Standardardisation

Rural Electrification  programme because of the highly capital intensive nature of the equipment, wide spread and scattered network leading to difficulty in maintenance, and lengthy lines and isolated and scattered loads leading to high distribution losses.  Due to unremunerative and highly subsidized tariff, the  RE programme is financially unviable. In such  a situation, of scarce resources on the one hand, and commitment to bring electricity to all the villages on the other, the only way out was to devise ways and means of bringing out cost-effective and technically superior systems for rural electrification.

With active association of the SEBs, manufacturers and research institutes, REC brought out standards and specifications for RE construction materials including conductors, transformers, insulators, circuit-breakers, energy meters etc. and evolved construction practices for laying of HT/LT lines, erection of substations etc. 

With the availability of such REC standards, the manufacturers were able to produce cost-effective and better equipments for adoption and use by all the SEBs in the country.  However, due to financial constraints there is a huge gap between the demand and supply of power in the country.  Further, a high percentage of T&D losses to the extent of 21.2% also adding to this huge shortage of power.

To achieve this a great necessity was felt to standardize the various material and construction practices for carrying out rural electrification works in the country.

REC with the active participation of State Electricity Boards, manufactures and various Research Institutes were able to bring out the various standards and specifications for RE construction works. This was all the more very important, in view of different climatic/field conditions existing in various parts of the country. 

The construction materials for carrying out rural electrification works was being used according to the local requirement of the area which used to result in costlier material procurement as manufacturers of such items used to produce the same item with different designs/standards i.e. as per the requirement of the individual customer and construction practices. 

Now due to the available of REC standards and construction practices of various items for RE works, there has been their uniform adoption by various State Electricity Boards and utilities, resulting into cost effective and technically superior systems for rural electrification.  

REC has so far issued 74 specifications, 232 Construction Standards and 14 Manuals for carrying out rural electrification works.

Implementation

The evolving of various standards and specifications by REC, has been welcomed and appreciated by the State Electricity Boards/Power Utilities and Manufacturers.  There has been frequent discussions with them by REC for their up-gradation and to bring out new standards/specifications for various other items.  The feed back on various difficulties of SEBs are discussed in detail and their suggestions are invited for their further improvement and better acceptability to the actual field conditions.  

The need for further updating/revising the existing standards & specifications is done by incorporating all their suggestions after securing consensus from all concerned in the conference being conducted by REC.  This helps to keep pace with the latest development in the technology.

Benefits of Standardisation in System Improvement

 There had been a great need to improve the rural distribution system with its rapid expansion because of steep load growth by energizing more and more no. of agricultural pumpsets and electrifying new villages.  This has resulted into poor voltage conditions and increase in distribution losses. 

With adoption of REC Construction standards, SEBs have been able to improve quality of supply of power and remarkable saving of energy by reducing losses to a great extent.  Further with the propagation by REC of the importance of using energy efficient modern/innovative technology equipment, SEBs have been successful in ensuring the reliable and qualitative supply of power to the rural areas.

Training of Staff by REC 

Recognition  

The institution of Standard Engineer, an affiliate of the Bureau of Indian Standards, has awarded, REC the Company Standardisation Commendation Award for the year 1987 in recognition of excellent contribution of REC in the field of Standardisation.