UI-ASSIST (US-India collAborative for smart diStribution System wIth Storage)
UI-ASSIST project, funded by Department of Energy (DoE) on US side, and Department of Science and Technology (DST) through Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) on India side under the Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC), has addressed essential issues related to the adoption and deployment of active distribution networks, integrating distributed energy resources including storage in the network as well as microgrid level. The consortium from US is being led by Washington State University (WSU), Pullman, WA which has 16 organizations collaborating, including MIT, TAMU, three DOE labs, industries, and utilities, whereas that in India is led by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur involving 15 organizations, including 5 IITs, TERI, NTPC NETRA, Utilities, Industries and an NGO.
The aim of the project is to bridge the gap between smart grid, storage, and renewable energy research and facilitate its subsequent adoption by utilities around the world in their distribution system operation and planning. There are following major themes of the project with multiple objectives:
1) Energy Storage
2) Microgrids
3) Cyber security
4) DSO functions & ADMS
5) Lab scale pilots for proof of concepts, and 5 field pilots, each in US and India, for demonstration in rural, semi-urban and urban areas; and
6) Policy/regulatory recommendations to address socio-political issues for adopting these technologies and the needed workforce development.
TERI/BRPL Urban Pilots:
TERI as a research partner has performed sizing/siting, developed control logics for charge/discharge of the batteries, tender document preparation & evaluation, and currently supervising the implementation of BESS. The contract has been awarded to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). BHEL’s scope of work in the contract includes design, supply, testing, installation & commissioning along with a comprehensive five-year annual maintenance contract (AMC) of the systems at three different locations in Delhi under BRPL (utility partner) licensee area.
Reports:
Launch of UI-ASSIST Compendium on 26 September 2023 during the Workshop on "DER Integrated Smart Distribution Systems: Learnings from Indo-US project" at IIT Kanpur Outreach Centre, C-Block, Sector-62, Noida