The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) has approved the procedure for forecasting, scheduling, and deviation settlement of solar and wind generation, which will go into effect from January 1, 2020.

Further, the PSERC has directed the solar and wind generators to establish the required forecasting and communication infrastructure for furnishing day ahead or week ahead forecast to state load despatch center (SLDC) and register with SLDC before January 2020.

These regulations apply to all wind and solar generators with individual capacity of 5 MW and above who are connected to the state transmission system or distribution system or renewable energy generators of any capacity connected to pooling stations with a combined capacity of 5 MW or more, supplying power to the utilities or to the third-party or for captive consumption through open access within or outside the state.

In May 2018, the PSERC had issued draft regulations for forecasting, scheduling, and deviation settlement of solar and wind power generation in the state. It was proposed that the PSERC would begin levying deviation charges on project developers and procurers that do not inject the allotted power into the grid.

Also, as per the procedure approved by the commission, the generators must appoint a qualified coordinating agency (QCA) for coordinating on their behalf with the SLDC. The generators should authorize the QCA for two years to represent them at the SLDC. The procedure also states that an individual pool generator should not hire and authorize multiple QCAs for a pooling station.

The SLDC will be responsible for scheduling, day-to-day communications, coordination with generators, or QCAs. The SLDC may do the forecasting of renewable energy generation by availing the services of a forecasting agency.

If a standalone generator or QCA submits forecast and schedule on a 15-minute block basis, then it needs to be done by 10:00 hours, and no revision in the forecast will be accepted after 21:30 hours, states the procedure.

The schedule of wind and solar generators connected to the state grid can be revised by giving advance notice to SLDC, which would be effective from the fourth time-block. There may be one revision for each time slot of one and a half hours starting from 00.00 hours of a particular day subject to a maximum of 16 revisions during the day.

Previously, it was reported that in the case of deviations from schedule, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) had established a fee for errors based on 15-minute time blocks and charges for deviation payable or receivable to/from regional deviation settlement mechanism pools by the renewable generators.

In May 2019, the CERC finalized the fifth amendment to its deviation settlement mechanism regulations. These regulations were to come into force with effect from June 03, 2019.

Image credit: Juwi

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.