Through the DREAMS project, Smart Innovation Norway maintains and enhances the Norwegian Indian collaboration within the energy sector. The 3-year-lasting project will use emerging technologies to showcase the potential of intelligent load management.
For several years already, Smart Innovation Norway has been collaborating with Indian businesses. In 2019, during the India visit of H.E. Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, the non-profit research institution Smart Innovation Norway was introduced to three power distribution companies, which are among the project partners in DREAMS (Demand Response driven Energy Advancements and Moderation of Services).
Showcasing Demand Response
Since then, Norwegian and Indian companies have been involved with each other on multiple project plans leading to an excellent understanding within Smart Innovation Norway of the needs and challenges of these companies.
The DREAMS project aims to leverage emerging digital technologies and behavioural sciences to showcase the potential of intelligent and automated load management. That means Demand Response (D.R.) for enhancing energy access and affordability, clean energy penetration, and energy efficiency for consumers and energy utilities.
Six Indian Partners
From November 2022 until late autumn 2025, Smart Innovation Norway will be working together with the six following Indian partners:
- Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A)
- CESC Limited – public utility
- BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) – public utility
- Research and Innovation Circle of Hyderabad (RICH)
- BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) – public utility
- Noida Power Company Limited – public utility
State advisors
The utility companies’ partners in the project are public sector companies that work closely with the state and central governments.
In addition, IIM-A and RICH are institutions that advise the state and central government on issues related to the power sector. BRPL, BYPL and Noida Power are members of the Northern Region Power Committee (a governmental forum for all grid companies in northern India) and have a strong voice in regulatory development stages.
400 voluntary consumers
As part of DREAMS, the partners also intend to develop an advisory and monitoring group where they would like to invite representation from federal regulators and the Ministry of Power, aiming to engage them from project initiation.
Among the implementation activities are these:
- Through scientifically designed and well-thought-through awareness campaigns and onboarding programs, they will sign 400 voluntary consumers across different segments such as residential (including marginalized populations), agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors.
- Correct use cases of demand response will be designed and demonstrated.
- Through IoT connectivity and smart devices, the real-time consumption data of consenting consumers will be captured and processed using data science and artificial intelligence tools to offer actionable «real-time consumption insights» to consumers.