RAS question
Smart grid technology in electricity distribution involves:
Correct answer: (D) Digital communication technology to detect and react to local changes in electrical usage.
Smart grid technology in electricity distribution uses digital communication, information systems and automation to detect and respond to local changes in electricity usage.
Explanation
Smart grids are not a new source of electricity; they are a smarter way to run the electricity network. The U.S. Department of Energy defines a smart grid as an intelligent electricity grid that uses digital communications technology, information systems and automation to detect and react to local changes in usage while improving operating efficiency and reliability. This is why option D is correct. Operationally, digital sensors, IoT devices, AI and two-way communication help monitor and manage electricity flow in real time. That is why smart grids support demand-side management, reduce transmission losses, integrate renewable energy, enable self-healing responses and optimise EV charging. India's National Smart Grid Mission was created to accelerate such deployment.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Solar panels may be integrated into a smart grid, but smart grid technology is defined by digital communication, monitoring and automated response, not by using only solar generation.
- (B) Replacing all wires is a physical infrastructure change, whereas the smart grid idea here centres on information systems, communication-enabled devices and automated control of electricity usage changes.
- (C) Wind turbines are a renewable source that a smart grid can help integrate, but they are not the defining feature of smart grid technology.
Concept
This tests the Science and Technology theme of digital infrastructure in power distribution. It recurs in RAS because smart grids connect core governance concerns: reliable electricity, renewable integration, loss reduction and demand management.