HYDERABAD: Switch off your lights only and not other electrical gadgets like ACs and refrigerators, while lighting the lamps on Sunday at 9 pm as per the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Experts say that there will be no damage to other electrical gadgets even if there is a sudden fall in power demand and increase at 9.09 pm.
The electrical gadgets, except lights, can be used normally during the nine-minute period. “There will be no damage to your electrical gadgets during the sudden fall and increase of power demand on Sunday, if the wiring in your house is done as per the standards,” explained TS Genco and Transco chairman D Prabhakar Rao.
Speaking to the media on Saturday, he said that the power grid would not collapse, when the people switch off the lights for nine minutes. “The sudden fall and increase in the power demand will be around 550 MW to 700 MW. We have experienced engineers and they can manage the situation. People need not worry at all,” Prabhakar Rao stated.
TS GENCO: Power demand would drop only by 700 MW
Prabhakar Rao recalled during the recent solar eclipse, there was a sudden fall of 2,000 MW power generation and after the eclipse there was a sudden increase of power generation of 2,000 MW. This had no impact on the grid. During the recent rains, there was a sudden fall of 2,600 MW power demand which was managed well by officials.
The drop in power demand would be a maximum of 700 MW during the nine minutes. “To compensate this, reversible pumps at Nagarjuna Sagar Project (NSP) and Srisailam hydel projects will be operated. We will operate four pumps at these two projects,” he said. The present daily demand is between 9,500 MW to 10,000 MW. “Out of this total demand, 550 MW to 700 MW fluctuation is very normal and manageable,” Prabhakar Rao said. According to a circular by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, the grid power requirement is likely to reduce during the nine-minute period. “This may lead to sudden increase in system voltage at various stations and can lead to outage of grid.”
Streetlights to stay on
Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy has said that streetlights and lights at hospitals will stay on during the nine-minute initiative. He too has asked people not to switch off electrical gadgets but only their lights at
homes. The Minister assured that this would not have an adverse impact on grids since all precautions are in place.