Prodded by Centre, TN plans study on virtual agri feeder segregation using smart meters
The pilot study would be carried out for nine months in about 1,200 agricultural service connections
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CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Ltd will carry out a pilot study of virtual feeder segregation, substituting physical feeder segregation with smart meters with communication facilities, in agricultural services in three agricultural feeders in Erode, Gobi, and Salem.
The pilot study would be carried out for nine months in about 1,200 agricultural service connections.
The corporation has chosen 11 KV Parapalayam feeder in Erode distribution circle to install smart meters in 490 agricultural services, 22 KV Kondaiyampalayam feeder in Gobi circle (380 agricultural connections), and 22 KV RN Palayam feeder in Salem circle (330 connections).
"The main objective of this project is to carry out a pilot study in three agriculture feeders as a substitution to physical feeder segregation by installing smart meters with communication facilities in agricultural services as instructed by the Ministry of Power through its nodal agency Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and TNERC," said a document.
An official told DT Next that the smart meter would help automatically acquire data from all agricultural consumers to avoid human intervention, monitor important energy parameters, use meter data for accurate accounting and energy balancing purposes, and generate exceptions and an MIS report for proper planning, monitoring, decision support, and corrective actions.
The meter would have a bi-directional communication facility suitable for advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) with a connect/disconnect switch.
To avoid confrontations with farmers, the smart meters would be fixed on agricultural connections with energy meters or new connections, said an official. Most connections in Tamil Nadu do not have meters due to free agricultural power supply scheme. Meters were fixed only after 2018.
Under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, the TNPDCL has identified 6,200 feeders supplying power to agricultural services and has undertaken segregation of 1,685 such feeders with more than 30 per cent agricultural load. To restrict power supply to pump sets, TNPDCL imposes restrictions on three-phase power supply so that pumps cannot be operated. But this also affects rural industries and the general public. The segregation of agricultural feeders would help the utility account for the energy supplied to the farmers.
