Just a couple of days after the massive 'grid failure' or GF as I shall call it hereafter, just for the sake of pun, I got a good reason to write something. Not because it was yet another failure of the administration and everybody loves to hear about such failures. Not even to write a prose on anything to do with modern electrical or power systems engineering. The reason I felt a calling towards this platform of communication is that, I believe, if I express my views about the GF through any other media, I may not be able to put my point across since it sounds rather 'contrarytopopularbelief'ish. Thus, I announced my return to blogging.
First, I'd like paint the background for those who are less aware.
If the consumers connected to the electrical network start drawing more power than that which is being injected into it by power generators, the frequency (which is normally 50Hz) starts decreasing. If this is allowed to happen, a chain reaction triggers which shuts down all plants connected to the network and what you get is a black out; or in other words, you get a GF.
Enough painting. Fast forward to what happened immediately after every North Indian got a GF.
While the power distribution companies of the overdrawing states were being censured by North Indians and experts and media and everyone who suddenly discovered that turning on the power button may not always set electricity flowing into their appliances, I wondered. I wondered if anyone who had the controls of the great switch to the Northern grid could, simply out of a whim, turn it off, just for the fun of it? I wondered if the overdrawing states knew exactly how much over drawl would cause a grid failure and they intentionally overdrew just to cause it? Unlikely.
Discoms buy power from generators and sell it to the end users. So, you me and everyone who pay electricity bills are the only source of the discoms' income. So, a good discom is the one which gives a good service to its consumers in terms of 24X7 supply and some other parameters. Now if the consumers of a discom collectively hog more power than that which the discom has been allocated, what is the discom supposed to do? The first time ever that this question was raised by someone on this planet, marked the birth of a term that all regular bill payers have come to hate. Load Shedding.
For an honest consumer, it makes no difference whether the cause is a GF or load shedding as long as the effect is the same; switch on, no power. He will still curse the state electricity board (which have been wiped out of existence after unbundling, but he doesn't know that, you see. He is ignorant and oblivious to how and where the electrons actually come from). Also, when an average guy from anywhere in this country switches on a light bulb, he, under normal circumstances, does not get an information alert of how much over drawl he has contributed to by his act. In fact, neither did the discom knew beforehand that he was going to switch on a light bulb at that exact moment and nor could it come to his house and make him switch it back off upon realization. The discom can only over draw to meet the demand or shed load. What is the probability that an over drawl will cause a GF? Slim. So why not do it? At least the ignorant consumer would be happy.
It is here that my opinion differs from the majority. I do not squarely blame the discoms for the GF; only partly. But thats just me.
First, I'd like paint the background for those who are less aware.
If the consumers connected to the electrical network start drawing more power than that which is being injected into it by power generators, the frequency (which is normally 50Hz) starts decreasing. If this is allowed to happen, a chain reaction triggers which shuts down all plants connected to the network and what you get is a black out; or in other words, you get a GF.
Enough painting. Fast forward to what happened immediately after every North Indian got a GF.
While the power distribution companies of the overdrawing states were being censured by North Indians and experts and media and everyone who suddenly discovered that turning on the power button may not always set electricity flowing into their appliances, I wondered. I wondered if anyone who had the controls of the great switch to the Northern grid could, simply out of a whim, turn it off, just for the fun of it? I wondered if the overdrawing states knew exactly how much over drawl would cause a grid failure and they intentionally overdrew just to cause it? Unlikely.
Discoms buy power from generators and sell it to the end users. So, you me and everyone who pay electricity bills are the only source of the discoms' income. So, a good discom is the one which gives a good service to its consumers in terms of 24X7 supply and some other parameters. Now if the consumers of a discom collectively hog more power than that which the discom has been allocated, what is the discom supposed to do? The first time ever that this question was raised by someone on this planet, marked the birth of a term that all regular bill payers have come to hate. Load Shedding.
For an honest consumer, it makes no difference whether the cause is a GF or load shedding as long as the effect is the same; switch on, no power. He will still curse the state electricity board (which have been wiped out of existence after unbundling, but he doesn't know that, you see. He is ignorant and oblivious to how and where the electrons actually come from). Also, when an average guy from anywhere in this country switches on a light bulb, he, under normal circumstances, does not get an information alert of how much over drawl he has contributed to by his act. In fact, neither did the discom knew beforehand that he was going to switch on a light bulb at that exact moment and nor could it come to his house and make him switch it back off upon realization. The discom can only over draw to meet the demand or shed load. What is the probability that an over drawl will cause a GF? Slim. So why not do it? At least the ignorant consumer would be happy.
It is here that my opinion differs from the majority. I do not squarely blame the discoms for the GF; only partly. But thats just me.
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