Letters Editor

In the financial year 2011-12 withthe support of the Ministry of Newand Renewable Energy (MNRE),the Maharashtra Energy DevelopmentAgency(MEDA) organised 3 State levelseminars and exhibitions at regionalheadquarter cities namely Aurangabad,Nagpur and Navi Mumbai. Thepurpose was to make the people awareabout the use of renewable energyand the status and scope of renewableenergy at the national and state level.These events really boosted the effortsof the MEDA and the MNRE increating awareness about the use ofrenewable energy. The theme of theevent was Renewable Energy andEnergy Conservation -2011.AurangabadExhibition and Seminar(14 – 16 October 2011)The exhibition was held in thegrounds of Hotel VITS with a totalof 40 well furnished free stalls putup. The entry was free and it wasvisited by more than 40,000 persons.There was an attractive live demoof projects and renewable energygadgets were put up for sale. GaneshNaik, Minister, Non-ConventionalEnergy, Maharashtra inaugurated thefunction.A one- day seminar onRenewable Energy and EnergyConservation-2011 was held onRE and EnergyConservation-201114 October 2011. More than 300participants including students fromtechnical and engineering colleges,architects, builders, investors,engineers and others from variousindustries attended the seminar.NagpurExhibition and Seminar(25 – 27 November 2011)An exhibition was held at theKasturchand Park Ground, Nagpurwith 60 stalls put up for display. Itattracted more than 45,000 visitors.Shivajirao Moghe, Minister, SocialJustice, Maharashtra inaugurated thefunction.A one-day seminar was organisedon 25 November 2011 at Hotel TuliInternational, Nagpur on ‘SolarEnergy Applications and Solar PassiveArchitecture’ with more than 350participants from technical andengineering colleges, architects,builders, investors, engineers andamong others from various industries.Navi MumbaiExhibition, Seminar and EC awarddistribution ceremony(13 – 15 March 2012)The exhibition was held atCorporation Ground, Navi Mumbaiwhere a total of 70 stalls were putup and it was attended by morethan 45,000 visitors. Ganesh Naik,EventMinister, Non-Conventional Energy,Maharashtra inaugurated thefunction.Along with the exhibition a onedayseminar was held on 13 March2012 at hotel Four Points, Vashi,Navi Mumbai, on the theme ‘PowerGeneration from Renewable EnergyProjects and Energy Conservation’with the participation of around450 people. A state level EnergyConservation Award distributionceremony was also organised alongwith the event. The Thane and PuneMunicipal Corporations were giventhe EC award by Ganesh Naik. Apartfrom these many other private unitswere also rewarded for their efforts inthe field of energy conservation.Various companies likemanufacturers of solar PV andthermal gadgets, batteries, biomassgasifiers, wind power developers andmanufacturers, energy consultantsand auditing firms participated inthe exhibition. It was also attendedby a varied audience ranging fromindustrialists, and builders to officers,doctors, social organisations andstudents. The event proved helpfulfor the people in Marathwada andVidarbha regions, who appreciatedthe MEDAs efforts in makingrenewable energy and energyconservation devices and systemsavailable under one roof and attheir doorstep. Expert speakerselaborated upon the importance ofthe sources of renewable energy andenergy conservation and the policiesof state and central government.Many manufacturers, developers,distributors, dealers got a goodplatform for presenting their productsto people. bApril 2012Volume 5 ● Issue 547