Published Paper Details:

Most of the commercial energy demand in India is met largely by imported fossil fuels. In 2013, India was the 4th biggest consumer and net importer of crude and petroleum products in the world (Barpatragohain, 2015). As the country is essentially dependent on energy import, any shortfall due to unforeseen geopolitical situation may cause acute energy scarcities which will consecutively impede the industrial growth and economic progress. In order to achieve energy independence, the dependency on imported oil has to be reduced by developing alternate energy sources. If renewable power systems deliver such impressive benefits, but still we produce only 20-25% percent of national electricity generation in the India. The share of renewable energy sources, primarily wind and solar is poised to growth significantly power system. The Indian government has set a target of 175 GW of installed renewable capacity by 2022. Including 60GW of wind and 100 GW of Solar, up from an installed capacity of 29 GW wind and 9 GW solar at the beginning of 2017. Whether the target is achievable or not will be determined by market and policy led forces. However a key question that arises is what would be the operational impact of meeting these targets and what actions can be taken for effective integration of renewables. At low levels, integrating solar and wind energy into grid can be achieved relatively easily. But at higher levels, wind and solar generation can present some challenges to grid operations because the additional variability and uncertainty it brings to the power system. This thesis work leaves policymakers with a lot of thinking to do regarding the viability of other alternatives in long-term power planning, and underscores the need for path-breaking R & D in the sector.