Application of digital twins for the low-voltage electricity grid–Challenges and opportunities of Distribution Grid Analytics in India

India anticipates significant growth in both population and energy demand. A substantial portion of this growth in energy demand is projected to be met through non-fossil-based resources, with ambitious plans to expand capacity to 500 GW by 2030. This ransition necessitates extensive grid infrastructure expansion to accommodate increasing demand and supply fluctuations. However, urban areas, experiencing rapid population growth, offer limited space for large-scale electricity network infrastructure development. Consequently, it becomes essential to supplement grid expansion with digitalization, leveraging the potential of smart grids to achieve an economic, stable, and sustainable electricity supply. Nonetheless, the low and medium voltage grid levels, in particular, continue to lack adequate transparency and digitalization. This paper presents a Digital Twin approach for distribution systems, designed to model and monitor all grid assets and consumers in the low-voltage network, addressing the specific challenges and use cases unique to India. By leveraging the increasing volume of data from enhanced metering infrastructure, the approach bridges gaps in grid transparency, enabling significant improvements in grid monitoring and management.Key use cases include topology detection (e.g., grid phase identification and switching configuration detection) and congestion management (e.g., peak load forecasting, demand response, and electric vehicle charging). The paper provides sample results from an analysis of the impact of distributed energy resource integration on the distribution system, particularly focusing on power flow changes introduced by solar PV systems and electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) at specific network nodes. The analysis aims to equip distribution utilities with crucial insights into potential violations of voltage or current limits that may arise from the deployment of solar PV systems and/or EVCS.