Power Managers Primed For A Dip And Surge

Measures like voltage control and black start will be in place for Sunday’s event

- M. Kalyanaraman

The lights-off event planned for Sunday can lead to disruptions in power supply when everyone switches off their lights from 9 p.m. and switches on after nine minutes. Electricity authorities have studied power consumption patterns across India and the share of lighting in it, to come up with a plan to handle the expected dip and surge in consumption.

When everyone switches off their lights, the power plants will be affected. The situation can be compared to a bicycle climbing upward. When the lights go off all at once, it is akin to the cyclist suddenly reaching the peak and continuing to pedal as before during the climb down. The bicycle speed will then ramp up and could lead to the cyclist losing his balance. The voltage in the grid and the frequency will surge. The frequency can be understood as the electrical equivalent of the bicycle’s speed.

The bicyclist losing his balance is like our power plants stopping operation as a result of these sudden changes. If, however, the bicyclist anticipates the steepness of the terrain and the cliff, then he can pedal as required.