1/n A little thread on the impact of #9baje9minute on the Indian #Electricity #grid @PosocoIndia @MinOfPower

From @PosocoIndia o data #India's #power #demand at 19:00 hours in the last three #Sundays:

29 March: 110632 Gigawatts (GW)
22 March: 125000 GW
15 March: 144258 GW

2/n #Power #demand at 19:00 hours on similar Sundays last year:
31 March 2019: 149361
07 April 2019: 150735

#lockdown has reduced demand by 35-40 GW primarily as a result of the partial closure of industries and commercial establishments

3/n In 2019, #residential #demand was about 25% of total demand but it likely to be 33% of the total demand today. So, a sudden change in #residential #demand is likely to have a bigger impact.

4/n According to https://saubhagya.gov.in/  India has about 214 million electrified households that consumed about 3.5 KWh a day. If half of these switched off a light (10W) and a fan (50W) between 8:57 PM and 9:00 PM on 5th April, the power demand would fall by about 6 GW.

5/n What if they switched off their TV (50-100W), more bulbs (10-20W each), more fans (50W each). A few might switch of their ACs (1000-2000W?). Except for ACs, the others are universally owned.

The reduction power in 3-5 minutes could be 6GW, could be 2-3 times higher!

6/n The 9:00 PM demand would have been 120-125 GW, but it is likely that it could reduce by at 6-20 GW between 8:57 and 9:00 PM, stay at that level till 9:09 PM, and rise by similar amount between 9:09 PM and 9:12 PM.

7/n There is no need to worry if the demand reduces by 6 GW only but a reduction of 20 GW (~15% of the total demand) in 3 minutes, followed by a similar rise a few minutes later, is a cause for concern. Could #destabilize the #grid!

n/n @PosocoIndia and @MinOfPower , please prepare for these scenarios. We will need #hydro and #gas plants on standby.

For the rest of us: Please don't switch off all #appliances. Lights only!

As expected. Why apply brains when we can apply a hammer! @PosocoIndia and #DISCOMS will start staggered #loadshedding an hour or so in advance and continue for another hour after the event! Is #9baje9minute worth it? https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/countrywide-9-minute-lights-switch-off-manageable-grid-authorities/articleshow/74964815.cms