ABB, a power and automation technology company, today said it will install a 600 KW fully integrated and standardized microgrid solar energy at its Vadodara facility in Gujarat to help boost renewable energy generation while reducing dependency on fossil fuel.
This microgrid with a rooftop photo voltaic field at the company’s biggest manufacturing location in India with around 3,000 employees will help ensure uninterrupted power supply, said the company.
Microgrids are considered a viable and cost-efficient solution to not only improve access to electricity but also to address other pressing issues related to energy supply including growing demand, climate change, energy security and reliability for both industries and villages.
ABB’s containerized microgrid installation in Vadodara includes a 600 kW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) field and a power store battery grid stabilizing system.
Energy generated during the day will augment power from the grid and reduce dependency on diesel generators in case of grid outages. It results in substantial savings on electricity bills while helping to reduce carbon footprint.
A cloud-based remote service system will be deployed for the operations and maintenance of the microgrid in keeping with ABB’s Internet of Things, Services and People (IoTSP) approach.
Sanjeev Sharma, CEO & Managing Director of ABB India Ltd said, “Microgrid technology assumes greater significance for India as it provides access to electricity through localized generation and consumption as well as reliable and resilient power supply to urban campuses and industrial operations.”
“There is no better way to demonstrate our commitment to green and reliable power than installing a microgrid for our campus and contribute to the nation’s vision of clean energy and 500 MW of microgrids in the next five years, which is also in full alignment with ABB’s Next Level strategy.”, Sharma added.
In 2015 ABB exhibited the first multisource microgrid pilot at its Automation and power world event in New Delhi.
Over a period of 3 days 1,350 kg of CO2 was saved and enough electricity was generated to power approximately 12,000 rural households.
Vadodara is ABB’s largest facility in India and manufactures critical power equipment like transformers, high voltage products, distribution relays, primary gas-insulated switchgear, motors, generators and turbochargers for a variety of national projects.
Earlier this month the company had announced inauguration of a new solar inverter manufacturing facility at Nelamanagala in Bengaluru to double the solar inverter manufacturing capacity of the company to 2GW.
ABB is one of the leading global technology company in power and automation that enables utility, industry, and transport & infrastructure customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact.