Page 120 - AWSAR 2.0

96 || AWSAR Awarded Popular Science Stories - 2019
the dark and using kerosene lamps or biofuels with no other choices left. The graveness of problems gave me an astounding insight into the poor conditions of villages in India.
I came back to my regular life, but that discussion in the bus and a mere thought about the plight of villagers was not letting me have a peace of mind. It gave me my research topic, and I started discussing it with my guide and fellow students. We tried to analyse the possible shortcomings of the rural electrification schemes and the social perspective in the electrification of villages through brainstorming and discussions. In the current scenario, villages are dependent on the national electricity grid for their electricity needs. In the study, it was observed that the main reasons for electricity problems were the premium cost of laying the electric cables to each house in a village, low electricity demand and power theft in the village. In any electrified village, poor
electricity supply forces them to
also use traditional fuels, such
as kerosene, for lighting and
cooking purposes. In effect,
these households end up
paying for two power sources.
These problems challenge
the economic viability of rural
electrification. On the contrary,
there is regularized and high
electricity demand in urban
areas, leading to more revenue
for DISCOMs. Also, the lack of
social contribution towards the
maintenance and operation of
electrical equipment leads to
a longer downtime. Therefore,
a developing country such as India where most of the villages/rural areas struggle for electricity issues on a daily basis, despite the availability of grid connections, needs a huge revolution. The problem of rural electrification
can be solved in an efficient way if a bottom-up approach is implemented at the village level, making it self-sufficient in energy requirements.
The rooftop solar PV-powered stand- alone and grid-connect AC systems have been projected as an alternative source of energy generation. The solar-powered solar AC systems suffer losses due to multiple conversion stages from DC to AC and back to DC. However, rural electrification requires mainly ceiling fans, lighting and small electronic loads. It is also vital to mention here that brushless DC motor, DC-powered ceiling fans and light- emitting diode lights are more energy-efficient devices. Therefore, considering all the aspects of rural electrification, researchers across the globe have formulated a combined scheme of electricity generation and consumption at the same geographical location called s microgrid. A microgrid is a miniaturized version of the electricity grid with its own energy sources
such as wind, solar PV, etc., energy storage system and controllable flexible loads. These microgrids can connect many houses and enable power- sharing among them according to their demand. Microgrids come in two types: AC and DC microgrids, both having their own different operating voltages. DC microgrids have been recognized as a more promising choice for microgrid operation due to higher efficiency, direct interface to many types of renewable resources and energy storage systems, better compliance with
consumer electronics, etc. A typical structure of renewable energy based DC microgrid is shown in Fig. 1. Here, different energy sources, such as solar PV, windmills, fuel cell, utility grid and a variety of loads, are connected to
Environmental pollution is the greatest challenge the world is facing today. This story is about Baci who lived a happy and joyous life with his family and, all of a sudden, lost his peaceful life due to the emergence of machines. Let us see in this story how he fights back and restores the environment.