The following points highlights the top eight advantages of interconnected power system.The advantages are: 1. Reduced Plant Reserved Capacity 2. Reduced Plant Reserved Capacity 3. Increased Effective Capacity of Power System 4. Economical Operation 5. Use of Older Plants 6. Exchange of Peak Loads 7. Reduced Capital Costs 8. Savings in Operating Costs.
Advantage # 1. Reduced Plant Reserved Capacity:
Every power station is required to have a standby unit for emergencies. By interconnecting the large generating stations, the amount of reserve plant capacity in the system, as a whole, is reduced; the load factor and efficiency of operation are improved.
Advantage # 2. Increased Reliability of Supply:
The reliability of supply is increased since in case of fault at one station, the power can be fed from other stations.
Advantage # 3. Increased Effective Capacity of Power System:
The load curves of different interconnected stations are likely to differ. The result is that the maximum demand on the system is much reduced as compared to the sum of individual maximum demands on various power stations. In other words, the diversity factor of the whole system is improved, thereby increasing the effective capacity of the whole system.
Advantage # 4. Economical Operation:
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Interconnection between hydroelectric power station and thermal power station makes their operation economical. When water is available in sufficient quantity such as in rainy season, the hydroelectric power station is employed as a base load station and thermal power station is employed as peak load station because the running cost of hydroelectric plant is low. When water is not available in sufficient quantity, such as in summer season, the thermal power station takes base load and hydroelectric power station takes peak load.
Economy is also obtained by sharing the total demand among the interconnected power stations in such a way that the more efficient power stations run continuously throughout the year at high load factor and less efficient plants operate for peak load hours.
Advantage # 5. Use of Older Plants:
The interconnected system makes it possible to employ the older and less efficient plants to carry peak loads of short durations. Although such plants may be inadequate when used alone, yet they have sufficient capacity to carry short peaks of loads when interconnected with other modern power plants. Thus, interconnected system makes use of obsolete plants possible.
Advantage # 6. Exchange of Peak Loads:
An important benefit of interconnected system is that the peak load of the power stations can be exchanged. If load curve of a power station indicates a peak demand exceeding the rated capacity of the power station, then the excess load can be shared by other power stations interconnected to it.
Advantage # 7. Reduced Capital Costs:
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With interconnected stations, generators of larger sizes can be employed resulting in reduced capital cost per kW. In interconnected grid system large generators can be used so that in case of failure of any one, power could be supplied from other stations.
Advantage # 8. Savings in Operating Costs:
In an interconnected system, it would be possible to allocate the total system load to the various individual power stations in the most economic manner and the load dispatching will be fully co-ordinated resulting in large savings in operating costs.