IoT Based Smart Domestic Water Pumping Operation in Tamil Nadu: Estimation of Promotion of Solar Energy Utilisation and Avoidance of Government Subsidy

Morning time 6:30 - 8:30 is one of the two peak hours in the Electrical Grid and the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (TANGEDCO) in Tamil Nadu is obliged to supply power to its consumers with its limited installed capacity that cannot meet the peak demand during those periods. Due to limited solar insolation during this period, energy is purchased from External sources like Independent Power Producers even at a price of Rs.20 per kWh and sold to customers at a base price of Rs. 4.6 per kWh. It is common to witness that around 7:00 AM, most of the household pumps are in operation. If we automate the domestic pumps to operate during daytime (10 am to 4 pm), a huge amount of electrical load on the grid due to pump operation can be shifted from the Morning peak time to day time when solar insolation is very good. This automation can utilize the leveraging technology of Wireless IoT so that the time of operation of pumps can be altered from a default time setting, in case of necessity by authorized electricity board personnel. This proposed approach will promote utilization of available solar power by allowing to build more solar installations and use it. This approach is also an alternative, without the need of storage, to promote renewable energy utilization using various kinds of electricity storage methods that are under Research and Development. Further, it will help avoid the subsidy the Tamil Nadu Government provides to procure energy at a huge price and deliver it to customers at a lower cost. Nowadays energy cost from Solar power plants is relatively lesser than thermal power. Therefore, in addition to avoiding subsidy, the Tamil Nadu Government can in fact achieve profit if the proposed approach is implemented.