An Introduction to Mini-grids in India

Mini-grids (MG) — the small power stations that are scaled-down versions of city power grids — are today recognised for their role in bringing reliability to power supply. They are also known for their inherent ability to utilise the abundant renewable energy (RE) present in India, and for providing a controllable and independent energy-service option to consumers. Mini-grids are crucial for creating a national-level distributed grid system too. Further, they offer location-specific, energy-centric, expandable solutions to meet the needs of people in rural and urban areas. For India, which has diverse social clusters and remote demographic settings, the solutions offered by mini-grids can especially be useful for last-mile initiatives.