According to a recent report, the government has introduced discussions on measures to ensure that power projects, including those powered by renewable energy, can operate effectively during extreme heatwaves like the ones India saw this summer, where temperatures went up to 50 degrees Celsius.The report also mentioned a source saying that within the wind turbine sector, the Central Electricity Authority is addressing the issue. The report suggested increasing the heat tolerance of wind turbines to a minimum of 45 degrees Celsius. Most of the wind turbines in India are mainly built to function between 32 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius.
This summer, Northern regions have seen record-high temperatures, causing peak power demand to soar to 250 GW on the 30th of May, compared to 243 GW last September. Solar panels will also need to be improved for higher temperature resistance, with both cells and modules requiring designs that can endure higher peak temperatures. Â Sambitosh Mohapatra, a partner and leader in power and ESG at PwC India said the equipment should be designed to operate in critical temperatures which exceed 40 degrees Celsius and use insulation resources that will maintain integrity under these circumstances. He also added that the systems should monitor key parameters such as temperature, load, and vibration.
By 2030, India wants to achieve 500 GW of renewable energy capacity. Mohapatra said that to address high-temperature challenges, suitable ventilation in substations and transformer yards is very essential. To manage these temperatures, the transmission equipment industry has adopted higher standards.The officials said that, on the transmission side, the geographical temperatures are taken into consideration while designing equipment based on years of data. An official from the Power Grid Corporation of India said that the utility’s infrastructure is well-equipped to operate efficiently in high-temperature conditions. During the summer seasons, preparations are made when an increase in temperature generally increases load.
