IBM ties up with BEE for smart grid project

DELHI, INDIA: IBM on Tuesday announced a collaboration with The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in India to create the country’s first smart grid project.

They will also create a cost-benefit analysis for smart grid activities as part of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), said a press release.

A BEE project, NMEEE is one of eight national missions that promote innovative policy and regulatory regimes, financing mechanisms, and business models that help sustain the market for energy efficiency.

Through this project, IBM plans to apply its services expertise to help determine smart grid readiness in India.

The company will lay out a strategic assessment framework with an Indian perspective that looks at the adoption of new smart grid technologies, and identifies alignments in policy and regulatory frameworks to make each solution possible.

It will help BEE determine global smart grid potential and also create toolkits for regulators and utilities for assessing benefits of smart grid investment decisions.

“With the growth of the economy and the enhanced demand for energy, efficient use of energy resources and their conservation takes center stage - this is vital in restricting wasteful consumption while sustaining development,” said Kapil Mohan, IAS, deputy director general of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

He added that saving energy is a national cause and everyone needs to work in unison to make India an energy efficient economy and society so that the country remains competitive.

As a part of this collaboration, IBM will generate the smart grid business case and tools that will help calculate the return on investment for all smart grid projects being rolled out country-wide and also within the ISGAN (International Smart Grid Action Network), of which BEE is a member.

The ISGAN network facilitates cooperation in smart grid policy and standardizes, regulates and finances technology research development and demonstration, workforce skills and knowledge development, including consumer participation at all levels, the release added.

ISGAN participants include Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, European Commission, France, India, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

“There is a huge demand for power grids that are energy efficient, intelligent and secure. Through this collaboration with BEE, our aim is to help overcome inefficiencies in the existing grid and move toward more sustainable energy networks,” said Avinash V Joshi, director, communications sector, IBM India/South Asia.