Falling power tariffs call for policy reforms

Two significant developments took place recently that can potentially alter the landscape
Two significant developments took place recently that can potentially alter the landscape
Tin the power distribution sector. First is the record low tariffs achieved in the second windTin the power distribution sector. First is the record low tariffs achieved in the second windTenergy auction, and second is the nationwide household electrification scheme “Saubhagya”
launched by the Prime Minister.
Wind tariffs touched an all-time low of Rs.2.64 per unit (kwh) in the second auction concluded
on October 4, falling from Rs.3.46 per unit seen in the first auction held in February 2017. Wind
tariffs have traditionally been in Rs.4-6 per unit band in the feed-in tariff regime.
With renewable energy tariffs seeing precipitous fall, the question arises whether these tariffs
are sustainable in the long-run, given that typical power purchase agreements span 25 years.
In the case of solar, there is visible aggression among developers. Solar companies have
expanded teams and capabilities in anticipation of major projects. The quantum of capacity of-
fered under auctions has belied expectations, which has resulted in developers turning aggres-
sive at available auctions. As of now, developers appear confident because Chinese module
prices are falling, allowing lower capital costs for grid-connected projects.
In the case of wind also, developers are confident that the low tariffs can be sustained. These
auctions also give developers an opportunity to streamline their projects costs through mea-
sures aiming at technical and commercial efficiency.
Even if one assumes that developers can honour their aggressive tariffs for the tenure of the
PPA, it is worth pondering over what happens to earlier PPAs, which are still in force, and
where tariffs are much higher. The biggest concern is that the fall in solar and wind tariffs has
been abrupt and not gradual. This gives rise to a scene where there are several PPAs in force
and with a wide-ranging tariff band, including, for instance, tariffs above Rs.5 per unit and those
below Rs.3 per unit.
It is likely that power utilities will try and seek renegotiation of their old PPAs and there could a
possibility of some utilities reneging from payment to power suppliers. This is where develop-
ers need to be protected through policy intervention. In this reckoning, the recent announce-
ment by power minister R.K. Singh that state electricity regulatory commissions should be
given more independence, especially in taking punitive action against erring power distribution
utilities, is reassuring.
Speaking of the Saubhagya scheme that envisages electrification of a whopping 40 million
households by December 31, 2018, can contribute meaningfully towards the uplift of a big pro-
portion of rural India. The Rs.16,000-crore scheme also opens business opportunities to play-
ers in the low-voltage electrical equipment manufacturing and contracting space. It should be
mentioned that Saubhagya’s overall success will be governed by three states—Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar and Madhya Pradesh—that together account for nearly 65 per cent of India’s total num-
ber non-electrified households.
October 20174T&D India
Edit pagE
Falling power tariffs call for
policy reform
I never see what has been done;
I only see what remains to be done— Buddha
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Mishra on behalf of Amber Media LLP and printed at
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Venugopal Pillai
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contents
October 20176T&D India
8 T&D NEWS l PGCIL emerges lowest bidder for ERSSS-XXI
l Leoni upgrades Pune plant
l Phase-I of Champa-Kurukshetra UHVDC transmission system completed
14 INTERVIEW l Plastic can define a sustainable roadmap for efficient equipment
Vijay Kumar Gupta, Founder & Managing Director, Calco Group
35 TECHNICAL ARTICLE l Energy saving opportunities through Variable Frequency Drivefor Commercial Air Conditioners
Focus: Power Factor Correction
38 Special Report l Three states will drive Saubhagya’s success
20 INTERVIEW l We see huge business opportunity from power utilities
Balakrishnan Natarajan, Managing Director & CEO, EPCOS India Pvt Ltd
22 INTERVIEW l PMX aims to be a complete powerhouse in power solutions
Sony Jacob, Director, Power Matrix Solutions Pvt Ltd
Cover Photo: www.system-electric.de
24 Expert View l Power Conditioning : The Road Ahead
Subhash Gupta, B.Sc. Engg, MIE, FIV, C.Eng. (I), is CEO, Standard Capacitors; and
Ms Ritika Subhash, B.Tech, MS (MIS), is Operations Manager, Standard Capacitors.
49 Innovation l IoT-ready Compact Substations by Reliance Energy
Special Feature: Power Continuity
29 EHV Testing l India successfully completes online testing of 765kV transformer
26 LEAD STORY l Brazilian power transmission beckons Indian developers
30 iNTERVIEW l We are bullish about growth opportunities in India
Palash Nandy, Chief Commercial Officer, Numeric India
32 INTERVIEW l ‘Digital India’ can be a big demand driver
Sushil Virmani, Managing Director, Socomec Innovative Power Solutions Pvt Ltd
Also: l Orders & Contracts (18) l New Launches (44) l Photo News (48)

T&D India October 20178
T&D News
ower Grid Corporation
of India has reportedly
emerged as the lowest bidder
for a transmission scheme in Bihar,
to be developed under the tariff-
based competitive bidding route.
According the reliable information,
PGCIL has quoted the lowest bid
for developing the Eastern Region
System Strengthening Scheme
(ERSS)-XXI in Bihar, which has an
estimated cost of Rs.1,320 crore.
REC Transmission Projects
Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Rural
Electrification Corporation Ltd, was
the bid process coordinator. A shell
companyERSSXXITransmissionLtd
was formed for the project and this
shell company will be subsequently
transferred to PGCIL, the successful
bidder.
The project aims at boosting the
transmission infrastructure in Bihar
in view of the estimated load demand
of 11,000 mw in the northern state,
by 2021-22. The transmission
scheme involves the setting of two
new 400/220/132kV substations
in north Bihar—at Sitamarhi and
Saharsa, and one similar substation
at Chandauti in south Bihar.
The two existing substations at
Darbhanga and Motihari would
also be extended. The 400/132kV
Motihari substation with a current
transformation capacity of 315 MVA
is owned by Essel Infra and is part of
the Darbanga-Motihari scheme that
Essel is developing in Bihar.
ERSSS-XXI also involves setting
up of two 400kV double-circuit
lines—one from Darbhanga to
Sitamarhi, and the other from
Sitamarhi to Motihari.
Power Grid Corporation of India
currently has ten projects under
development, won under the TBCB
mechanism. Of this one project—the
Vemagiri transmission scheme—has
been officially scrapped. The ERSSS-
XXI scheme will be the eleventh
TBCB project for PGCIL, which has
so far recorded 40 per cent success
rate in terms of number of projects. n
PGCIL emerges lowest bidder for ERSSS-XXI
New India MD for
CyanConnode
CyanConnode, the
world leader in
narrowband radio mesh
networks, recently announced the
appointment of Anil Daulani as Managing
Director India, with responsibility for
managing the India operation including
sales, customer delivery, technical pre-
sales and support.
A release from CyanConnode observed
that Anil joins CyanConnode from Tech
Mahindra, where he held the position of
Global Head Vice President Utilities for
the last five years. Prior to joining Tech
Mahindra, Anil led the Indian utilities
business initiatives for HCL Infosystems
for seven years. Anil is a highly
experienced executive with knowledge of
both the energy sector and IT solutions
and has established strategic relationships
with CEO/CXO officers at both public and
private utilities, resulting in over $300
million contract wins.
“The CyanConnode pipeline of
commercial opportunities in India has
grown significantly to $84 million. Anil will
be responsible for both the conversion of
these opportunities into contracts as well
as their successful delivery, which
will result in substantive growth in both
revenues and customer payments,” the
release said.
Kabra takes on as
IEEMA President
Indian Electrical
and Electronics
Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) has
announced that Shreegopal Kabra has
taken on as the role of the President of
the association, for the year 2017-2018.
Kabra, a business leader, philanthropist
and global entrepreneur, is Managing
Director and President of RR Global, a
$650-million diversified group of industries
focusing mainly on infrastructure
electrical solutions. As President-IEEMA,
Shreegopal Kabra, plans to facilitate the
growth and sustainability of all 800+
members, proactively engage on behalf
of all members with the government and
its agencies on issues of concern and
challenges faced by the industry, an IEEMA
release said. In a related development,
Harish Agarwal, CEO, Supreme Co.
Pvt Ltd and R.K. Chugh Location Head,
VP –Energy Management Digital Grid
(South Asia), Siemens Ltd have been
named Vice Presidents of IEEMA for the
year 2017-18.
Black Veatch
elevates Rajiv
Menon
Black Veatch has
appointed Rajiv Menon
as new Managing Director for its India
business. Rajiv joined the company in
2013 as Executive Director of Commercial
and Business Development. Since then
the company has played an increasingly
significant role in ground-breaking national
and local government, and private sector,
infrastructure projects across the oil
and gas, power, water sectors. Rajiv
has strong techno-commercial acumen,
and chemical engineering and financial
management degrees from reputed Indian
universities, a release from BV said.
It may be mentioned that Black Veatch
is also providing consultancy services for
MunicipalCorporationofGreaterMumbai’s
(MCGM) Malad zone wastewater treatment
facility. The project, once commissioned,
is likely to be one of India’s largest in
terms of treatment capacity. The company
is also developing India’s largest recycled
water master plan for MCGM.
P
New Appointments

TD News
TD India October 201710
eoni, a European provider of cables and cable
systems to the automotive sector and other
industries, recently inaugurated an electron
beam accelerator at its manufacturing plant at near
Pune in Maharashtra. The new installation is equipped
to provide high performance cables to customers from
various industries such as railway or solar, a release from
Leoni said.
Leoni has invested more than 10 million euros into
the expansion of its Pune location. Now, the combined
production area has increased to more than 20,000 sqm
and a capacity to manufacture 80,000 km per year of
electron beam cross linked cables, which ensure a higher
degree of safety, superior performance and greater
efficiency.
In the e-beam process, Leoni treats its cables with
extremely accelerated electrons, thus crosslinking their
chemical structure. As a consequence, the cables obtain
the properties of comparatively more expensive, usually
more difficult to process high performance products.
The e-beam process makes cables, for example, more
dimensionally stable when subjected to heat, more
resistant to chemicals, solvents and temperature
fluctuation as well as harder and more resistant to
abrasion, the release said. n
Leoni upgrades Pune plant
L
his year EPCOS bagged two awards at the 42nd ELCINA-
EFY Awards 2016-17 for excellence in Electronics Hardware
Manufacturing Services.
The First prize for ELCINA-EFY Awards for Excellence in
Environmental Management (Large Scale) was awarded to
EPCOS India. EPCOS has been recognized for their exceptional
performance demonstrated in establishing an effective
Environment Management System which had delivered great
results in the field of resource optimization and minimization of
environmental impacts. A highly experienced environmental team
with continuous investment in adoption of cleaner technologies
showsthe commitment levelofEPCOS India Management towards
the environment. Strong contribution towards water conservation
initiatives in villages as a CSR contribution is another appreciable
step to help villagers retain water and increase the ground water
level for agricultural purposes.
EPCOS India was also awarded the First Prize for Excellence in
Exports in the Large Scale category. EPCOS showed a significant
increase in its share of exports, despite a difficult market situation
around the world. EPCOS plants are certified to ISO 9001, ISO/TS
16949, IRIS AND ISO 14001, The products have global approvals
like UL, VDE, CSA, TUV, BIS, etc and these products are exported
to over 40 countries worldwide.
EPCOS India Pvt. Ltd. is a group company of TDK Corporation,
Japan. EPCOS is involved in design, manufacturing and
marketing of a broad range of top quality products such as AC-
mfd. capacitors, LV Power Factor Correction Capacitors (resin
inert gas and oil filled designs) among many other products. TDK
is one of the leading electronic manufacturers in the world. n
EPCOS India wins ELCINA awards
T
Gravita India
expands Chittoor
plant
Gravita India has expanded the capacity of its
Chittor lead recycling plant in Andhra Pradesh from
12,000 tpa to 28,000 tpa, with an investment of
Rs.20 crore. The Chittoor plant manufactures lead
and lead products using lead scrap obtained from
batteries.
In a stock exchange filing, Gravita India said that
the company will procure lead battery scrap available
at telecom players, UPS OEMs, IT companies and
automobile workshops in the southern markets.
Gravita has signed long-term purchase agreements
with establishments to procure their lead scrap
pan-India. Finished goods (lead products) will be
exported from the Chennai Port, the company said.
According to information available, Gravita India
has lead recycling plants at Jaipur (Rajasthan)
and Gandhinagar (Gujarat) with a total capacity of
around 58,400 tpa. Including the newly-expanded
Chittoor plant, the total lead recycling capacity of
Gravita India is around 86,000 tpa.
Studies estimate that over 70 per cent of the
world’s lead consumption is in lead-acid batteries.
Also, over 50 per cent of the lead consumed globally
is recycled. In developed countries, this proportion
is higher; for instance, 70 per cent in USA.
Leoni has two manufacturing facilities in
India, both located in Maharashtra.
Picture shows Pune plant.

TD News
E has announced that it has recently
commissioned the second pole of the ±800kV
UHVDC Champa-Kurukshetra transmission
system. The two-phase project, owned by Power Grid
Corporation of India, aims to transfer up to 6,000 mw
of electricity from Chhattisgarh in eastern to northern
India.
Presented below is an overview of the project:
Phase-I
The first phase of the project entails one bipole (two
poles) and a transmission system. The two poles together
have a transmission capacity of 3,000 mw.
Pole 1 was put into operations on March 24, 2017. It
consists of an HVDC terminal at Champa in Chhattisgarh
(Western Region) and another at Kurukshetra in
Uttar Pradesh (Northern Region). The two terminals
are connected by the 800kV Champa-Kurukshetra
HVDC line, spanning 2,576 circuit km. Pole 1 and the
transmission line was built with a total investment of
around Rs.6,300 crore. Pole 2 was commissioned on
September 25, 2017.
Phase-I is part of the “±800kV, 3000-mw WR-NR HVDC
Interconnector Transmission System for IPP Projects in
Chhattisgarh” and is denoted as CK-1. [CK stands for
Champa-Kurukshetra]
Phase-II
Thesecondphaseoftheprojectispartofthe““Transmission
System Strengthening in WR-NR Transmission corridor
for IPP Projects in Chhattisgarh” and involves a second
bipole (two poles) with a total transmission capacity of
3,000 mw. The project, also to be constructed by GE, is
scheduled to complete by end-2018, at a total cost of
Rs.5,200 crore. Phase-II is denoted as CK-2. [CK stands
for Champa-Kurukshetra]
Objective: The 800kV UHVDC Champa-Kurukshetra
system, in its entirety, will help transmit up to 6,000
mw of electricity from upcoming power projects in the
Raigarh, Champa and Raipur regions of Chhattisgarh,
to consumption centres like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar
Pradesh, Rajasthan and adjoining areas in northern
India.
HVDC Advantage: The deployment of HVDC
technology ensures much higher (up to three times) power
transfer capability when compared with conventional
alternating current (AC) technology.
Technical Highlight: In this UHVDC project, dedicated
metallic return conductors that eliminate the need for
ground electrodes have been deployed for the first time
in any 800kV power transmission system, according to
information available from GE. n
Phase-I of Champa-Kurukshetra UHVDC transmission system completed
G
ashi Electricals, amongst India’s largest channel partner, has
launched an ecommerce portal under its flagship brand name,
www.vashielecticals.com, for its consumers and businesses to shop
on the web. Through its portal it has began selling motors, wires and
cables, switchgears, gearboxes, motors and allied electrical products
online. Initially, VashiElectricals.
com will sell around 15,000 SKUs
from 15 different electrical brands.
However the expansion plan is to
add more than 100,000 SKU’s and
premier electrical brands in the
next 01 year, a company release
said.
According to Madan Dodeja, CEO, Vashi Electricals, “Our Idea of
e-commerce is to offer delightful experience to the Vashi Customers’
and offer a seamless purchase experience for consumers, and ensure
that consumer gets genuine product. Our commitment of 72 hours
flat delivery will ensure that the logistics is handled meticulously and
our PAN India warehouses will help in achieving it.” n
Vashi Electricals launches e-commerce portal
V
BSES opens DSKs for
quick customer service
BSES is rolling-out Digi Seva Kendras (DSK) that
are state-of-the-art centres modeled on the line
of Passport Seva Kendras. These DSKs will offer
quick, convenient and hassle free single window
services to customers, who can apply for a host
of services like new connection, load/ name/
category change etc.
Leveraging technology, including Aadhar
card based authentication, DSKs will provide
a complete digital experience to a customer.
Looking at their busy schedules, a customer can
book a prior appointment for the DSK through
the BSES website and mobile App. The end-to-
end use of digitized paperless process will help
in substantially reducing the turnaround time
by from 8 days to under 4 for in case of a new
connection.
Champa-Kurukshetra UHVDC Transmission System
Phase-1 (CK-1) Phase-2 (CK-2)
Pole-1 Pole-2 Pole-1 Pole-2
Rating +/- 800kV +/- 800kV +/- 800kV +/- 800kV
Capacity 1,500 mw 1,500 mw 1,500 mw 1,500 mw
COD* Mar-17 Sep-17 --- Dec-18 (Estimated) ---
*Commercial operations date

interview
We understand that Calco Poly
Technik supplies high-performance
plastics to the electrical equipment
industry. Take us through the
products that you supply to.
Our product range covers
diversified product range in
conventional and new technology
space. Our PiCAN range of polymer
coversallaestheticproductrangelike
switches. For switchgears we have
CiLON range of products for flame
retardant and high performance. We
also have developed a new product
range to help replace CFL with
LEDs. You will also find our range
of ZiLITE products for LED housing
that manages thermal heat for long
term performance. We also have new
diffusor range in PiCAN that meets
optimum diffusion/transmittance
for varied applications in bulbs and
tubes.
Wearealsoworkingsimultaneously
to create sustainable solutions in
electrical industry by innovating
with light-weighing, environment-
friendly and recyclable material.
Calco, as we learn, is opening a new
plant in north India. Tell us more.
Yes, we plan to start our plant at
SonipatinHaryanabytheendof2018
with a production capacity of 20,000
tonnes per year. This will be one of
the biggest capacities in India for
high performance polymer. This unit
is designed to run at high production
speeds that will be capable to handle
materials with integrated automation
systems. Not just this, the unit will
be most energy efficient with clear
energy consumption through captive
solar power generation. We plan to
extend our existing range with new
polymer compounds in PPS, PEEK,
ASA, POM. This unit will also have
the lowest carbon footprint in the
industry.
Tell us about your RD set up and
the continual product engineering
development of your products.
We have a team of experienced
polymer and chemical engineers
having extensive experience in
different product applications. They
Part of the diversified
Calco Group, Calco
Poly Technik is a global
player in the field of
high performance
engineering plastic
catering to the
automotive, electrical
and electronics industry.
We have Vijay Kumar
Gupta discussing in
detail the role of plastic
in electrical equipment
like switchgear and
lighting devices. With
increasing adoption of
environment-friendly
polymers, Gupta feels
that conventional heavy
metal parts are being
rapidly replaced by
plastic, giving benefits
of higher productivity
and lower cost of
production.
Plastic can define a sustainable
roadmap for efficient equipment
— Vijay Kumar Gupta, Founder Managing Director,
Calco Group
Technicians at work in Calco’s plant at Industrial Estate Kundli, Sonipat district, Haryana

interview
bring with them over 50 years of rich
experience in product testing and
innovation. Equipped with all latest
technology, they are continually
working with our application
development team and customers to
identify opportunities in changing
consumer expectations.
What is India’s import dependency
as far as raw material for high-
performance plastic is concerned?
India is a relative small market in the
$67-billion global high performance
polymer industry. Thus, all raw
materials from high performance
plastic are imported. You can see
several multinational companies
that have started their commercial
activities by having local office
in India or planning investment
strategy for manufacturing in India.
This industry will be supported
heavily by ‘Make in India’ scheme,
only if foreign investors see India
holding a competitive edge over
other Asian countries.
In electrical equipment, it is usually
the product or the brand that gains
prominence. As far as the consumer
isconcerned,thereislittleawareness
of critical inputs like plastics that
go into the product. Tell us about
the criticality of high-performance
plastics used in various electrical
equipment.
That holds true for any intermediate
material industry. But the fact
is these industries are the very
heart of consumer goods. Brand is
only the designer of the product.
Technology and performance is
defined by the domain expert of that
very product. In our case, plastic is
the face and the heart of product.
Plastic gives your aesthetic appeal
with colour, gloss, etc. It gives you
the ability to form any shape. This
is a byproduct of performance
that plastic offers; it keeps you
out of trouble during any fire, it
gives strength with reinforcement
materials for durability, in heat
sensitive applications like lighting
our materials gives excellent thermal
conductivity. In short, we help make
your life beautiful, safe and strong.
Can the selection of plastic affect
the energy efficiency of electrical
equipment?
Primary energy demand in India is
around 1,500 million ton equivalent
of oil by 2030. This will put economic
pressure on imports bill. One way of
reducing our dependency on energy
requirement is making energy
efficientequipments.Fundamentally
this is possible by minimizing
losses of energy transmission and
increased conductivity, both thermal
(heat) and electrical. Traditionally,
plastic is poor conductor of thermal
and electricity. They have found
limited use in electrical equipment
due to their unwanted behavior.
With polymer modification, we
have developed thermal conductive
material that can dissipate higher
Watt per sqm. This technology has
significantly improved energy-
efficient use of LED with low energy
consumption. Similarly, modern
panel displays and solar cells are all
created by use of high conductive
plastic. These components are
integral part in efficient electronic
circuit for better ratings of electrical
equipments. Plastic thus plays a very
pivotal role in defining a sustainable
roadmap for efficient equipment.
Please tell us more about your
plans of catering to more products
and companies in the electrical
equipment space.
We are always looking to collaborate
with OEMs in electrical space to
meet challenging demands and
stricter government norms. We have
created wide range of environment-
friendly flame retardant polymers
that can replace conventional heavy
metal materials in applications such
as MCB, MCCB. In addition, they
also offer low smoke, preventing
choking in case of fire. We are also
working with leading lighting OEMs
to make affordable LED product
range in downlighter, bulbs, tube
which has potential to replace all
existing incandescent light bulbs/
CFL. You can soon see complete
housing assembly made of plastic
replacing metal giving benefits of
higher productivity and lower total
cost of production.
Our technologies can see light
of day only if brands are willing to
upgrade their products in line with
international standards. n
Calco Group
Artist’s Impression of Calco Poly Technik’s new plant coming up at
Bahalgarh in Sonipat district, Haryana
Calco’s manufacturing unit is equipped with
modern testing equipment
interview

KEC International has reported the
winning of orders worth Rs.1,024
crore across diverse business
segments, including Rs.610 crore in
the power TD segment. Important
orders were two turnkey mandates
for construction of a 400kV line for
Power Grid Corporation of India, and
other transmission-related orders
overseas. The cables business also
reported clinching orders valued at
Rs.245 for EHV/HT/LT and other
cables from a variety of customers.
The railways business also landed
orders worth Rs.82 crore for railway
electrification works in northern
India.
Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd
has announced the winning of orders
worth Rs.903 crore to design, supply
and construct 500kV and 225/90kV
transmission lines in Thailand and
Africa. The company announced this
order in a communication to stock
exchange, alongside a pipeline order
from Kochi Salem Pipeline Pvt Ltd.
Ducon Technologies India Pvt Ltd
has secured three electrification
work projects in Madhya Pradesh
in national competitive bidding, the
company said in a stock exchange
filing. The total value of the order is
approximately Rs.50 crore. These are
turnkey projects for strengthening
of sub-transmission and distribution
networks in three districts of Madhya
Pradesh. The project involves, feeder
separation, setting up of new sub-
stations, augmentation of existing
sub-stations under the Integrated
Power Distribution Scheme (IPDS).
GE has announced that it has been
selected by the Shapoorji Pallonji
Group (SP Group) to supply the
power generation equipment for
the upcoming 220-mw combined
cycle power plant in the Bhola
district of Bangladesh. This will be
GE’s second power plant in Bhola
of the same capacity with the first
being commissioned in 2015. GE
Power will supply the full suite of
engineered equipment package
(EEP) for the project, including two
6F.03 gas turbines, two heat recovery
steam generators (HRSG), one
steam turbine generator, condenser
and associated control systems. GE
will also provide technical expertise
during the installation phase of the
project. Once completed, Bhola
power plant will be the fleet leader
for GE’s heavy duty 6F.03 gas turbine
with advance gas path, delivering
higher levels of efficiency, flexibility
and reliability typically only seen
in large capacity power plants, a
release from GE said.
Surya Roshni has won an order
worth Rs.48.60 crore from Energy
Efficiency Services Ltd for supplying
LED lighting equipment. In a stock
exchange filing, Surya Roshni said
that the total order included Rs.18.28
crore worth of LED luminaires that
will be supplied to United Kingdom.
The remaining Rs.30.32 crore worth
of equipment will be LED streetlights
to be deployed in Rajasthan, Gujarat
and Telangana, as part of the Street
Lighting National Programme.
GE Power India Ltd(formerlyAlstom
India Ltd) has reported the winning
of an order worth Rs.327.50 crore
from Doosan Power Systems India
Pvt Ltd for the supply of four units
of 660-mw electrostatic precipitators
(ESP). These ESPs will be deployed
at the 2x660-mw Obra and the
2x660-mw Jawaharpur supercritical
power projects, being developed by
state power generation utility Uttar
Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan
Nigam Ltd. The precipitators will be
equipped with latest GE controllers,
a stock exchange filing of GE
Power India said. Doosan Power
Systems India Pvt Ltd is the EPC
contractor for both the Obra and
Jawaharpur projects. While Obra is
a brownfield expansion, Jawaharpur
(implemented by a wholly-owned
subsidiary of UPRVUNL) is a
greenfield project.
Ujaas Energy has received a letter
of intent from Oil India Ltd for an
EPC contract for a solar energy
generation project of 500 kw. This
project will be installed at a pump
station of Oil India at Jorhat in
Assam. Indore-based Ujaas Energy
announced this in a stock exchange
filing. Ujaas also announced the
receipt of a letter of allocation from
Solar Energy Corporation of India
for implementing grid-connected
rooftopsolarPVsystems,aggregating
20.03 mw, on government buildings
spread over the country.
Inox Wind Ltd has won a deal for
developing a 100-mw wind power
project for Adani Green Energy, a
part of the Adani Group, at Kutch in
Gujarat. The project is scheduled to
be executed over the next 6-9 months
and will be executed on a turnkey
basis. Inox Wind will supply, erect
and commission its advanced 2mw
wind turbine generators of 120m
hub height and 113m rotor diameter.
Inox Wind will be responsible from
development and construction to
commissioning and will also provide
long-term OM services.
SiemensGamesahasbeenmandated
by an undisclosed independent
power producer to develop India’s
first large commercial hybrid wind-
solar project, where a 28.8-mw
solar facility will be connected to an
existing 50-mw wind farm. As part of
the contract, Siemens Gamesa will
handle the design, engineering and
commissioning of the new solar plant
(including the supply of photovoltaic
inverters made by Gamesa Electric)
and its hybridisation with an
existing wind farm, equipped with
the Siemens Gamesa turbines. The
project, located in Karnataka, is
scheduled to be commissioned by
the end of 2017. n
Orders Contracts

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November
2017

interview
We understand that
EPCOS India is planning
significant capacity
expansion at its Nashik
plant. Please tell us
more.
We are increasing the
production capacity of power
capacitors, motor run and motor
start capacitors. Currently, there is
major expansion happening at our
Nashik facility, with an addition
of nearly 20,000 sqm. We have
planned to put up robotic plant
for capacitor manufacturing. This
will translate into our Nashik plant
becoming India’s largest capacitors
manufacturing unit.
Some five years ago, EPCOS
opened its Bawal plant in
Haryana, strengthening EPCOS’
manufacturing presence in India.
Tell us how the Bawal plant has
helped EPCOS come closer to its
customers in north India?
The Bawal plant in Haryana has
been fully operational since 2012.
We have various customers like LG,
Panasonic, Diaken, in the home
appliances sector, and their capacitor
needs are being fulfilled
from here. The Bawal
plant also acts a feeder
for the power capacitors
markets in Delhi, Haryana
and nearby states.
How is the Bawal plant doing in
terms of exports?
We have transferred one line
from China to Bawal (capacitors
with aluminum construction and
aluminum top) and a majority of
these products are being exported.
How has been EPCOS’ overall
growth in India?
The growth of our business in
India over the past 20 years has
been very satisfying. The initial 15
years continuously gave us healthy,
double-digit growth, supported by
several additions in the product
offerings to the market. We have
been adapting our organization,
both in manufacturing and sales, to
match the market development and
we will continue to do so.
Power factor correction is emerging
as an important area with respect
EPCOS, a TDK Group
company, develops,
manufactures and
markets electronic
components and
systems, focusing on
technology markets
that include automotive
electronics, industrial
electronics and
consumer electronics
as well as information
and communication
technology.
We have in this
exclusive interaction,
Balakrishnan Natarajan
discussing the Indian
business of EPCOS.
Natarajan explains that
EPCOS, thanks to its
wide product portfolio,
is geared up to meet
India’s growing demand
from a diversity of
sectors, especially
the power distribution
segment. An interaction
by Venugopal Pillai.
We see huge business opportunity
from power utilities
— Balakrishnan Natarajan, Managing Director CEO,
EPCOS India Pvt Ltd

to energy efficiency. Given that
EPCOS is a strong player in this
niche domain, how do you see
opportunities in India in the years
ahead?
With reference to the power sector,
there have been several government
initiatives with huge funding
support such as the Integrated
Power Development Scheme (IPDS)
and Ujwal DISCOM Assurance
Yojana (UDAY), where state utilities
get support through Central funding
to improve their quality of power,
thereby reducing transmission losses
and moving towards 24x7 power.
Capacitors for power distribution
applications help in improving
the power factor by reducing the
reactive power losses. Several
state utilities are in the process of
consolidating their requirements
and tendering for these capacitors
both in the medium-voltage and low-
voltage range. Based on our strong
portfolio of capacitors designed and
manufactured in India, we see huge
opportunities and business coming
up in this area.
Some power utilities are known
to penalize industrial consumers
for poor power factor ratio. What
is your overall view? Do you also
feel that consumers maintaining a
healthy power factor ratio need to
be rewarded?
A majority of industrial consumers
are well aware about the penalty
for poor power factor ratio and the
rewardsforhealthypowerfactorratio.
In this environment, many experts
believe that rewarding such behavior
will help energy conservation. As
a leading manufacturer of PFC
capacitors and key components,
we are well-prepared to support
our customers with state-of-the-art
power quality solutions that will
help them to achieve their energy-
saving goals.
Do you see your proportion of
business from power utilities rising
in the coming years?
As discussed earlier, there are several
government schemes which have
lead to major business opportunities
from power utilities. Recently our
Honorable Prime Minister also
announced a Rs.16,000-crore
budget for the Saubhagya household
electrification scheme.
Overall, what is the level of
awareness of power factor
correction amongst industrial
consumers? Do you feel that
consumers are proactively going in
for PFC solutions irrespective of the
intervention from power discoms?
Consumers are well aware that if
they maintain unity power factor
they would receive maximum
benefits from the utilities. Some of
the industries are conscious about
energy conservation at their plants.
Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
asks industries to submit their
energy conservation or energy
efficiency targets, especially for large
organizations.Inmostorganizations,
there is an energy conservation
department that focuses on this and
defines energy targets for the year.
Do you think that some amount of
power factor correction could also
be implemented at the residential
level?
For individual customers, it could be
a challenge to maintain and install
PFC systems, due to it being a single-
phase load. Utilities are maintaining
power factor at the transformer level,
which is then being fed to the small
residential houses.
Tell us about the extent of
localization of key EPCOS products
in India. In other words, are there
productsinEPCOS’globalportfolio,
which are relevant to India, but are
not yet manufactured here?
It is actually the other way around!
We manufacture all the products here
in India, right from motor run, motor
start, low voltage capacitors, med
voltage capacitors for power factor
correction and key components,
which are also exported globally.
We started our operations in
India as an export oriented unit
(EOU), and even today close to 60
per cent of our production, namely
film capacitors and ferrite cores, is
exported out of India. We take pride
that our products are exported across
the globe to Japan and the Far East,
NAFTA, Middle East, Europe and
South American countries.
What would you regard as your
principal business growth drivers
in India?
With the Indian government’s
focus on the reformation and
transformation of the economy under
a wide range of initiatives, including
Make in India, Digital Governance,
Infra Development, Renewable
Energy, Inclusive Growth and others,
many promising opportunities are
opening up for TDK as a strong and
reliable partner. Among others, they
include:
Energy sufficiency, 24x7 power,•
rural electrification, power for all,
renewable energy with emphasis
on solar energy
Road and rail infrastructure•
Smart cities•
Mobile phone manufacturing•
Automotive sector, especially•
electric vehicles
For all of these areas, TDK has
a strong portfolio of electronic
components and solutions to support
the achievement of India’s ambitious
goals. n
EPCOS India Pvt Ltd
TD India 21 October 2017

interview
PMX is known for providing
end-to-end power conditioning
solutions. Tell us what the practical
implications of terms like power
quality and power conditioning
are.
Today, there is an ever-increasing
pressure for maximizing throughput
and hence realizing the highest
return on investment (RoI) from
our capital employed. This calls
for very high-end automation and
automation brings along with it the
needs for controlled power supplies
and non-linear loads. Increasing
quantum of the non-linear loads
results in very high harmonics in
the electrical distribution systems,
a significant power quality (PQ)
issue in power systems. According
to some industry experts, non-
linear loads are approaching 75-
90 per cent of the loading on our
nation’s electricity grid. In some
data center applications, we find
excessively high load currents in the
neutral wires causing overheating,
Interference in telecommunication
systems and equipment, failure or
malfunction of computers, servers
etc. Similar instances are getting
common in industrial installations
as well.
Our huge experience has built the
required competence in Team PMX
to provide solutions for all power
quality (PQ) related problems, but
our focus over the next few years
would be the get credited as the best
solution provider for reactive power
compensation solutions (harmonic
filtering and power factor correction)
from India. We believe that this
segment is underserved and hence
has huge potential.
Though power conditioning is a big
industry in developed countries,
India has still to catch up. What is
your view?
In India, “No Gain, No Pain” is
the theory. Unless we have a gain
we will not put any efforts in to
the same. For years, SEBs have
provided some form of incentives for
Founded in 2000 by a
team of technocrats,
Power Matrix Solutions
Pvt Ltd, popularly
known as PMX, is a
leading name in the field
of power conditioning
solutions. In this
exclusive interaction
with TD India, we
have Sony Jacob
telling us how PMX has
become a complete
solutions provider for
all power quality-related
problems, and why
PMX will be focusing
increasingly on reactive
power compensation
solutions in the years to
come.
PMX aims to be a complete
powerhouse in power solutions
— Sony Jacob, Director,
Power Matrix Solutions Pvt Ltd

improving power factor and hence
every industry in India uses power
factor correction measures, although
there is still scope for improvement.
Today harmonics is getting some
attention, as harmonics can have
a damaging effect on capacitors
and that can reduce power factor
and hence incentives can come
down. But in developed countries,
the issue of stable and good power
quality is designed in to the system
at the design stage itself, and this
then governs the selection of each
and every equipment in the system.
Good PQ is not left to chance, it is
designed by default.
Please discuss the various solutions
offered by PMX in the field of power
conditioning.
We would like to stick to our focus
of delivery world class solutions for
reactive power compensation from
here in India. All our harmonic
filtering solutions are marketed
under the maxPower brand. They
are differentiated as: maxPowerPS
Passive Harmonic Filters;
maxPowerAS – Active Harmonic
Filters; and, maxPowerHS – Hybrid
Harmonic Filters.
Our solutions can be deployed
for network voltages of 200V; 400V;
480V; 1000V; right up to 33kV.
What are the industries that you
cater to? Apart from traditional
manufacturing industries, do
you see growing demand from
commercial and residential
customers?
Power is common across all sectors,
be it industrial, residential or
commercial. It is only the quantum
that varies. Hence we see the growth
coming from all sectors (rrivate and
government). Here the focus of our
industry peers varies, some have
an enhanced focus on the IT sector,
whereas some on the steel sector,
and some others on the mall and IT
sector but we have been fortunate to
have sector-agnostic approach and
have had good exposure to almost
all sectors uniformly.
Assuming that customers need
customized solutions, is there scope
to offer standardized solutions, at
least for broad industry verticals?
Traditionally,wehavebeenattending
to our customers directly as putting
together an effective reactive power
compensation solution is an iterative
process and the steps involved begin
with the initial client discussion,
followedbyawalkthroughsurveyand
detailed electrical audit; designing
the solution and evalua tion of the
effectiveness of the solution through
simulation models and finally, if
need be, doing the fine tuning at
site for delivering the committed
results. This in PMX is called the PQ
Simplified – 4D Methodology – for
solving the reactive power problems
to any scale.
Our efforts are on to find out the
best possible model for scaling up
this business opportunity without
compromising on the customer
satisfaction that we have been
delivering so far.
What has been the overall stance
of government-owned power
distribution utilities with respect
to industrial and commercial
consumers having to maintain a
healthy power factor ratio?
Power Factor has been the only
issue that has received more than
its due quantum of attention and
benefits, by the SEBs employing the
incentive/penalty mechanism for
consumers to be forced to maintain
power factor at their end.
PMX is close to completing two
decades of service to the industry.
How has the journey been and how
do the coming years look to you?
Apart from India, are you planning
to expand your footprint to global
markets?
Founded in 2000, Power Matrix
Solutions boasts of a sound backing
from a reputed American company
and of having technically sound
personnel in its ranks.
In PMX, the emphasis is on
continuous learning through focused
research development. This has
enabled the company to fortify
its knowledge base and acquire
stupendous engineering expertise
to such an extent that PMX today
offers complete end-to-end solutions
on power quality problems under
one roof. Motivation, a strong factor
on the success of the company, is
drawn from identifying ideas for
improvement and implementing the
same in a methodical manner.
Now that PMX has built itself into
a position of repute, it now aims to
consolidate and transform itself into
a complete powerhouse in power
solutions. For this PMX endeavors
to deal in a variety of solutions
ranging from power consumption/
compensation, to offsetting harmful
effectsofnew-ageelectricalpolluting
devices. n
Power Matrix Solutions Pvt Ltd

ne of the major costs for
any industry is expenditure
on electricity. In 2014-15,
market research reports indicate that
while the Indian Railways spends 10
per cent of its revenue on electricity,
the cement industry’s energy
expenditure can go up to 30 per
cent. This makes electricity a factor
that must be monitored carefully.
Any consumer of electricity today,
be it commercial or residential,
needs to understand how electricity
is reaching them and how well
they are utilizing it. Electricity
that is produced at source covers
a long distance to reach the end
consumer through a transmission
and distribution network spanning
hundreds of kilometres. At the
consumer’s end, electricity is
consumed for various traditional
purposes of lighting, heating
and cooling, and many modern
appliances such as computers,
electronics and machinery, most
of these functioning on electric
motors.
The electric current that comes to
consumer is AC and it goes directly
as AC to the motors or through an
AC to DC converter, depending on
the circuitry. Every motor utilizes
this electric energy to perform a
mechanical function. The electric
current flowing through the coil of
motors also produces a magnetic
field, which enables the use of
electric power extensively. Thus
arises the need for reactive power, or
power that sustains the alternating
leading current from source to device
and back producing magnetic flux
that enables energy conversion.
Since the capacitive power is a
leading current source, it helps to
maintain voltage in case of voltage
drops, by providing adequate
current, which is again, an important
feature for a secure electrical system.
The utility provides actual power,
so producing reactive power using
capacitor banks at the load end is the
ideal way for conditioning the power
to the systems. If the consumer does
not install a reactive power source
or capacitor bank at their end, the
utility will provide the required
apparent power, but end up charging
a hefty penalty for the additional
burden of providing, transmitting
and distributing it. Hence, a power
conditioning intervention is a very
good investment in long-term
reduction in electrical bills.
Certain other problems of
unconditioned power such as
reactance in the system, surges and
hunting torque, can be addressed
through power conditioning. While
most commercial consumers are
aware of this requirement, it is often
noted that they are misguided in the
kind of intervention they require.
Simply installing a capacitor next
to an inductive load will not ensure
power conditioning. On the contrary,
it may provide over-compensation,
leading to damage to the electrical
equipment as well as the capacitor.
A properly staged automatic power
factor correction bank, on the other
hand, can ensure that the reactive
power supplied is in congruence
with the actual load at any time and
even utilize the capacitors efficiently,
thus improving their life.
In modern times, extensive use
of non-linear loads like computers,
UPS, rectifiers, thyristor-based
O
Power Conditioning
The Road Ahead
Expert View
Subhash Gupta and Ritika Subhash

equipment, etc has resulted
in distortion of sine wave of
supply system. This results in
erratic behaviour of electrical
equipment. Harmonic
filtration or harmonic
mitigation has now become
an integral part of power
conditioning systems.
Current Scene Way
Forward: Power supply
authorities have already
taken measures to force
consumers to adopt healthy
power consumption pattern
by designing the tariff that
penalizes errant users. Low power
factor penalty or KVAHr-based unit
charges are a step in this direction.
Some electricity boards are also
charging consumers for injecting
high harmonic content in the
system.
In present times, consumers is
in the know of power conditioning
because of increasing pressure of
power utilities andtakesappropriate
measure to condition the system.
But long term maintenance of the
system is needed to be stressed on
so that there is continuous benefit of
capital invested.
In developed countries the
systems are highly advanced and
the equipment used by consumers
are quite energy efficient. Power
conditioning is in-built in their
systems and there is
systematic approach to repair
and maintenance of electrical
equipments.
The road to power
conditioning is always under
construction. Projections of
equipment suppliers are quite
encouraging as electricity
boards are investing heavily
in these equipment with the
motto “Energy saved is Energy
produced”. Simultaneously
maintenance contract is
being made an integral part
of procurement process to
take care of regular up-keep of the
equipment. Maintenance contracts
are also in vogue. n
About the authors: Subhash
Gupta, B.Sc. Engg, MIE, FIV, C.Eng.
(I), is CEO, Standard Capacitors;
and Ms Ritika Subhash, B.Tech,
MS (MIS), is Operations Manager,
Standard Capacitors.
Standard Capacitors

Brazilian power
transmission
beckons
Indian developers
Lead story
Venugopal Pillai

I
ndia has made a beginning in winning
concessionsinBrazil’spowertransmission
market, and with Brazil planning more
such auctions, the opportunities for
Indian companies appear bright. According
to H.E. Rosimar Suzano, Consul General,
Consulate General of Brazil in Mumbai, Indian
companies like Sterlite Power have already
won concessions in the power transmission
space in Brazil, and Indian power transmission
utility Power Grid Corporation of India has
also evinced interest. Suzano was speaking at
the IEEMA Convention 2017 that witnessed a
series of presentations by diplomats of several
countries, on the theme “Make in India –
Enhancing Global Footprint.”
Outlining opportunities for foreign
companies to invest in Brazil, Rosimar Suzano
Photo:Incomisa

observed that the Brazilian economy was now
recovering after suffering a slowdown in 2015,
which also impacted bilateral trade. “Good
sign for the economy is that inflation is also
going down and the level of confidence is
increasing,” Suzano stressed, alluding to the
onset of economic revival in Brazil.
An interesting observation that the Brazilian
diplomat in Mumbai made was of imports
of electrical equipment from India. Though
Brazil makes significant imports from Asian
countries, India’s share is quite low. As Suzano
put it, “The challenge for Indian suppliers is
that you are behind some of your neighbours.
Even though we import a lot from Asian
countries, we are importing more from China,
South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand,
Malaysia and Vietnam.” She however saw this
as a clear opportunity for Indian suppliers. “I
am convinced that there is scope for India to
increase its presence,” emphasized Suzano. It
may be mentioned Brazil is planning to auction
as many as 57 projects, by 2019, covering
core areas like oil gas, mining, electricity,
highways, seaports, airports, etc.
Coming back to the power transmission
auctions, Brazil’s National Electric Energy
Agency (ANEEL) conducted an auction in April
2016 where 35 projects were offered involving
7,068 km of transmission lines and 13,132 MVA
of transformation capacity. Except for four
projects, all were taken up. The construction
period for these projects will vary from 36 to
60 months, and the concession period will
be for 30 years. The auction attracted a total
investment of B$12.7 billion, which amounts to
around $4 billion (1 B$ or 1 Brazilian Real is
approximately equal to $0.32)
Two projects (see box) that were awarded
to Sterlite Power are located in the states of
Rio Grande do Sul and Pernambuco. The two
projects, with a concession period of 30 years
each,areexpectedtoseeinvestmentofRs.1,350
crore. Sterlite also recently announced that it
had inducted two senior key personnel to head
the Brazilian power transmission ventures.
Reliable reports also indicate that Sterlite
Power has initiated dialogue with global power
transmission EPC players like GE, Agnevix
and Spain-headquartered Incomisa to partner
the Brazilian ventures.
Brazil, due to its topography and vast
geographical area, faces challenges in land-
centric projects such as power transmission. It
is interesting to note that Indian companies are
October 201727TD India
Sterlite Power in Brazil
According to information available from Brazil en-
ergy regulatory ANEEL, Sterlite Power will develop
two transmission schemes – one each in the states of
Rio Grande do Sul and Pernambuco. In Rio Grande do
Sul, Sterlite will mainly develop three 230kV transmis-
sion lines aggregating 114.4 km and two 230/69kV
substations, located at Vinhedos and Lajeado. The
Pernambuco project involves mainly two 230kV
transmission lines covering around 140km and two
230/69kV substations.

already active in Brazil, in the form of EPC contractors.
TD India interacted with KEC International Ltd, a
prominent EPC contractor with extensive presence in
Brazil. According to Vimal Kejriwal, MD CEO, KEC
International, the varied topography of Brazil creates
different challenges as one moves from one region to
another within the large country. For instance, states
like Minas Gerais have mountainous topography while
others in north Brazil, though having flatter terrain, are
inundated during monsoons. KEC International has
completed seven power transmission projects in Brazil
so far, while several others (including a 500kV line) are
under execution, Kejriwal noted. It is worthwhile to note
that KEC International owns SAE Towers, which is a steel
tower making company with a manufacturing facility in
Brazil. (Full interaction presented alongside.)
India now completes the entire value chain in Brazil’s
power transmission space—right from equipment
manufacturing to EPC contracting and now to power
transmission development.
It is expected that in the last quarter of 2017, Brazil will
initiate another round of auction of power transmission
lines, envisaging a total investment of $1.4 billion. Brazil
has been awarding power transmission concessions since
1999 and has generally seen better investor response in
recent years, both from local and foreign companies.
China, incidentally, has major investments in Brazil’s
power sector, including transmission. According to
informationavailablefromtheofficeofConsulateGeneral
of Brazil in Mumbai, Chinese companies have spent a
total of $21 billion, since 2015, to acquire as many as 21
Brazilian electricity companies. The transactions include
an arrangement earlier in 2017 in which the State Grid
Corp of China bought majority stake in Brazil’s third-
largest power company, CFPL Energia, for $4.5 billion.
State Grid Corp of China already operates close to
10,000 km of power transmission lines throughout Brazil.
The Shanghai Electric Corp, meanwhile, is considering
acquiring Brazilian power company Eletrosul Centrais
Elétricas SA for over $1 billion, it is learnt. n
Lead story
Tell us about your operations in Brazil’s power transmission
sector.
We have completed seven projects in Brazil, with a significant num-
ber of projects currently under execution. Some of our key projects
executed include transmission line projects in Serra Azul, Salto Api-
acás and Delfina for Enel Green Power and a project in Barreiras for
São Pedro Transmissora. We are now executing a 500kV project in
Sapeaçú-Poções for Tropicália Transmissora, which is one of the
large EPC orders secured in recent months.
KEC International has expanded its strong global EPC expertise
in the Americas through its wholly-owned subsidiary SAE Towers,
which operates Brazil and Mexico. SAE Towers is one of the world’s
largest producers of steel lattice towers for high-voltage power
transmission, with an annual production capacity of over 100,000
tonnes.
In Brazil, SAE Towers has been an active player in executing
transmission line projects. Its manufacturing unit, spread across 35
acres, is the largest tower and hardware plant in Brazil and produces
65,000 tonnes of lattice transmission towers annually. Adjacent to
this plant is our full-scale tower testing station, the largest in the
Americas.
A large number of transmission lines in Brazil have been built
through SAE’s services and products. We have a large order book
and significant L1 positions in the Brazilian EPC market, which prom-
ises to add a significant chunk to our revenues next year onwards.
What are the main execution challenges that EPC contractors face
in Brazil?
Brazil is a very large country with varied topography. This creates a
different set of challenges as we move from one region within the
country to another. States like Minas Gerais, where SAE Towers is
based, possess a mountainous topography, hence executing founda-
tions and erecting towersbecomes an uphill task.At the same time,
northern parts of Brazil have a flatter terrain that aids faster execu-
tion, but with the huge amount of rainfall the region receives and
presence of large rivers, accessibility and river crossing becomes
an issue.
Land ownership in Northern Brazil is larger in size as compared to
the south, which allows for easier resolution of right of way issues
in these regions. Consequently, construction of transmission lines
across highways and crossings in the south and southeast parts of
the country becomes a challenge.
‘We have a large order
book in Brazil’
— Vimal Kejriwal, MD CEO, KEC International Ltd.

EHV Testing
he Indian electrical
equipment industry recently
crossed a new milestone
when the newly-commissioned
National High Power Test Laboratory
Pvt Ltd (NHPTL) successfully tested
a 765kV power transformer at its Bina
test centre in Madhya Pradesh.
A senior official of NHPTL
confirmed that the short circuit test
of a 765kV power transformer was
successfully completed using online
systems, on September 11, 2017.
With respect to online testing, this is
indeed the first instance of its kind
in the world.
NHPTL—a five-way joint venture
between NTPC, NHPC, Power Grid
Corporation of India, Damodar
Valley Corporation and Central
Power Research Institute—began
commercial operations in on July
1, 2017, when it completed the
short-circuit testing of a 400kV
transformer.
In an earlier interaction with TD
India, R. Ranjan, CEO, NHPTL
observed that the new laboratory
will help save significant amount
of foreign exchange. The lab will
also help India help earn foreign
exchange, given that facilities of
NHPTL will also be availed by
neighbouring countries. “The test
facility will save foreign exchange,
as now, with the commencement
of commercial operations of the
facility, there is no need to send
the transformers to foreign test
laboratory. In terms of saving on
foreign exchange, whatever is the
(sales) turnover of NHPTL with
respect to 400kV class and 765kV
class transformers, shall be the
saving of foreign exchange in future.
The test services of NHPTL may
also be utilized by SAARC countries,
ASEAN Middle East countries.
This will also have lower testing and
shipping cost as compared to the
testing facilities in other countries.
Hence, the facility will also earn
foreign exchange,” was how Ranjan
put it in an exclusive exchange with
TD India.
NHPTL, a new-age testing
laboratory for electrical equipment,
is the first online grid-based testing
facilityintheworld,forequipmentup
to 765kV level. NHPTL is expected
to complement the working of
existing local laboratories like CPRI
and ERDA. n
India successfully completes online
testing of 765kV transformer
T
Electrical Research and Development Association (ERDA) expects to complete
its new high-voltage partial discharge laboratory by December 2017. Located at
Vadodara in Gujarat, the new laboratory will be used for testing of electrical equipment
up to 220kV, with a provision to extend the same to 400kV in future. The project is
being set with grant from the government of Gujarat.
This laboratory will have the facility for partial discharge test and measurement
of capacitance and tanδ (tan-delta) up to 220kV for current transformers, voltage
transformers, high voltage cables, condenser bushings, dry type transformers and
hybrid GIS.
This laboratory will supplement the high voltage impulse laboratory up to 1600kVp
already available at ERDA Vadodara. With the new laboratory, and ERDA will be able
to offer complete type testing services for these high voltage products.
It may be recalled that installation of pre engineered building at the site started on
July 14, 2017. The foundation stone of the laboratory was laid at the hands of Sujit
Gulati, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary of Government of Gujarat on October 8, 2016.
New ERDA lab by year-end
A panoramic view of the NHPTL lab at Bina in Madhya Pradesh
File photograph of foundation stone laying ceremony of ERDA’s
upcoming high-voltage partial discharge laboratory.

interview
It has been around five years since
Legrand acquired the UPS business
of erstwhile Numeric Power
Systems Ltd. How has Legrand’s
UPS business grown over these
years, in terms of product portfolio,
market penetration, etc?
Numeric, one of the top three
UPS manufacturer in India, was
established in 1984. The first UPS
from Numeric was introduced in
1985. Since then it has evolved as
the undisputed leader in single-
phase UPS and line-interactive UPS
over the last 24 years.
In 2012, Numeric joined the
Legrand Group and today, Numeric
has a complete solution in UPS
across line interactive, online
single phase, three-phase and the
latest generation modular UPS.
This enables us to cater to any
application from 600 VA to 4.8 MVA.
Numeric products are extremely
user friendly, very easy to maintain
and technologically advanced.
Over the years, Numeric has also
built the widest and largest service
network in India. Today, this service
network has 254 service centers
located across India. Close to 1,200
people are dedicated in the service
operations, of which, close to 900
are field technicians. As a result, our
customers are able to get proper and
timely service irrespective of their
business location.
Being a part of the Legrand group,
Numeric gets access to the best in
class technology worldwide and our
experience in the market provides
us fantastic market knowledge. We
now proudly mention ourselves
as a GLOCAL company — global
expertise and local knowledge.
Growth of Numeric is powered
by innovation, design and user-
friendliness in our products, which
are the very cornerstones of our
brand philosophy.
How does the Numeric UPS
business complement Legrand’s
various existing lines of business
in the last-mile power distribution
space?
Today, Legrand is the fourth biggest
UPS company in the world and has
nine specialist brands across the
world – Legrand, Bticino, Numeric,
Inform, Borri, SMS, S2S, Primetech
and Fluxpower.
Numeric’s UPS business allowed
Legrand to establish a strong
presence in the Indian UPS market.
Numeric, today is one of the top three
UPS brands in India by revenue. Also
UPS as a business line offered an
Numeric, a market
leader in the field of
single-phase and line-
interactive UPS, became
part of the Legrand
Group in 2012. In this
exclusive exchange, we
have Palash Nandy,
giving insights on
how Legrand’s UPS
business has grown
after the induction of
Numeric, and how the
UPS business itself
completes the wide
range of offerings that
Legrand has in the
low-voltage power
distribution space.
An interaction by
Venugopal Pillai.
We are bullish about growth
opportunities in India
— Palash Nandy, Chief Commercial Officer,
Numeric India

excellent fit with energy-distribution
and energy-efficiency solutions,
two of the group’s main growth
areas. Numeric also complemented
Legrand’s position in switchgear,
control gear, wiring devices, building
management systems and digital
infrastructure products.
The two brands, Legrand and
Numeric, now leverage each other’s
distribution channels and customers
and thus both gain access to new
markets and create additional
business synergies.
Energy storage solutions,
connected with solar power plants,
are emerging as an important area.
How do you intend to tap this
market?
We already have products that are
compatible with renewable energy
sources like solar and wind. As
part of the Legrand group, we are
closely watching and contributing to
the discussions and developments
that are happening in this space
and would be ready with required
products as and when the demand
for the same would arise.
How do you view the demand for
modular UPS solutions in the
backdrop of the “Digital India”
mission?
The Digital India mission and the
Smart Cities initiative would be
important business drivers for the
entire UPS Industry and not just for
modular UPS solutions.
Numeric’s Modular UPS with
Granular Parallel Architecture
helps the customer to have more
redundancy on the installed
capacity. It helps the customer to
plan the capacity of the UPS as per
their current requirement gives
them the flexibility to increase the
rating of UPS as per their business
growth real time.
Within the overall Digital India
mission and the Smart Cities
initiative there would be many
applications like data centers, critical
control rooms, etc. wherein modular
UPS would be the perfect solution.
We see a number of unorganized
players in the low-rating UPS
segment. How do you view the
situation?
Yes, there are a lot of unorganized
player in this particular segment and
this leads to severe price competition
but we, at Numeric, are constantly
engaged in maximizing value for
our customers. We do not believe
in only price competition. We are
working hard to provide the best
price versus value proposition to our
customers. We are also devoting our
energy in providing our customers
the best service
, both pre sales and
post sales.
How is the government curbing
unorganized sector players?
In the past there was lack of
standardization. However, since
March 2016, Bureau of Indian
Standards made it mandatory for
all UPS models, up to 5 kVA, that
are sold in India to be registered
with BIS. Recently, in continuation
of the process BIS has started
surveillance activities to ensure its
implementation. This would result
in better adherence to product
standards and customers will be
assured of the right products.
Could you brief us on the overall
impact that GST has had on the
UPS industry?
GST should be a great help in
making the market better in terms
of compliance. This should help
all organized and professional
manufactures like Numeric.
We at Numeric have been working
on this issue for a long time now;
both in terms of getting our ERP
systems ready for GST and as well as
playing a leading role in educating
our entire value chain about the
impact and changes it would entail
in their business operations.
How do you see the growth of
Numeric UPS in the coming years?
What would you regard as the
principal growth drivers?
We plan to continuously design
new products and engage with all
stakeholders of the UPS market
like specifiers, IT heads, system
integrators, installers, facility
managers, end users etc. Our growth
is driven by innovation, design and
user-friendliness in our products,
which are the keystones of our brand
philosophy. We believe in driving
growth through solving customer’s
problems and thereby gaining
customer-confidence and market
share through these parameters at
each step.
We are quite bullish of the growth
opportunities in India. There is
lot of emphasis on infrastructure,
healthcare, modern retail,
commercial spaces, digitalization,
distance education, emergence of
tech in all facets of business and
personal life. This means a lot of data
getting generated and therefore,
strong growth in the data centres
market. In addition, the constant
evolution of technology in the field
of UPS offers clear opportunities
and we are well positioned to take
advantage of these opportunities. n
Numeric India

interview
Do you see any perceptible
impactontheUPSbusiness
or the outlook of your UPS
business, with the “Digital
India” campaign?
In the last two years we have
seen India’s leadership
intensely accelerating
digitization. All attention
is towards ‘digital’ because
of the exponential rate
at which it is changing
the traditional processes
and the established
conducts. Technologies
such as cloud, Internet
of Things (IoT), mobility,
e-commerce, social platforms and
real time analytics are emerging
and challenging the enterprises to
be innovative, increasing efficiency
and improving their engagement
with customers round the clock.
As most companies still have
legacy IT infrastructure that doesn’t
fully adapt with evolving application
architectures; there is demand for
more datacenters to handle today’s
growing need. According to PwC,
Asia Pacific’s data center services
market size will exceed
the European market size
by 2021. The region’s data
center services market size
in 2016 is US$12 bn and is
expected to grow by 27 per
cent per year.
Socomec has strategies
to tap this evolving
segment. We feel proud to
have established strategic
relationships with most
of the global and Indian
players that provides data
centre services and we
have been considered as
one of the most preferred
vendors to supply UPS, automatic
transfer switches and multifunction
meters for their power management
application.
Socomec invests heavily in
pioneering research and product
design in order to deliver world-
class innovations to solve our
customer’s greatest challenges
in terms of energy availability,
efficiency, capacity, flexibility and
sustainability. Our UPS solutions are
engineered to meet evolving system
architecture.
In India, what products currently
dominate your UPS business?
Being a UPS specialist, our unique
blend of innovative spirit and
experience, helps us deliver effective
solutions to various challenges.
Socomecoffersfail-safeUPSsolutions
using the most advanced expertise
and cutting-edge technologies.
Thanks to the company’s wide range
of continuously evolving products,
solutions and services, our UPS
solutions starting from 600VA are
Socomec Innovative
Power Solutions Pvt
Ltd, part of France-
based Socomec Group,
has a complete suite of
solutions for control and
safety of low-voltage
electrical networks. We
have Sushil Virmani
discussing at length
the Socomec’s UPS
business in India. With
the national “Digital
India” mission now
gaining steam, Virmani
explains why data
centres would be in the
limelight, and how this
would be a big business
driver for Socomec’s
UPS business in India.
‘Digital India’ can be a big
demand driver
— Sushil Virmani, Managing Director,
Socomec Innovative Power Solutions Pvt Ltd

available up to 5.4 MW.
We enjoy very good market share
in medium to higher power rating
UPS systems that cater to market
segments like data center, building,
industry, infrastructure, healthcare
etc.
Energy storage solutions for solar
power are emerging as a key area.
What are your offerings in this
sector, and what is your business
outlook?
Socomec group offers totally
innovative featured SUNSYS PCS²
energy storage solution for smart
integration of PV energy in electrical
grids. Matching intermittent energy
sources (solar or wind power) with
fluctuating demand is a major
obstacle for smart grids. Socomec
is facing up to this challenge by
offering a system that converts
and stores the renewable energy
produced and compensates the
intermittent nature of the energy
source. But this solution offers more
than that: SUNSYS PCS² optimizes
self-consumption of smart grids,
alleviates variances between the
energy available and demand and
meets islanding requirements.
We are evaluating the market
potential in India and will bring this
solution at a suitable time to make it
available for our customers.
The low-rating UPS market is
dominated by players in the
unorganized sector. What is your
view?
The UPS industry is an open ground
with organized and unorganized
players. As per market reports,
organized sector accounted for
nearly 61 per cent of the total
revenue while 25 per cent came
through semi-organized sector while
14 per cent share still remains with
the unorganized operators. We focus
more on organized market sector
as we can differentiate ourselves in
terms of product innovation, service
etc. and have competitive advantage
over the other players.
The low-rating UPS market is the
most unorganized high volume,
low margin segment and is catered
mostly by the low cost imports from
China and Taiwan. Socomec does
not operate in the sub-600VA range.
It is often said that India lacks self-
sufficiency when it comes to power
electronics used in power continuity
equipment like UPS. What is your
view? In this context, what is the
overall extent of localization of
Socomec’s UPS business in India?
At the present context, localization
is very much needed, if we have to
be highly competitive in the market
and to provide faster response time to
our customer demands. We already
started localizing most demanding
products in India and producing at
our Gurgaon facility.
Delphys MP Elite+ is already an
industrial proven product and now it
is now available in the range of 60-
200kVA manufactured here in India.
We are producing this product at our
Gurgaon facility to meet the local
market demand. In near future, we
have plans to add more UPS lines to
support evolving market needs.
Socomec has a complete portfolio
of low-voltage power distribution
solutions. Please discuss how
the UPS vertical helps Socomec
provide a comprehensive solutions
portfolio.
Socomec is an undisputed leader in
the field of low voltage switchgear,
providing expert solutions that
ensures, isolation and on load
breaking for the most of the
demanding applications, continuity
of the power supply to electrical
facilities via manual or automatic
changeover switching systems,
protection of persons and assets
via fuse-based and other specialist
solutions. Socomec also offers kWH
meters, dual source meters and
multifunction meters for measuring
energy consumption, identifying
sources of excess consumption and
raising the awareness of occupants
about the impact.
While we interact with the
customers we understand the
customer pain points and offer the
solution that are suitable for their
needs.
Which sectors do you currently
regard as the growth drivers of your
UPS business?
Uninterruptible power supply
(UPS) systems are essential for
guaranteeingthebusinesscontinuity
of any critical load be it industrial or
commercial enterprise. All business
critical equipment’s must have a
faultless and clean power supply if
they have to operate efficiently.
Data center market is a result of
demand pooled from enterprises
across verticals like BFSI, IOT
Telecom,e-commerce,manufacturing
(majorly around ERP on cloud),
education, healthcare, etc.
We observe critical equipment
is growing significantly and UPS
business is also growing in tandem.
Socomec has good presence in
IT ITES, manufacturing and
process industry, BFSI, government,
educational institutions,
infrastructure, medical and
healthcare. n
Socomec Innovative Power Solutions Pvt Ltd

umeric, a Legrand Group
brand, has announced its
highly efficient, easy to
deploy, compact new KEOR series
of three phase UPS comprising
Keor HP and Keor HPE.
With flexible operating
modes for large facilities,
datacenters and business-
critical applications, the
new range allows users
flexibility of extending
its range from 60 kVA to
4.8 MVA, a release from
Numeric said.
Keor HP and Keor
HPE by Numeric are
designed with advanced
technologies and latest
generation components. It has
a 3-level IGBT inverter design
that helps to improve the inverter
efficiency and overall efficiency thus
reducing the operational expenses.
High input power factor Low
THDi reduces the cost of electrical
infrastructure. Multi DSP controller
in the products helps the UPS to
respond faster. The uniqueness
of the UPS’s lies in its flexibility
to offer with or without an inbuilt
transformer thereby giving full
flexibility to the customer to design
his solutions. This makes Keor HP
and Keor HPE suitable
for both IT and Industrial
application.
Keor HP and Keor
HPE offer flexible energy
storage solutions with
options for in built and
external battery banks.
Additionally, Keor HP
and Keor HPE features
top and bottom cable
entry, full front service
access and back to the
wall installation making
it one of the easiest UPSes in
its class to deploy, install and
maintain. Intended for use in large
datacentersandcolocationfacilities,
the Keor HP and Keor HPE can
offer solutions between 60 kVA to
4.8 MVA requirements, making it
ideally suitable and scalable for
the power requirements of such
facilities, the release added. n
New KEOR series of UPS from Numeric
Recent Launches
N
Amaron Brute
Hi-Life Batteries
AMARA Raja Batteries Ltd has introduced
Amaron Brute- Hi Life Batteries, specially
designed to cater to the needs and fill the
existing gaps for a superior product for
motive power applications in manufacturing,
processing and warehousing industry.
Amaron Brute offers the highest cyclic life,
which meets the BS (British Standard) and
DIN (Deutsches Institut)
specification. It has been
designed to electrically
operate material handling
equipments and similar
hauling machines and
cranes used by manufacturing, processing
and warehousing industry. World-over motive
power is extensively used in big warehouses,
airports, ports, and similar industries, a
releasefromAmaraRajaBatteriessaid.Builtto
the highest technical competence in its class,
Amaron Brute- Hi Life Batteries has been
tested extensively in premier manufacturing
facilities in Europe. Aimed to meet the Indian
requirements, Amaron Brute also allows user
friendly diagnosis and maintenance. It will be
available across the country through ARBL
approved partnerships.
icrotek has recently launched M-SUN MPPT-
based unidirectional hybrid solar UPS range.
Solar panels generate DC electricity, which goes
into batteries through MICROTEK M-SUN Solar
unidirectional hybrid UPS. The UPS has in-built charge
controller which makes sure that correct charge is
delivered to the batteries. During the day when the
power from solar panels is more
or equal to the load power then
it will automatically run the load
with solar panels power and also
it will charge the batteries from
solar panels power. This is called
the grid saving mode. When power from solar Panels is
less than the load power then it will run the load from
solar panel as well as battery. This is known as sharing
mode. When the battery voltage reduces to certain level,
all the power from solar panels charges the battery and
the load is run by grid power and when the battery gets
fully charged the load is again shifted to power from
solar panels. n
Microtek launches M-SUN
M
Tubular batteries from Okaya
Okaya Power Pvt Ltd has unveiled new and innovative range of power
tubular batteries. Okaya has rolled out Tall Tubular DT 865 and Jumbo
Tubular DT 855 models of batteries, apart from the extra powerful Okaya
Super Specialist Tubular Battery XL5500T.
Designed and
developed after
extensive research
into preferences and
needs of users, these
batteries are highly
efficient. In addition
to exceptional after-
s a l e s - s e r v i c e s
provided by Okaya
through its most efficient network of dealers, distributors and warehouses
spread across the country, these batteries are also supported by longer
warranty period. Okaya is providing 48 months prorata warranty on Tall
Tubular DT 865 and Jumbo Tubular DT 855 models of batteries, while
it is providing 36 months prorata warranty on Super Specialist Tubular
Battery XL5500T.

tECHNICAL aRTICLE
bstract: Variable Frequency
Drives (VFD’s) are used in
many applications ranging
fromsmallappliancestothelargestof
coal plant drives wherein it’s possible
to achieve significant amount of
energy savings through proper
selection and sizing of the VFDs
along with suitable motors. Though
we have various other conventional
energy savings schemes available,
VFD has significantamount of
energy saving potential ranging
from 20% to 65 % opportunities
depending on the application and
its range of operation.As on today,
air conditioners are quite commonly
used and therefore electric motors
are essential to be part of air
conditioners. Electric motors driving
pumps, fans, compressors and other
machines are responsible for 45% of
global electricity use in worldwide
wherein huge energy savings
opportunities are available. But
at the same time, energy savings
opportunities are not explored by
user due to lack of awareness on the
energy savings opportunities. The
purposeofthispaperistoshowhowto
save energy through VFD controlled
motor driven systems for compressor
used in air conditioner applications.
In this paper, the possible energy
savings opportunities between Fixed
Speed Motor Compressors Vs. VFD
controlled Motor compressors is
presented.
1. Introduction- Air conditioning
systems
Because of urbanization,cities are
getting thickly populated which
leads tomany adverse effects such
as the climate changes and increase
in temperature and so on [1]. The
residents and offices are increasingly
investing in air conditioning systems
− which discharge heat from homes
offices and apartment blocks into
the city air. The vicious circle
effect is that cities get still warmer
and making air conditioning even
more attractive and it became an
essential item in homes, offices
and industriesenvironment [2].
Typical Air conditioning systems
needscompressor as a main
subsystem along with other
accessories [3]. There are different
typesofcompressorsavailableforair-
conditioning applications wherein
mostlyfixed speed compressors are
used.
2.Fixed Speed Compressor
Traditional air conditioning systems
are designed for an efficient
operation at full load conditions,
so air conditioning systems are
over designed most of the times.
Consequently, at light load
conditions, the air conditioning
systems deliver excess capacity than
the required capacity which leads
to significant wastage of energy
and hence cost. Traditional systems
address light load conditions
with unloading techniques— for
example with hot gas bypass, or
with multiple compressors, or with
digital compressor technology—
but these solutions are inefficient,
either because high compressor
efficiencycannot be maintained at
light load or because load matching
ability is imperfect. Hot gas bypass
solutions are evenless efficient. Fig.1
highlights the Temperature vs. Time
in Fixed speed compressor operation
with respect to set point temperature
wherein set point is maintained by
on-off cycling.
The traditional way of controlling
a compressor is by running the motor
at full speed and then stopping it
after achieving desired temperature.
This “On- Off “cycling is wasteful
as every start consumes lot of
energy. There is also a variation in
temperature of the room leading to
discomfort.
3. Variable Speed Compressors
In contrast, the VFD controlled
compressor system is designed to
maintain high efficiency at light
loads and has the inherent benefit of
precisely and continuously matching
the load byoperating from motor
from few Hz to90 Hz. With no excess
evaporator and condenser capacity
under light load, VFD controlled
compressor system coefficient of
performance(COP) is higher, leading
to significant energy savings along
with good power factor regardless
of the load. Other benefits include
smooth starting, low inrush current,
lessersystemstress,higherreliability,
and longer lifetime.So variable
speed, is a way to match cooling
capacity to c ooling demand to air
conditioning systems requirements.
Fig.2 highlights the Temperature vs.
Time in VFD controlled compressor
operation with respect to set point
temperature wherein set point is
achieved by continuously varying
speed of the motor through VFD
which leads to lesser oscillations
around the set point.
VFDs adjusts the energy output
of a compressor by controlling the
speed of the motor, ensuring it runs
at optimum efficiency which leads to
energy saving at loads lesser than the
full load. VFDs work by controlling
A
Energy saving opportunities through Variable Frequency
Drivefor Commercial Air Conditioners
Fig.1. Temperature vs. Time in Fixed speed
compressor
Fig.2. Temperature vs. Time in VFD Fed Motor
Driven Compressor

tECHNICAL aRTICLE
the waveform of the current and
voltage supplying the motor. A VFD
converts the incoming AC power
to DC and then back to a quasi-
sinusoidal AC power using inverters.
The rotation of the motor shaft can
be adjusted with great accuracy,
ensuring that the air conditioning
application gives the performance
requited by the customer. The
benefits of this technology included
reducing power cost, reducing power
surges (from starting AC motors),
and delivering a more constant
pressure. Typically, air conditioning
systems consumes considerable
electricity bill is attributed to the
production of compressed air.
The majority of modern homes,
commercial complexes and factories
are heavily involved in cutting costs,
and energy awareness is a key
concern. Electricity bill cost savings
can be achieved by installing a
VFD’s controlled Motor Driven
compressors in Air-conditioning
systems instead of Fixed Speed
Motor Driven Compressors. Because
of this, most of the countries are
pushing the industries to move
towards this technology that would
help us to save the energy.
4. Energy Savings of Compressor
A scroll compressor of 5-ton
capacity is used as test case to
see how much energy savings is
achievable between Fixed Speed
Vs. Variable speed operation of the
compressors in air-conditioners. Let
us consider 1stcase as Fixed speed
compressor with a required room
temperature of 26.7°C. To meet
this room temperature, compressor
runs at rated speed and its power
consumption is ranging 6736.8 to
5144wattsforanoutsidetemperature
35 °C to 18.3 °C respectively which
is shown in Fig 3.1. In the same way,
the variable speed compressor with a
required room temperature of 26.7°C
is considered. To meet this room
temperature of 26.7°C, compressor
runs at variable speed and its
power consumption is ranging from
7717.89 to 2080 watts for an outside
temperature 35°C to 18.3°C which is
shown in Fig 3.
From the above Fig.4, it observed
that for the same conditions of
∆Ti.e difference between outdoor
and indoor temperature, the fixed
speed compressor is running at
higher speed than the variable
speed compressorsto achieve the
set temperature of 26.7°C which
conveys that energy savings is
possible through VFD Fed motor
driven compressors.
5. Performance Rating of Air
Conditioning Units
There are standards which speaks
about the performance rating of the
Air conditioner units. Performance
Rating of Commercial and Industrial
Unitary Air-conditioning and Heat
Pump Equipment are clearly spelt
out in AHRI Standard 340/360
(I-P)-2015. As per this standard,
all equipments rated in accordance
with this standard shall include
an Integrated Energy Efficiency
Ratio (IEER), even if they only
have one stage of cooling capacity
control[6]
IEER=(0.02*A)+(0.617*B)+(0.238*C)+
(0.125*D)………… (1)
Where:
A = EER at 100% Capacity at AHRI
Standard Rating Conditions
B = EER at 75% Capacity and
reduced condenser temperature
C = EER at 50% Capacity and
D = EER at 25% Capacity and
The IEER rating requires that the
unit efficiency be determined at
100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% Percent
Load at the conditions specified in
Table 6 and at the part load rated
airflow, if different than the full load
rated airflow. This A, B, C, D values
changes depends on the climatic
conditions of the particular country
which are defined in table 3 and 6
in AHRI Standard 340/360 (I-P)-
2015.
EER is known as energy efficiency
ratio which can be calculated as a
Fig.3.1: Fixed speed Fig.3.2: Variable Speed
Fig.4.1: Fixed speed Fig.4.2: Variable Speed
Fig.3Power consumption Vs different outdoor temperature values
Fig.4 Power consumption Vs ∆T outdoor temperature values

tECHNICAL aRTICLE
ratio of cooling capacity to the power
input. The EER at 100% Capacity
is the Standard Energy Efficiency
Ratio. No additional test at 100%
Cooling Capacity is required.
coolingcapacity
EER= (2)
inputpower

Once the IEER is known, we can
calculate the annual energy cost/yr
Load (Btu/hr.)
IEER= 8.76 X(cost/kWh) (3)
IEERX
Using above formulas, Energy
consumption by the fixed speed
and Variable speed compressors are
calculated Table:1 Cost estimation
and IEER of Fixed Speed and
variable speed Compressors.
From the IEER, it can be seen
that the100%, 75%, 50% and 25%
capacities are utilized 2%, 61.7%,
23.8 and 12.5% of the year. This
conveys that compressor runs most
of the time in year on partial loads
which is a crucialinformationshould
be accounted by the customers. Also
cost saving for a given system is
about INR 77935.18/year which will
lead ROI in few months from the
installation. From this comparison
we can clearly say that the variable
speed compressor increases the
efficiency and decreases the energy
cost to a great extent.
Conclusion
It’s clear from the above table,
VFD controls the motor such that
compressor delivers the required
capacity.As a result of this VFD,
energy savings can be significantly
improved which leads lower energy
consumption at partial loads and
hence cost. Apart from this cost,
it leads to improved PF. Payback
period is less than year in most cases
and therefore its very important
to create an awareness about the
energy savings, payback period and
life cycle costs.
References
https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/1.
publications/impacts.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2.
Effects_of_global_warming_on_
human_health
http://commercialcompressors.3.
danfoss.com/home/#/
h t t p : / / w w w. i e c . c h / a b o u t /4.
brochures/pdf/conformity_
assessment/IECEE_Global_
Motor_Energy.pdf
Waide, Paul, Brunner, Conrad U.,5.
et al.: Energy-Efficiency Policy
Opportunities for ElectricMotor-
Driven Systems. International
Energy Agency Working Paper,
Energy Efficiency Series,Paris
2011.
AHRI Standard 340/360 (I-P)-6.
2015
www.Danfoss.com7. n
Table-1 Cost Estimation for Fixed and variable speed compressor
Siemens railway transformers in the Rhine valley network
Siemens will use the new transformer type Tractronic® Thinity for the first
time in 24 articulated trains based on the Mireo train platform. The railway
transformer is a key component since it feeds the train’s power supply and
thus guarantees interference-free rail traffic. Thanks to the new design, the
transformer is considerably lighter and more efficient than existing models
with the same rating. It also offers maximum flexibility for all installation
situations with its intelligent construction, a release from Siemens said.
Starting 2020, the 24 Mireo trains will operate regional rail services
(Regionalbahn RB) on the Offenburg – Freiburg – Basel/Neuchâtel
(Switzerland) line, and on Sundays in the Kaiserstuhl from Freiburg to
Endingen/Breisach. They will cut travel time for this route by 30 minutes.
The new route will be part of the Rhine Valley network of German railway
operator DB Regio.
The improved efficiency of the transformers and the lightweight construction
of the Mireo also reduce the energy consumption of the train by 25 per cent.
Because of its flexible design, the new train transformer can not only be
roof-mounted but also installed underfloor, offering the operator the greatest
possible flexibility.
Traction transformers provide the power supply to all areas of a rail vehicle,
and are thus essential for the proper functioning of, for example, brakes
and traction unit. They also ensure the function of lighting and ventilation
systems as well as signaling technology and communications systems, the
Siemens release noted.

Venugopal Pillai
he Prime Minister, on
September 25, 2017,
announced what the
“Saubhagya” scheme that envisages
complete national electrification, at
the household level, by December
31, 2018.
In his Independence Day speech
of 2015, the Prime Minister had
stated that all the then remaining
18,452 non-electrified villages will
be electrified within 1000 days,
which is by May 31, 2018. As of
today, 2,959 villages remain to be
electrified, which includes 988
villages that are non-habited. The
national electrification scheme is
a logical extension of the village
electrification scheme. This is so
because a village is considered
electrified when at least 10 per cent
of its households are electrified. The
real achievement is therefore in
targeting household electrification,
at both the urban and rural levels.
The Saubhagya scheme will put
to test the entire policy-making
and execution machinery at the
country’s disposal. It is a mammoth
task considering the numbers. As
of September 25, 2017, around 4.04
crore households out of the total of
17.92 crore households were non-
electrified, according to government
statistics. This implies that over 22
per cent of Indian households still
do not have an electric connection
even when the country claims
national village electrification of
over 96 per cent.
Someveryinterestingobservations
emerge when one studies the state-
wise distribution of these 4.04 crore
households. Uttar Pradesh, India’s
most populous state, accounts for
1.47 crore of these households, or 36
per cent. Bihar and Madhya Pradesh
come next in order with respective
shares of 16 per cent and 11 per cent.
In other words, nearly two-thirds
of India’s currently non-electrified
households are distributed over just
three states—Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
and Madhya Pradesh. If Saubhagya
should succeed, it depends on
how it is implemented in these
three states. Some other states that
account for a significant share of
India’s non-electrified households
include Odisha, Jharkhand, Assam
and Rajasthan. The seven states
discussed above are together home
to nearly 90 per cent of India’s non-
electrified households.
Uttar Pradesh is a startling
example of under-electrification.
Barely half of the northern state’s
3.03crorehouseholdsareelectrified.
If Uttar Pradesh has to achieve
complete household electrification,
the pace of electrification needs to
be nothing short of furious—over
30,000 households per day between
now and December 31, 2018!
On the other hand, relatively
large states that have achieved
complete electrification, even at the
household level, include Gujarat,
Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh
and Kerala. Most of north-east
India, except Assam, has achieved
household electrification of around
99 per cent.
The importance of Uttar Pradesh
is so profound—thanks to its vast
population and ironically the huge
population of non-electrification
households—that if UP alone
achieves 100 per cent household
electrification, the national
electrification level, at the household
level, will rise from the present 77
per cent to nearly 90 per cent.
Uttar Pradesh, followed by Bihar
and Madhya Pradesh, will largely
determine the bhagya (fate) of the
Saubhagya scheme. n
T
Three states will drive Saubhagya’s success
Special Report
Top non-electrified states
State
No. of NE*
households
All India
% share
Uttar Pradesh 1,46,59,232 36.2
Bihar 64,83,909 16.0
Madhya Pradesh 44,99,405 11.1
Odisha 32,52,725 8.0
Jharkhand 30,45,691 7.5
Assam 24,12,596 6.0
Rajasthan 20,20,670 5.0
Karnataka 7,37,182 1.8
Haryana 6,82,777 1.7
Chhattisgarh 6,37,678 1.6
Total 3,84,31,865 95.0
All India Total 4,04,55,613 100.0
NE = non-electrified
A typical non-electrified household in rural Uttar Pradesh

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