Solar Minigrids Renewable Energy Solar Power Biomass

Volume 6 Issue 4 February 2013Ministry of New andRenewable EnergyGovernment of Indiawww.mnre.gov.inSolar Minigrids in Rural Areasof UPRenewable Energy Imperativefor e-Governance in Rural IndiaSolar Power DispellingDarkness of ChhattisgarhUse of Biomass in Brick Kilns

From the Editor’s DeskVolume 6 ■ Issue 4February 2013A bi-monthly newsletterof the Ministry of Newand Renewable Energy,Government of India (Publishedin English and Hindi).Chief PatronDr Farooq AbdullahMinister for New andRenewable Energy, New DelhiPatronShri Ratan P. WatalSecretary, MNRE, New DelhiEditorDr Arun K Tripathi,MNRE, New DelhiEditorial BoardN P Singh, ChairmanPraveen SaxenaP DhamijaD K KhareM R NouniB S NegiR K VimalProduction teamSulagna Chattopadhyay,Ankita Sah, Madhusmita Giri,D K Das, A Panwar, NileshKumar, Binod Kumar Rawat,IPP Ltd., New Delhi;Dr. N Chatterjee,Hon Consultant;N Ghatak, MNRE, New Delhi.Editorial officeDr Arun K Tripathi,Editor, Akshay UrjaMNRE, Block No. 14, CGOComplex, Lodhi Road,New Delhi - 110 003Tel. +91 11 2436 3035,2436 0707Fax +91 11 2436 3035E-mail: akshayurja@nic.inWeb: www.mnre.gov.inProduced byIris Publication Pvt. Ltd.111/9 KG, Aruna Asaf AliMarg, Vasant Kunj,New Delhi -110 070Telefax. +91 11 2612 2789,2689 2275E-mail: ipplimited@yahoo.co.inWeb: www.geographyandyou.comPublisher and PrinterMinistry of New andRenewable Energy, New Delhi.Disclaimer: The views expressed byauthors including those of the editorin this newsletter are not necessarilythe views of the MNRE.Dear Readers,The availability of electricity in rural India is still a distantdream. When will electricity on a 24x7 basis be available inevery corner of the country—irrespective of the rural urbandivide? In addition, India’s energy crisis may be defined bythe fact that a major share of its rural population is energypoor. Lack of access to modern energy services representsa significant barrier to development. Today, with easy access to mobile phones,computers and televisions, the need for electricity has become a necessity. Hererenewable energy can make a substantial contribution. It is no longer the ‘alternateenergy’, but a vital part of the solution to the nation’s energy needs. In fact, beingmodular in nature renewable energy systems seem to be the only option for ensuringregular energy supply in a decentralized manner.The present issue of Akshay Urja tackles issues of energy access which is a primemostand critical component for marking success in any country’s economy. Fromaccess to information as part of an e-Governance programme, to a Jatrophamission for the promotion of biodiesel in the transportation and agriculture sectors,renewable energy can be harnessed to benefit every remote village in the nation.An inspiring account of solar mini grid installations being popularised in thevillages of Uttar Pradesh to provide electricity during peak hours when electricity isunavailable is a must read; as is a story about Delhi’s solar illuminated Jantar Mantarand Safdarjung Tomb.The state of Chhattisgarh too is showing the way by triumphing gradually withrenewable energy installations making new inroads into the lives of remote villagers.The present issue also talks about the use of biomass in brick kilns, hydrogen andits prospects as a future fuel, the advantages of organic cells and it stresses on theneed for effective policy and regulation for energy access in India. Besides theseinformative articles the issue also throws light on interesting success stories like therecently formed anti-poaching unit called ‘Aranyaka’ in Bandipur National Park,which is a first of its kind in an Indian forest zone.I hope this issue will not only be informative but interesting as well. Please send usyour views, contributions, and suggestions for making Akshay Urja even better.Happy reading.ARUN K TRIPATHIPublished, printed and edited for and on behalf of the Ministry of New and RenewableEnergy, Government of India, from B-14, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi, by Dr ArunKumar Tripathi. Printed at Aravali Printers & Publishers (P) Ltd. W-30, Okhla Industrial Area,Phase II, New Delhi - 110 020, India

Letters to the EditorI am an engineer and consultant ofrenewable energy projects. I haveread Akshay Urja and found that itis very informative and useful withimpressive contents. It has helped meimmensely, gaining latest informationon inventions and government policyand plans related to renewable energysources, as today renewable energyhas become a need of the hour.I was delighted to read thearticle on the success story of 'FirstARUN dish' which was installedin Mahanand Dairy, Latur, in theAugust 2012 issue. You are doing agood job by making renewable energypopular among people. It will bemuch appreciated if you may givethe list of the manufacturers of solarequipment, solar systems and biogaselectricity plant up to 5 kW and theapproximate cost of the same.Anant B. Tamhne,Shivaji Nagar, NagpurWe thank you very much for sendingthe Akshay Urja, October 2012issue. I must say that the newsletterhas proven to be very useful andhighly informative in the sectorof renewable energy. We eagerlyawait every forthcoming issue of thenewsletter.T. PalaniappanSr. Manager (New Projects)NTPC Ltd., Chennai.I am indeed interested in the fieldof technology and policy relatedto various programmes andschemes being implemented by thegovernment in order to popularisethe use of renewable energy sources,and spread awareness about variousactivities pertaining to new andrenewable energy at national andinternational level.Arvind Sudhakar ChaudhariPimply Gurav, Pune.I have been regularly receivingAkshay Urja monthly magazine sincepast several years. I am thankfulto you for sending me the valuablemagazine. I represent severalnational and regional level NGOsand we help to promote usage ofrenewable energy in various remoteplaces in our country. Recently I havejoined the 'Solar Society of India',New Delhi and hope to acceleratethe pace of actual implementationof projects seeking help from thesociety. In this respect we hadorganised a workshop at Nagpur withthe Institution of Engineers, whichreceived overwhelming responsefrom the stakeholders. We hopeto again undertake such kind ofactivities to popularise the usage ofrenewable energy.CA Rajeev Deshpande,Executive Director,National Centre for RuralDevelopment, Nagpur.I congratulate you for the wonderfuland very impressive journal AkshayUrja which contains the most usefulinformation which is the need of thehour. I would like to subscribe for thisjournal which deserves to be in ourand all other libraries.M. Venkateshwarly,Managing Director,RDF Power Gen Limited,Hyderabad.I found the magazine veryinformative and useful for myacademic as well as professional work.I would, therefore, like to request youto enroll me and provide me AkshayUrja on the following address.Prof. Indrajit MukhopadhyaySchool of Solar Energy,Gandhinagar, Gujarat,×ñ´ ¥ÿæØ ª¤Áæü ·¤æ âÖè ¥¢·¤ ÂɸÌæ ãê¢UÐ §â×ð´Ùßè·¤ÚU‡æèØ ª¤Áæü ·ð¤ ÕæÚðU ×ð´ Îè »§ü ÁæÙ·¤æÚUè·¤æÈ è ææÙßÏü·¤ ãUæðÌè ãñUÐ ØãU ÖçßcØ ·¤èª¤Áæü ãñU ¥æñÚU ÂØæüßÚU‡æ ·ð¤ ¥Ùé·ê¤Ü Öè ãñUÐ¥æÁ·¤Ü Üæð»æð´ ·¤è M¤ç¿ Öè Ùßè·¤ÚU‡æèØ ª¤Áæü·ð¤ ÂýçÌ ÕɸU ÚUãUè ãUñÐ ¥ÿæØ ª¤Áæü â𠪤Áæü ·ð¤ »ñÚUÂæÚ¢UÂçÚU·¤ dæðÌæð´ ·ð¤ ÕæÚðU ×ð´ âæÚUè ÁæÙ·¤æÚUè °·¤ãUè Á»ãU ÂÚU ç×Ü ÁæÌè ãñÐ ·ë¤ÂØæ §â·ð¤ ƒæÚðUÜê©UˆÂæÎ Áñâð ·ê¤·¤ÚU ¥æçÎ ·ð¤ ÕæÚðU ×ð´ ÁæÙ·¤æÚUè Îð´Ðçßßðàæ ·é¤×æÚU çâ¢ãUÙÚðU‹¼ý Îðß ÀUæ˜ææßæâ,ßæÚUæ‡æâè¥ÿæØ ª¤Áæü ·¤æ °·¤ ¥¢·¤ ÙðãUM¤ Øéßæ ·ð¤‹¼ý,ÂæÜè ×ð´ ÂɸÙð ·¤æð ×æñ·¤æ ç×ÜæÐ ¥¢·¤ âæÁâ”ææß ¥æÜð¹ â×âæ×çØ·¤ Ü»ðÐ ÕɸÌè ÁÙâ¢Øæ,ÁÙâ¢Øæ ·¤è ¥æßàØ·¤Ìæ ·¤è ÂêçÌü ·¤ð çÜ°â¢âæÏÙæð¢ ÂÚU ÕɸUÌæ ÕæðÛæ, â׌Øü â¢âæÏÙ¥æÙð ßæÜð ·¤Ü ×ð´ Ù ÁæÙð €Øæ çSÍçÌ ãUæð»è,çß¿æÚU‡æèØ ãñUÐ ßñ·¤çË·¤ â¢âæÏÙæð´ ·ð¤ Âý¿æÚU-ÂýâæÚU ×ð´ ¥ÿæØ ª¤Áæü ×èÜ ·¤æ ˆÍÚU âæçÕÌãUæð»æÐÖÚUÌ àæ×æü ÒÖæÚUÌÓ»æ¢Ïè »Üè,çÕÁæðßæ, ÂæÜè¥ÿæØ ª¤Áæü ¥»SÌ w®vw ·¤æ ¥¢·¤ ÂɸU·¤ÚUÕãéUÌ ¥‘ÀUæ Ü»æÐ §â×ð´ Îè »§ü ÁæÙ·¤æÚUè Áñâð- âæñÚ ª¤Áæü ÙðÅUß·¤æðZ ·ð¤ ×æŠØ× âð ©UÂØæð»,âȤÜÌæ ·¤è ·¤ãUæÙè, ·¤æØü·ý¤×, ·¤æÅêüÙ ¥æçη¤æȤè ææÙßfü·¤ °ß¢ âÚUæãUÙèØ ãñUÐ §â Âç˜æ·¤æ×ð¢ Îè ãUé§ü âæè ÁæÙ·¤æçÚUØæ¢ ÜææÂýÎ ãUôÌè ãUñ¢Ð¥õÚU ¥æàææ ·¤ÚUÌè ãUê¢ ç·¤ æçßcØ ×𢠥õÚU æèÁæÙ·¤æçÚUØæ¢ ç×ÜÌè ÚUãUð¢»èÐâéŸæè ÁàææðÎæ °× »»ü,ÚUæÁÕðÚUæ »»üßæâ,ÕæǸU×ðÚU,ÚUæÁSÍæÙDear Reader, Thank you very much for your suggestions and encouragement. The editorial team of Akshay Urja willmake every effort to make this newsletter highly informative and useful to all our readers. We welcome your suggestions andvaluable comments to make further improvements in terms of content and presentation. Editor: Akshay Urja2February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

contentsFebruary 2013RE NEWSNational 4-7■ India, US fund 50 million dollarproject for solar research■ Chhattisgarh govt to install solarenergy driven water pumps in 1722hamlets■ Renewable energy certificatesstacking up in the absence of takers■ Karnataka unveils multi-city rooftopsolar programme■ Time-of-day metering for Keralapower consumers■ India plans to develop a forecastingmodel for energy demand and supply■ Vibrant Gujarat Summit 2013: Gujaratlikely to sign MoU for a pilot projectfor tidal power generation■ India committed to sustainableenergy for all■ India unveils national electric vehicleplan■ Biodiesel in vehicles of Mysore CityCorporationInternational 8-9■ New Orleans may get 242 SolarTrash Cans■ New wind turbine blade designscould reduce costs■ Nanomaterials that split sunlight intoseparate colours could bring SolarPanels to 50 per cent efficiency■ New world record set for Solar Cells:44 per cent efficiency■ UK on track to hit 2020 green energytargets■ The First Large-Scale Floating SolarPower Generation SystemSPV Power Plant at Goshen DrassKargil (40 kW)Cover Story10 Renewable Energy Access Imperativefor e-Governance in Rural IndiaRE Feature13 Biomass to Energy16 Solar Minigrids in Rural Areasof Uttar Pradesh18 Solar energy illuminates JantarMantar and Safdarjung Tomb20 Solar Power Dispelling Darkness ofChhattisgarh24 Use of Biomass in Brick Kilns28 Contemporary Research in OrganicSolar Cell31 Hydrogen and it’s Prospectis forFuture Fuel36 Effective Policy and Regulation forEnergy Access in IndiaStory41 A Green Habitat in Bandipur42 Household Kitchen Waste BiogasPlant in MysoreCase Study44 Converting Forest Firesinto a Renewable EnergySourceEvent45 India Energy Congress 201346 RE Products47 Tech Update49 Children’s Corner50 Web/Book Alert51 Forthcoming Events52 RE StatisticsIn India, many digital inclusione-Governance programmes suffer dueto non-availability of both Electricity andBroadband Internet Connectivity.Uttar Pradesh being highly populatedwith a large geographical area, hasseveral problems of energy access andpower distribution.Energy Efficiency and Renewable EnergyManagement Centre is the Delhi NodalAgency for implementing renewableenergy schemes.February 2013Volume 6 Issue 43

NationalRENEWABLEENERGY NEWSINDIA, US FUND 50 MILLIONDOLLAR PROJECT FOR SOLARRESEARCHEnergy cooperation, a vital partof Indo-US relations, has takena leap forward with a 50 millionUSD collaboration to promote solarenergy research. The Solar EnergyResearch Institute for India andthe United States (SERIIUS) hasbeen set up by the Indian Instituteof Science (IISc) and the NationalRenewable Energy Laboratories(NREL), which is part of the USDepartment of Energy.Professor K. Chattopadhyay,the chairperson of the MaterialsEngineering Department at IISc,has been named one of the codirectorsof the new Institute, alongwith L.L. Kazmerskie of the NREL.The Institute, through a formalisedR&D structure, aims to promote binationalcollaborations. SERRIUSis part of the PACE programmelaunched in 2010 by PresidentBarack Obama and Prime MinisterManmohan Singh, explainedProfessor Chattopadhyay.He added, “The twogovernments have contributed12.5million USD each and the restis being obtained through industrybids. The three major points offocus in the PACE programme aresolar energy, building efficiency andbiofuels. Our consortium consists of30 members, 15 from each countryand includes members from IITBombay and Chennai, as well asuniversities like Berkeley”. He alsostated that SERIIUS will have twoheadquarters, one at the IISc andthe other at the NREL in the US.The Institute will function throughwhat they like to call, ‘cooperationand innovation without borders’.The primary focus will be highimpact,fundamental and appliedresearch and development thatmight just bring solar energy onestep closer to becoming a practicallyviable energy source. The solarelectric technology they hope todevelop will lower the cost per wattof photovoltaics and concentratedsolar power.India is a long way awayfrom adopting solar power as aprincipal energy source, whetherthe setbacks lie in technical,economic or policy issues. SERIIUSwill also facilitate collaborationsbetween research institutions andindustry, greatly shortening theduration between a discovery, thedevelopment of that discovery, andits commercialisation.www.thinkindia.net.in19 December 2012CHHATTISGARH GOVT. TOINSTALL SOLAR ENERGYDRIVEN WATER PUMPS IN 1722HAMLETSSolar energy will not only powerlamps but will also ensuredrinking water in Maoist-infestedpockets in Chhattisgarh. TheState Government has selected1722 hamlets where water pumpsoperated by the solar energy will beinstalled to provide drinking waterto people.These small villages have beenselected across the 10 districts ofthe State—most of them are in thered zone. In January a high levelmeeting approved the proposalfor installing solar energy waterpumps. This could in fact work asa new year gift for people in theinsurgency hit areas of the State.According to officials of the PublicHealth Engineering (PHE), manygovernment schemes to supplysafe drinking water in the redzone have had to be taken off thebooks following threats from theguerrillas. The ground water inthe area is reported to be pollutedand it has been a challenge for theauthorities to provide safe drinkingwater in the region.Though the authorities did notspell out how the solar energy planwould be put into place, officialsstated that the system would be safefrom insurgents. The rebels couldnot as easily inflict damage to solarpowered systems as they could towater pipelines. Frequently, rebelstarget a pipeline which disruptssupply for that whole area. Theuse of solar energy would take onthe Maoists on at least two fronts—supply of electricity in remoteareas and now safe drinking waterto the people. Earlier, the StateGovernment had decided to powernon-electrified villages in theMaoist zones with solar energy.Business Standard02 January 2013RENEWABLE ENERGYCERTIFICATES STACKING UP INTHE ABSENCE OF TAKERSRenewable energy certificates(REC) for power generated fromwind, bio-mass, bio-fuel and smallhydro plants are stacking up in theabsence of takers, eroding a key4February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

NationalINDIA PLANS TO DEVELOP AFORECASTING MODEL FORENERGY DEMAND AND SUPPLYIndia plans to develop a forecastingmodel for energy demand andsupply that will help in policydecisions. The model, on the linesof UK’s Energy Calculator 2050,will be available to industry andresearchers.“The proposal has the inprincipleapproval of the PrimeMinister, and the task to set upa model is entrusted to PlanningCommission,” a senior governmentofficial said. Apart from India, Chinais also in talks with UK’s Departmentof Energy and Climate Change(DECC) to set up a similar model.This will be the government’s ownenergy model, which will provideenergy pathways for four decades.It will give the nation an effectivetool for taking energy relatedpolicy decisions in an integratedmanner. The model will be handyto predict demand, supply andpricing more objectively and in amanner, which will help to optimisenatural resources. The PlanningCommission is creating this energymodel because the country hasseparate ministries and departmentsfor different types of energy suchas coal, power, petroleum, nuclearand renewable. It will also guideIndian negotiators in taking a standat international fora, especially onclimate change. The BangalorebasedCenter for Study of Science,Technology and Policy (CSTEP) isassisting the Planning Commissionin setting up this model. Since India’sGDP growth is dependent on energysupply, it is important to know howmuch energy India will need andhow to meet the demand.Currently, the PlanningCommission’s recommendationson energy are based on studiescarried out with expert groups,but these often do not capture thechanges in global energy scenariosand technological advances.Almost all developed nations havetheir own energy models thathelp them in taking crucial policydecisions regarding demand, supply,pricing and utilisation. US EnergyInformation Administration is onesuch model that keeps global energydata and has been a resource centrefor various countries including India.www.panchabuta.com15 January 2013VIBRANT GUJARAT SUMMIT2013: A PILOT PROJECT FORTIDAL POWER GENERATIONAfter pioneering in the use ofsolar energy, Gujarat may wellset a benchmark for tidal powergeneration. The State Governmenthas promoted the use of renewablesources of energy and taken alead in solar power generation byestablishing an installed capacity of750 MW: a significant chunk of thetotal 1100 MW installed capacityacross India. The State Governmentis likely to sign an MoU for a pilotproject for generating power fromthe ocean. Unlike traditional tidalgeneration equipment, Wave EnergyConversion Equipment produceswave energy from the motion ofsea water using equipment thatremains submerged at a depth of40 m. Marine navigation will thusremain unhindered. This energycan be produced in a decentralisedfashion. Individual units can then belinked to create a Wave Energy Park.Installed units can vary in capacityfrom 50 kW to 1.5 MW. This waveenergy can be utilised round theclock and throughout the year unlikeother renewable sources of energythat have seasonal variations inpower generation.At present wave energyprojects are being undertaken atCastiglioncello and Gorgona in Italy,Maldives, and the United Kingdom.If the proposal of the Mumbai-basedSpa Group of Companies is accepted,this would be a first in India. Thepilot project will cost Rs. 7.5 crorewith the installation of one unit andinvestment may go upto Rs. 125crore if 12 linked units are installed.The company is also eager to set upa Research and Development (R&D)unit at Ahmedabad for developingbricks made from thermocol.The Gujarat Government took alead in the use of renewable energygeneration by setting up a 600 MWSolar Plant at Charanka in NorthGujarat, against all odds. The StateGovernment has also engagedstudents of the Indian Instituteof Technology (IIT) to work oncanal-top micro turbines for hydropower generation. The Governmenthas also invited experts to producehybrid powers involving solar, windand hydro powers. “We want toinvite experts and industries to workon innovative methods of producinggreen energy. We would like to learnabout the best practices from acrossthe globe and implement them inGujarat,” said an official in the Stateindustries department.www.economictimes.indiatimes.com09 January 2013INDIA COMMITTED TOSUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALLIndia is committed to sustainableenergy for all and it stands amongthe top five nations of the world interms of renewable energy capacity,according to the Indian Ambassadorto the UAE. Speaking at the 3rdsession of International RenewableEnergy Agency (IRENA) being heldin Abu Dhabi, Ambassador M KLokesh said that the country hasan installed base of over 26,000MW, which constitutes 12.5 percent of the country’s total powergeneration capacity, representingan almost 400 per cent increase inthe past five years alone. Renewableenergy sector in India is nowseen as a significant player in gridconnected power generation and anessential player for energy access.6February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

NationalInvestment in the renewable energysector grew by 25 per cent last yearand amounted to nearly USD 3.8billion. India now stands amongthe top five nations of the world interms of renewable energy capacity.Stating India’s position on UnitedNation’s Secretary General’s (UNSG)Initiative on Sustainable Energy forAll (SE4ALL) Lokesh said: “Indiais appreciative of the work doneby IRENA in the area of renewableenergy. It has studied the workprogramme put up by the DirectorGeneral IRENA for the year 2013.The programme is elaborate andincludes varied activities.”Over 1.4 billion people in theworld, with 400 million in Indiaalone, remain without access toelectricity. “With such dauntingchallenges, the issue is universalaccess to energy per se, utilisingall forms of energy and not justthe renewables. As far as India isconcerned, even a doubling of theshare of renewables will not makea dent on the scale of our energypoverty,” said Lokesh.“We in India are committed tosustainable energy for all. We haveset ambitious targets for increasingthe share of renewables in ouroverall energy mix. However, asfar as UNSG’s SE4All initiative isconcerned, from India’s point ofview, primacy needs to be given toensuring universal access to energy.India sees energy goals set in UNSG’sSE4All initiative, as restricting itspolicy space and options. Particularreference is therefore, invited tothe discussions held at the Rio+20conference last June, where IRENAwas also present, and where theSE4All initiative was discussedin a great detail,” the ambassadorsaid. According to him, since theinitiative had elements in it, whichcould not be accepted by all partiesas a package, it was finally decidedto only “take note of the initiativewithout welcoming it or endorsing.”At Rio, member states did not cometo an agreement on setting targetson energy access, energy efficiency,and renewable energy.www.eai.in14 January 2013INDIA UNVEILS NATIONALELECTRIC VEHICLE PLANPrime Minister Manmohan Singhlaunched this week a nationalelectric vehicle plan which will helpaccelerate consumer adoption anddomestic manufacturing of thislow carbon transport in India. TheNational Electric Mobility MissionPlan (NEMMP) aims to improvenational energy security, increasedomestic manufacturing and tacklethe environmental impacts of theautomotive industry. It includes atotal investment of over Rs. 23,000crore to be equally shared betweenthe Government and the automotiveindustry. Manmohan Singh expressedhis fresh support for electric vehicles(EVs) at the NEMMP launch, whichwas attended by transport industryleaders and expert researchers. Hesaid: “These technologies are notonly more efficient but they are alsocleaner. They have the potential tocontribute substantially to our effortsfor mitigating the adverse impactof economic development on theenvironment.”www.eco-business.com11 January 2013Launching of biodiesel vehicles by Mysore CityCorporation on 17 September 2012BIODIESEL IN VEHICLES OFMYSORE CITY CORPORATIONBiodiesel has a history dating backto 1850s. Though the conceptof biodiesel is well establishedand well known, it still requiresbetter attention for betterdissemination. The NationalInstitute of Engineering—Centrefor Renewable Energy andSustainable Technologies (NIE-CREST) organised a programmeon launching biodiesel for vehiclesof the Mysore City Corporation(MCC) on 17th September 2012.The vehicles of MCC are nowrunning on biodiesel at 10 percent blend. The biodiesel is beingsupplied by Mysore District Biofuelinformation and DemonstrationCentre, NIE-CREST, Mysore.The Centre is promoting anddisseminating biodiesel from nonedibleseeds like pongamia, mahua,neem and others. The Centre isestablished at NIE, Mysore andis sponsored by the KarnatakaState Biofuel DevelopmentBoard, Bangalore. The conceptof using renewable energy can bereplicated in other governmentalorganisations for popularising anddisseminating renewable energywhich in turn widens the scope foraccessibility to renewable energysystems.www.niecrest.in20 October 2012February 2013Volume 6 Issue 47

InternationalNEW WIND TURBINE BLADEDESIGNS COULD REDUCE COSTSIn the Greek myth, Icarus,attempting to fly with wingsthat his father had constructedfrom feathers and wax, ignoresinstructions not to fly too closeto the sun, the wax melts and hefalls into the sea and drowns. Ifthe wind industry is to developits full potential, it must ensurethat the wings of its turbines aretechnologically advanced enoughfor them to be viable producersof energy both economically andsustainably. Feathers and waxwill not do. Only the continuousimprovement of rotor blades willallow the sector to tap into moremoderate wind speed markets andenable off-shore wind farms tobecome truly cost effective.Siemens has already becomesomewhat of a leader in this fieldproducing the world’s longest rotorblades for wind turbines. Measuring75 m in length, the blades are almostas big as the wingspan of an AirbusA380. As they move, each rotorcovers 18,600 square meters, the sizeof two and a half soccer fields, whilethe tips of the blades move at up to80 m per second, the equivalent of290 km per hour, states the companyproudly. The entire blade is pouredas a single piece made of glass fibrereinforcedepoxy resin and balsawood, meaning the final producthas neither seams nor bonded jointsand is extremely robust. At the sametime, the blade weighs 20 per centless than conventionally producedblades through the use of speciallydesigned blade profiles that are alsoshaped to deliver maximum rotorperformance at a range of differentwind speeds. Whereas the first windturbines generated 30 kW and hadfive-meter-long rotor blades, thelatest turbines can produce six MWof power, extols Siemens.www.ewea.org26 December 2012NANOMATERIALS THAT SPLITSUNLIGHT COULD MAKE SOLARPANELS 50 PER CENT EFFICIENTEvery year batteries improve sothey can hold more power, LEDsbecome brighter, CPUs becomefaster, hard drives can hold moredata, etc . And the beautiful thingis that most of these improvementsusually end up being less expensive,or at least priced similarly, to thetechnologies they supplant. What’snot to like? One area where a lot ofprogress has been made over thepast few decades is solar panels,yet there’s still a lot of headroomleft to push things further. That’sexactly what a new DefenseAdvanced Research Projects Agencyfunded project is trying to do byusing nanostructured materialsto make solar panels much moreefficient than they currently are(they claim they can get to above50 per cent efficiency, against theless than 20 per cent which is thenorm right now). The idea is clever:by decomposing sunlight into itsconstituents and aiming each ofthose into precisely tuned solarcells that are most efficient whenabsorbing that specific colour,much higher levels of conversionefficiency can be possible. At leastthat’s the theory.www.treehugger.com28 December 2012NEW WORLD RECORD SET FORSOLAR CELLS: 44 PER CENTEFFICIENCYThe National RenewableEnergy Laboratory (NREL), USDepartment of Energy and theirindustry partner Solar Junction,have just set the bar even higher inthe race for ultra-high-efficiencyphotovoltaic (PV) cells by achievinganother world record of 44 per centefficiency.The newest cells build onprevious successes with multijunctionPV cells (which use layeredsemiconductors, with each layeroptimised to capture differentwavelengths of light) and combinethem with low-cost concentratinglenses to multiply the intensity ofthe sun’s energy hitting the cells.Last year, NREL and Solar Junctionset a record in efficiency with theirSJ3 cells, which are designed for usein utility-scale concentrated solarPV projects. The SJ3 was verifiedas being able to convert 43.5 percent (at 415 suns - a measurementof the intensity of the sun’s energywhen multiplied) of the energy insunlight into electricity, but thislatest iteration set a new high of 44per cent efficiency (at 947 suns).The breakthrough garneredNREL yet another R&D 100 awardfrom R&D Magazine, their third sofar, and according to them, it, alongwith other advances, could “pavethe way for a 50 per cent-efficientsolar cell in the not-distant future”.www.treehugger.com28 December, 2012UK ON TRACK TO HIT 2020GREEN ENERGY TARGETSThe UK is on track to meet its 2020renewable energy targets afterlow-carbon electricity generationgrew more than a quarter in theyear to end-June 2012, thankslargely to new solar and offshorewind projects, a governmentreport said. The departmentof energy and climate change(DECC) said renewable energyaccounted for over 10 per cent oftotal electricity supplied in the 12months to end-June. Renewablepower output grew 27 per centfrom July 2011, according to theUK’s latest Renewable EnergyRoadmap status report releasedon Thursday. Renewable energyis increasingly powering the UK’sgrid, and the economy too withmore than 10 per cent of its powernow coming from renewables.Britain has a target to produce 158February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

Internationalper cent of its energy, includingelectricity, heat and transport, fromrenewable sources by 2020 in a bidto cut climate-warming emissions.This means that 30 per cent of theUK’s electricity must come fromrenewable by the end of the decade,the Government said, with windplaying a leading role. Getting newinfrastructure investment into theeconomy is crucial to driving thegrowth and supporting jobs acrossUK. DECC has identified around12.7 billion pounds (20.6 billionUSD) of confirmed and plannedrenewable investment by companiesbetween April 1, 2011 and July 31,2012, potentially creating around22,800 jobs. The department, whichexpects the growth in renewablesto continue or accelerate, predictsthe industry will support 400,000direct jobs by 2020, up from around110,000 jobs currently. Governmentsubsidies have played a key role inencouraging investment, however,and economic difficulties haveput pressure on support schemes.Government departments havereined in spending, thoughofficials say the falling costs of thetechnology mean that less supportis required to encourage take-up.economictimes.indiatimes.com27 December 2012THE FIRST LARGE-SCALEFLOATING SOLAR POWERGENERATION SYSTEMIFPEnergies Nouvelles (IFPEN)and Ciel et Terre signed an R&Dagreement at the end of 2011 todevelop Hydrelio (C), the world’sfirst large-scale floating solarpower generation system. Designedby R&D teams at Ciel et Terre,Hydrelio has just been launchedin the international market, andthe results are already promising.This partnership was set up as partof IFPEN’s technological supportpolicy to help SMEs develop theirtechnological innovations. With thisproject, IFPEN has contributed itsscientific expertise in the fields offinite element modelling, structuralmodelling and analysis of mooringline behaviour. This new floatingsolar power generation conceptaddresses the problems of landavailability and landscape impactsthat large-scale land-based solarpower generation projects comeup against. It makes it possibleto conserve land that can be putto other uses (farming, mining,tourism, urban development) and toconvert unused stretches of waterinto spaces dedicated to renewableelectricity production (quarry lakes,irrigation ponds, water treatmentplant lagoons, dams). Thesestretches of water cover substantialareas. Synergies with water caneven go beyond with side benefitssuch as preserving water resourcesby cutting evaporation losses andpreventing from algae growth.The modular Hydrelio (C) systemcomes in a variety of versions andcan be used to construct powerplants generating up to 50 MW.The basic module consists of twoblow moulded floats made of HDPEplastic material: one supports thesolar panel and the other is used asa link and to provide maintenanceaccess. The floats are then joinedtogether to form solar islands, usingan easy-to-assemble, ultra-resistantsystem of connection pins.The Ciel et Terre - IFPENpartnership focused on themechanical strain placed on thesystem and, particularly, theextreme stresses that a floatingplatform may be subject to as aresult of swell and high winds.The tests, which are structuredto take into account maximumstresses related to extreme weatherconditions (cyclones, typhoons),confirm the viability of the systemfor all climates during 20+ years.www. green-energy-news.com22 December 2012US GOVERNMENT GRANTS 10MILLION USD TO ALGAE FUELRESEARCHThe US government has granted 10million USD to unlock the potentialof biofuels made from algae, in aneffort to diversify the fuels usedin transport. The funding, fromthe Department of Energy, willsupport research projects aimingto boost the productivity of algaecultivation systems and developand demonstrate effective, energyefficientand low-cost algae harvestand processing technologies.The grant hopes to fund projectswhich will maximise yield from algaeand improve production of biofuelintermediates—the product of algaecultivation and pre-processing.According to the Department ofEnergy, increasing the yields ofbiofuel intermediates will help lowerthe cost of biofuels by decreasingcapital and operating costs, whileenhancing the sustainability of algalbiofuels by capturing energy fromevery available part of the feedstockand reducing water resourcerequirements. “At a large-scale, thesetechnologies could help speed upcommercialisation of domesticallyproduced,cost-competitive biofuelsfrom algae,” the Department ofEnergy said in a statement. “TheDepartment encourages applicantsfrom industry, universities, andnational laboratories.” A cost shareof at least 20 per cent of the totalproject cost is required. Biofuelsfrom algae is picking up moreattention globally. The ResearchInstitute of Tsukuba Bio-techrecently received funding fromthe Japanese government for itsambitious algae biofuels programme.And according to energy researchfirm SBI, algae biofuels will post acompound annual growth rate of 43.1per cent that will lead the market to1.6 billion USD in 2015.www.focus.com30 January 2013February 2013Volume 6 Issue 49

Cover StoryRenewableEnergy AccessIMPERATIVE FORe-GOVERNANCE INRURAL INDIAIn India, many e-Governance programmesfor digital inclusion suffer because of nonavailabilityof both electricity and broadbandInternet connectivity particularly at the subdistrictlevel. It is generally accepted thataccess to both electricity and the Internet isa perennial problem in all states. This paperdetails the need for access to renewable energylike–solar, wind and hydro power energy–atan affordable cost to the citizen, for achievingdigital inclusion in rural India.M. MONISolar street lighting, Daun10February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

Cover StoryIndia is connected. And millions of Indians are usingmobiles for voice connectivity. There is a race for 3G,4G and 5G technology: all part of the mobile revolutionin this country. Apart from wanting FDI in the retailsector rural India wants to smile, shine and roar through anInformation Communications Technology - enabled (ICTenabled)sustainable development process. The EnglishPoet Laureate, Alfred Tennyson said ‘the shell must breakbefore the bird can fly’. The development process in Indiashall break the shell so that rural India can embrace asustainable way forward.CONNECTIVITY REQUIRES RENEWABLE ENERGYThe e-Governance programme suffers on account of nonavailabilityof both electricity and broadband internetconnectivity at the sub-district levels. Accessibility toboth electricity and Internet is a perennial problem in allStates. The World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Energy Reportpresents a provocative scenario, set in 2050, of a world runentirely on renewable energy. Achieving universal access toelectricity is one of the most important goals of the 12thPlan Document. India has vast natural resources potentialto harvest renewable energy resources. Indigenous researchand engineering is therefore required.NADRS: A CASE STUDYThe National Animal Disease Reporting System (NADRS)project of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) aims atfacilitating ICT enabled animal disease reporting, controland surveillance. It covers 143 World Organisation forAnimal Health (OIE) listed (and other non-OIE listed)diseases, from 7032 locations in the country (OIE is aworld organisation for animal health). The NADRS project,during its implementation, faced severe constraints withrespect to access to energy at block levels throughout thecountry. The situation on the ground showed that:■ Even if electricity is available, then appropriate voltage isnot available; frequent fluctuation in voltage and improperearthing leads to damage of computer systems.■ Most of the time, the electricity connectivity is not usableand there is outages for days altogether making operationof the computer systems impossible.These situations led to many challenges in theoperationalisation of the NADRS Project in sub-districtlevels. In fact, many such e-Governance programmesrequire to be brought under the Rajiv Gandhi GrameenVidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), in view of its benefits inrural India.HOW INFORMATISATION BEGANInformatisation means making a society or geographicalarea information-based. In India, this was done at thecentral, state and district levels by initiating a computercommunications network called NICNET and launchingthe District Information System of the National InformaticsCentre (DISNIC) programme in the country, to facilitatethe Government-to-Government (G2G) component ofe-Governance. This was the first step towards digital inclusionwith the technology available during 1980s. An e-GovernanceProgramme was subsequently launched during the firstdecade of the 21st century, through mission mode projects.With the revolution in mobile communications as well asthe Government’s decision to establish a National OpticalFibre Network (NOFN) connectivity in about 2,30,000gram panchayats, it is appropriate at this point to look intopossible challenges and opportunities. The catch phrase–‘Access to Information’ and ‘Information to Access’ is veryrelevant here. This two way development would be requiredin about 1600 Indian languages and its associated dialects,and also through automatic speech recognition, speechto-textand text-to-speech. A Citizen-Driven GovernmentModel (C2G) is the need of the hour in India so that we mayhave inclusive and sustainable growth.THE VILLAGE AS THE UNITAn Indian village is a recognisable unit located in a specificagro-ecological and sociological environment. We have 6.25lakh villages in 2.3 lakh panchayats. Rural India is on a forwardmarch with the aid of many developmental programmessuch as the Bharat Nirman Programme, Mahatma GandhiRural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Public DistributionSystem, and the e-Governance programme.FARMERS’ INTERACTION IMPORTANTThere is a need to develop a platform for farmers to interactwith (Fig 1 ): Input suppliers (for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides,machinery in the absence of labourers and credit),marketing channels (like wholesale markets, rural markets,commission agents, and processing industries), agriculturallabourers and agricultural extension workers. Farmers faceResearchAgenciesCreditAgenciesExtensionServicesFARMERMarketingAgenciesProductMonitoringInputSuppliersFig 1. Farmers’ linkage with stakeholders at the agriculture sectorFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 411

Cover StoryAgriculture Livestock Fisheries SMEsUrban IndiaRural IndiaDNFNeGPOpen GovOpen TechNat.GISNKNPIIEducationFig 2. A Conceptual Diagram - Digital InclusionHealth careCommerceRural area where more than 80 per cent of the activities are relatedto agricultural sector. DNF – digital network for farmers; PII - PublicInformation Infrastructure; NKN - National Knowledge Network.DISNIC Programme (1987)targeted for 28 sectors atsub-district levelSmart Village–digital inclusionacute problems during their entire crop cycle: high inputcost, unpredictable weather conditions during production,and distress sale of output. Farmers’ linkages - with creditagencies, marketing agencies, input suppliers, researchagencies and extension services (Fig 1) - do not have goodcustomer relationship management built-in. Farmers areunorganised while the other stakeholders are organised. Thiscreates huge problems. Furthermore, because of the nonavailabilityof effective farm health management, there havebeen mounting losses in the order of more than 18 billionUSD. This is a preventable loss which can be converted intoa productive gain. Farm Health Management could improveplant health, animal health, soil health and water quality –and well powered e-Governance programme can create asignificant impact.DIGITAL INCLUSIONIndia’s 11th and 12th Plan documents talk about digitalinclusion, development inclusion and social inclusion.Universal digital access can lead to universal digitalInclusion. To achieve this universal digital inclusion, Figure2 gives a broad spectrum of Informatisation processes forTable 1. From Online to Citizen-Driven GovernmentSourcingModelServiceModelAccessModelArchitectureSource: Gartner (April 2009)OnlineGovernmentCitizen-CentricGovernmentCitizen-DrivenGovernmentInternal Shared ExternalTransactional Integrated ConfigurableMultiple WebSitesIndividualSingle Portal(One-Stop Shop)Whole-of-GovernmentCommunities(My-Stop Shop)Federatedenabling socio-economic and agro-economic changes inrural India (Table 1).NEW AND RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGYThe new and renewable sources in India consists of: wind,tidal power, solar energy and small hydro power – all of whichare relatively expensive to produce. There is also biomassenergy from farm and animal waste, and also from urbansewage - which is less-expensive. We all know that renewableenergy is green, clean and sustainable. The RGGVY aims atfirstly electrifying all villages and habitations and secondlyproviding access to electricity for all rural households.As part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change(NAPCC), the Government of India has launched JawaharlalNehru National Solar Mission in 2010 and has now proposeda National Bio-energy Mission during the 12th plan (2012-2017). The challenge now is in identifying the areas in ruralIndia in which new and renewable energy products andservices need to be deployed at an affordable cost.The real challenge however is the access to renewableenergy which is the prime-most and critical componentfor marking success in the access to information part ofan e-Governance programme. Of course, several commonservice centres of the National e-Governance Plan(NeGP) have been provided with solar energy productsthrough central financial assistance. Unless solar energyis operationalised at the sub-district level, e-Governanceprojects cannot really take off. Key sectors in rural Indialike agriculture, rural development, commerce and trade,health (people, livestock, poultry and fish), rural industryand education and governance require urgent access touninterrupted renewable power. Therefore, every centraldepartment should include one chapter on renewableenergy powered ‘e-Inclusion’ in their plan documents. ❂The author is Deputy Director General, National Informatics CentreGovernment of India, New Delhi Email: moni@nic.in12February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureBIOMASS TO ENERGYIndia is now part of the globalised world. Globalisation has contributedsignificantly to the rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. Thegrowing population and its ever increasing energy demands, haveled to increasing environmental pressure. An unsustainable andcontinuous use of fossil fuels, a finite resource, has created its own setof problems: global warming, increased emission of greenhouse gases,pollution of air and soil, and lastly degradation of land.A. S. RAGHUBANSHI,R. P. SINGH and B. SHARMAPHOTO COURTESY: PREETI KAUREnergy, the prime catalyst for economic growth, isvital to the sustenance of a modern nation. Futureeconomic growth depends in a very crucial way onthe long-term availability of energy from sourcesthat are affordable, accessible and environment friendly.India ranks sixth in the world in total energy consumptionand needs to accelerate the development of this sector tomeet its growth aspirations. To meet its energy demands,India buys about 70 per cent of the crude oil it requiresfrom the global market. This costs the nation 30 per cent ofits entire import budget.Sky-rocketing fossil fuel prices have forced majorworld economies to look at renewable and cheaperalternatives to meet their energy demands. According to2009 estimates, bioenergy already contributes about 10 percent to the global primary energy supply. Most of bioenergyis produced locally and used in the residential sector forheating and cooking purposes.Fig 1. Jatropha plantation, ChhattisgarhSOURCES OF BIOFUELPrimary sources for bioenergy are wood biomass, agriculturalcrops and by-products of municipal and industrial waste. Apartfrom this, a very small share of sugar, grain, and vegetable oilcrops are also used as feedstock for the production of biofuels.The production of biodiesel from vegetable oils and ethanolfrom starch and sugar producing crops have both emergedas suitable renewable alternatives to fossil fuels (Fig 1). Theirquality constituents match diesel and petrol, respectively.In terms of energy biofuels provide around 3 per centof total global road transport fuel. The figure is higher incountries like Brazil which meets about 23 per cent of itsdemand for road transport fuel with biofuels. Figures likethese indicate that, in the long run, biomass as a renewableenergy source may be helpful in reducing India’s dependencyon imported fossil fuel. Future sources for bioenergy in theIndian context may include residues from agriculture andforestry, as well as surplus forest production and energyFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 413

RE FeatureTHERMOCHEMICALCOMBUSTIONGASIFICATIONPYROLYSISLIQUID FUELSBIOMASS BRIQUETTINGBIOMASS FEEDSTOCKANAEROBIC (FERMENTATION)ANAEROBICDIGESTIONBIOCHEMICALBIOGASBIOMASS BASED FUEL CELLSYNGAS (CO2+H2)Fig 1. Biomass to energy conversion technologyALCOHOLFERMENTATIONBIOETHANOLPHYSICOCHEMICALOIL EXTRACTIONBIODIESELPOWER GENERATIONcrops grown in cultivable soils. There is also a potential thatadditional energy crops can be grown in areas with moderatelydegraded soils or those having moderate water scarcity.The long-term potential for energy crops depends largelyon land availability. Incidentally India has a significant areaunder degraded wasteland which can be potentially usedfor bioenergy feedstock production. This article discussesprospects of energy plantations on degraded land so thatthe competition between food crops and bioenergy crops forlimited fertile land resources may be avoided.SOIL DEGRADEDThe information on soil degradation in India has beenassessed by various agencies. However, these estimates varywidely due to different approaches in defining degradedsoils and adopting various criteria for their delineation.According to National Bureau of Soil Survey and LandUse Planning (NBSS&LUP), 66 per cent of India’s geographicarea (about 192 mha ) is at varying stages of degradation(Balooni and Singh, 2003). On the other hand, according toChambers et al. (1989) the total degraded land area amountsto only 84 mha, comprising 35 mha of private cultivated lands(field bunds and boundaries) and 49 mha of governmentowneddegraded lands, including village commons (Table 1).About 40 mha waste lands of India are potentiallyarable, but nonproductive because of one constraint oranother. Also, about 85 mha rainfed crop areas are highlyunstable in terms of production due to erratic rainfall. Soilsin these areas are also exposed to wind and water erosionand are in different stages of degradation due to intensiveagricultural production.USE OF WASTELANDS FOR ENERGY PLANTATIONEnergy plantation is the practice of planting trees, purelyfor their use as fuel. The species to be planted for energyplantation should have the following qualities: (i) fastgrowing, (ii) stress resistance, (iii) low palatability to cattleand other animals, (iv) propagability, (v) high calorificvalue, (vi) absence of deleterious volatiles, (vii) high yield ofbiomass, and (viii) disease and pest resistance.There is an urgent need to screen species meeting abovecriteria for each of the biogeographic zones of India. Some ofthe important generic woody plants species recommendedare: Acacia nilotica, Albizia lebbek, A. procera, AnthocephalusFig 2. Jatropha seeds, ChhattisgarhPHOTO COURTESY: PREETI KAUR14February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureTable 1. Land Utilisation Statistics of India(Million hectares)Area (Million hectares)Total Geographical area 328.37Total area for which land statistics areavailable305.67Area under urban and non agricultural use 25.92Area which are barren and uncultivable(e.g. snowbound, rocks etc.)17.29Area under forests and permanent pasture 80.02Culturable waste / potentially arable 13.12Agricultural land 140.86Fallow land 10.34Other uncultivated land excluding fallow land 26.82Source: Data Book 2011, Indian Agricultural Statistics Research Institute, New Delhichinensis, Azadirachta indica and Bauhinia sp.Government of India has provided an impetus to theplantation of these species along road sides, canals, railwaylines and waste lands in villages, through social forestryto meet fuel demand. These plantations also reducedependency of rural population on forests, thus providingadded conservation benefits. Sewage sludge from treatmentplants can be used as fertiliser in these energy plantations.They can also be strategically located to manage landscapefor limiting wind and water erosion. In catchment areas,they will also reduce the volume of sediment and nutrientstransported into river systems. It is recommended thatbiomass plantations be established on degraded land toavoid competition with agriculture. Also, environmentalbenefits can be maximised when tree biomass replaces theannual crop or heavily grazed pastures as trees can protectand improve the soil quality.Lignocellulosic energy crops, such as poplar, willow,eucalyptus, miscanthus, and switchgrass can be grown insuitable identified areas. A number of dedicated bioenergycrops are drought tolerant and relatively water efficientcrops that are grown under multi-year rotations. Jatrophacurcasis (Fig. 2), a non-edible oil bearing and droughtresistant hardy shrub with ecological advantages belongingto Euphorbiaceae family, is cultivated in central and westernparts of India.BENEFITSBy adopting such crops, farmers of the rain-fed low profitagriculture areas may be able to cope better with erraticrainfall. These plantations may also act as vegetationfilters for the treatment of nutrient bearing water suchas waste water from households, collected runoff waterfrom farmlands and leachate from landfills therebycapturing nutrients.Fig 3. GasifierThese crops can diversify the fuel supply, enhance thenational energy security and save foreign exchange becauseof reduced oil import.Perennial crops also create better wildlife than annualcrops as they attract wide variety of species specially birdsand mammals. Using wasteland for energy plantation willlessen the pressure of agriculture, benefit the environmentand also help the country’s economy by saving foreignexchange.Power from wood based gasifier is gradually gainingground in India (Chengappa et al., 2000) (Figure 3). Thereare many more technologies which may be used to harnessenergy from energy plantations. Biomass can be producedon deforested or otherwise degraded or marginal land thatis still suitable for reforestation. Such proposed practicespresent limited or zero environmental risks. Therefore,sustainable use of these wasteland areas for bioenergy needsto be encouraged and promoted in our country. For this, apolicy around bioenergy needs to be designed. To achievethe bioenergy potential targets in the longer term, moreresearch efforts are needed to increase biomass yield usingbest sustainable practices. ❂The authors are Director and Asst. Prof. of Institute of Environmentand Sustainable Development, respectively, Banaras HinduUniversity, Varanasi, Email: raghubansh@gmail.comFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 415

RE FeatureSOLAR MINIGRIDSIN RURAL AREAS OFUTTAR PRADESHUttar Pradesh being highly populated with a large geographical area, hasseveral problems of energy access and power distribution. For seeking away forward with distribution and deployment of energy, right policy andplans are required for better management.ASHOK KUMAR SRIVASTAVASolar Rooftop System InstallationThe total population of Uttar Pradesh is around 199million, out of which rural population is around 155million, constituting around 77.7 per cent of the totalpopulation of the State. The number of rural familiesis around 25 million.POWER SCENARIO IN UTTAR PRADESHLike many other states of India, Uttar Pradesh is alsograppling with issues of power shortage. Against the presentaverage power demand of around 11750 MW, averageavailability of power is around 9500 MW. Against this supplyof power, the average power availability in rural areas isaround eleven hours per day.WHY SOLAR MINI GRIDS?There are thousands of hamlets of Uttar Pradesh that eitherdo not have grid access or are not getting regular electricitysupply especially during the peak hours. Thus the ruralmasses are unable to attain a decent quality of living. Erraticpower supply in rural areas not only affects the daily life ofresidents it also causes enormous economic losses to villagebasedcottage and small industries. Villagers are forced touse kerosene lamps even for their basic need of lighting.Kerosene is not only unhygienic, but also inflammable anda fire hazard. Wherever they can afford it villagers use costlydiesel generator (DG) sets. Kerosene and diesel also havean adverse impact on environment with carbon dioxide/16February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE Featuremonoxide emission and pollution.A solar mini grid plant can be installed anywhere asinsolation is abundantly available in every geographicalregion of the State. Even remote villages which are notconnected to the grid or electrified where electricity isunavailable during peak hours or is erratic could be providedelectricity by creating a local grid run on solar energy. Thiscould be managed locally with the participation of villagers.This off-grid usage of electricity generated through minigrid solar power plants will provide business/employemntopportunities, improve educational standard, reduce useof kerosene, reduce carbon emissions and facilitate villagehandicraft. Villagers will be able to perform productiveactivities at all hours of day and night. Consequently, theywill become economically stronger.PILOT PROJECTS OF SOLAR MINIGRIDIn the year 2011-12, on pilot basis, two mini grid solar powerplants of 1.2 kW each utilising 20 years old solar photo voltaic(PV modules) were installed in Firozabad and Gonda districts.Firozabad: Mini grid solar power plant in AC mode withaggregate capacity of 1.2 kW was installed in the village ofMandai Kalan, located 52 km from district headquarters—aflood prone village situated on the banks of the Yamuna. Inthe rainy reason this village is almost completely inundated:therefore grid access is not feasible. The major activities ofthe villagers are agriculture and dairy farming. The mode ofpower supply was 220V AC. Each house was provided with 2LED lamps of 2 W and 1 W, and a mobile charging facility. ACentralised Mobile Charging station was provided to charge30 mobiles in a day. The plant was designed to supply powerto between 180 and 200 households and supply rangedbetween 4 and 5 hours per day. Timer was provided toregulate supply hours of different intervals according to therequirements of the villagers.Gonda: Solar power plant in DC mode with the aggregatecapacity of 1.2 kW installed in an un-electrified village calledMathia, in block Paraspur, located 36 km from the districtheadquarters. It is a flood prone village situated in betweenthe rivers Saryu and Ghagra. In the rainy season, the villageis almost inundated and cut off from district headquarters,such that grid access is not feasible. The major activity of theCapacity of solar PV plant ineach village is 1.2 kW. Eachhouse has been provided with 2LED lamps of 1.5 W each with amobile charging facility or 2 ofLED lamps of 2 W and 1 W and amobile charging facility.villagers is agriculture. The mode of power supply was 24VDC. Each household has been provided with 2 LED lampsof 1.5 W each, with a mobile charging facility. The plantwas designed to serve 180 to 200 households. A timer wasinstalled to regulate the time period of the power supply asper the requirements of the households.SCALING UPWith this experience from pilot projects, in the year 2011-12,Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy DevelopmentAgency (UPNEDA)has installed and commissioned 24 V DCbasedsolar mini grid power plants in 23 villages and hamletsin 11 districts of the State, covering around 4,000 familiesincluding some from the scheduled castes and scheduledtribes. Capacity of solar PV plant in each village is 1.2 kW. Eachhousehold has been provided with 2 LED lamps of 1.5 W eachwith a mobile charging facility, or 2 LED lamps of 2 W and1 W and a mobile charging facility. Prepaid meter has beenprovided for each connection. A timer has been installed withcharge controller to regulate the time period of the powersupply as per the requirements of the households.OPERATION AND MAINTENANCEFor operation/maintenance and collection of user charges,a person from the community itself (plant operator) hasbeen identified and deployed by the gram panchayat,asthis person can easily approach and interact with villagepeople and ensure smooth functioning of the mini grid solarpower project. This operator is responsible for day to dayrepairs and maintenance of the system and the collection ofmonthly user charge of Rs 150 per connection. A monthlyhonorarium of Rs. 150 and routine maintenance charges forthe system are to be deducted from the accumulated usercharges. Batteries are also to be replaced by UPNEDA afterfive years, out of the accumulated user charges.ISSUES AND CHALLENGES■ With lights and the mobile charging facility available, thevillagers now want to be able to use fans and televisions.■ Due to increasing power demand of villagers, the projectcannot be implemented on a defined pattern; therefore,the project should be implemented in such a way as to copewith the flexible demands of villagers.■ For day to day maintenance of the system, training of theplant operator is required.■ Awareness needs to be created among the villagers forproper use and smooth functioning of the plant.■ The project could be linked with employment generationactivities.■ Village panchayat office bearers could also be educatedthrough awareness campaigns for the need and importanceof local grid for sustainable growth of their villages. ❂The author is Project Officer (minigrid) UPNEDA, LucknowEmail : ho_ashok@rediffmail.comFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 417

RE FeatureSOLAR ENERGYILLUMINATESJANTAR MANTARAND SAFDARJUNG TOMBA. K. DAHIYAJantar Mantar, Delhi18February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureThe Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Management Centre (EE&REM) isthe Delhi State Nodal Agency for implementing renewable energy and energyefficiency schemes. The Agency strives to create mass awareness in the fieldof renewable energy by conducting various fairs. For this purpose, the EE&REMCentre organises an annual ‘Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas’ with variousstakeholders dealing in renewable energy.The city of Delhi possesses plenty of well-knownmonuments that are illuminated by solar energy andthe number of environment-friendly monumentsin Delhi is growing day by day. Over the last threeyears, the Delhi Government has acquired vast experiencein the promotion of solar energy. Various UNESCO WorldHeritage Sites managed by the Delhi Government arebeing switched over from conventional electric power tosolar power for illumination. These sites include: the 13thcentury Qutub Minar, the 16th century Tomb of Humayun,and the 17th century red sandstone Red Fort. A total of sixsuch sites will ultimately use solar energy installed by theDelhi Government. The Jantar Mantar solar power plantgenerates 9 kW of power with installation costing Rs. 25lakh. Also, the solar power plant at Safdarjung Tombproducing almost 10.4 kW of energy cost about the same.These solar power plants are financed by the Ministry ofNew and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under their specialarea demonstration programme. These two solar powerplants, with a total capacity of 19.4 kW, generate 28,078units of electricity annually. With the success of these twomeasures it was decided to expand the use of solar power toother tourist sites.The EE&REM Centre of the Department ofEnvironment, Government of Delhi, is responsible forthe installation of these solar power plants, as the DelhiState Nodal Agency (SNA) for the implementation of therenewable energy programme.Other sites like the Qutub Minar, Humayun’s Tomb, andthe Red Fort are under the authority of the ArchaeologicalSurvey of India (ASI) —that means that these sites areprotected sites and require permission from the ASI toThe Jantar Mantar solar powerplant generates 9 kW of powerand it cost Rs. 25 lakh to install it.install solar energy. The Government is also planning toinstall solar energy to illuminate the Old Fort, the LotusTemple and Jama Masjid.The MNRE under the programme Special AreaDemonstration Project (SADP) was created to encouragestates to promote and disseminate the use of renewablesources of energy and also to find alternative sources ofenergy. The Department State Nodal Agency (SNA) gets asubsidy for the installation of SPV Systems.Both the monuments—Jantar Mantar and SafdarjungTomb, are under the ASI and the solar energy projectsexecuted here were funded by the MNRE. In all, 28monuments have night time illuminations in Delhi. Ofthese, 13 are with ASI and 15 with the state archaeologydepartment. Jantar Mantar and Safdarjung Tomb are alsoon this list—where solar energy was used to illuminatethem as an experiment. The installation of a 1 kW solarpower plant requires an area of 10 to 14 square metres.SOLAR-POWERED MONUMENTS INTHE FUTUREAfter successfully illuminating Jantar Mantar andSafdarjung Tomb using solar energy generated on thepremises of these heritage sites, Delhi State Industrial andInfrastructure Development Corporation has set its eyes onthe Red Fort, the Lotus Temple and even the Tihar Jail. Atthe India International Trade Fair, the State Governmentshowcased the success stories of Jantar Mantar andSafdarjung Tomb. Both these sites are under the ASI and thesolar energy projects executed were funded by the MNRE.In all, 28 monuments have been illuminated. Of these,13 are with the ASI and 15 with the state archaeologicaldepartment. In conclusion, we can note that solar energywill be a great source of alternative energy for a city likeDelhi which faces high power demands as these will onlygrow in the years to come. ❂The author is OSD, Energy Efficiency and Renewable EnergyManagement Centre, Department of Environment, New Delhi.Email : osd_eerem@yahoo.comFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 419

RE FeatureChildren studying with solar illuminationSOLARPOWERDISPELLINGDARKNESS OFCHHATTISGARHWith renewable energyinstallations making newinroads into the lives ofthe remote villagers—it istime that the ChhattisgarhGovernment accorded ahigher priority to renewableenergy in their annual plansto ensure faster socioeconomicdevelopmentof the insurgency affectedareas.S. K. SHUKLAFor decades, the tribal communityof Chhattisgarh lived withoutelectricity. Their life was centeredaround the sun. Their day beganat dawn and was over by the time dusk fellupon their village. The economic progressof the rest of the country left these villagesuntouched. The times, however, beganto change in 2001 when ChhattisgarhRenewable Energy Development Agency(CREDA) undertook a project to bringlight to some of the villages. Braving theharsh climate and difficult terrain, CREDAteams installed solar power plants of 2-6kW. The project is still on with a cleanhealth and safety record. This mega projectempowered more than 4,50,000 peoplein this tribal state and brought electricityto more than 55,000 households. Womencould cook after sunset in solar light andchildren could study. And thanks to the solarstreetlights, people could extend their workin the fields and also experience a higherdegree of safety. It was also reported thatincidents of snakebites fell dramatically.The area is also affected by Naxal-inducedinsurgency making it further difficult forgovernment functionaries to performoptimally. However, overriding a multitudeof problems CREDA has undertakenseveral activities in Chhattisgarh.20February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE Feature126 VILLAGES ELECTRIFIED IN BASTARThe Chhattisgarh government has found a novel way totackle the insurgency problem in Chhattisgarh. Instead ofdeploying more gun-toting personnel, the state governmentdecided to electrify insurgency affected villages. This wasalso a long-pending demand of the area as it was a dauntingtask to carry out night operations in these areas withoutpower.As part of government’s ambitious rural electrificationprogramme, the state government has entrusted this task tothe CREDA. To begin with, the agency selected 126 villagesin Bastar district to be illuminated with solar energy. TheCentral Government has already sanctioned the muchneededfund for the novel project and the work is ongoingin all 126 villages of the most insurgency-prone district inthe State.Under the project, CREDA will be providing three typesof solar power connections to people here: 17, 38 and 74W home lighting systems or power plants. Under 17 W, avillager would get two points to electrify his hutment whilethose having bigger houses and opting for 38 W would getthree points. Villagers seeking 74 W connections wouldbe provided with four points for lights and a fan. Besideselectrifying hutments, the agency is also illuminatingentire village by providing street-lights at an interval ofevery ten houses. In fact, with a view to meeting the targetof the State Government to electrify 1500 villages by 2014,the CREDA will be reaching out in areas inaccessible by theChhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB). The agencyhas set a target of electrifying all villages by 2014.Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have shown theirpotential in rural electrification projects around the world.Initially, about 1250 remote non-electrified forest villages,which could not be electrified through the conventionalpower, were required to be electrified through non–conventional energy especially in the forested and remoteregions (Chhattisgarh has about 44 per cent of its areaunder forests). Apart from electrification of un-electrifiedvillages for lighting along with water pumping for drinkingwater and commercial purposes - social, educational andeconomical upliftment of consumers was also enlisted aspart of CREDA’s mandate.FIRST SOLAR PV POWER PLANTIn the year 1992 the very first solar PV power plant wasinstalled in village Lamni, in the district of Bilaspur. Thisplant is still working successfully. Since the formation ofCREDA, more than 950 villages have been electrified usingsolar PV. All these villages are remote, tribal and most ofthem are in the insurgency affected areas.The electrification is done in two different ways. Inheavily populated villages centralised solar PV Power Plants(SPVPP) are installed and from these power is transmittedto individual houses. Several street lights are also installedRemote village electrification in Chhattisgarhto illuminate streets and prominent points like hand pumplocations etc. In the small villages the electrification is donewith the help of separate solar PV home lighting and streetlighting systems.In these areas a village electrification committee (VEC)in each of the project site is formed to take care of primaryoperation and maintenance. The total planning of operationsand maintenance (O&M) of the project is prepared insuch a way so as to ensure optimum functionality of thesystems to support. For operation and maintenance of thesystems, cluster technicians are appointed to monitor andmaintain and to support them - technical staff of CREDAalso monitor the systems regularly.Every beneficiary contributes in the form of connectiontariff in this regard just to support the mechanism for O&M.For the maintenance of SPVPP, VECs in every village play akey role. Every beneficiary family pays Rs.15 per month tothe VEC for the maintenance of the system. A local personhas also been trained to operate the system. One mechanicis appointed to look after the systems of five to six villagesand is also been appointed by VECs.PRIMARY HEALTH CENTERSVarious instruments like incubators, refrigerators, X-ray andECG machines require electricity and solar PV electrificationhas made it all possible in non-electrified health centers. Sofar, 542 health centers have been electrified in insurgencyprone areas through solar PV systems.SOLAR PV STREET LIGHTING IN CITIESAt Raipur, solar PV street lights have been installed at placeslike the Vidhan Sabha, Gandhi Udyan, Jawahar Udyan, RajBhawan, Chief Minister’s Residence, Speaker’s Residence,and the Chhattisgarh Officers Club. Similarly solar PV streetlights have been installed in the Energy-Park developedby CREDA. Solar street lights are installed in Bijapur,February 2013Volume 6 Issue 421

RE FeatureJagdalpur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Geedam, Konta andSukama—all cities in the Bastar area. These cities used toface ‘blackout’ problems during Naxal driven agitations.During blackout period, community life can be extended bysix to seven hours through solar PV electrification duringwhich important social activities related to education, andhealth care may be carried out.SOLAR PV FOR FOREST REST HOUSESForest rest houses in remote areas like the wildlifesanctuaries at Bar-Navapara, Udanti and Tourenga havebeen illuminated through solar PV systems. In fact the Bar-Navapara Tourism Cottages are now electrified throughsolar PV systems. Kailash Gufa in Surguja district andBhoremdeo in Kabirdham district are some other primetourist places which are being electrified using solar PVsystems.SOLAR PV FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONSWireless in local loop (WLL) is required fortelecommunications in a limited sphere. Normally, WLL isused in areas where other systems of telecommunicationcannot be provided. In the non-electrified areas whereWLL is to be provided, the need of electricity can befulfilled through solar PV systems. The WLL at villageSarora Dadar, in the district of Kabirdham is runningthrough such a system. The cost of such electrification ascompared to the conventional electrification is relativelyless. Provision of solar PV systems has also eliminated thecost of telephone cables and transmission lines.POLICE STATIONS GIVEN ELECTRICITYThe police department today is fully dependent on solarsystems in remote insurgency prone areas of the State. TheNaxals normally disconnect the electricity of the policestation and police camps before an attack. Running onindependent solar PV systems it is not possible to cut offthe powerlines from outside the camp or thana. A hundredand seventy-eight police stations and 48 base camps ofpara-military forces have been electrified using solar PVsystems. They are presently using solar electricity forlighting and for powering their computers.TRIBAL HOSTELSAs in the health care sector, it has been observed that basiclighting and audiovisuals can help professionals workingin remote areas to increase their standard of living andmotivate them to work proactively. With the youth of tribalhostels gaining access to solar lighting - it allows them toprepare for classes by studying at night and helps them tostay informed, through radio and TV, which should havetheir effect on the quality of education. In remote ruralvillages, schools and other community centers (like templesand churches) are often a focal point for the community,with great potential for the integration of communitydevelopment and educational goals. Basic lighting in theevening can facilitate after-dark activities like communityreunions, adult education, religious activities and festivities.Over 1552 tribal hostels have been electrified in such areas.The vast majority of hostellers pass their exams withgood marks.Solar water pump in a remote village inChhattisgarh22February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureDID YOU KNOW?INTERESTINGFACTS ABOUTGEOTHERMAL ENERGYA livelihood procured through solar lighting523 SOLAR WATER PUMPSThe main objective of the solar PV water pumping schemeis to facilitate power for pumping particularly in nonelectrifiedvillages and provide drinking water and irrigationfor small vegetable fields. Initially this was started fromvillage Jabarrain in Dhamtari district, where a solar PVpump was installed for drinking water supply for a villageof 73 families most of which belonged to the Kamar tribe.A total of 523 solar PV water pumping systems have beeninstalled so far by CREDA. Most of the pumping systemsinstalled are of 1800 W PV array capacity and used to operateDC motor pumps set.IN CONCLUSIONThe Central and State Government view the insurgencymenace as an area of serious concern and are determinedto address the problem. Keeping in view that insurgencyis not merely a law and order problem, the policy of thegovernment is to address this menace simultaneouslyon three fronts: political security, development andpublic perception management. The states from whereinsurgency driven activities are reported should have adifferent approach with special focus on accelerated socioeconomicdevelopment of the backward areas and regularinter action with NGOs, the intelligentsia, and civil libertiesgroups. This will restore people’s faith and confidencein the government machinery. A focus area should betowards speedy implementation of physical infrastructurelike roads, communication, power etc. and to provideemployment opportunities to the youth in these areas. ❂The author is Director, Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy AgencyEmail : mrshailendra.shukla@gmail.com1Geothermal energy got its name fromGreek words: geo (earth) and therme(heat), and therefore geothermalenergy is Earth's heat. The Earth's core ishotter than the sun's surface!2Geothermal energy can be found inthe form of volcanoes, hot springsand geysers.3Geothermal energy suppliesless than 10 per cent of the world'senergy.4People have used geothermalenergy for thousands of years.Ancient Romans, Chinese, andNative American cultures used hot mineralsprings for bathing, cooking and eating.5The oldest known spa fed from ahot spring is believed to be a stonepool found on Lisan Mountain inChina, built in the 3rd century BC.6Geothermal energy use has verylow emissions of greenhousegases.7Geothermal heating applicationsinclude industrial uses, heat pumps,space heating and bathing in hotsprings.8For every 100 meters you go belowground, the temperature of therock increases about 3 o Celsius.Or for every 328 feet below ground, thetemperature increases 5.4 o Fahrenheit.Source - Green Mountain Energy(www.greenmountain.com)February 2013Volume 6 Issue 423

RE FeatureUSE OF BIOMASS INBRICK KILNSBricks have been used as construction material for manymillennia and have been found in many historic sites all overthe world such as in valleys of Indus and Ganga rivers whereancient civilisations flourished from at least 3300 B.C.SHUCHI VERMA AND JAI UPPALA view of a biomass fired brick kiln in Uttar Pradesh24February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureBricks have been used as construction materialfor many millennia. They have been found at thehistorical sites all over the world, including valleysof the Indus and Ganga rivers where ancientcivilizations flourished as early as 3300 B.C. For exampleat Mohenjodaro there is evidence to show that perfectlyformed uniform bricks were fired in brick kilns and usedextensively for making buildings. The structures thereinclude houses, the ‘Great Bath’, granary, roads and toilets.The main raw material for making bricks is clay which canvary considerably in physical properties, colour, hardness,and mineralogical content. However, the raw material mustessentially have the ability to be crushed and mixed withwater to form a plastic material which can be moulded intovarious shapes required. In addition, upon heating to a hightemperature these bricks should become hard, have highcompressive strength and be weather resistant.It is estimated that world-wide there are 300,000 brickkilns with a total production of 1350 billion bricks per year.Brick production is concentrated in four countries whichaccount for about 75 per cent global production—Chinawith 54 per cent; India with 11 per cent; Pakistan with 8per cent; and Bangladesh with 4 per cent. This article isbased on the interaction with various central and statebrick manufacturers’ federations or associations. It shouldbe noted that the data available about the brick industry inIndia is sketchy and not well documented.AVAILABILITY OF DATAThe apex national federation of Brick and TileManufacturers has 9117 life members, even though thetotal number of bricks kilns in India is estimated to be ashigh as 100,000. This industry is un-organised and mostlybased on small scale sector units. Difficulty in gettingdata is compounded by the fact that a large part of theproduction may not be accounted for in the official booksof manufacturers. For instance, a field survey of biomassused in Rajasthan, covered biomass consumption based onabout 1830 kilns whereas the state association estimatesthat there are about 3000 brick kilns in the State.BACKGROUNDThe output of the Indian brick industry is the secondlargest in the world after China. It was estimated that totalproduction of bricks in the country is about 140 billionper year in 2000-01. The growth rate of the industry wasestimated to be approximately at 9 per cent per year in2000-01 while other growth estimates range from 5 to 10per cent per annum. A study estimated that the buildingconstruction sector in India will grow at compound annualgrowth rate (CAGR) of 6.6 per cent per year in the period2005-30 .By 2001, using the age-old manual moulding processes,the estimated requirement of top soil for brick manufacturingwas about 350 million tonnes per year. Because of acceleratingeconomic growth there has been a growing demand forbuilding materials, particularly bricks in this country. Itshould be noted that the major concentration of brick kilns isin the rural areas in the proximity of rapidly expanding townsand cities. Urban demand for bricks is growing exponentiallybecause of the requirement for infrastructure, commercialand residential buildings.RISING DEMAND FOR COALIn case a growth rate of 6 and 9 per cent per annum isassumed, the total annual production of bricks would bearound 266 and 361 billion respectively, for the year 2011-12.Furthermore, assuming a coal consumption of 17.14 tonnesper one lakh bricks, the corresponding consumption ofcoal would be 46 million tonnes and 61.9 million tonnes,respectively. (Table 1— assumed that there is no increase inefficiency or switching of fuel).The estimates in Table 1, which shows a demand of 61.9million tonnes, or even 46 million tonnes of coal for the brickkiln industry in 2012, are significantly high—especially at atime when there is a shortage of coal in India. The good newsfrom major north Indian states is that in the last few yearsthere has been a rapid shift from using coal to using biomassfor firing bricks in the brick kiln industry.COMPARATIVE COST OF COAL AND BIOMASSFIRED KILNSBased on data received, the consumption of coal in a coalbased kiln in a traditional fixed chimney-Bull’s trench kiln(FCBTK) is 136.4 kgs of coal per 1000 bricks. The cost ofcoal in a coal based brick kiln is estimated to be Rs. 1022Table 1: Estimated Production of Bricks and Corresponding Coal ConsumptionYearEstimated Brick Production(Assumed growth rate9 per cent) (in billion)Estimated CoalConsumption (MT)Estimated Brick Production(Assumed growth rate 6 percent) (in billion)2000-01 140 24.0 140 242005-06 215 36.9 187 322011-12 361 61.9 266 46Estimated CoalConsumption (MT)February 2013Volume 6 Issue 425

RE Featureper 1000 bricks with the coal rate of Rs. 7500 per tonne atJaipur. On the other hand biomass based fuel consumptionis 254 kg/1000 bricks. The cost of biomass is approximatelyRs. 765 per 1000 bricks when the average price of biomassis Rs. 3000 per tonne at Faridabad. Thus fuel cost in thebiomass based kiln is about 75 per cent that of coal basedwith a difference of Rs. 257 per thousand bricks. Thereforewith a production of 75 lakh bricks per year a saving ofnearly Rs. 19.3 lakhs per annum is possible. However, thecoal based brick manufacturers insist that they are able toget better price for their bricks as they are able to producemore grade I bricks than those produced based on biomasskilns. Considering the firing process, the strength of coalfired bricks is relatively higher as compared to biomassfired bricks. However, since the structures of buildingnowadays is column based, therefore the walls are no longerload bearing but partition walls—as a result biomass basedbricks are gaining acceptance from builders.DIFFERENT TYPES OF KILNSMajor types of technologies used for manufacture of bricksin India include clamp type, FCBTK or moving chimneyBTK, natural and fixed draft zig-zag kiln, vertical shaft brickkiln (VSBK), down-draught kiln and others. However, therehas been very little impact of more efficient technologies onthe brick industry as the industry continues to use traditionalFCBTK. It has been estimated that 70 per cent of the brickproduction in India is from such kilns. The most popularbrick kiln technology used in north India is natural draughtFCBTK. The traditional straight line firing BTK is reportedto be about 10 per cent less energy efficient as compared tozig-zag BTK and has a higher carbon foot-print.FUEL CONSUMPTION OF VARIOUS BRICKKILNSFirst comparison: The energy consumption VSBK, at 0.7MJ/kg of fired bricks, has been estimated to be half of thatof FCBTK, which is 1.4 MJ/kg of fired bricks.Second comparison: For moving chimney BTK the coalconsumption ranges between 20 to 24 tonnes per lakhbricks, whereas for fixed chimney it is around 16 to 20tonnes per lakh bricks.Third Comparison: Based on data from a well-establishedcoal based kiln in Rajasthan it was found that the coalconsumption in this kiln was 13.7 tonnes of coal per onelakh bricks compared to the consumption of fuel in a wellknownbiomass FCBTK in Haryana where it was found thatthe biomass consumption was 25.4 tonnes of biomass perone lakh bricks.NORTH INDIA: REVIEWIt has been estimated that there are about 25,000 brick kilnsin Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh whichBiomass handling and transportationproduce about 32.5 billion bricks annually. Uttar Pradeshhas the largest number of brick kilns accounting for nearly65 per cent of the kilns while the other three states share analmost equal number of kilns. The percentage of biomassused by the brick kiln industry are:■ Punjab – 5 per cent■ Uttar Pradesh – 30 per cent■ Haryana – 60 per cent■ Rajasthan 98 per centBIOMASS USED IN BRICK INDUSTRY OFHARYANATotal number of brick kilns is reported to be 3000 in theState, with an average production per brick kiln estimatedto be 4.5 million bricks per year. It is further reported that60 per cent of the brick kilns operate on biomass whilethe balance use coal. Various types of biomass are usedin Haryana depending on availability. The most popularbiomass used is mustard crop residue; some amount ofguar crop residue or stalks; soya crop residue or husk; andeven wood are also used as fuel. In the beginning of theseason in November biomass from soya residue is used,in December guar based biomass is used while Januaryonwards to February old mustard husk is used. From themiddle of February to June fresh mustard husk is used.One of the large biomass based brick kiln uses 50 per centmustard husk, 35 per cent guar crop residue or stalks, 1526February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE Featureper cent soya crop residue or husks, and a small amount ofwood. This kiln consumes about 2130 tonnes of biomass, atfull capacity.BIOMASS USED IN BRICK INDUSTRY OFPUNJABThe total number of brick kilns in Punjab is reported tobe around 2600. Average production per kiln in the Stateis estimated to be 4 to 5 million per year. The percentageof biomass used in brick kilns in Punjab is estimated to beonly 5 per cent with wood accounting for 1 to 2 per cent.The region using most quantity of biomass is reported to bethe Bhatinda which uses the mustard crop residue.BIOMASS USED IN BRICK INDUSTRY OFRAJASTHANThe total number of brick kilns in Rajasthan is reported tobe 3000. The average production of bricks in a kiln is about 4million bricks per year. It is reported that 98 per cent of brickkilns operate on biomass with only a few of them operatingon coal. Even coal based kilns appear to be contemplatingconversion to biomass, as coal prices rise rapidly. Rajasthanis one of largest producer of mustard seed with an estimatedproduction of 2.7 million tonnes per year (45 per cent ofthe nation’s production). Therefore, mustard crop residueis abundantly available to be used in the brick kiln industryand biomass power sectors. At different times differenttypes of biomass are available to the brick kiln industry.These include mustard husk, Juliflora Prosopis, groundnutshell, cotton stalks and others. Mustard crop residue is thedominant biomass used in the brick kiln industry accountingfor an estimated 80 per cent. Interestingly, in this State theuse of straw as a biomass for industry is not permitted—asthere is an acute shortage of cattle feed. One survey estimatesthat 1.6 million tonnes of biomass is used in Rajasthan by thebrick kiln industry. As for coal use, one coal-based brick kilnsurveyed used between 750 tonnes to 1050 tonnes of coal peryear depending on the production.BIOMASS USED IN BRICK INDUSTRY OFUTTAR PRADESHThe total number of bricks kilns in Uttar Pradesh isreported to be around 16,000. The average production ofbricks in a reasonable sized brick kiln is about 3 millionbricks per year. About 25 to 30 per cent of the fuel used isbiomass. Mustard crop residue is the most popular biomassused in the brick kiln industry. Many kilns are firing woodalong with coal. Here wood is reported to be accounting foraround 20 to 30 per cent of the fuel mix used.BIOMASS CONSUMPTION IN MAJOR STATESOF NORTH INDIAThe estimated annual consumption of biomass in the brickRAJASHTAN29.87PUNJAB1.49UTTAR PRADESH30.48HARYANA20.57Fig 1. Estimated Total Biomass Consumption in Four Major States ofNorth India ( tonnes per year) (2011-12)industry in the four major states of North India given in Fig1. Based on the above given data it can be seen that UttarPradesh and Rajasthan are the largest consumers of biomasswith each consuming about 30 lakh tonnes per year whileHaryana is a major consumer with a consumption of 20lakh tonnes per year. The use of biomass in the brick kilnindustry is limited to Punjab with a consumption of only 1.5lakh tonnes per year.CONCLUSIONSolid bricks are most popular in the country and theprocess of making these is still largely manual and highlylabour intensive. With the introduction of the MahatmaGandhi National Rural Employment Act and the rapiddevelopment of the country there is an increasing shortageof labour and the costs are rising steeply making increasingmechanisation inevitable in the coming years and decades.The rapidly rising coal prices will force the industry toeither adopt more energy efficient kilns or to switch overto biomass based fuels.Moreover, with rising cost of inputs including soiland sand, it appears that brick making technology is onthe verge of revolution which will make this industry lessresource intensive, more energy efficient and result inbenefits to the consumer. Hopefully, this will also contributeto the energy security of India and reduce emissions ofgreen house gases. With the landed price of coal mountingthere is a definite price advantage of biomass over coal,and the use of biomass is bound to go up. The quality ofbricks being made from biomass firing is said to be inferiorto bricks made from coal firing—but with the switch overto reinforced concrete construction the relevance of thesuperior quality of coal fired bricks is declining. ❂The authors are Asst. Prof. Maiteryi College, Delhi University andSenior Consultant, General Secretary Samyak Vikas Sansthan (SVS),respectively. jaiuppal@gmail.comFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 427

RE FeatureCONTEMPORARYRESEARCH INORGANICSOLAR CELLOrganic solar cells, mostly flexible and lightweight,are the innovative materials for development ofenergy source. With significant advantages in termsof increasing production from renewables, they arecost effective, environment friendly, and very userresponsive.BIRINCHI BORA28February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureOrganic solar cells are mostly flexible andlightweight—a good solution to low cost energyproduction, which can have a manufacturingadvantages over inorganic solar cell materials.HISTORY OF ORGANIC SOLAR CELLSAn organic solar cell uses organic electronics, which dealswith conducting polymers or small organic molecules. In1959, Kallamann and Pope reported a photovoltaic effectin a single crystal of anthracene which was sandwichedbetween two similar electrodes and illuminated fromone side. But they could not explain the phenomenoncompletely.The first organic solar cell was reported by Tang in 1986,with a power conversion efficiency of 1 per cent (Tang etal.). The simple working principle for photovoltaic devicesis that of ‘light in and current out’ which can be analysedby seven processes: photon absorption, exciton formationand migration, exciton dissociation, charge transportand charge collection at the electrode. The structureof an organic solar cell is very simple. A setup with onephotoactive material and electrodes constructed at topand bottom can show a photovoltaic current. In Figure1, the organic solar cell consists of a photoactive layercomposed of two different materials: donor and acceptor.Here the conducting glass acts as an anode and the metalacts as a cathode. The donor and acceptor material hastwo energy levels one is the Highest Occupied MolecularOrbital (HOMO) and the other is the Lowest UnoccupiedMolecular Orbital (LUMO) and the energy gap betweenthese two layers is the band gap.There are fundamental differences between an inorganicsemiconductor and organic semiconductor. The mostobvious difference is that in an inorganic semiconductors thefree charge carriers, electrons and holes are created directlyupon light absorption, while electrostatically bound chargecarriers, excitons are formed in organic semiconductor.The dielectric constant of organic semiconductors is low ascompared to inorganic semiconductors. The other primarydifference is the small Bohr radius of carriers in organicsemiconductors as compared to inorganic semiconductors.An organic semiconductor has simpler processing at lowertemperatures (20-200 o C) than an inorganic cell, like Si(400-1400 o C). The advantage of organic solar cells overelectrochemical cells is the absence of a liquid electrolyte.The thickness of the active layer of organic solar cells isonly 100 nm thin, which is 1000 times thinner than Si-solarcells and 10 times thinner than inorganic thin film solarcell. So, organic solar cells have potential for low cost andlarge area application. These can be deposited on a flexiblesubstrate and the material can be tailored according tothe demand.METALACCEPTORLUMOHOMOFig 1: Typical mechanism of organic solarIt has been found from published literature that thehighest efficiency in organic thin film solar cells, as reportedin 2012, is 10.7 per cent efficiency for Mitsubishi and 6.8 percent efficiency (organic sub module efficiency) for Toshiba.The highest efficiency for different years and the fill factorof organic thin film solar cells and organic sub modules isgiven in Table 1 (Martin A Green et al.).CHALLENGES FOR IMPROVEMENTThere are three issues that one needs to overcome indeveloping organic solar cells. Firstly, in terms of thecrucial efficiency value, organic solar cells are still inferiorto all inorganic counterparts. The second issue is devicestability under ambient operating condition while the thirdis processing technologies for mass production.Increasing the efficiencyThe available conjugated polymers for organic solar cellare of band gaps ≥2 electronvolt(eV). Hence there is aclear mismatch between the absorption spectrum of thematerials and the solar spectrum, which extends into thenear infrared.By introducing low band gap materials the solar photonharvesting can be increased. Recently, Sheng et al. reporteda process of synthesis of poly 3 hexyl thiophene (P3HT)with low band gap which can increase the efficiency up to 17per cent (Fig 2). They incorporate 1 weight percent P3HTinto the PCPDTBT/PC61BM system to make a ternaryactive layer to enhance the power conversion efficiency.P3HT can improve the phase separation of the active layerand also increase the light harvesting into the 400 to 500nanometre (nm) range.To achieve high quantum efficiency, all photo-generatedexcitons have to reach and dissociate at a donor-acceptorDONORCONDUCTING GLASSFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 429

RE FeatureTable 1: Efficiency list of organic solar cell for different yearsYear of reportOrganic thin filmOrganic sub module efficiencyFF Efficiency Reported by FF Efficiency Reported by2012 68.9 10.7 ± 0.32011 66.1 10 ± 0.3Mitsubishi Chemical(4.4 mm 23.0 mm)Mitsubishi Chemical(4.4 mm 23.0 mm)62.8 6.8 ± 0.247.7 4.2 ± 0.2Toshiba (15 seriescells)2010 70.2 8.3 ± 0.3 Konarka 48.3 3.5 ± 0.3 Solarmer2009 62.5 5.15 ± 0.3 Konarka 51.2 1.1 ± 0.3Sumitomo Chemical(10 series cells)Plextronics(P3HT/PCBM)interface and subsequently all created charges have toreach the respective electrodes. The two main approachescan be identified as either modification of the photoactivelayer itself or introduction of transport or blocking layersfor an improvement of the contacts. Recently Ju Min Leeet al. reported carbon nanotube hybrid material as a layerfor exciton dissociation and charge transport enhancementand the quantum efficiency was reported as 8 per cent.They proposed that it can increase the diffusion length ofthe material. So the charge transport can be easily donewithout losing the electron by recombination. Chien JungHuang et al. reported that the buffer layer in the organicsolar cell can improve the efficiency of the cell by increasingthe ability of electron transfer. A buffer layer is the layerbetween the electrode and photoactive layer, which can beapplied in both sides in anode or in cathode side. By usingthis layer the charge transport can be easily done.Stability of the deviceAlthough the efficiency reached has been 10 per cent,the stability has not been so good. Scientists are trying toimprove the performance in terms of power conversionefficiency and operational stability for organic solar cellsand are rapidly approaching the key 10-10 targets (10 percent efficiency and 10 years of stability).Organic solar cells get degraded very fast. The materialsused in organic solar cell are very sensitive to oxygen andFig 2: P3OT-PCBM organic solar cells deposited on ITO glassmoisture. Maxim et al. reported that water is the primaryspecies to degrade the solar cell. So the encapsulation ofthe cell should be such that the oxygen and moisture shouldnot come in contact directly with the materials of the solarcell. The research in the encapsulation of solar cell and theactual reason of degradation needs to be studied in detail.An ideal solution is to search for stable materials that areless sensitive to oxygen and moisture.Processing technologies for mass productionThere are different types of fabrication techniques:printing and casting methods, a roll-to-roll technique, andother film formation techniques. Usually techniques usedfor fabrication of organic solar cell are spin coating, doctorblade coating, casting, spraying, knife over edge coating,meniscus coating, curtain coating, screen printing, inkjetprinting, flexographic casting etc. The techniques thathave been suited for fabrication in small substrates are spincoating, doctor blading and casting.The problem is that in terms of industrial productionthese processes are not cost effective. So, people are tryingto find a way to improve both the economic and technicalaspects of energy production. Roar et al. reported that roll toroll fabrication of a solar cell is a possible way of industrialproduction of organic solar cells—a low cost techniquewhich doesn’t compromise efficiency.CONCLUSIONThe ultimate goal of energy production is that it should beenvironment friendly, cost effective and user responsive.The organic solar cell is a promising way to meet all thesethree requirements. It can be used in large areas and also forsmall ranges, in flexible substrates. But it needs more timeand research to gain a respectable position with respect tosilicon or other inorganic materials. Then, perhaps, a daymay arrive when we can produce electricity for ourselvesby just wearing a T-shirt. ❂The author is Project Fellow, Solar Energy Center, GwalpahariEmail: birinchibora09@gmail.com30February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureHYDROGENAND ITS PROSPECTS FOR FUTURE FUELOn the technology front hydrogen is a clean energy carrier thatcan be produced from any primary energy source. Hydrogenfuel cells which are very efficient energy conversion devices, areattracting the attention of public and private authorities.AVANISH K. TIWARI AND SONAL SINGHCourtesy: Mahindra and MahindraFig 1. An early tri-wheeler prototype with hydrogen-ICEEnergy consumption continues to increase; at thesame time fossil fuel supplies continue to dwindle.In heavily populated countries, such as India,there is a great and rapidly increasing demand forenergy. Traditional fossil energy resources such as oil beingultimately limited, the growing gap between increasingdemand and shrinking supply will, in the not too distantfuture, have to be met increasingly from alternativeenergy resources. We must strive to make these primaryenergy resources more sustainable for we have a numberFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 431

RE Featureof consequences to avoid—the negative impact of climatechange, the growing risk of supply disruptions, pricevolatility, and air pollution—all of which are associated withtoday’s energy systems.On the technology front, hydrogen, a clean energycarrier that can be produced from any primary energysource, and fuel cells which are very efficient energyconversion devices, are both attracting the attention ofpublic and private authorities. Hydrogen and fuel cells,by enabling the so-called hydrogen economy, hold greatpromise for meeting our concerns over the security ofsupply and impending climate change.Hydrogen is considered an alternative fuel due to thefollowing reasons:■ Potentially an inexhaustible supply of energy■ Can be produced from several primary energy sources■ Reduced dependence on petroleum imports if it isproduced from coal or renewables■ Potential environmental benefits■ High energy conversion efficiency by use of H 2 infuel cells (upto 90 per cent) in place of internalcombustion (IC) engines (35 per cent).HYDROGEN APPLICATIONS OVERVIEWA electrolyser uses direct current to separate hydrogen (H 2 )and oxygen (O 2 ) from water without waste emission out tothe environment. A fuel cell is a device that can produceelectricity from hydrogen and oxygen (water vapour andheat are the by-products of its processes). At present, fuelcells have been developed for use in transportation suchas passenger cars, buses, trucks, and bicycles because theyhave higher efficiency than IC engine vehicles. Hydrogenas the main fuel for fuel cell vehicles (FCV) can be producedfrom several renewable technologies such as wind, solarand nuclear energy.Hydrogen generated from an electrolyser can bestored in storage devices, used instantly in stationarypower supply, or fed to hydrogen-driven vehicles. Usually,hydrogen can be kept for several months for later use andthe amount of energy can be increased by adding moretanks at a minimum cost. At present, only a hybrid electricvehicle (HEV) is available in the market— as few hydrogendrivenvehicles are being developed due to high cost ofthe fuel car and lack of fuel infrastructure. Neverthelessthis technology is gaining attention because it is one ofthe more promising technologies for the future with zeroemission. Typical hydrogen-driven vehicle keeps hydrogenonboard in hydrogen tanks. Driving distance of each vehicledepends on the amount of hydrogen onboard.FUEL CELL AND APPLICATIONSFuel cells are one of the key enabling technologies for afuture hydrogen economy. Fuel cells have several benefitsover conventional combustion-based technologies. Theyproduce much smaller quantities of greenhouse gases. Ifpure hydrogen is used as a fuel, fuel cells emit only heatand water as a byproduct.A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energyfrom a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction withoxygen or another oxidizing agent. Fuel cells are differentfrom batteries in that they require a constant source offuel and oxygen to run, but they can produce electricityTable 1: Hydrogen production methodsHYDROGENFROM FOSSILFUELSBIOMASS TOHYDROGENHYDROGENFROMSPLITTING OFWATERProduction from naturalgas (steam reforming)Production from coalWater electrolysisPhoto-electrolysis(photolysis)Photo-biologicalproduction (biophotolysis)Steam reforming uses thermal energy to separate hydrogen from the carbon components inmethane and methanol and involves the reaction of these fuels with steam on catalytic surfaces.The reaction decomposes the fuel into hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Then follows a ‘shiftreaction’ to change the carbon monoxide and water to carbon dioxide and hydrogen.Hydrogen can be produced from coal through a variety of gasification processes. In practice,high-temperature, entrained flow processes are favoured to maximise carbon conversion to gas.In this process, a hydrogen-containing gas is normally produced in a manner similar to thegasification of coal. However,few commercial plants exist to produce hydrogen from biomass.Currently, the pathways followed are steam gasification, entrained flow gasification, and moreadvanced concepts such as gasification in super critical water or application of thermo-chemicalcycles.Electrolysis separates the elements of water - H 2 and O 2 - by charging water with an electricalcurrent. Adding an electrolyte such as salt improves the conductivity of the water and increasesthe efficiency of the process. The charge breaks the chemical bond between the hydrogen andoxygen and gathers these at the cathode and the anode, respectively.Photo electrolysis of water is the process whereby light is used to split water directly intohydrogen and oxygen. Such systems offer great potential for cost reduction of electrolytichydrogen.Photo-biological production of hydrogen is based on two steps-photosynthesis and hydrogenproduction catalysed by hydrogenase in, for example, green algae and cyanobacteria.32February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureTable 2: Hydrogen storage methodsCOMPRESSIONLIQUEFACTIONPHYSIOSORP-TIONMETALHYDRIDESCHEMICALHYDRIDESIt might be the simplest way to store hydrogen in a cylinder of pressure up to 20megapascals (MPa), but the energy density is too low to satisfy the fuel demand ofdriving practice. About four times higher pressure is needed to meet the driving.The energy density of hydrogen can be improved by storing hydrogen in a liquidstate. However, hydrogen losses become a concern and improved tank insulation isrequired to minimise losses from hydrogen boil-off. In addition, advances in liquefactionefficiencies are required to reduce the energy required to cool and liquefy hydrogengas. This method faces two challenges: the efficiency of the liquefaction process andthe boil-off of the liquid hydrogen.The storage of hydrogen can rely on physiosorption because the adsorbed gas can bereleased reversibly. There are different mechanisms of adsorption depending on thegeometry of the adsorbent and the temperature of adsorption multilayer mechanismfunctions if the adsorption happens on an open surface and volume filling would happenin a pore narrower than 2 nm. Capillary condensation could happen in a pore largerthan 2nm but smaller than 50 nm.Uses metals and metal alloys to adsorb hydrogen under moderate pressure andtemperature, creating hydrides. A metal hydride tank contains a granular metal, whichadsorbs hydrogen and releases it with the application of heat. The heat may be suppliedas excess heat from a fuel cell. Conventional high capacity metal hydrides require hightemperatures (300°-350°C) to liberate hydrogen, but sufficient heat is not generallyavailable in fuel cell transportation applications.Slurries or solutions can be used as a hydrogen carrier or storage medium. Thehydrogen in the hydride is released through a reaction with water. Chemical hydridesystems are irreversible and require thermal management and regeneration of thecarrier to recharge the hydrogen content. An essential feature of the process is recoveryand reuse of spent hydride at a centralised processing plant. Research issues includethe identification of safe, stable, and pumpable slurries, and the design of the reactorfor regeneration of the spent slurry.TitaniumCarbonHydrogencontinually for as long as these inputs are supplied. But ingeneral terms, hydrogen atoms enter a fuel cell at the anodewhere a chemical reaction strips them of their electrons.The hydrogen atoms are now ‘ionized’, and carry a positiveelectrical charge. The negatively charged electrons providethe current through wires to do the work. Every fuel cellalso has an electrolyte, which carries electrically chargedparticles from one electrode to the other, and a catalyst,which speeds the reactions at the electrodes.TYPES OF FUEL CELLSThere are many types of fuel cells, all consisting of an anode(negative side), a cathode (positive side) and an electrolytethat allows charges to move between the two sides of thefuel cell. The list includes:■Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFCs) ■ Polymer ElectrolyteMembrane (PEM) Fuel Cells ■ Solid Oxide Fuel Cells(SOFC) ■ Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells (PAFCs)■ Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells (MCFCs) ■DirectMethanolFuel Cells (DMFCs).HYDROGEN TRANSPORTATION ANDDELIVERYHydrogen can be transported as a compressed gas, acryogenic liquid, or as a solid metal hydride. The cheapestElectron flowLoadTransportationMicropowerHydrogenOxygenFuel Cell ApplicationHydrogenIonsWaterStationary PowerStationsFig 3. Fuel cell applicationTelecommunicationAnode Electrolyte CathodeFig 4. A fuel cell deviceFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 433

±ÉN{ÉSUÖH «ÉÖ´ÉH-«ÉÖ´ÉlÉÒ+Éà{ÉÒ «ÉÉqÒ©ÉÉÅ U~ÉÉ´É´ÉÉ ©ÉÉ÷à {ÉÉ©É ©ÉÉàH±É{ÉÉù ´ÉeÒ±ÉÉà{Éà LÉÉ»É Ê´É{ÉÅlÉÒ Hà BIO-DATA©ÉÉÅ©ÉÉàH±É{ÉÉù{ÉÖÅ {ÉÉ©É, »É¾Ò lÉà©É W £Éà{É {ÉÅ¥Éù/©ÉÉà¥ÉÉ>±É {ÉÅ¥Éù »´ÉSU +KÉù©ÉÉÅ ©ÉÉàH±Éà. Wà.Wà.»ÉÒ.-»Éà{÷Ä±É ¥ÉÉàeÇ{ÉÒ +ÉèÊ£»É wÉùÉlÉà+Éà{ÉÉà »ÉÅ~ÉHÇ ÷àʱɣÉà{É wÉùÉ oÉ«ÉÉ ¥ÉÉq W lÉà©É{ÉÒ Ê´ÉNÉlÉ ``XNÉÞÊlÉ »ÉÅqàÉ''©ÉÉÅ UÉ~É´ÉÉ©ÉÉÅ +É´ÉÉà. BIO-DATA ©ÉÉàeÉ©ÉÉÅ ©ÉÉàeÉqùàH ©Éʾ{ÉÉ{ÉÒ 30 lÉÉùÒLÉ »ÉÖyÉÒ©ÉÉÅ +ÉèÊ£»É©ÉÉÅ ©É³Ò W´ÉÉà Xà>+à. ©ÉÉàeÒ Entry l«ÉÉù ~ÉUÒ{ÉÉ +ÅH©ÉÉÅ UÉ~É´ÉÉ©ÉÉÅ +É´ÉÉà.«ÉÖ´ÉlÉÒ{ÉÅ. {ÉÉ©É, W{©ÉlÉÉùÒLÉ, DSÉÉ>, +§«ÉÉ»É, ´«É´É»ÉÉ«É yÉ©ÉÇ, ©ÉÚ³ ´ÉlÉ{É, ¾É±É »ÉÅ~ÉHÇ1) +´ÉÊ{ÉHÉ ~ÉÊù©É±É Éɾ, 24-9-1981, 5'-3'' qÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò »oÉÉ. Wä{É (PÉù) 25705208MCA, ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É (U ©Éʾ{ÉÉ©ÉÉÅ UÚ÷ÉUàeÉ) A~ɱÉà÷É ö ~É´É>-©ÉÖÅ¥É> (©ÉÉà) 98206609412) §ÉÚÊ©ÉHÉ »ÉÖyÉÒùSÉÅr Éɾ, 20-1-1985, 5'-3'' qàùÉ´ÉÉ»ÉÒ Wä{É (PÉù) 26776275M.Com., C.A., ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É §É°SÉ ö +ÅyÉàùÒ (´Éà) (©ÉÉà) 98201251993) ÊqÉÉ §ÉùlÉHÖ©ÉÉù Éɾ, 5-3-1984, 5'-1'' ´ÉÒ»ÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò qàùÉ. Wä{É (PÉù) 21022812M.Com., ö Ê¥É]{Éà»É ö úÉÉ>e±É ©ÉáqÒ / ©ÉàH+~É »ÉÖùlÉ ö PÉÉ÷HÉà~Éù (©ÉÉà) 98693176234) ÊqÉÉ Êq{ÉàɧÉÉ> Éɾ (£É£Êe«ÉÉ), 23-8-1986, 5'-2'' qÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò qàùÉ. Wä{É (PÉù) 0250-2334390B.Com., MBA, ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É (¾³´ÉÉà ©ÉÅNɳ Uà) (9921533933) lɱÉÉX ö ´É»É> ùÉàe (´Éà) (©ÉÉà) 93203343905) W±~ÉÉ W«ÉHÉÅlɧÉÉ> Éɾ, 22-1-1985, 5'-4'' PÉÉàPÉÉùÒ ´ÉÒ»ÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò Wä{É (PÉù) 28757535B.Com. (Hons.), ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É (UÚ÷ÉUàeÉ ±ÉÒyÉà±É Uà) ÊɾÉàù ö NÉÉàùàNÉÉ©É (©ÉÉà) 93233343076) ©É{ÉɱÉÒ ¥ÉÉ¥ÉÖ±ÉÉ±É Éɾ, 18-2-1984, 5'-4'' PÉÉàPÉÉùÒ ´ÉÒ»ÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò Wä{É (PÉù) 25691137B.Com., ö (18 Êq´É»É©ÉÉÅ UÚ÷ÉUàeÉ ±ÉÒyÉà±É Uà) ¾iÉÉà±É ö ©ÉÖ±ÉÖÅe (©ÉÉà) 98337976257) ©ÉàPÉÉ ùÉWà{rHÖ©ÉÉù Éɾ, 7-6-1984, 5'-2'' ´ÉÒX. ´ÉÒ»ÉÉ +Éà. Wä{É (PÉù) 26605104B.M.S., M.B.A., ö Kotak Mahindra Bank©ÉÉÅ »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É ´ÉÒX~ÉÖù ö »ÉÉÅlÉÉJÖ] (´Éà) (©ÉÉà) 93222275718) Ê©ÉlÉ±É ´ÉÒùà{r§ÉÉ> Éɾ, 12-5-1973, 5'-0'' PÉÉàPÉÉùÒ ´ÉÒ»ÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò Wä{É (PÉù) 24077071B.Com., ö lÉiÉ»ÉÉ ö »ÉÉ«É{É (©ÉÉà) 97574050019) ʴɧÉÚÊlÉ +ʹÉ{ɧÉÉ> qÉàÉÒ, 26-6-1984, 5'-0'' ´ÉÒ»ÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò qàùÉ. Wä{É (PÉù) 0265-2285495M.Com., C.A., ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É ´ÉÅoɱÉÒ ö ¥ÉùÉàeÉ (©ÉÉà) 0982532419610) qÒÎ~lÉ §ÉÖ~ÉlÉùÉ«É cÉà»ÉÉiÉÒ, 29-5-1981, 5'-2'' qÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò »oÉÉ. Wä{É (PÉù) 2883030827/2114B.Com. + Compute Telly Pursuing MBA, ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É »ÉÉ´ÉùHÖÅe±ÉÉ ö ©É±ÉÉe (©ÉÉà) 961970749411) +ÊqÊlÉ ¾ùÒɧÉÉ> Éɾ, 16-12-1983, 5'-2'' ]É. q. ¸ÉÒ. »oÉÉ. Wä{É (PÉù) 28917426B.Sc., DMLT, ö (W©ÉiÉÉ HÉ{É©ÉÉÅ »ÉÉyÉÉùiÉ lÉH±ÉÒ£) ©ÉÚ³Ò ö ¥ÉÉàùҴɱÉÒ (©ÉÉà) 982050921212) »É~É{ÉÉ ¡É´ÉÒiɧÉÉ> qÉàÉÒ 17-11-1985 5'-2'' qÉÉ ¸ÉÒ©ÉÉ³Ò »oÉÉ. Wä{É (PÉù) 25011616M.Com., ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É (´ÉÉàeÉ£Éà{É Ê±É.) ©ÉÉàù¥ÉÒ ö PÉÉ÷HÉà~Éù (©ÉÉà) 982130963213) eÉè. HÊù©ÉÉ H©É±ÉàɧÉÉ> Éɾ (2-7-1989) 5'-2'' qÉÉ ¥ÉÉW ´ÉÊiÉH (PÉù) 25066666Bachelor's in Physiotherapy, ö »ÉÊ´ÉÇ»É H³Éàq ö PÉÉ÷HÉà~Éù (©ÉÉà) 987016292936X{«ÉÖ+ÉùÒ 2013

HAPPYNEW YEAR2013

RE FeatureSolar panels at cultural centre, Keti Bundermeet peak demand; and ■ the reliability of electric supply,to ensure predictability of outages and quality of power.THE PROBLEMSIt is well established that limited access to energy amenitieshas economic and environmental implications. Manywomen and children in Indian villages face health hazardsof exposure to large amounts of smoke and particulatesfrom chullahs used indoors for cooking. Lack of basicservices such as proper lighting, clean air and potable waterand few employment opportunities significantly impedesocial or economic development. As of 2011, only 55.3 percent of households in rural India had access to electricity.The fact is that using primary fuel, like firewood is notuncommon in either rural or urban areas (21.5 per cent ofhouseholds use primary fuels for purposes such as cookingand lighting, even in urban areas).MINIMUM NEEDS PROGRAMMEProviding access to electricity for all households, particularlyrural households, has always been one of the topmostpriorities of the Indian Government. Electricity for all is adeclared objective of the central and state governments andhas had high priority since the 1970s under the MinimumNeeds Programme. Rural electrification falls under twoministries, the Ministry of Power (MoP) and the Ministryof New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The MoP under itsflagship scheme the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen VidyutikaranYojana (RGGVY) envisages rural electrification eitherby extension of grid, or by putting up decentralised orstand-alone systems under the decentralised distributedgeneration (DDG) scheme. The MNRE with a mandate forthe promotion of renewable energy has launched severalschemes such as Remote Village Electrification (RVE),Village Electricity Security Scheme (VESP) and a recentlyproposed Village Lighting Scheme (VLS), for which a draftdocument has been announced for public consultation.Apart from these, several technology and geographicalarea specific schemes providing central financial assistance(CFA) for renewable energy gadgets, in the form of capitalsubsidies and soft loans,have been made available by theMNRE.POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR ELECTRICALENERGY SECTORThe major electricity legislation, Electricity Act of 2003,aims to provide electricity access to all, while ensuringcommercial and financial viability of the sector. It facilitatesrural electrification to a great extent—so that for generationand distribution of electricity in a rural area, license is notrequired. The Act also mandates formulation of NationalTariff Policy, National Electricity Policy and NationalFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 437

RE FeatureTable 1. Salient features of national policy framework for energy access in India■ Promotion of renewable energy and access to electricity for rural areas via grid ordecentralised system, by formulating suitable policies – Sections 3 and 4■ Making rural electrification more effective, by formulating separate policy for ruralElectricity Act 2003electrification – Sections 5 and 6■ Exempt any entity from taking license to supply electricity to rural areas – Sections 13 and 14■ Envisioning a comprehensive approach to be followed by SERCs to promote financial andoverall viability of renewable and micro grid systems.- Sections 61(h) and 86. 1(e)National Electricity Policy National Tariff Policy Rural Electrification Policy■ Determined efforts towards rural electrification■ Creating infrastructure for rural electrificationsuch as Rural Electrification Distribution Backboneor providing decentralised systems where gridextension is not feasible■ Provide easy access to finance to reduce cost ofsupply in rural areas■ Creating awareness among state and centralgovernment and promoting renewable energybased systems■ Preferential tariff for systemsusing RE technologies■ Commercial arrangement withfranchisees for rural distribution■ Introduction of competitivebidding for non conventionalsources■ Renewable Purchaseobligation for states■ Envisages to provide a minimum lifeline consumption of 1unit per household per day by the year 2012■ Definition of electrified village is given, i.e. village inwhich basic electricity infrastructure such as distributiontransformer is established and at least 10 per cent of totalnumbers of households are electrified.■ RGGVY introduced under this policyElectricity Plan. These policy roadmaps have laid down theframework for universal energy access, energy security andoverall viability of the electricity sector in India.For rural electrification a separate policy, the RuralElectrification Policy, was announced in 2006. It is aimedat providing quality and reliable supply—with a minimumof 1 unit per household per day—by the year 2012. This stillremains a long way away. The salient features of nationalframework prevailing for energy access are shown in Table 1.RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN INDIAThe Government of India has been taking initiatives forrural electrification since the 1970s. Rural electrificationwas accorded top priority under the Minimum NeedsProgramme with several other programmes such as KutirJyoti Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana. Theseinitiatives yielded mixed results, which led to the needfor a comprehensive and consolidated approach towardsrural electrification. In March 2005, the MoP launchedits flagship scheme for rural electrification, the RGGVY,and all other existing programmes were brought under itsambit. The objectives of this scheme were:■ Provision of electricity access to all households by year2012■ Quality and reliable power supply at reasonable rates■ Minimum lifeline consumption of 1 kW per householdper day by the year 2012.Under RGGVY, electrification is done using twoalternatives: primarily, grid extension and secondarily,using standalone or decentralised distributed generation(DDG) systems. Since the inception of RGGVY, efforts atrural electrification have largely focused on grid extension,because it was assumed that large centralised powerplants would be able to provide cost efficient energyaccess. However, high transmission and distribution lossesin transmitting electricity, especially to remote areas(synonymous with providing 100 per cent energy access)have impeded electrification efforts.DDG or micro grid systems have emerged as a viablealternative to grid extension; they use locally availableenergy resources like biomass, hydro, solar and wind energyor its combination in hybrid mode and also generate localemployment. Micro grid systems generating electricity at alocal level based on such local energy resources are beingsuccessfully promoted, implemented and being operated inseveral states by private entrepreneurs, non-governmentorganisations and self help groups.The initiatives of MNRE, namely, the Remote VillageElectrification (RVE) and the Village Energy SecurityProgramme (VESP) were launched in 2005, and a VillageLighting Programme (VLP) has been proposed recently in2012. The MNRE offers up to 90 per cent financial assistancein each of these programmes as a grant and the remainingis financed either as a loan or through developer’s equity ora combination of both. The Ministry also provides easierfinancing through soft loans from the Indian RenewableEnergy Development Agency (IREDA), technology basedsubsidies and incentives under various programmes suchas Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). Asummary of rural electrification schemes undertaken bythe government through its two ministries MoP and MNREis shown in Table 2.MICRO GRID INITIATIVES IN INDIAMicro grid initiatives have been taken in some places inIndia, either for test or for commercial purposes. Theseprojects are mainly using biomass gasifiers or small hydroor solar PV systems. In several villages solar PV lanterns38February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RE FeatureTable 2. Rural Electrification Programmes of Government of IndiaMinistry of PowerMinistry of New and Renewable EnergyRGGVY DDG RVE VESPNodal Agency : REC Nodal Agency : REC Nodal Agency : IREDA Nodal Agency : IREDAAssistance for creation ofdistribution infrastructure.90 per cent grant and 10 per centloan by REC.For power distributionmanagement, deployment offranchisee is mandatory.Achievements (including DDG),as of 15.12.2012. Electrification ofnon-electrified villages : 89.6 percent. Intensive electrification ofelectrified villages: 79.9 per cent.BPL households electrified:82.5per cent.Assistance for creationof generation anddistribution infrastructure90 per cent grant and 10per cent loan by RECFor electrification ofvillages where gridelectrification is neitherfeasible nor costeffectiveLocally available energyresource for powergeneration can be usedAssistance for survey, study, installation,training and development90 per cent grant and remaining contributionthrough state planFor un-electrified villages not covered underRGGVY, electrification by RE sourcesAchievements as of 31.12.2011Villages:73.11 per centHamlets :70.87 per centAssistance for survey, study,installation, training and awareness90 per cent grant and remainingcontribution through state planFor un-electrified villagesnot covered under RGGVY,electrification by biomass andbiodieselAchievements as of 31.12.2011Village Energy Security ProjectsCompleted : 82.27 per centTable 3. Policy and Regulatory Challenges for Micro Grid and Possible SolutionsChallengesProject developer is exempt from taking license for supplyto rural areas. Therefore, the licensee is completely outsidethe legal framework. This may lead to lack of governmentsupport or charging non –approved or higher tariffs to localcommunities.Extension of grid to rural area over the period, which maylead to consumers switching over to grid and buying cheaperelectricity from the grid, moving away from micro grid localsystem, which in turn will challenge long term sustainability ofthe micro grid project.Open access issues arising from connecting microgrid toutility grid over the period.Inclusion of microgrids in REC mechanism.Financing challenges because of low revenue realisation, andhigher risk perceptions.Weak enabling infrastructure.Lack of trained manpower.Possible SolutionsInclude separate clause in Electricity Act 2003 for rural electrification licensee.Alternatively, separate guidelines for off-grid are under consideration by Forum ofRegulators.National level mapping of villages can be done to ensure that micro grid systems areallowed in those areas where grid extension will not be provided / feasible for 10-15years from now.Alternatively, these microgrid systems can be connected to grid and paid feed-in-tariffor covered under REC mechanism. However, grid connectivity guidelines for microgrids need to be prepared by CEA and regulations prepared at national level forswitching over from micro grid to utility grid.Grid connectivity guidelines for connection of microgrid systems to the grid areunder preparation by CEA. In addition, the open access regulations may need to bemodified.Amendment to REC framework may be required along with energy accounting,recording and monitoring mechanisms at various levels.Various options like viability gap funding, funding under JNNSM, CDM basedfinancing, national clean energy fund (NCEF) may be explored.Sync required between various schemes of MoP and MNRE. Also, coordinationbetween State and Central Government department is required which is the key tothe success.Setting up institutions for providing training related to microgrids, such training couldalso be imparted at industrial training institutes (ITIs).or home lighting systems have been provided to individualhouseholds for lighting purposes. These efforts have led tosocial and economic growth of the local communities byproviding improved power supply and local employmentopportunities. These initiatives have been taken byindividual entrepreneurs, non-government organisations,local groups, village energy committees and nodal stateenergy development agencies. Most of them have beenviable and have succeeded due to local participation andcommunity involvement (Table 3).February 2013Volume 6 Issue 439

RE FeatureOne of the most successful micro grid initiatives has beenthe one using Husk Power Systems (HPS). Husk power notonly supplies electricity to villages but also gives franchisesfor electrification in nearby villages and imparts training tolocals. HPS use rice husk as a fuel for biomass gasifiers inorder to supply electricity. The gasifiers which are designedto work for rice husk can be designed to be used with anyother fuel as well. The design of these gasifiers is so simplethat even a high school pass-out villager can easily operatethem. Electricity is supplied only to those villages that havea demand of 15 kW and fall within a radius of 3 km from theproposed plant.Similar initiatives have been taken by the Desi PowerGroup in Bihar. Desi Power’s idea is to empower ruralpeople by initially providing them employment, so thatthey become capable of paying for electricity supplied attheir households. In the first stage Desi Power has installeda biomass gasifier, which supplies power to agriculturalpumps and micro industries. These industries and thebiomass gasifier provide employment and improved qualityof life to villagers. In the next stage Desi Power, on thebasis of its current experience, plans to target 100 villages,in which Desi Power will install gasifiers, setup microindustries and generate employment as well as revenue.CONCLUSIONExtending lines in remote rural areas should not beconsidered the core business of distribution companies(DISCOMS). In some areas the cost of electricity generationhas been highly subsidised by the government, in spite ofhigh electricity costs, since population in rural areas is poorand unemployed and revenue realisation is difficult.Although the government has taken several policy andregulatory measures to achieve 100 per cent electrification,a coherent and integrated approach still needs to beundertaken. Effective implementing and monitoringmechanisms, trained human resources, capacity buildinginitiatives at state level and entrepreneurial skills andinnovations will together help to achieve energy access.Upcoming RE technologies provide promising microgrid solutions for providing energy access to remote andrural areas. A separate framework for microgrid systemsis under development and consideration by the Forumof Regulators. Meanwhile, various agencies, NGOs,entrepreneurs and self help groups need to continue toinnovate, develop and provide tailor-made solutions to theproblems of energy access, infrastructure and employmentin rural areas. A cohesive policy and regulatory frameworkplus effective monitoring mechanisms will remain keyelements for providing energy access to every Indiancitizen. ❂The author is Head, Centre for Wind Energy - World Institute ofSustainable Energy (WISE), Pune. rvkharul@wisein.org40February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4Invitingarticles forAkshay UrjaThe need to have a sustainable supplynecessitates the exploitation of availableenergy sources, and among these,renewable resources are at the forefront.It is now an established fact that RE(renewable energy) can be an integral partof sustainable development because of itsinexhaustible nature and environmentfriendlyfeatures. RE can play animportant role in resolving the energycrisis in urban areas to a great extent.Today RE is an established sector with avariety of systems and devices availablefor meeting the energy demand of urbaninhabitants, but there is a need to createmass awareness about their adoption.Akshay Urja is an attempt to fulfil thisneed through the dissemination of20,000copies in India and abroad. The magazinepublishes news, articles, research papers,case studies, success stories, and writeupson RE. Readers are invited to sendmaterial with original photographs andstatistical data. The photographs shouldbe provided in high resolution files on aCD or through email. Akshay Urja willpay a suitable honorarium to the authorsfor each published article of 1500 wordsand above. The publication material intwo copies, along with a soft copy on CD/DVD/e-mail may be sent toEditor, Akshay UrjaMinistry ofNew and Renewable EnergyBlock – 14, CGO Complex,Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110 003Tel. +91 11 2436 3035, Fax +91 11 2436 3035www.mnre.gov.in, E-mail aktripathi@nic.in

StoryA GREEN HABITATIN BANDIPURA solar panel in AranyakaIn the forests of Bandipur, Chamarajanagar district, onecan find an anti-poaching unit called ‘Aranyaka’. It isthe first of its kind in an Indian forest zone. It is builtat Avarepura, in Bandipur and its uniqueness lies inthe fact that the unit has been planned and designed withsolar passive architecture and powered through renewableenergy (Table 1). A joint venture of Wild Life ConservationTrust, Mumbai and Tiger Conservation Foundation,Bandipur, it is designed and implemented by NationalInstitute of Engineering - Centre for Renewable Energy& Sustainable Technologies (NIE-CREST) and Voice forWildlife Trust, Mysore. The work was initiated in April2012 and was completed in six months.Basic Amenities: The amenities provided in this forestunit include a spacious living room which is well ventilated,lots of natural lighting, a fire place, a kitchen and beds madeof kadapa slabs. There is also a toilet and bathroom. Overallthe unit is a pleasant dwelling place and the forest officerscan use it comfortably for extended anti-poaching forayswithout incurring too much expenditure.Green Technologies : The renewable energy and sustainabletechnologies used in this building are many.Local Stabilised Mud Blocks: The entire camp is builtwith stabilised mud blocks which were prepared at theMoleyur Range Forest Office (RFO) site using local soil,sand and 9 per cent cement. About 5000 blocks were usedfor construction. Unlike traditional clay bricks, these blocksdon’t need to be fired, instead they are cured for 21 days.They look natural and provide thermal comfort inside theunit. In addition, this stabilised mud block masonry Aranyaka doesnot require plastering.Rain Water Harvesting: Considering the annual deficit inFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 441

StoryTable 1. Technical specifications of Aranyaka- An eco friendly,sustainable, renewable energy based ‘anti poaching unit’Particulars/TechnologyConstructionof buildingwith stabilisedmud blockRain waterharvesting +water tankSpecifications/Components of the systemConstruction of building with stabilised mud blockmasonry includes portico, hall, kitchen,toilet andbathroomIncludes trapezoidal channels, PVC pipes and fixtures,storage of 9000 lt, under ground storage tank ofcapacity 8000lt, settling tank and sand filter, simplehand pumpSolar lightingFuel efficientbiomass cookstoveFuel efficientbiomass bathstoveSolar LED lighting includes solar photovoltaic panel ofcapacity 175WBattery of 12 V rated 100Ah, wireless set chargingpoint and cell phone charging point and LED lights(8No.s)2+1 fuel efficient cook stove including grate, door withframe, concrete top plate , ash tray, cooking vessels,heat recovery panFuel efficient bath stove including grate, door withframe, concrete top plate , ash tray and water heatingvesselwater, rain water harvesting has been implemented to fulfilwater demand. For a roof area of 54 sq m, about 40,000 ltof water can be harvested in a year, at 93 per cent efficiency.This also contributes towards water conservation. A totalof 9000 litres of water can be stored. An overhead storagetank with a capacity of 1000 lt for rainwater, is anotherattractive feature of the systemInteriors at AranyakaSolar lighting: Using only solar panels for energy is notenough. If solar energy is utilised with LEDs, the efficiencyof the anti-poaching camp goes up. Hence, eight Solar LEDlights along with a provision for a walkie talkie charger andmobile charger—all together ensure uninterrupted powersupply and also make the unit self reliant.Fuel Efficient Biomass Stoves: It is well known that theefficiency of conventional cook stoves is less than 10 percent, along with the release of enormous amounts of smoke.These stoves are poor in thermal insulation, and so a lotof heat is dissipated into the surroundings. At this camp afuel-efficient biomass cook stove (efficiency 45 per cent)has been provided to conserve wood and create smoke freesurroundings.❂HOUSEHOLDKITCHEN WASTE BIOGASPLANT IN MYSOREWith the increasing scarcity of petroleum,increases in the cost of liquid petroleum gas(LPG) cylinders is inevitable. The managementof waste is another important issue in today’sworld. Both problems have a common solution asexemplified in the kitchen waste biogas plant. This is asystem which transforms the biodegradable waste from thekitchen into biogas; in the process manure is formed as abyproduct. Biogas can be utilised for cooking and slurrycan be utilised for gardening. The use of slurry involves theprinciple of anaerobic digestion through which the complexorganic matter is broken down in to simple molecules.Biogas has been an easily accessible, sustainable sourceof renewable energy as it can be adopted at household level;42February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

StoryTable 2. Specifications of 1m 3 organic/kitchen waste biogas plant forhouseholdsInput to theplantArea required 4m 2SystemElementsType of feedApplicationDaily biogasand manureMonthlybiogas andmanureAnnualGenerationBiogas andmanureInvestment1-3kg of kitchen waste + waterDigester, gas holder, gas flow pipe line, moisturetrap systems,biogas burnerKitchen waste like rice starch, wash water of rice,used tea powder, coffee powder, waste atta,left out rice, sambar, over ripened fruits,vegetable waste, waste edible oil and othercooked waste from kitchenBio gas for cooking at kitchen slurry as manure forgardeningGeneration of biogas per day(max.)LPG equivalent of biogas per daySavings through LPG per daySavings through manure per dayTotal returns per day throughbiogas and manure0.65m 3 →(1)0.26 kg →(2)Rs. 25.40 →(3)Rs.1.20Rs. 26.60 →(4)Generation of biogasper month 19.50 m 3LPG equivalent of biogas permonth7.80kgSavings through LPG per month Rs. 761.90Savings through manure permonthRs. 36Total returns per month throughbiogas and manureRs. 797.90Biogas per year 237.25 m 3LPG equivalent of biogas peryearSavings through LPG per yearGeneration of manure per yearMinimum cost of manure per kgSavings through manure per yearTotal returns per year throughbiogas and manureApprox. budget forimplementation(for places with inMysore City)97.90 kg (5cylinders)Rs.9269.83146 kgRs.3Rs.438Rs.9707.83Rs.20,000 (forBasic Model)Rs.35000 (forModel 3)Note:1. Gas generation rate of 0.65 m 3 per day is under ideal conditions2. 1 m 3 of biogas is equivalent to 0.4kg (400g) of LPG3. Cost of 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder is Rs.1856 . Price escalation of LPG will changethe returns4. Capacity of a commercial cylinder is 19 kg5. Manure obtained in dry form after drying the slurry @0.4 kg per day(10 per cent) is considered.1m 3 kitchen waste biogas plant, JP Nagar, MysoreBiogas burnermore than 100 small kitchen waste biogas plants have beenalready installed in Karnataka by the National Instituteof Engineering - Centre for Renewable and SustainableTechnologies (NIE-CREST) (Table 2). The plants haveconvinced the users. NIE-CREST has also taken a stepahead by announcing a subsidy of Rs. 2000 for biogasplants, this further widens the accessibility to renewableenergy in Mysore city. ❂Input courtesy: Shamsundar Subbarao, Director, NIE-CREST andAssociate Professor, NIE, Mysore; and Dhananajaya, ProjectEngineer, NIE- CREST Email: sham.niecrest@gmail.comFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 443

Case StudyCONVERTING FOREST FIRES INTOA RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCEMillions of tons of biomassgets generated from forestresidues especially pineneedles. These pine needles if notremoved from the ground can causea lot of damage to the environmentdue to their highly inflammablenature. A pine tree trunk is heatresistant, hence in case of a forest fire,pine trees survive the fire but in theprocess destroy the growth of otherplant species. Dry pine foliage alsostops water from being absorbed bythe soil and thus causes the depletionof ground water table. Fallen dry pinefoliage blocks the sunshine reachingthe ground and thereby stops thegrowth of grass which the cattle feedupon. Although dry pine needlesand other forest residues have highcalorific value, this biomass cannotbe used directly due to its low bulkdensity and high moisture content.Rural Renewable Urja SolutionsPvt. Ltd (RRUSPL) located inthe Garhwal region of the stateof Uttarakhand is manufacturingand supplying biomass briquettesusing pine needles, other forestresidues and agricultural wastes. Thecomposition of briquettes producedusing forest residues and otherindustrial and agricultural wastes is60 per cent of dry pine needles, 30per cent of saw dust and 10 per cent ofother agricultural waste like lantana,cow dung and sugar mud.Founded by Dr. Rajesh Rawat andBrijesh Rawat, RRUSPL initiallyinvolved 50 villages located nearKotdwar in the Pauri-Garhwal districtof Uttarakhand, in the project.Village self help groups formedby 8-10 members (mostly women)Raw material processingcollect biomass primarily comprisingagriculture waste and forest wasteincluding highly inflammable pineneedles. Pine needle collectorsare paid Rs. 1000 per ton of pineneedles collected. This raw materialis briquetted to a density of morethan 650 per m 3 . 1.3 kg of briquettesreplace 1 kg of coal and 3 kg ofbriquettes replace 1 kg of LPG usage.These briquettes are directlysupplied to institutions and industrieswho primarily use coal or LPGfor their energy requirements. Abriquette processing unit of 15,000tonnes requires an investment ofRs. 2 crore. Initial investment canbe raised through bank loan at 14per cent interest rate for a 5 yearterm followed by subsidies and selffinancing.MY CLIMATE, a Swiss agencyhas entered into an agreementwith RRUSPL to buy carboncredits generated by the project.MY CLIMATE in turn will sellthese carbon credits to the airtravellers who want to reducetheir carbon footprint. With thisarrangement, while the project atone end contributes to generaterenewable energy and empower ruralpopulation, at the other end, at theglobal level it aims at enabling highsociety air travellers living in far offEuropean countries to reduce theircarbon foot print.There is a scope for setting up offive such units in the pine and lantanaregions of various hill states of India.As briquette manufacturing fromforest residues and agriculturalwaste is a relatively new technology,training has to be given to peopleon production, operation andmaintenance of briquetting units. ❂Source: Access to Clean Energy: A Glimpse ofOff Grid Projects in India, published by MNRE44February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

EventINDIA ENERGYCONGRESS 2013Securing Tomorrow’s EnergyToday - Policy and RegulationDr. Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Government ofIndia at the event.India Energy Congress (IEC), aflagship event of WEC-IMC (TheWorld Energy Council – TheIndian Member Committee) over theyears has been contributing to pavingthe path for a sustainable futurein the country. The fifth edition ofIndian Energy Congress 2013 heldon 7th and 8th February 2013 atThe Lalit, New Delhi, provided anextensive platform for energy sectorplayers to share their knowledge,views, ideas and resource prospects ina collaborative manner and to chalkout a roadmap for sustainable growthof the sector. Organised by WorldEnergy Council India under thepatronage of the Ministry of Power,Government of India, with a theme—‘Securing Tomorrow’s Energy Today:Policy and Regulation’, the two-dayevent focussed on issues related toenergy security in the context ofpolicy and regulatory frameworks.Energy security was the centraltheme and the two-day event had sixsessions on different topics by domainexperts. Issues such as facilitatingstrategies, policies and regulationswere extensively discussed anddeliberated upon.The first day had three sessions listedfor discussion by several delegates.Ashok Lavasa, Additional Secretary,Ministry of Power and Chairman,Steering Committee, IEC 2013,launched Session I: Long term EnergySecurity, with his welcome address.Pierre Gadonneix, Chairman, WorldEnergy Council, delivered the specialaddress, followed by a ministerialaddress by Montek Singh Ahluwalia,Deputy Chairman, PlanningCommission. The Session II: Powerfor all: Energy Security for Poor,began with the welcome address byArup Roy Choudhury, Chairman andManaging Director, NTPC, followedby a ministerial address by JyotiradityaScindia, Union Minister of Statefor Power. R.N. Nayak, Chairman,Power Grid Corporation of India,delivered the welcome note on theSession III: Towards more efficientenergy use; while Sriprakash Jaiswal,Union Minister of Coal conveyed theministerial address. The second day ofIEC started with Session IV: ResourceAllocation and Pricing in which thekeynote address was imparted by G.C. Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministryof Petroleum and Natural Gas, and aministerial address was delivered byB.K. Chaturvedi, Member Energy,Planning Commission. SatnamSingh, CMD, Power Finance Limited,delivered his address in the SessionV: Sustainable sources of Energy. Thekeynote address was delivered byR.K. Sinha, Secretary, Departmentof Atomic Energy, and an inspiringministerial address was given byFarooq Abdullah, Union Minister ofNew and Renewable Energy (MNRE).Ratan P. Watal, Secretary, MNREconveyed the theme address. SessionVI: Energy Financing Challenge, thefinal session of IEC had the themeaddress conveyed by P. Uma Shankar,Secretary, Ministry of Power.With more than 300 professionalsfrom the energy sector participatingin the event, IEC 2013 was yetanother result-oriented event, seekinganswers to emerging opportunities inthe energy sector. ❂Source: World Energy Council, India.February 2013Volume 6 Issue 445

RE ProductsGREENPRODUCTSGREEN FASTENSOLAR PANEL ROOFMOUNT HARDWAREGreen Fasten solar panelroof mount hardware by EcoFasten Solar® is designedand manufactured in theUSA from recycled materials;features a patented watertightbushing; utilises lag bolts tosecure to the roof; has IAPMOcertification; and is one of thefastest attachment points toinstall in the industry. It can beused for retrofi t applicationswithout removing shinglesand is available in a varietyof configurations which canbe customised to fi t anyproprietary hardware on themarket.Source: www.ecofastensolar.comSUNNY ISLANDINVERTERSThe Sunny Island 4548-USand 6048-US inverters is themost efficient solar battery ACcoupling system on the market.This is used in grid connectedand off grid remote or islandpower systems, flexible andexpandable, single phase to 36kW, three phase to 100 kW. Awhopping efficiency of 96 percent ensures peak productionand efficient use of availablepower. The expandable, modulardesign allows for fl exible systemplanning. With the new SMAMulticluster, up to 12 SunnyIslands can be integrated intooff-grid power systems up 100kW in size.Source: www.solarelectricsupply.comTHE SUNEYE 210ASSESSMENT TOOLThe SunEye 210 is anintegrated Shade AnalysisTool for solar site assessment.It includes a fi sh eye cameraand a dedicated on-boardprocessor to perform digitalimage processing and analysisto compute shading andsolar access percentages.It includes an electroniccompass and inclinometerenabled to measure roof pitchand azimuth.Source: www.solmetric.com46February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

Tech UpdatePeel-and-StickSolar PanelsThe newly developed peel-and-stick technology, which gives thin-film solarcells flexibility and attachment potential, reducing their general cost andweight is a helpful and smart product. It is not just restricted to thin-filmsolar cells but can also be applied to thin-film electronics, including printedcircuits, ultra thin transistors and LCDs.Now the ideal is real. Stanfordresearchers have succeededin developing the world's firstpeel-and-stick thin-film solar cells. Thebreakthrough is described in a paper inthe December 20th issue of ScientificReports. Unlike standard thin-filmsolar cells, the peel-and-stick versionfrom Stanford does not require anydirect fabrication on the final carriersubstrate. This is a far more dramaticdevelopment than it may initially seem.All the challenges associated withputting solar cells on unconventionalmaterials are avoided with the newprocess, vastly expanding the potentialapplications of solar technology. ThinfilmPV cells are traditionally fixed onrigid silicon and glass substrates, greatlylimiting their uses, says Chi Hwan Lee,lead author of the paper and a PhDcandidate in mechanical engineering.And while the development of thinfilmsolar cells promised to injectsome flexibility into the technology,explains Xiaolin Zheng, a Stanfordassistant professor of mechanicalengineering and senior author of thepaper, scientists found that use ofalternative substrates was problematicin the extreme. "Nonconventional or'universal' substrates are difficult touse for PV because they typically haveirregular surfaces and they don't dowell with the thermal and chemicalprocessing necessary to produce today'ssolar cells," Zheng observes. "We gotaround these problems by developingthis peel-and-stick process, whichDifferent uses of peel-and-stick panelsgives thin-film solar cells flexibility andattachment potential we've never seenbefore, and also reduces their generalcost and weight." Utilising the process,Zheng continues, researchers attachedtheir solar cells to paper, plastic andwindow glass among other materials."It's significant that we didn't lose anyof the original cell efficiency," Zhengsaid. The new process involves a uniquesilicon, silicon dioxide and metal"sandwich." First, a 300-nanometerfilm of nickel (Ni) is deposited on asilicon/silicon dioxide (Si/SiO2) wafer.Thin-film solar cells are then depositedon the nickel layer utilizing standardfabrication techniques, and coveredwith a layer of protective polymer. Athermal release tape is then attachedto the top of the thin-film solar cellsto augment their transfer off of theproduction wafer and onto a newsubstrate. The solar cell is now readyto peel from the wafer. To remove it,the wafer is submerged in water atroom temperature and the edge of thethermal release tape is peeled backslightly, allowing water to seep intoFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 447

Tech Updateand penetrate between the nickel andsilicon dioxide interface. The solar cellis thus freed from the hard substratebut still attached to the thermal releasetape. Zheng and team then heat thetape and solar cell to 90°C for severalseconds, then the cell can be appliedto virtually any surface using doublesidedtape or other adhesive. Finally,the thermal release tape is removed,leaving just the solar cell attached tothe chosen substrate.Tests have demonstrated that thepeel-and-stick process reliably leavesthe thin-film solar cells wholly intactand functional, Zheng said. "There'salso no waste. The silicon wafer istypically undamaged and clean afterremoval of the solar cells, and canbe reused." While others have beensuccessful in fabricating thin-film solarcells on flexible substrates before, thoseefforts have required modificationsof existing processes or materials,noted Lee. "The main contribution ofour work is we have done so withoutmodifying any existing processes,facilities or materials, making themviable commercially. And we havedemonstrated our process on a morediverse array of substrates than everbefore," Lee said. "Now you can putthem on helmets, cell phones, convexwindows, portable electronic devices,curved roofs, clothing—virtuallyanything," said Zheng. Moreover, peeland-sticktechnology isn't necessarilyrestricted to thin-film solar cells, Zhengsaid. The researchers believe theprocess can also be applied to thin-filmelectronics, including printed circuitsand ultra thin transistors and LCDs."Obviously, a lot of new products --from 'smart' clothing to new aerospacesystems -- might be possible bycombining both thin-film electronicsand thin-film solar cells," observedZheng. "And for that matter, we may bejust at the beginning of this technology.The peel-and-stick qualities we'reresearching probably aren't restrictedto Ni/SiO2. It's likely many othermaterial interfaces demonstrate similarqualities, and they may have certainadvantages for specific applications. Wehave a lot left to investigate." ❂Source: www.sciencedaily.comFlexible solar cellsThe currently developed low-cost, light weight and flexible solar cell,from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, based on sheets offlexible graphene coated with a layer of nanowires can transform thelight of the sun for an onsite source of power.Illustration shows the layeredstructure of the new device,starting with a flexible layer ofgraphene, a one-atom-thick carbonmaterial. A layer of polymer isbonded to that, and then a layer ofzinc-oxide nano wires (shown inmagenta), and finally a layer of amaterial that can extract energyfrom sunlight, such as quantum dotsor a polymer-based material. Lowcost,light-weight and flexible solarcells are envisaged for the nextgenerationconstruction materialsknown as building integrated PVs– windows, roofs and facades thatcould transform the light of the sunfor an on-site source of power. Now,researchers from the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology have comeup with a new solar cell that couldfulfil these three requirementsand has an added benefit of beingtransparent. The new cell is basedon sheets of flexible graphene coatedwith a layer of nanowires. Accordingto associate professor of materialsscience and engineering, SilvijaGradečak, building semiconductingnanostructures on a graphene surfacewithout impairing its electrical andstructural properties is a challenge.To overcome this, the team used aseries of polymer coatings to allowthe graphene to bond a layer of zincoxide nanowires. They then overlayeda material that responded to lightwaves. The team also used andtested a series of overlay materials intheir devices– including lead-sulfidequantum dots and a polymer calledP3HT. They achieved the best resultswith the quantum dots, getting anefficiency of 4.2 percent. Currently,only proof-of-concept devicesabout a half-inch in size have beendemonstrated. Even so, Gradečakand her colleagues believe that themanufacturing process is highlyscalable and larger commercial sizeddevices based on these cells will bedeveloped within a couple of year. ❂Source : www.ecoseed.org48February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

children'scornerMATERIALS ANDEQUIPMENT■ 10 inch square piece ofgalvanised sheet metal(the thinnest available)■ 20 inch square piece ofcardboard■ Flat black spray paint■ 10 inch square pieceof insulation (styro foam,corrugated cardboard,newspaper, or batting) atleast 3 inches thick.■ 1 meter soft coppertubing, 3/8-inch to 1/2-inchdiameter■ 16 inch square sheet ofclear plastic■ Knife or box cutter■ Cellophane or maskingtape■ Tubing bender (or havethe copper tubing bent atthe hardware store)WATER HEATER■ 2 pound coffee can withplastic lid■ 2 inch pieces of softcopper tubing, 3/8 inchto 1/2 inch diameter (mustbe same diameter as thecopper tubing used incollector)■ Thermometer■ Cardboard box, slightlylarger than coffee can■ Insulation material(Styrofoam, corrugatedcardboard, newspaper, orbatting)■ 100- to 200 W solderingiron and acid-flux solderRESOURCESThe copper and plasticSOLAR WATERHEATERtubing, tubing bender, boxcutter, galvanised sheet metal,and plastic sheet are availableat hardware or building supplystores. Soldering irons and fluxare available at hobby stores.SETTINGUP THE EXPERIMENTTO MAKE THECOLLECTOR■ Bend the copper tubingcarefully into an S-shapeusing a tubing bender toavoid kinks.■ Lay the copper tubingonto the galvanised sheetmetal and solder it inplace.■ Spray the plate andtubing with the flat-blackpaint.■ Draw lines on thecardboard.■ Cut on the solid lines,and fold on the dottedlines.■ Cut slots and holes inthe cardboard to insert thecollector (sheet metal withtubing).■ Fold and tape thecardboard to make a box.■ Put the insulation in thebottom of the box.■ Slide the collector intothe box along the slots,and tape the slots tightlyclosed.■ Place the clear plasticsheet over the top andfold and tape it downto make a tight butremovable cover.TO MAKE THE WATERHEATER:■ Punch two holes onopposite sides of thecoffee can. One hole mustbe 1 inch from the top ofthe can and the other, 1inch from the bottom ofthe can.■ Insert the copper tubingin both holes and solderthe joints. The joints mustbe watertight.■ Cut holes in a cardboardbox that will align with thetubes in the can.■ Put the can inside thecardboard box, with thetubes sticking out theholes in the box.■ Put insulation around thecoffee can.■ Cut the plastic tubinginto two pieces, oneslightly larger than theother.DOING THE EXPERIMENTMake a chart to record thefollowing data:Water temperature before:Water temperature after20 minutes:Water temperature after 1hour:Hook the collector andwater heater together.■ Disconnect the plastictubing from the inlet.■ Run water through thetubes and the collectoruntil all the air is gone.■ Reconnect the tubing tothe inlet, and fill the coffeecan with water to abovethe level of the inlet.■ Measure and record thewater temperature andreplace the lid.■ Face the collectordirectly into the sun,placing the bottom of theheater above the top ofthe collector.■ Measure and record thewater temperature after20 minutes.■ Measure and record thedata every 20 minutes. ❂Source: www.energyquest.ca.gov.February 2013Volume 6 Issue 449

Web/Book AlertwebsiteGreen Market Placewww.gogreenmarketplace.comThe Go Green Marketplace,powered by GreenDeals.org is anonline shopping portal offeringthousands of eco-friendly andsustainable products for home,office, family, pets, wellness, babyand children, bath and beautyproducts. They offer greenproducts from green companiessuch as Seventh Generation,Bambu, Born Free, Earth MamaAngel Baby, Green Sprouts, GreenToys, Preserve, Mrs. MeyersCleaning Supplies, Cleanwell, andmore.The European PhotovoltaicIndustry Association (EPIA)www.epia.orgThe Association says its new onlinepresence features a dynamic,user-friendly, news-driven formatthat will better inform the public,better serve the Association‘smembers and raise its profile atEuropean level. The new epia.orgincludes easy-to-navigate sectionson news, policies and events, aswell as a special area for EPIAmembers containing all informationon working groups and statutoryactivities.Visole Energywww.visole-energy.comStrongs Energy Solutions is acompany focused on deliveringrenewable energy solutions toconstruction industry across theNorth of England. Many of theStrongs Energy Solutions teamhave been involved in the design,marketing and sales of buildingenvelope solutions with a focuson energy reduction for manyyears. Coupled with the specificM&E sector experience at its sistercompany Strongs Building Servicesthe enterprise is delivering lowenergy building solutions acrossthe globe to the constructionindustry.This book shows why andhow successful renewableenergy strategies work.Many recent and actualexamples of best cases andexperiences in policies—basedon literature and interviews showhow policies can best mobilisenational and internationalDistributedRenewable Energiesfor Off-GridCommunitiesBy: Nasir El Bassam,Preben Maegaard,Marcia SchlichtingHardcover: 334 Pages Cost: 99.95USD Publisher: Elsevier; 1 editionISBN-10: 0123971780ISBN-13: 978-0123971784Fundamentals ofRenewable EnergyProcessesBy: Aldo V. da RosaHardcover: 908 PagesCost: 96.58 USDPublisher: AcademicPress (September, 2012)ISBN-10: 0123972191ISBN-13: 978-0123972194Secure Oil andAlternative EnergyBy: M. Parvizi Amineh,Yang GuangHardcover: 489 PagesCost: 193 USDPublisher: BrillAcademic Pub (June, 2012)ISBN-10: 9004218572ISBN-13: 978-9004218574Renewable Energy Action onDeployment : Ready policiesfor accelerated deploymentof renewable energyBy: IEA-RETD, Rolf de Vos, Janet SawinHardcover: 280 PagesCost: 92.58 USDPublisher: Elsevier; 1 edition (January, 2013)Email : textbook@elsevier.comASIN: B00AMZZRT2Irenewable energy businessand the financial institutions,while creating a broad supportbase. The book is an initiative ofthe IEA-RETD, an internationalagreement between ninecountries to investigate andaccelerate the deployment ofrenewable energy.Energy Access, Poverty,and Development: TheGovernance of SmallscaleRenewable Energyin Developing AsiaBy: Benjamin Sovacool ,Ira Martina DrupadyHardcover: 304 pagesCost: 124.95 USDPublisher: Ashgate Pub Co(December, 2012)ISBN-10: 140944113XISBN-13: 978-1409441137Tackling Long-TermGlobal Energy ProblemsBy: Daniel Spreng,Thomas Flüeler, David L.Goldblatt, Jürg MinschHardcover: 364 PagesCost: 11530.27 USDPublisher: Springer (January, 2012)ISBN- 10: B007EMITQOSwitching to RenewablePower : A Framework forthe 21st CenturyBy: Volkmar LauberHardcover: 286 pagesCost: 98.78 USDPublisher: RoutledgeISBN- 10: 184407241XISBN-13: 978-184407241550February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

Forthcoming EventsIn India30March 20139 - 10April 2013National Conference On Green Energy -(NCGE13), Place: Chennai, Tamil Nadu,India, Organiser: Electrical & Electronic Engineering Department, RMD EngineeringCollege, Chennai, India, Contact: Dr.P. Rangarajan ,Organising Chair ,NCGE13, RmdEngineering College, Email : conf.eee@rmd.ac.in, 044-27925907,Website: www.rmd.ac.inRenewable World 2013, Place: New Delhi, India, Organiser: Fortune Media group,Contact: Deepak Rane, 91+22-65657781, Email: deepak@fortunemediagroup.in,Website: www.fortunemediagroup.inNATIONAL11-13April 201318 - 19April 2013Renewtech India 2013, Place: Auto Cluster Exhibition Centre, Pune, India,Organiser: Winmark Services Pvt. Ltd., Contact: +91-22-2660 5550, sales@winmark.co.in/info@india-tech.com, Website: www.renewtechindia.comIndian Solar Summit 2013 Place: Mahatma Mandir Convention Centre, Gujarat,Organiser: Solar Media, Contact: Gopesh Nair, 09913614828, Email id:gnair@solarmedia.co.uk, Website: www.solarsummitindia.com6 - 8May 2013Renewable Energy World in India Place: Bombay Exhibition Center Goregaon,Mumbai, Organiser: Inter Ads Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. Contact: Jyotsna Sharma,Conference Manager,(0)124 452 4231, (0)783 833 7572, Email id: jyotsna@interadsexhibitions.com, Website: www.renewableenergyworldindia.comIn Other Countries28 - 29March 2013CISWIND-2013 International Conference & Exhibition “Wind power in the CISand Eastern Europe”, Place: Kyiv, Ukraine, Organiser: Renewable Energy Centre,Contact: Elena Pustovoyt , 4420335515 77, Website: rencentre.comINTERNATIONAL8 - 10April 201310 - 11April 201316 - 20April 201329 - 30May 2013International Biomass Conference & Expo, Place: Minneapolis Convention Center,Minneapolis, Organiser- BBI International, Contact: John Nelson,(701) 738-4992,Email: jnelson@bbiinternational.com, Website: www.biomassconference.comWind Farm Development: European Offshore 2013, Place: Edinburgh, UK,Organiser: Active Communications International, Europe, Contact: Sherine Whittle,+44 207 981 9800, Email-swhittle@acieu.net, Website: www.wplgroup.comSolar, 2013, Place: Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland,Organiser: American Solar Energy Society, Contact: Pamm McFadden,303-4434308, Email: pgosun@aol.com, Website: www.ases.org/solar2013The 2nd Mexican International Renewable Energy Congress, Place: Real Polanco,Mexico City, Organiser: Green Power Conferences, Contact: James Brady, +44(0)203 384 6214, Website: www.greenpowerconferences.comFebruary 2013Volume 6 Issue 451

RE StatisticsRenewables, GlobalStatus ReportSelected Renewable Energy Indicators2009 2010 2011Global new investment in new renewable energy (annual; figures in billion USD) 161 220 257Renewables power capacity (total, not including hydro; figures in GW) 250 315 390Renewables power capacity (total, including hydro; figures in GW) 1170 1260 1360Hydropower capacity (total; figures in GW) 915 945 970Wind power capacity (total; figures in GW) 159 198 238Solar PV capacity (total; figures in GW) 23 40 70Concentrating Solar Thermal Power (total; figures in GW) 0.7 1.3 1.8Solar hot water capacity (total; figures in GW) 153 182 232Ethanol production (annual; figures in billion litres) 73.1 86.5 86.1Biodiesel production (annual; figures in billion litres) 17.8 18.5 21.4Countries with policy targets 89 109 118States/provinces/countries with feed-in policies 4 82 86 92States/provinces/countries with RPS/quota policies 66 69 71States/provinces/countries with bio-fuels mandates 57 71 72● The top seven countries for non-hydro renewable electric capacity—China, the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy,India, and Japan.● India displayed the fastest expansion in investment of any large renewables market in the world, with 62 per centgrowth.● India added about 4 GW of grid-connected non-hydro renewable power capacity during 2011, mainly from wind butalso from biomass and solar capacity to give a total of more than 20 GW by year-end.● Job creation in India related to renewable energy was estimated to be 350,000 jobs in 2009. Technologies such asoff-grid solar, biogas, and small-scale hydro, principally relevant in a rural context, account for more than 190,000 ofIndia’s renewables jobs.● China and India have the largest numbers of domestic digesters in the world, with 43 million and 4.4 million domesticbiogas digesters, respectively, in 2011.● Biomas power capacity in India added about 0.6 GW of capacity during 2011 to reach 3.8 GW.● India was the third largest market in 2011 for the second year running. India added about 3 GW for a total ofapproximately 16.1 GW of capacity, maintaining its fifth place ranking for total installed capacity.Notes: * Feed-in policies total for 2010 also includes early 2011.Source: Renewable 2012, Global Status Report. www.ren21.net52February 2013Volume 6 Issue 4

RNI No. DELENG/2007/22701