112 N. KONO ET AL.
6.6.2 Providing Electricity Through Microgrids in the Poorest
AreasSince electricity does not emit harmful substances at the point of its use,
it can offer urban residents environmental and health benefi ts. Electricity,
however, is not offi cially available in most Indian slums. When available,
whether legally or illegally, electricity is generally used for lighting (Reddy
and Srinivas 2009 ). Using electricity for purposes other than lighting may
prove too expensive, as cooking and heating normally require higher levels
of caloric consumption, potentially leading to higher prices if electricity
were used for such purposes. However, if electricity tariffs are set at low
prices that slum dwellers may be able to pay, they may be encouraged to
use electricity for multiple purposes.
Currently, the necessary political commitments, business interests, and
technological infrastructure are missing with respect to shifting to legal
provision of electricity services in slums. Thus, there is a need to formu-
late strategies to develop utilities and to encourage others to invest in
areas that are not normally serviced by commercial operations. A frame-
work must also be developed whereby such investments may be recouped
within a suffi ciently short period.
Microgrids represent one of the most relevant systems of electricity gen-
eration in poor areas. Microgrids are generally referred to as aggregations
of electrical generation, storage, and loads. Generators in a microgrid may
include microturbines, fuel cells, reciprocating engines, or any of a number of
alternate power sources. A microgrid can be a completely self- suffi cient net-
work. A device such as a static switch can disconnect the grid from the main
Fig. 6.3 Average transmission and distribution losses. Source: All India Electricity
Statistics, General Review. Central Electricity Authority: Delhi, 1994–2006,
adopted from Joseph ( 2010 )