Chennai: As summer intensifies, demand for power in the state begins peaking. But, dry weather and clear skies are keeping solar generation high, helping meet daily electricity needs.The state’s peak demand —the highest level of electricity demand recorded on the grid during a specific period — has hovered around 20,000 megawatts (MW) in recent weeks, while daily consumption has stayed above 400 million units. Solar output has also risen steadily. On Wednesday, solar power generation set records for both peak output and total energy evacuated. Tamil Nadu power distribution corporation limited (TNPDCL) absorbed 56.9 million units of solar power, and peak solar generation reached 7,693MW, an all-time high.Since March 23, solar power generation has crossed 7,500MW on three days, and daily absorption has consistently topped 50 million units. That means roughly one-eighth of the state’s electricity demand is being met by solar power, a TNPDCL official said. Thermal plants in the state generate about 100 million units a day, and solar adds another 50 million units, reducing the need for costly power purchases on the market.An official from Tamil Nadu green energy corporation attributed the higher solar output to about 2,800MW of new capacity added over the past year. “In the Tirunelveli region alone, captive power producers have installed 1,784MW of solar farms, while 1,058MW have been installed in the Udumalpet region,” he said. With 2,500 megawatt-hour battery energy storage systems in different stages of development, renewable power such as solar and wind can be stored in these plants and used during non-solar hours as well as to meet the peak in power demand in the evening hours.
