Power dept to automate ops to smoothen supply, fix faults

Panaji: The Goa electricity department has almost negligible automation in its power distribution system to enable it to quickly identify and rectify faults, the department said. It is in talks to implement a supervisory control and data acquisition system (Scada) up to the 33kV substation level, the department submitted to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission, which regulates the power sector in Goa. Automation will be the next step, the department said.

The lack of the Scada hampered the effort to automate the distribution activities, the department said. Once the system is adopted, it will enable the department to have advanced data collection capabilities and hence play a significant role in power system operation.

It will enable the department to do more than just collect data.

The Scada will automate the entire distribution network by facilitating remote monitoring, coordinating, and controlling the power distribution to consumers. The system will replace manual labour to perform distribution tasks and manual processes in distribution systems with automated equipment, the department said.

Smartgrid will be introduced by the department as a pilot project to control consumer loads during peak demand periods. The pros and cons of this project will be studied in one area before implementing it in other areas.

The department also has plans to implement central govt’s revamped power distribution scheme, which includes the installation of prepaid smart meters for all consumers along with a unified billing and collection system.

Other infrastructure works to strengthen and modernise the system and measures for loss reduction are envisaged by the scheme.

These and other measures will help the department optimally utilise its employee resources, especially the ones at the site level — contractual staff, meter readers, line staff, and data entry operators.