Delhi expects a record-breaking winter peak of 6300 MW, with 53% of demand to be met through renewable energy, including solar, wind and hydro.
Winters in Delhi call for the use of room heaters and geysers to ease the biting cold, and as power consumption rises, the city is expecting a peak power demand exceeding 6300 MW this winter. This surpasses last year's record of 5816 MW. The forecast, published by the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), indicates that Delhi’s winter months will mirror the record-breaking summer’s peak demand trends, as reported by ANI.
In line with the city’s growing demand, specific regions like BRPL (BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd.) and BYPL (BSES Yamuna Power Ltd.) are also expected to see significant increases in power peaks this winter. Winter peaks that previously hit 2529 MW and 1210 MW, respectively, are now projected to exceed 2600 MW for BRPL and 1240 MW for BYPL.
To address these rising demands, BSES is ramping up its efforts with strategic power planning, precise demand forecasting, and maintaining a robust distribution network. These measures are set to ensure consistent power availability for more than 50 lakh consumers, covering 2 crore residents in South, West, East, and Central Delhi during the coming winter months.
As part of its strategy to meet winter demand while ensuring an eco-friendly supply, BSES has secured over 2000 MW of renewable energy. This green power mix includes 840 MW of solar power, 546 MW of hydropower, 500 MW of wind energy, 40 MW of waste-to-energy, and over 180 MW from rooftop solar installations across Delhi’s neighborhoods. With this diverse mix, up to 53 per cent of BSES' peak winter power demand—expected to exceed 3900 MW—will be met through green energy.
To support this green energy push and ensure reliability during peak demand, BSES has implemented several mechanisms to manage fluctuations in power consumption. These include utilizing "banking" for storing excess power, leveraging the "power exchange" for short-term power procurement, and maintaining "spinning reserves" to handle unexpected spikes in demand. Advanced load forecasting techniques will further enhance reliability by ensuring demand is predicted with precision.
In addition to BSES’s efforts, the Delhi government has introduced the Delhi Solar Portal, a single-window solution for citizens to install rooftop solar panels. This initiative enables Delhiites to become "prosumers" (power consumers who generate extra solar power) by utilising this platform. Chief Minister Atishi recently launched the portal, aimed at achieving the target of 750 MW rooftop solar power generation, as per the solar policy of the AAP government introduced on March 14 this year.
Such methods of generating green energy will help ease financial pressures associated with power generation and supply during the upcoming winter months, while also contributing to the city’s sustainability goals.