KS-plus Project: power supply repair and upgrade

Reliable supply with electricity is important, especially for the Kirpal Sagar Hospital, the schools cum hostels, the college and the Fathers’ Home.

Power Supply – the challenge

Kirpal Sagar is supplied via an 11 kV overhead line from the nearest small town, Rahon. Because the public grid already showed considerable risks due to ageing of the cables, solutions were sought. A replacement by the state-owned energy supplier was not in sight in the long term, which is why the cables had already been replaced in 2022 at their own expense.

The overhead line leads to Kirpal Sagar’s own transformer at the water tower, where the electricity is converted into 3-phase alternating current at 440 V. The central distribution board is also located there, which supplies power to the facilities via underground cables. The planning of the grid dates back to the 1980s and was adapted to the needs on the occasion of the 1994 and 2007 conferences.

Since 2017, photovoltaic elements have been installed on some roofs. Their rectifiers were connected to the existing power grid at the respective building. The total output of regenerative power generation is now 750 kWpeak, and the demands on the power grid have also increased significantly due to the increasing digitalisation of the schools and the college as well as the further expansion of the hospital. During a storm in 2022, there was a short circuit with arcing in the medium-voltage grid directly before the transfer point at the transformer.

Solution Ideas

The medium-voltage grid is to be constructed as underground cables for the last 500 metres in order to minimise the risks for residents in built-up areas.

The low-voltage area is to be adapted to current demand.

In addition to a modular, expandable grid connection, an uninterruptible power supply is also being planned for the hospital, which goes beyond the manually switchable emergency generator at the water tower.

Implementation

In the first step, the excavation work for the medium-voltage line and the main distribution branches will be carried out. In parallel, the existing connection and transfer points will be upgraded and adapted to the current fire protection regulations. These main branches also transport the electricity fed in from the photovoltaic systems.

In the second step, the individual buildings and PV locations are connected to the upgraded network.

In the third step, the modular expansion of the hospital power supply will be tackled.

How can You help?

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