have been implemented under R-APDRP and few other smart systems are being planned under IPDS. If Discoms leverage the assets created under R-APDRP for effective implementation of new projects under IPDS and NSGM, the transformation to Smart Grids can be achieved more efficiently at marginal cost. In order to discuss this concept, ISGF had conducted a series of workshops with Discoms and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions. The objective of these workshops was to identify the Smart Grid components that can be included in new projects to derive greater business value.

ISGF has prepared an Energy Storage System (ESS) Roadmap for India. The key outputs of the study are: 1. Energy Storage Roadmap for India; 2. Energy Storage India Tool (ESIT) that will help in conducting Cost-Benefit Analysis of various Energy Storage Technologies and; 3. Guidelines for determining the Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) hosting capacity on LV and MV grids.

This study was planned and conducted in coordination with Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The results of the study were also presented to CEA, MNRE, NITI Aayog and Ministry of Power and their feedback and suggestions have been incorporated in the report. ISGF in partnership with NITI Aayog and Ministry of Power had organized a Stakeholder Consultation Workshop To present the results of the study and take suggestions on the Energy Storage Roadmap of India from a larger group of stakeholders.

Giving importance to the gender equality, ISGF conducted first roundtable of women in energy in partnership with C3E and IEA on side lines of India Smart Utility Week 2019 on 15 March 2019 to discuss the challenges faced by women and actions required to achieve gender equality in the energy sector in this era of energy transition and digitization. The workshop emphasized on key session topics like women working in the Rooftop solar sector; Improving Knowledge and Data on the Role of Women in the Energy Sector; Targeted Action and Policies to Increase Women's Participation and Achieve Gender Equality – Lessons Learned Among Utilities to Attract, Maintain and Promote Women. The deliberation highlighted on visibility of women, enhanced networking and mentoring program for women, creating awareness of and technology amongst women and attracting women to technical education and showcasing role models.

Work is constantly reshaped by technological progress, firms adopt new ways of production, markets expand, and societies evolve. Presently robotics, e-commerce, social media and artificial intelligence are radically changing several industries. Innovations in transport sector such as electrical vehicles, autonomous vehicles, passenger drones and hyperloops etc are going to disrupt the transportation sector soon. Similarly,3-D manufacture, robotic process automation, blockchain and other fast emerging technologies are expected to change the nature of jobs in the next decade. It is the need of the hour to start a multi-stakeholder conversation in order to understand, match and conquer the challenges due to change in nature of job. With the above scenarios, ISGF in collaboration with Indian School of Business (ISB) and Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGC) and Confederation of India Industry (CII) had organized a session on FUTURE SKILLS 2030 - SKILLING FOR THE JOBS IN 2030 on 13th March 2019 during India Smart Utility Week 2019.

Workshop on Blockchain for Energy Utilities |13 March 2019

The 21st century electric grid is witnessing several disruptive changes. Smart Grid technologies have emerged as the key enablers for both integration of distributed and variable renewable energy resources as well as electric vehicles. With constantly increasing prices of conventional power from the grid, many of the consumers are finding it economically viable to use other cleaner and greener sources of energy. This is going to open up a lot of opportunities in the value chain. Peer to Peer trading on blockchain and payment settlements through crypto –currencies are going to change the entire electricity value chain in the coming days. In the near future smart appliances will buy electricity to power themselves from the cheapest resources available in the network through smart contracts established on blockchain. Many of these new concepts and technologies were discussed during this workshop by eminent experts in the respective fields which was held on 13 March 2019 as part of India Smart Utility Week 2019. The key learnings which came forward from the workshop were Blockchain still has the potential to become a real game-changer in the utility-sector. Blockchain development needs to lead to faster processes, lower costs, greater flexibility together with high levels of security.

Roundtable on Blockchain for Utilities | 08 March 2018

The Roundtable on “Blockchain for Utilities” was organised on 08 March 2018 in New Delhi as part of ISGW2018. With constantly increasing prices of conventional power from the grid, many of the consumers are finding it economically viable to use other cleaner and greener sources of energy. This is going to open up a lot of opportunities in the value chain. Peer to Peer trading on blockchain and payment settlements through crypto –currencies are going to change the entire electricity value chain in the coming days. In the near future smart appliances will buy electricity to power themselves from the cheapest resources available in the network through smart contracts established on blockchain. Many of these new concepts and technologies were discussed during this Roundtable by eminent experts in the respective fields. The concepts discussed during the Roundtable were very critical for India and other developing countries as we are still building our cities, campuses, commercial and residential buildings.

A Roundtable on Smart Policies and Regulations for 21^st Century was organized on 08 March 2018 at New Delhi. India is spearheading large energy transformation programmes that focus on technology upgradation in terms of building smarter cities, modernizing electricity grid etc.

ISGF had prepared an Implementation Plan for Electrification of Public Transportation in Kolkata. This Project was supported by Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation. ISGF had interacted with various stakeholders and prepared a Draft Plan for Introduction of Electric Vehicle in Kolkata for public transportation.

ISGF has been tasked to prepare Smart Grid Roadmap (2017 – 2035) for Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM). Smart Grid Roadmap would be a strategic plan that would outline activities BESCOM would undertake from 2017 to 2035 to achieve stated goals. The roadmap is drafted in alignment with the on-going programs such as R-APDRP and RGGVY and builds on the assets being created under these programs and other existing systems in a manner that would complement each other. As part of this assignment, ISGF conducted a Stakeholders' Workshop with Senior the officials from KPCL, PCKL, KREDL, KPTCL, KIADB and BESCOM on 27 July 2017. The objective of this workshop was to bring all the key stakeholders together and update them regarding the Smart Grid Roadmap for BESCOM and to take their inputs regarding their network augmentation plans; generation, capacity addition plans, power purchase price trends and challenges; renewable energy development plans and industrial development plans that are to be taken into considerations by BESCOM.

>A half day interactive workshops were conducted by ISGF between senior management team of Oracle Asia Pacific and leadership teams. The objective of these sessions were to understand the experience of all the participating utilities about the implementation of Oracle CC & B as part of the RAPDRP and to provide a roadmap for successful operation of all Oracle applications.

India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) and India News along with our Knowledge Partner, Independent Power Producers Association of India (IPPAI), organised the Global the Summit on Smart, Secure and Sustainable Cities (S3Cities.com) from 17 - 20 July,2016 at Harte and Garter, Windsor, England. The three days long Summit had discussions on building cities Smart, Secure and Sustainable with a special focus on the energy, infrastructure, water and waste management, Internet of Things and cyber security, and financing options in India. In addition, the Summit also discussed the impact that the increasing pace of development and chronic consumerism has on our natural resources and environment, and how this creates the need as well as the opportunity to find innovative solutions to address them. The Summit examined global experiences and case studies, opportunities in the market and the latest technologies along with innovative solutions. Several Ministers, Parliamentarians, City Mayors/Commissioners from India and overseas and Senior Policy makers, Regulators and Utility heads from India as well as government representatives, internationally acclaimed subject matter experts and senior industry representatives from across the world participated in this summit to share their expertise and knowledge with the participants of the Summit.

TUV Rheinland, India, a member of Wi-SUN Alliance had conducted an Open House on 15th December 2016 in New Delhi. The Seminar was Inaugurated by Mr. D. P. De, Director General of Telecom Engineering Centre this had given an overView of Wi-SUN technology and applications being adopted in India as well as an opportunity to meet Wi-SUN alliance representatives and hear the latest news and updates. Senior Government and Industry officials had shared their thoughts and address the audience.

ISGF moderated the Power Vertical at the Huawei Enterprise ICT Summit, a national event hosted by Huawei (an ISGF Member) on December 09, 2016 in Mumbai. This workshop covered the Communication Challenges for Smart Grids and Smart Cities; Leveraging IoT technologies and a Panel Discussion on ICT for Reliable, Robust and Safe Electricity Grids.

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in association with India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF) had designed Management Development Programme (MDP) with an extensive programme curriculum on Smart Electric Grid. TERI and ISGF jointly organized a three-day MDP programs titled ‘‘Smart Electric Grid for 24x7 Power: Development and Deployment in March 2015 at Gurgaon, Haryana and in July 2015 at Bangalore, Karnataka.

MDP 1 Location - Teri Retreat, Gual Pahari, Gurgaon, Haryana	Date: March 2015
MDP 2: Location - Bangalore	Date: July 2015
Participants: 40	Stakeholders: ABB, Accenture, Abell on Clean Energy Ltd., CESC Ltd., CISCO, Central Power Research Institute, Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, New Delhi Municipal Corporation, Energy Efficiency Services Ltd., L&T, NTPC, Phillips India, Sterlite Power Grid Ventures, Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency, Wave Infratech, etc.

The first Roundtable on Electric Cooking was organized virtually on 03 March 2021 as part of ISUW 2021 About 4 million people die prematurely from diseases caused by household air pollution, primarily from cooking with firewood, charcoal and biomass. Having electrified almost all households in the country and with surplus electricity generation capacity, India should actively promote electric cooking. Increasingly higher share of electricity is being produced from renewable resources and during many time slots in a day, cheap electricity is available on the grid. In the year 2018-19, 1500 million LPG cylinders were distributed in the country which is not sustainable from the perspective of cost and energy efficiency. New city gas distribution networks cost Rs 25,000 per connection. In order to meet the NDC targets it is imperative that emissions from the kitchen must be reduced drastically. Electric cooking is the fastest and least cost route to achieve these multiple targets which will also reduce LPG imports saving billions of dollars leading towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. Ministry of Power, Government of India recently launched a new program “GO ELECTRIC” which has two components – Electric Vehicles and Electric Cooking. This roundtable had examined and recommended the way forward to promote electric cooking in the country.The roundtable deliberated on (a)Electricity supply status and grid capability to support cooking appliances in households(b) Estimation of capex to strengthen the medium voltage and low voltage grids to provide 24x7 supply as well as 3kW to 5kW connections to all households so that they could use electric cooking appliances and air-conditioners ©Assessment of availability of electric cooking appliances in different regions, its cost and performance, roadmap for augmenting the manufacturing capacity of such appliances in the country (d)Skill development programs and estimation of employment generation potential in the electric cooking domain as against the job losses in LPG distribution(e) Environmental benefits from electric cooking by reducing GHG emissions and avoiding deforestation(f) Development of different strategies for promotion of electric cooking and campaigns for consumer awareness and adoption of electric cooking appliances and practices(g) Leveraging renewable energy for electric cooking and integration of cooking appliances with the grid – smart cooking with green electricity bought from the cheapest resource on the grid.

Roundtable on Electric Cooking held on 03 March 2021

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as a concept was defined by NASA as “safe and efficient air traffic operations in a metropolitan area for manned aircraft and unmanned aircraft systems”. These aircraft would carry cargo or 1-5 passengers on short-range trips (less than 100 km). With rising urbanisation, growing traffic Jam and an e-commerce boom, modern, safe and affordable modes of transportation are required. UAM offers an opportunity for seamless, secure, and rapid transportation to alleviate current and potential challenges faced in urban areas. The key enablers for development of UAM systems are airspace integration, expansion of infrastructure, customer’s acceptance, seamless integration into linked mobility systems, and a broad range of other ecosystem components, that are still evolving. It is imperative for governments to seek alternative solutions by making strategic moves to promote UAM system development as an alternative to existing ground transportation. The first Roundtable on UAM was organized virtually as part of ISUW 2021 on 4 March 2021.As the size of urban populations grows, traffic congestion and air pollution remain as major threats that take a toll on economic growth. It is imperative for governments to seek alternative solutions by making strategic moves to promote UAM system development as an alternative to existing ground transportation.

Roundtable on Urban Air Mobility held on 04 March 2021

Increasing number of governments and organizations around the world are planning to pass regulatory legislation and have demonstrated pilot projects centered around blockchain technology. India can leverage blockchain technology to provide cybersecurity, process optimization, and integrate hyperconnected services while bolstering trust and accountability. Blockchain has attracted the attention of the power industry with its potential to unleash an energy revolution in which both electric utilities and consumers will produce and sell electricity. In order to provide flexibility, a regulatory sandbox mechanism needs to be developed for levelling the playing field for all the stakeholders’ developing new applications thereby extending guarantee within the regulatory framework. The roundtable has addressed challenges; different models of governance and regulation in an increasingly decentralized world.

Smart metering or Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) involve three distinct technologies – metering, communication and IT. AMI system will deploy several new technologies to improve operations and deliver better customer experience. In this journey, it is important to adopt an appropriate digital architecture which is forward looking and flexible in design while integrating the existing and new enterprise systems in the DISCOMs. Smart metering is one of the key components of a digital utility, and can transform and optimize a wide range of commercial processes and grid operations of a utility. This can be achieved through a structured system integration approach which includes alignment with different business units within the utility and their functional expectations, efficient planning from network till enterprise layer, cross leveraging data between smart metering and other utility systems and devices.This Roundtable had discussed in technology selection and design of appropriate digital architecture with respect to existing legacy applications in the utility and the new systems envisaged.

ISGF organised a deep dive Workshop (Online) on “Blockchain Applications for Utilities” on 17th June 2020 as part of Asia Clean Energy Forum (ACEF) 2020. Online Workshop received an overwhelming response and was attended by overall 1023 participants from India and Overseas. The Workshop addressed the maturity of blockchain technology, relevant power sector use cases and regulations and policy support required to incorporate these use cases. The speakers of the Workshop were Doug Miller, Market Development Manager, Energy Web Foundation; LorienGamaroff, Founder/CEO, Bankymoon; Vinod Tiwari, Global Head of Business Development and Sales, Power Ledger; Tony Giroti, Chairman, Energy Blockchain Consortium; Reji Kumar Pillai, President – India Smart Grid Forum & Chairman – Global Smart Grid Federation; and Reena Suri, Executive Director, India Smart Grid Forum (ISGF). The objective of the workshop was to appraise the participants on the potential of Blockchain technology for following applications: A. Peer-To-Peer (P2P) Trading of Rooftop Solar Energy amongst customers; B. Tokenization, trade and management of Green Energy Certificates on Blockchain; C. Blockchain enabled charging and sharing of Electric Vehicles; D. Blockchain for remote charging of prepaid meters; E. Leveraging Blockchain for flexible marketplace for future energy trading. Use cases and case studies on successfully implemented Blockchain projects were presented to the participants who could study and evaluate the same for adoption in their utilities/countries. Non-utility participants learned about the technology and use cases and build new businesses around these opportunities.

Deep Dive Workshop on Blockchain Applications for Utilities held on 17 June 2021

ISGF in collaboration with National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA) and Climate Centre for Cities conducted a workshop virtually on 3 March 2021 as part of ISUW 2021.Communication infrastructure, coupled with IoT technologies, is an essential component for making utilities and cities “smart”. ITU’s IMT2020 standards (aka 5G) focus on 3 pillars of new capability - Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC), enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) and Massive Machine Type Communications (mMTC). The new 5G capabilities are crucial for realizing the full benefits for smart utilities and smart cities. The ITU Radio communication Sector (ITU-R) has recently published Recommendation ITU-R M.2150 (Detailed specifications of the radio interfaces of IMT-2020). One of the 3 technologies to be approved is 5Gi, developed by Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI), India’s Telecom SDO. Further, the Government of India has recently adopted TSDSI’s transposed oneM2M standards as national standards for IoT/M2M technologies. These milestones are significant for implementation of standards-based solutions for various use cases and industry segments. This session had looked at the enablement for smart utilities and smart cities from the arriving 5G technologies and the new standards.

Workshop on 5G for Smart Utilities and Smart Cities held on 03 March 2021

ISGF in association with Altec organized a virtual workshop on Live Line Maintenance in Utilities as part of ISUW 2021 on 05 March 2021.Government of India has recently issued new Electricity Rules (Customer Rights) which mandates 24x7 supply of quality power to all citizens. One of the key initiatives to achieve this objective is to avoid unnecessary shutdowns of the power lines for minor repair works by electric utilities and adopt the practice of LIVE LINE (or Hot Line Maintenance. While the Extra High Voltage (EHV) transmission network operators (TRANSCO) in India has been undertaking Live Line Maintenance for decades, the Distribution Companies (DISCOM) are yet to adopt Live Line Maintenance practices. Equipment, tools, work methods and safety standards for Live Line Maintenance are matured and being used successfully in several developed and developing countries. It is high time that Indian DISCOMs should graduate to the live line maintenance regime. This workshop introduced the Live Line Maintenance Practices; Equipment, Tools and Tackles; and Safety Standards and Guidelines for Live Line Maintenance in DISCOMs and TRANSCOs.

Workshop on Live Line Maintenance Utilities on 05 March 2021

The summer temperature has been on the rise constantly all across India during the past 3 decades. Traditionally, space cooling in buildings is provided with room (window) air conditioner (AC) or centralized AC plants. With increasing economic prosperity, urbanization and rising temperatures, sale of room ACs are set to increase rapidly. Installed stock of room ACs in India increased from two million units in 2006 to 30 million units in 2017 and is expected to be between 55 - 124 million by 2030. Per another estimate, about 700 million new ACs by 2030 and 1.6 billion units by 2050 are expected to be added globally. This level of proliferation of ACs will worsen the crisis by increasing the ambient temperature and widen the divide between those who can afford to stay cool and those left out in the unbearable deadly heat.

The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) issued in March 2019 aims to reduce cooling demand by 25-30% and reduce cooling energy requirements by 25-40% by 2037-38 from 2017-18 levels. ICAP targets efficiency improvement and material substitution and related actions that will yield incremental improvements. The problem being so critical and imminent, it requires a radically different approach – incremental improvement in the efficiency of room AC units and better construction materials will not help to mitigate this challenge. District energy systems are being successfully implemented in many parts of the world and have evolved as a matured technology. In the Indian context, the district cooling system (DCS) presents an opportunity to address the space cooling challenge effectively.

Considering this, an actionable implementation plan needs to be developed focusing on both greenfield and brownfield projects along with commercially viable business models for providing cooling as a service. Government should also come up with policy and regulation both at central and state levels focusing on financing options, incentives and tariff policy for providing a push for adoption of DCS and attract investment in the sector.

Through this workshop, we have learnt from international experience and figure out the issues and challenges for DCS projects in Indian context at both technical and commercial side. This workshop will also evaluate the key activities that need to be undertaken in terms policy and regulations, commercially viable business models, innovative financing options and new technologies to implement DCS in developing countries.

Workshop on District Cooling System held on 04 March 2021

ISGF conducted a Stakeholders’ Consultation Workshop on 20th March 2021 at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India

Participants joined both physically and Virtually (online) due to COVID-19 restrictions across the country. Following were the key takeaways of the workshop:


• During the Workshop, Prosumers and Consumers expressed that they do not wish to bid/trade on a daily-basis and prefer to opt for fixed price for sale and purchase of RTPV energy.
• Fixed Price would give them better clarity on how much higher price they can sell (for a prosumer), and save (for a consumer), if they engage in P2P trading. As a result, ISGF has submitted the draft recommendations report to Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (UPPCL) for further intervention and scaling up across the state, after consulting with stakeholders.

ISGF with support of Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation organised a day-long workshop on “Introduction to Draft Guidelines of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme & Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Rollout” on 07th April 2021 at Hotel Ritz Carlton, Bengaluru. The workshop was inaugurated by G Kumar Naik, Additional Chief Secretary, Energy Department, GoK in the presence of Manu Maudgal, Director Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation and Reji Pillai, President India Smart Grid Forum. Senior Official present at the workshop were Managing Director, GESCOM; Managing Director, HESCOM; Managing Director, CESC; Director Technical, BESCOM; Director Technical, CESC; Director Technical, MESCOM; Director Technical, HESCOM; Director Technical, GESCOM. Overall, 300+ officials (230 online and 72 in-person) were present during the workshop. A detailed presentation on “Draft Guidelines on Revamped Reforms - Based Result Linked to Distribution Sector Scheme of Ministry of Power, Government of India” by was done by MD, GESCOM.

Indian and International speakers discussed several important topics like AMI – A Key Component, Common Interfaces and Integration, IT Architecture and Rollout Challenges, Advanced Analytics and Cyber Security. The workshop created a platform for further discussion with all the DISCOMs to implement AMI in their respective utilities. ISGF assured its availability and willingness to help DISCOMs to achieve their AMI Rollout plans.