India is one of the fastest growing countries in the world, with a population of approximately 1.2 billion people. With the rapid and profound increase in the population, and the booming urbanization, an increasing demand for electricity naturally ensues. More than three billion people in developing countries like India today rely on traditional biomass, such as firewood and cow dung, for cooking and heating. About one and a half billion people are still without electricity. Meeting the electricity needs of rural India, which is currently over 70% of India's total population, promises not only the provision of life's basic necessities but also provides more opportunities for adequate education. It is especially critical for the empowerment of women and girls. Therefore, the provision of basic energy services to all is vital for the progress of the nation. The current model of development, however, is largely dependent on our finite coal and fossil fuel resources which are quickly depleting. In Northern India this unsustainable model also includes large hydropower projects on the River Ganga; these projects not only dry up the river -leaving dozens of kilometers of riverbed absolutely dry with innumerable villagers deprived of not only electricity but also water -- and they are also irreparably detrimental to Ganga's natural ecology and ecosystem.
4
Ganga Action Parivar (GAP) is dedicated to preserving and protecting our environment, starting with our nation's sacred rivers and their tributaries, while simultaneously ensuring that all aspects of society are protected and benefited. In the present time it is vital that we find this much needed balance between the preservation of the environment and the 'vikas' or development of a fast-growing nation in order to ensure a truly sustainable future for our planet.
This search for a sustainable balance has led GAP to delve deeply into alternative sources of energy, which foster development for the State without damaging its precious natural heritage. The best solution has come in the form of solar power, often referred to as the 'green gold mine of energy.' India has an enormous untapped capacity to harvest and provide solar power to meet the vast majority of its projected energy needs. Solar farming can truly meet 100% of India's future energy, moving away from its dependence on fossil fuel, thermal energy, and hydropower projects which are either irreversibly destructive or severely limited. This renewable energy source is not only abundant in many parts of India's tropical climate but the solar energy harvesting technology is also readily available and affordable today. GAP is indeed delighted to know that your magazine's Oct-Nov. 2012 issue will be focusing on two important topics, namely, 'Solar Villages and Solar Cities' and 'Roof-top solar energy installations' to bring awareness among people on the urgent need to harness our much needed energy from natural sources, the SUN, the WIND and the SEA. We wish your magazine's relentless efforts in promoting clean energy choices all success and we pray that India may shortly become "Solar India.". With Love and Blessings, In the service of God and humanity,
Swami Chidanand Saraswati President of Parmarth Niketan Founder of Ganga Action Parivar
Phone Number: 0135-2440077, 07579029225 Email: ganga@gangaaction.com www.parmarth.com, www.ihrf.com, www.gangaaction.com
5
If you think a Nation should be concerned about secure energy supplies; And all its citizens have the right to access energy, then You are Welcome to Trivandrum, the capital of God's Own Country And participate in the discussions at the International Seminar on
Energy Secure India: Options and Strategies From 13 to 15 December 2012 at Hotel Mascot
Why is Energy Security so important? There is none who doesn't nod in the affirmative, when we say: Energy is vital for economic development. People look for different forms of energy services to make their life meaningful. Without a secure energy supply, no nation can expect to have development in a sustainable way for the current generation as well as for the future generations. Energy security is thus a major concern of all countries of the world. Energy security means availability of adequate quantum of energy in its right quality at affordable prices, with a moral obligation not to harm the environment in the process of its production, transmission and utilization. In the years after industrialization, human kind has been using energy unsustainably, resulting in global warming and violent climate changes that have kept even the developed economies of the world hapless and powerless. Aftermath of the recent hurricane Sandy in the US and world's largest black out that affected half the population of India on 2012 July 30 & 31 due to lack of resilience of the power grid, have the world to re-think on the strategies for power development and its utilization. Ensuring energy security is a formidable challenge, but we cannot stop thinking of what the way forward is. It involves building greener practices, better rural connectivity, and balancing of current consumption with a clear focus on conserving for the future. Why this meet wants to think differently and make a difference? Industry accounts for around one third of World's Energy Demand and it continues to grow. In the present and coming decades, as a result of increasing volumes of production and continuously rising standard of living, it is of paramount importance to raise energy efficiency for sustainability, financial growth and for humanity's survival. Japan has emerged as the most advanced in energy efficiency and energy conservation in the world and it has acquired in-depth experience and expertise in this field over a period of time. USA, Germany, UK, Brazil, China and various other countries also have substantially contributed for improving energy efficiency, as well as development of renewable energy sources and mitigation of Green House Gases through new and innovative policies, regulations and technology. India is keen on adopting such best practices in order to strengthen and fine tune the on-going and future promotional and regulatory activities, so as to successfully implement the Energy Conservation Act 2001 and the Power Sector Reforms. Changing the way we live, produce and consume, actually opens a new world of opportunities. Technology, finance, knowledge and cooperation are required for leveraging these opportunities. This is the right time to consider opportunities for cleaner energy generation and use, so that our common future is not surrendered to the use of technologies that have heavy carbon foot prints. What can you expect on these three days?
6
It is with this as the back drop that this two-day international seminar, exhibition and pre-conference
Tutorials are organized as part of National Energy Conservation Day (Dec 14) 2012 Celebrations, coinciding with 60th Year of Japan-India Diplomatic Relations and the United Nations International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. India is determined to bring down its energy poverty and to emerge as an energy secure nation. We hope that the deliberations will be useful in identifying potential options and strategies to mitigate energy insecurity. The programme consists of:1. Two Tutorials on the 13th: 1. Solar Photovoltaic Power Stations with Emeritus Professor Dr. Chem Nayar of Curtin University, Perth a well known expert in renewable energy, who won the sustainable Energy Industry Excellence and Innovation Ambassador Award of Australia in 2011. 2. Power Quality and Energy Efficiency with Prof. Dr. Francis M. Fernandez of College of Engineering, Trivandrum, who has experience in energy application in the field as well as a strong academic base on the subject he will be handling. th
th
2. The Seminar on the 14 & 15 (Three Sessions 1. Best Practices in Energy Security; 2. Role of Renewables in Energy Security and 3. Challenges in meeting energy Access) will have several presentations based on experience in several countries, of the United Nations and from the advanced academic arena, as well as from veterans in energy policy, planning and energy management from within and outside India. 3. Business Meet: A Business Meet jointly with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Kerala Chapter, in which Industry leaders, Senior Administrators and well known academicians and practitioners in the field is planned for the evening of 14 December. th
th
4. Exhibition: A two day exhibition of items related Energy Security on 14 & 15 December. Organisers: The technical activities are organized with the joint efforts of Energy Management CentreKerala; Japan Cultural and Information Centre, Trivandrum; Alumni Society of AOTS, Trivandrum; International Non Governmental Cooperation Organization for Renewable Energy (INGCORE), and Society of Energy Engineers and Managers (SEEM). Eminent Sponsors are: The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment; Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA); Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Govt. of India; Environment and Climate Change Department, Kerala. It is also expected that MNRE, NTPC, REC, KSEB, IOC, and such other organizations will join the event as co-sponsors. Register Early: As seats are limited, it is advisable for the intending delegates to register early. For details, please go to: www.energysecureindia.org Leaders take interest in this Seminar: The people's leaders like the Chief Minister of Kerala Shri. Oommen Chandy, Power Minister Shri. Aryadam Muhammed, Union Power Minister Shri. Jyothiraditya Scindia and Union HRD State Minister Dr. Shasi Tharoor and other leaders are expected to grace the inaugural and valedictory sessions, is indicative of how seriously the topic is looked upon by the Governments in India.
7
IN BETWEEN
Energy Secure India: Options and Strategies Letter to Editor India's present energy scenario at a glance By Staff Writer
4 6 10 12
FOCUS:
Solar Villages in India Meerwada A Solar Village in Madhya Pradesh Solar Cities generating new approaches worldwide By Ramanathan Menon
The Coimbatore Corporation is moving towards the status of a “Solar-City” The World's First Solar City
Eight stunning examples of Solar Architecture By Bryan Nelson, Clean Tech, Galleries, Solar
Large and sustainable solar photovoltaic generators by using the roof-top of industry sheds for energy security during daytime
16 18 20 26 29 31 34
By Praveen Kumar Kulkarni
India's First & Unique “Green Ashram” at the Solar Capital of India Gujarat A model & multiplier for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Community
36
By Urvish Dave
Addressing India's Energy Future: Ending India's Massive Power Grid Outages
39
By Darshan Goswami, M.S., P.E.
10 solar projects in India that can help fight grid blackouts
43
By Katie Fehrenbacher
How solar power can help the billion people without electricity By Staff Writer
45
ENERGY
ITZ L B
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2012 Advisory Board Dr. A. Jagadeesh | India Dr. Bhamy Shenoy | USA Er. Darshan Goswami | USA Elizabeth H. Thompson | Barbados Pincas Jawetz | USA Ediorial Board Salman Zafar | India Editor & Publisher M. R. Menon Business & Media P. Roshini Book Design Shamal Nath Circulation Manager Andrew Paul Printed and Published by M.R.Menon at Midas Offset Printers, Kuthuparamba, Kerala Editorial Office 'Pallavi' Kulapully Shoranur 679122, Kerala (E-Mail: editor.energyblitz@gmail.com) Disclaimer: The views expressed in the magazine are those of the authors and the Editorial team | energy blitzdoes not take responsibility for the contents and opinions.energy blitz will not be responsible for errors, omissions or comments made by writers, interviewers or Advertisers.Any part of this publication may be reproduced with acknowledgment to the author and magazine. Registered and Editorial Office 'Pallavi, Kulapully, Shoranur 679122, Kerala, India Tel: +91-466-2220852/9995081018 E-mail: editor.energyblitz@gmail.com Web: energyblitz.webs.com
Two daunting challenges confront the world's cities and city regions well within this coming generation, affecting the global urban system and human civilization as a whole: fossil fuel depletion and man-made catastrophic climate change. If these are not swiftly and effectively met their impacts will deeply affect all industrial, world and mega-city systems and hit hard the fast-growing, major urban agglomerations of the developing world like India, along with their economies. Despite the significant hurdles, energy issues have begun to take center stage in the reality of an increasing number of cities and towns around the world. The leaders of these pioneering communities realize that because of the central significance of cities in national economies, and their utter dependence on relatively short-term fossil fuel supplies and the devastating effect of their burning on human health the global climate the speed and magnitude in which renewable energy strategies are being introduced will be of crucial importance to the future of global civilization and local cultural settings alike. As socially, politically, economically and culturally significant settings, cities face increasingly intense local action, in their communities' search for improvement of the local environment, and in a rising movement to combat global warming well before that time. Business, industry, science, technology and governments are being challenged to respond and deliver solutions. It is here where a growing number of new urban action and development initiatives are being readied to link local agendas and national frameworks to international challenges and resources. Solar energy technologies are an important part of the future. Scientific projections for the next 40 years suggest that 50% of the warming that will occur will come directly from the energy sector. India has the second highest population of any country in the world, so the relationship between how India satisfies its energy needs and the environment will always be an important issue. In fact, it is safe to say that climate change is itself an energy issue, and only drastic measures to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the coming years will do anything to abate warming. Depending on the type of solar energy technology, it is possible to achieve near zero greenhouse gas emissions, while also having near zero risk of gaseous or liquid chemical substances leaking. Also, the risks for radioactive materials affecting the environment are non-existent. Despite being expensive in some cases to implement, there is the potential to reap economic rewards from developing a new clean energy economy, and particularly utilizing solar energy technologies. These could provide a return on investment in developing countries, like India, diminishing the need to import energy while also creating jobs. Factors for success in Solar Villages and Solar Cities are evident from Villages and Cities where solar photovoltaic (SPV) projects have been successfully implemented or where large scale plans that could include SPV were being prepared.
Ramanathan Menon
Dear Mr. Menon, Your magazine provides a constructive view on various energy and environmental issues that face our challenging world. Your magazine also allows viewers to engage one another in a productive exchange of potential solutions. I admire your dedication and professionalism to promote the use of Renewable Energy to serve humanity. You have always provided a unique perspective through your writing skills in bringing renewable energy to the forefront. Your kindness, generosity and contributions to make a difference in this world are greatly appreciated. Keep up the good work. God Bless You!! Thanks and regards, Darshan L. Goswami, M.S., P.E. Project Manager,US Department of Energy, USA E-mail: darshan.goswami@netl.doe.gov Hello Mr. Menon, Thank you for letting see your new issue. I really like your magazine.You're doing a magnificent job on a worthwhile subject. Continued good luck and congratulations. Joanne Gigliotti Gaithersburg, MD, USA joannegigliotti@gmail.com Dear Mr. Menon, Thanks for sending me the electronic issue of your magazine - Energy Blitz. I must congratulate for very interesting content, very readable and also topical. I must also compliment you for high quality production values, appropriate illustration supplementing the text. I wish you well and hope you continue to do the good work. Kind regards.... KM K. Munshi CTech Labs / IIT Bombay munshi999@yahoo.com
Thank you Mr. Menon for your mail. I am Manju, Founder of http://www.thesolarindia.com - first one stop B2B, classifieds,online information portal for global solar power - with a dedicated focus on India. I have read your recent issue and found the contents very interesting. Appreciate your team efforts. Thanks and Regards Manjula Nagarajan
10
India's present energy scenario at a glance By Staff Writer Generation of Electricity
was only 2.31% (4.78 MW).
The all India gross electricity generation from utilities, excluding that from the captive generating plants, was 55,828 Giga Watt-Hours (GWh) during 1970-71. It rose to
The geographical distribution of Installed generating capacity of electricity as on 31.03.11 indicates that Western Region (both central and state sector) accounted for the highest share (30.98%) followed by Southern Region (27.35%), Northern Region (26.88%), Eastern Region (13.45%) and North Eastern Region (1.35%). Region wise growth in the installed capacity during 2010-11 reveals that Eastern Region registered the highest growth of about 18.21%, followed by Northern Region (10.1%) and Western Region (6.65%). Among the States in the Eastern Region that accounted for the highest growth of 18%, Odisha registered the highest (47.7%) followed by Jharkhand (27.1%). Among all the states Delhi registered highest growth (105.1%) in the installed capacity followed by Odisha (48%) and Jharkhand (27%). Grid Interactive Renewable Power
1,10,844 GWh during 1980-81, to 2,64,329 GWh during 1990-91 and to 8,44,846 GW during 2010-11. The CAGR during the period from 1970-71 to 2010-11, has been an impressive 6.9%. The production of electricity from utilities has increased from 7,96,281 GWh during 2009-10 to 8,44,846 GWh during 2010-11, registering an annual growth rate of about 6.1%. Total Electricity generation in the country, from utilities and non-utilities taken together, during 2010-11 was 9,59,070 GWh. Out of this 7,04,323 GWh was generated from thermal and 1,14,257 GWh was from hydro and 26,266 GWh was generated from nuclear sources. Total output from non-utilities was 1,14,224 GWh. Installed generating capacity of electricity The total installed capacity for electricity generation in the country has increased from 16,271 MW as on 31.03.1971 to 206,526 MW as on 31.03.2011, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4%. There has been an increase in generating capacity of 18654 MW over the last one year, which is 10% more than the capacity of last year. The highest rate of annual growth (11.3%) from 2009-10 to 2010-11 in installed capacity was for Thermal power followed by Nuclear Power (4.8%). The total Installed capacity of power utilities in the country increased from 14,709 MW in 1970-71 to 173,626 MW as on 31.3.11, with a CAGR of 6.2 % over the period. The highest CAGR (7.1%) was in case of Thermal utilities followed by Nuclear (6.1%) and Hydro (4.4%).
12
At the end of March 2011, thermal power plants accounted for an overwhelming 64% of the total installed capacity in the country, with an installed capacity of 131.2 thousand MW. Hydro power plants come next with an installed capacity of 37.6 thousand MW, accounting for 18.2% of the total installed Capacity. Besides, non-utilities accounted for 15.9% (32.9 Thousand MW) of the total installed generation capacity. The share of Nuclear energy
The total installed capacity of grid interactive renewable power, which was 16817 MW as on 31.03.2010 had gone up to 19971 MW as on 31.03.2011 indicating growth of 18.75% during the period. Out of the total installed generation capacity of renewable power as on 31-03-2011, wind power accounted for about 71%, followed by small hydro power (15.2%) and Biomass power (13.3%). Tamil Nadu had the highest installed capacity of grid connected renewable power (6500 MW) followed by Maharashtra (3005 MW) and Karnataka (2882 MW), mainly on account of wind power. As on 31.03.2011 out of total Biogas plants installed (41.98 lakh) , maximum number of such plants installed were in Maharashtra (8 lakh) followed by Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Gujarat each with about 4 lakh biogas plants. Out of about 6.6 lakh Solar Cookers installed as on 31.03.2011, 1.7 lakh were installed in Gujarat and 1.4 lakh were installed in Madhya Pradesh. Further, as on 31.03.2011 there were 1,352 water pumping Wind mills systems installed and 6,975 remote villages and 1,871 hamlets were electrified. Nuclear Power The gross generation of nuclear power upto August 2012 was 13,732 million units (MUs). Thermal, hydro and renewable resources being first, second and third respectively. Presently 19 nuclear power plants in India are there, which generates 4,560 MW (2.9% of total installed base) and 4 such power plants are in the pipeline and would be generating around 2,720 MW. India's contribution in fusion development is done through its involvement in the ITER project. Presently India aims at increasing the input of nuclear energy to the total electricity production from 4.2% to 9% by the next 25 years. Availability of Electricity Since thermal electricity is not a primary source of energy,
being produced either from coal or natural gas in India, electricity availability is considered only for that electricity which is generated from Hydro and Nuclear sources. Without taking into account the transmission and distribution losses, the total availability is equal to the total generation, and this figure increased from 27,666 GWh during 1970-71 to 1,40,524 GWh during 2010-11, registering a CAGR of 4% over the period. Consumption of Electricity The estimated electricity consumption increased from 43,724 GWh during 1970-71 to 6,94,392 GWh during 2010-11, showing a CAGR of 6.98% . The increase in electricity consumption is 13.34% from 2009-10 (6,12,645 GWh) to 2010-11 (6,94,392 GWh). Of the total electricity sales in 2010-11, industry sector accounted for the largest share (38.6%), followed by domestic (23.8%), agriculture (19.6%) and commercial sector (9.89%). However, it is seen that electricity consumption in domestic sector and agriculture sector has increased at a much faster pace compared to other sectors during 1970-71 to 2010-11, with
CAGRs of 9.67% and 8.61% respectively. Loss of electricity due to transmission has increased from 17.55% during 1970-71 to 32.86% during 2000-01 and declined to 18.04% during 2010-11. Per-Capita Energy Consumption & Energy Intensity Per-capita Energy Consumption (PEC) during a year is computed as the ratio of the estimate of total energy consumption during the year to the estimated mid-year population of that year. Energy Intensity is defined as the amount of energy consumed for generating one unit of Gross Domestic Product (At constant prices). PEC and Energy intensity are the most used policy indicators, both at national and international levels. In the absence of data on consumption of non-conventional energy from various sources, particularly in rural areas in the developing countries, including India, these two indicators are generally computed on the basis of consumption of conventional energy. The estimated PEC has increased from 1204 KWh in 1970-71 to 4816 KWh in 2010. The estimated PEC has increased from 1204 KWh in 1970-71 to 4816 KWh in 2010-11, a CAGR of 3.44% . The annual increase in PEC from 2009-10 to 2010-11 was 3.65%. The Energy Intensity (at 1999-2000 prices) increased from
0.128 KWh in 1970-71 to 0.165 KWh in 1985-86, but it has again come down to 0.117 KWh (at 2004-05 prices) in 2010-11. Like in production of energy, for more meaningful comparison in the trends and patterns of growth of consumption of different energy resources, it is desirable to convert all the resources to their energy equivalents by applying appropriate conversion factors and express them in energy units (Joules/peta Joules/ Terra joules). The consumption of energy in peta Joules by primary sources is given in . It is seen that the major source of energy consumed was Electricity accounting for about 51% of the total consumption during 2010-11. Coal and Lignite were second (25%), while Crude Petroleum (20%) was third. The total consumption of energy from conventional sources increased from 40,354 peta joules during 2009-10 to 42,664 peta joules during 2010-11, showing an increase of 5.73%. 11th Plan/Growth in Achievement The growth in electricity generation during 2008-09 was constrained due to delay in commissioning of new units during 2008-09, long outages, shortage of coal/gas/nuclear fuel, poor hydrology, etc. Transmission of electricity is defined as bulk transfer of power over a long distance at a high voltage, generally of 132 KV and above. In India bulk transmission has increased from 3708 ckm in 1950 to more than 265,000 ckm today. The entire country has been divided into five regions for transmission systems, namely Northern Region, North Eastern Region, Eastern Region, Southern Region and Western Region. The interconnected transmission system within each region is also called the regional grid. The Government of India has an ambitious mission of 'POWER FOR ALL BY 2012'. This mission would require that our installed generation capacity should be at least 2, 00,000 MW by 2012 from the present level of 1, 14,000 MW. To be able to reach this power to the entire country an expansion of the regional transmission network and inter regional capacity to transmit power would be essential. The latter is required because resources are unevenly distributed in the country and power needs to be carried great distances to areas where load centres exist. The transmission system planning in the country, in the past, had traditionally been linked to generation projects as part of the evacuation system. Ability of the power system to safely withstand a contingency without generation rescheduling or load-shedding was the main criteria for planning the transmission system. However, due to various reasons such as spatial development of load in the network, noncommissioning of load centre generating units originally planned and deficit in reactive compensation, certain pockets in the power system could not safely operate even under normal conditions. This had necessitated backing down of generation and operating at a lower load generation balance in the past. Transmission planning has therefore moved away from the earlier generation evacuation system planning to integrated system planning. While the predominant technology for electricity transmission and distribution has been Alternating Current (AC) technology, High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) technology has also been used for interconnection of all regional grids across the country and for bulk transmission of power over long distances.
13
Certain provisions in the Electricity Act 2003 such as open access to the transmission and distribution network, recognition of power trading as a distinct activity, the liberal definition of a captive generating plant and provision for supply in rural areas are expected to introduce and encourage competition in the electricity sector. It is expected that all the above measures on the generation, transmission and distribution front would result in formation of a robust electricity grid in the country. Due to lack of adequate investment on T&D works, the T&D losses have been consistently on higher side, and reached to the level of 32.86% in the year 2000-01.The reduction of these losses was essential to bring economic viability to the State Utilities. As the T&D loss was not able to capture all the losses in the net work, concept of Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) loss was introduced. AT&C loss captures technical as well as commercial losses in the network and is a true indicator of total losses in the system. High technical losses in the system are primarily due to inadequate investments over the years for system improvement works, which has resulted in unplanned extensions of the distribution lines, overloading of the system elements like transformers and conductors, and lack of adequate reactive power support. The commercial losses are mainly due to low metering efficiency, theft & pilferages. This may be eliminated by improving metering efficiency, proper energy accounting & auditing and improved billing & collection efficiency. Fixing of accountability of the personnel / feeder managers may help considerably in reduction of AT&C loss.With the initiative of the Government of India and of the States, the Accelerated Power Development & Reform Programme (APDRP) was launched in 2001, for the strengthening of Sub-Transmission and Distribution network and reduction in AT&C losses. The main objective of the programme was to bring Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses below 15% in five years in urban and in high-density areas. The programme, along with other initiatives of the Government of India and of the States, has led to reduction in the overall AT&C loss from 38.86% in 2001-02 to 34.54% in 2005-06. The commercial loss of the State Power Utilities reduced significantly during this period from Rs. 29331 Crore to Rs. 19546 Crore. The loss as percentage of turnover was reduced from 33% in 2000-01 to 16.60% in 2005-06. The APDRP programme has been restructured by the Government of India, in order that reliable and verifiable baseline data of revenue and energy in APDRP Project areas is attained over an IT platform and that AT& C loss reduction is achieved on a sustained basis. The Restructured APDRP (R-APDRP) was launched by MoP, Gol in July 2008 as a central sector scheme for XI plan. The scheme comprises of two parts-Part-A & Part-B, Part-A of the scheme being dedicated to establishment of IT enabled system for achieving reliable & verifiable baseline data system in all towns with population greater than 30,000 as per 2001 census (10,000 for Special Category Status).
14
Installation of SCADA/DMS for towns with population greater than 4 lakhs & annual input energy greater than 350MU is also envisaged under Part-A. 100% loan is provided under RAPDRP for Part-A projects & shall be converted to grant on completion and verification of same by Third Party independent evaluating agencies (TPIEA) being appointed by MoP. MoP, Gol has earmarked Rs. 10,000 Crores for R-APDRP Part-A. Part-B of the scheme deals with regular Sub Transmission & Distribution system strengthening & upgradation projects. The focus for Part-B is on AT&C loss reduction on sustainable basis.25% loan is provided under Part-B projects and upto 50% of scheme cost is convertible to grant depending on extent of maintaining AT&C loss level at 15% level for five years. For special category states, 90% loan is provided by GOI for Part-b projects and entire GOI loan shall be converted to grant in five tranches depending on extent of maintaining AT&C loss level at 15% level for five years. MoP , Gol has earmarked sanctioning of schemes upto Rs. 40,000 Crores under R-APDRP Part-B. Of this, upto Rs. 20,000 Crore would be converted to grant depending on extent to which utilities reduce AT&C losses in project areas. R-APDRP also has provision for Capacity Building of Utility personnel and development of franchises through Part-C of the scheme. Few pilot projects adopting innovations are also envisaged under Part-C. Rural Electricity involves supply of energy for two types of programmes, namely, production oriented activities like minor irrigation, rural industries, etc. Electrification of villages: While the emphasis is laid on exploration of ground water potential and energisation of pump sets/tube wells, which has a bearing on agricultural production, the accent in respect of areas covered under the Revised Minimum Needs Programme (RMN P), is on village electrification. According to the earlier definition: .A village is classified as electrified if electricity is being used within its revenue area for any purpose what- so-ever. This definition of village electrification was reviewed in consultation with the State Governments and State Electricity Boards and the following new definition was adopted: A village will be deemed to be electrified if electricity is used in the inhabited locality within the revenue boundary of the village for any purpose whatsoever. It has been decided to revise the definition of village electrification and a new proposed definition of village electrification is as under: The basic infrastructure such as distribution transformer and or distribution lines is made available in the inhabited locality within the revenue boundary of the village including at least one hamlet/Dalit Basti as applicable and any of the public places like Schools, Panchayat Office, Health Centres, Dispensaries, Community centers etc. avail power supply on demand and the ratings of distribution transformer and LT lines to be provided in the village would be finalized as per the anticipated number of connections decided in consultation with the Panchayat/Zila Parishad/District Administration who will also issue the necessary certificate of village electrification on completion of the works. The number of household electrified should be minimum 10% for villages which are unelectrified, before the village is declared electrified. The revision of definition would be prospective.
FOCUS:
Solar Villages in India Rampura village in Jhansi was the first in India to get its own solar power plant. It did not have any electricity at all before, but now the kerosene lamps which were the only source of light at night are now redundant thanks to solar panels. Now the children of the village play or study under electric lamps in the nights, listen to the radio and watch TV, all because of energy. It is an 8.7 kilowatt power plant. installed at a cost of Rs. 31.5 lakh, which provides electricity to all 69 houses in the village. Development
demon of darkness (neglect, underdevelopment and backwardness) with the Sun.” The plant was inaugurated on January 26, 2012.
Another India's first-ever solar village Bysanivaripalle is special. It is a small village in India's southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh. It has been special ever since its inhabitants decided to go for biogas in the Eighties, with a total of 23 facilities today. But now, there is more: Bysanivaripalle has gone solar - to one hundred percent! The Austrian NGO Intersol has sponsored the first 26 solar installations. "Today, we are running our 49 facilities without a single match", says Sadananda Reddy, a silkworm breeder and solar activist in charge of the solar cookers, which are good for everything from cooking rice and traditional meals to roasting peanuts, making fries and heating up irons. Mrs. Papulamma enjoys the cookers just as much: "I don't have to go collect firewood anymore. All the women of the village have learned how to maintain the solar cookers". She is preparing schoollunches for forty-eight children.
Alternatives, a non-profit organisation, in collaboration with Scatec Solar of Norway, gave the village the Community-based Solar Power Plant. Rampura is 17 km from Jhansi. Amit, a Class 5 student, said: “I am happy that the light has come to my school and home.” “In this solar power plant, community partnership has ensured participation of the community from the beginning for their ownership. Use of renewable and clean energy for electricity generation will make Rampura self-sufficient in power supply. A Village Energy Committee has been established,” said Manaoj Mahata, Programme ManagerEnergy, Development. It is not just the light; the solar power would soon go into enhancing skills of the local people. A community-based profit oriented flour mill is soon going to start in the village, which will run on solar power. Anita Pal, a resident of the village who also is a member of the Village Energy Committee said: “I plan to begin a knitting enterprise to make money.”
16
This model village saves on emitting 104 tons of CO2 per year. Dieter Seifert of Germany, who designed the SK-14 solar cookers, is proud of their achievements. "There are places with more solar cookers, of course. But the combination with biotechnology is unique. This village is a hundred percent CO2free."
One more India's first 100% solar village New Keringa is a model village in Southern Orissa, India, with 47 families. It is distinct, not because it is in the news. It is the story of a participatory democracy as the adage seems more fitting that “an idea can change your life”. It is an excellent example of empowered masses of a tiny hamlet in Orissa who have defied challenges to make it happen. It is the first village in Orissa to be lit by solar energy, thanks to the unique joint initiative of 'D light and Beyond Solar', an American nonprofit with Southern Orissa Volunteer Association (SOVA), a local NGO that has sponsored the solar installations. D.light has pioneered innovative light designs cheap enough to be affordable for poor families who are just making a meager income.
“The Community-based Solar Power Plant pilot project was initiated to test the techno-commercial viability of deploying solar energy for development in rural areas in India. Its aim is to establish a model that is easily replicable and can facilitate a rollout of CSPPs on a large-scale across India,” said Mahata. More villages are keen to have similar power plants.
The story unfolds the grim reality faced by people living in distant rural areas and this experience opens a world of opportunities for the 1.6 billion people around the world who don't have access to electricity or good sources of light, and the majority of them use kerosene lanterns and stoves, which are both hazardous and create air pollution.
Norwegian Minister for Environment and International Development Erik Solheim inaugurated the project. Solheim, an Indologist, told the villagers: “Your village draw its name from Lord Rama. And you will fight the
Most of the rural households in New Keringa are on the brinks of extinction due to paucity of employment opportunities, poverty and economic backwardness. Literacy is at the lowest ebb and these tribal people are forced to sustain their livelihood
challenging as the first step was to educate the folks about the product and instill confidence. Communication was another barrier that hindered free flow of ideas. The company was confident that this novel strategy would change their lives forever. Next step forward was to train about the benefits of solar lighting and LED technology with SOVA's assistance, a local NGO lending their helping hand. It was a win-win situation for both as the strategy was aimed at sensitizing the people about environment friendly energy efficient products plus enhancing their productivity. Being offered financial support, within a couple of days, the entire stock of Novas was sold off wherein villagers had to make a down-payment with weekly installments. It was history in making because the entire village was lit in one week! It also worked wonders for the local people. Average monthly family income almost doubled as families were now able to work at night to earn an extra income. Earlier, each family used to consume 11 litres of kerosene, shelling out extra bucks. The consumption of kerosene is now 0 litres! The time on commuting to procure kerosene from the city was also cut drastically. Now, the children are able to study and the families are leading a quality life.
from nature. Most of the villagers crush rocks all day to earn a living. They also make plates out of banana leaves that are sold at the market. These people are alienated from the mainstream, lack the basic infrastructure and the roads to development has been abysmal. Marred by the contradictions of a civilized society, families living in this area are amongst the poorest in India, with an average monthly income of 600-700 rupees. Families use kerosene for lighting lanterns and cooking food. Their plight witnessed a phenomenal makeover, kudos to the concerted efforts of D.light that came up with an alternative solution to rekindle the livelihood of the entire village. The company in sync with an NGO initiated trials of D.light Novas in the sample village (New Keringa). The Nova uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide up to 40 hours of light on a single charge. Initially, the task was
The main street in New Keringa, India, is lit for the first time. The village is 100% lit by D.light Novas. It is business efficiency, creativity and revitalization that paved the way in its success. Isn't that a meaningful step to achieve self-sufficiency and light your life!
Sitraruvipatti village sees power for the first time For the 25 families l i v i n g i n Sitraruvipatti v i l l a g e , a settlement located n e a r Vellimalaipatti in Kottampatti block of Madurai district, their village was powered by electricity for the first time ever. Thanks to an i n i t i a t i v e supported by the National Bank for Agriculture and R u r a l Development (NABARD), some of the villagers have obtained solar-power units. Under the scheme, NABARD would cover 40% of the project cost and a subsidised bank loan would cover another 50%. The beneficiaries would only have to contribute the remaining 10%. The solar units have been supplied by SELCO, a for-profit social enterprise based in Bangalore, that has been instrumental role in improving living standards of poor households in rural India especially in the state of Karnataka through solar energy based interventions and low smoke cook stoves.
17
Meerwada A Solar Village in Madhya Pradesh Life in the remote Indian village of Meerwada used to grind to a standstill as darkness descended. Workers downed tools, kids strained to see their schoolbooks under the faint glow of aged kerosene lamps and adults struggled to carry out the most basic of household chores. The arrival of solar power last year has changed all that. On a humid evening, fans whirr, children sit cross-legged to study their Hindi and mother-of-seven Sunderbai is delighted people can actually see what they are eating and drinking. When it was dark, we used to drink water with insects in, but now we can see insects, so we filter it and then drink," said the 30-year-old, whose flame-orange sari and gold nose ring are small defiances in a life close to the poverty line. Meerwada, on a dirt track rutted by rains and outside the reach of the national grid, struck lucky when U.S. solar firm SunEdison picked it to test out business models and covered the hefty initial expense of installing hi-tech solar panels in the heart of the village. But rapidly falling costs and improved access to financing for would-be customers could encourage the spread of such systems down the line, while simpler solar schemes are already making profits in areas where the grid either does not extend or provides only patchy power. The country's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) hopes solar systems that bypass the national grid will account for just under 1% of total installed capacity by 2022. Still a mere flicker, but that 4,000-megawatt (MW) goal would be way up from 80 MW now when so-called off-grid solar systems are still out of reach for most of the country's rural poor.
Sunny again Large-scale solar facilities that directly feed the grid, such as those at an over 600 MW solar park recently launched with great fanfare in Gujarat, have been gaining traction for some time. But potential growth in off-grid solar power offers a ray of hope to the around 40% of India's 1.2 billion population that the renewable power ministry estimates lack access to energy. People like those in the village just 200 meters away from Meerwada, who rely on a hand pump for water and cook by torchlight as hungry goats creep up on them out of the gloom. Covering initial investment on solar is key as, in a country with around 300 days of sunshine a year, subsequent costs are largely limited to maintenance and repairs. "The high up-front capital cost is one of the adoption barriers (for solar projects)," said Krister Aanesen, associate principal at McKinsey & Company's renewable energy division."Although diesel is more expensive on a full-cost basis, you defer cash outlay for the fuel ... the cash outlays are different and that's one of the key challenges."
18
Small-scale direct current (DC) systems from Karnataka in the south to Assam in the north-east have already cleared that hurdle, supplying simple lights and mobile phone chargers at 100-200 rupees ($1.80-$3.60) per month per light -- prices that typically allow installers to cover their initial costs in time.
Private company Mera Gao Power fits roof-top solar panels and then transmission to other houses who pay about Rs. 40 to connect, with costs thereafter about Rs. 25 per week, said Nikhil Jaisinghani, one of the firm's founders. That means it should currently take about 12 months to repay panel installation expenses of about $2,500 for 100 houses, though the cost is set to fall.
Going large Initial expenses are far more onerous on more comprehensive mini-grids like the one in Meerwada, which includes a room full of batteries that can store enough electricity to provide roundthe-clock supply to the village and which has recently started powering water pumps. California-based SunEdison reckons it cost $100,000-$125,000 to build the 14 kilowatt (KW) plant in Meerwada, an expense that would have demanded fees way too high for the 400 or so villagers, whose per capita income is about $250 a year. The firm expects initial capital costs to come down enough to make alternating current (AC) systems affordable in villages like Meerwada in a few years, with improving technology and fierce competition reducing hardware costs, while enhanced battery storage driven by the auto industry's push on electric cars is also helping. SunEdison, which sells solar power plants and services worldwide to commercial, government and utility customers, has over 50 MW of interconnected solar electricity in India, with projects ranging from small rooftop installations to part of the Gujarat solar park. "Three years ago, the panel price was $2.60 per watt. Today it is 75 cents a watt. I don't think it will halve in the next few years but I clearly see 50 cents a watt by 2014/15," said Ahmad Chatila, president and chief executive of MEMC Electronic, SunEdison's parent company. In the meantime, the government is offering 30% of the project cost and in some cases low-interest loans for solar power systems under its Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission policy launched in 2010. But that still means systems are beyond the reach of many poor, rural customers, so some solar companies are putting up the 20% deposits on loans required by banks or acting as guarantors for customers who are outside the conventional banking system.
Keep on the sunny side Back in Meerwada, which lies in central India's Madhya Pradesh, the villagers have added an unexpected ingredient to the cost equation -- frugality. Lights even now are turned on only when darkness falls and fans target the youngest children and the elderly, saving on power use. Only the village leader, Sampat Bai, has been able to afford a television but it's open to all and her bare-walled main room is crowded when the latest epic dramas come on screen and the children have finished their homework. Manorbai, a 30-something mother who is now making more money by working at night to mend and sew on her vintage black-and-gold foot-pedal sewing machine, has a simple message on the future. "Our village has power and other villages should too," she said.
Solar Cities generating new approaches worldwide By Ramanathan Menon
“The far-reaching national Solar Cities program is set to trial the wide scale deployment of the latest solar technology. It also aims to find new ways for communities to think about their energy use, and for electricity markets to deliver competitively priced renewable energy where and when it is needed. The importance of the Solar Cities program lies in its potential to provide integrated models for sustainable electricity supply, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas abatement. How could you demonstrate how solar power, smart meters, energy efficiency and new approaches to electricity pricing can combine to provide a sustainable energy future in urban locations in India? The answers are provided in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Guidelines for implementation of the Programme on “Development of Solar Cities” hereunder!” Development of Solar Cities in India India's energy consumption has been increasing at one of the fastest rates in the world. This is attributed to population and economic growth, urbanization, and increasing access to energy. As an example, commercial primary energy consumption in India has grown by about 700% in the last four decades.
20
Aside from this staggering growth in energy use, an existing energy supply-demand imbalance poses a hurdle for future increased economic growth. Also, despite this growth, over half of the citizens have no access to energy. Renewable energy technologies have the potential to improve the quality of life in India by helping to meet the
growing demand for energy and reducing the reliance on fossil fuels, thus reducing associated GHG emissions. Thus, MNRE has been actively promoting renewable energy sources in the country. In the recent past, the government of India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has created a Solar City Programme, which supports 60 Indian cities in the development of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) projects and aims to reduce conventional energy demand by 10% by 2013, compared to 2008 energy use levels. Under the programme, each city must develop a master plan which provides projections for energy demand and supply for five and ten year periods (for 2013 and 2018) and includes annual targets for energy conservation, renewable energy addition, and greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement along with an action plan for implementation and identification of potential sources of funding. About 30% (285.35 million people, 2001 census) of the Indian population resides in urban areas. In post-independence era while population of India has grown three times, the urban population has grown five times. Urban areas are heavily dependant on fossil fuels (often imported), for the maintenance of essential public services, for powering homes, transport systems, infrastructure, industry and commerce. The fossil fuels are increasingly becoming more expensive due to scarcity of fuel and increase in demand. In addition to this, the environmental and social impacts of the consumption of fossil fuels are increasingly becoming a concern. These impacts include air pollution, global warming, waste disposal problems, land degradation and the depletion of natural resources. Urbanization and economic development are leading to a rapid rise in energy demand in urban areas. Urban areas have emerged as one of the biggest sources of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, with buildings alone contributing to around 40% of the total GHG emissions. As per latest UN report one million people are moving to urban areas each week. It is estimated that around two-thirds of the world population will be living in cities in 2050. This requires a tremendous shift in energy resources in urban areas. In recognition of this, various cities around the world are setting targets and introducing polices for promoting renewable energy and reducing GHG emissions. London has announced 20% Carbon emission reduction by 2010; New York and 200 other U.S. cities have set a similar target. Tokyo has announced 20% share of renewables in total consumption by 2020 and Australian government has initiated a Solar Cities programme. Several Indian cities and towns are experiencing 15% growth in the peak electricity demand. The local governments and the electricity utilities are finding it difficult to cope with this rapid rise in demand and as a result most of the cities/towns are facing severe electricity shortages. There is a need to develop a framework that will encourage and assist cities in assessing their present energy consumption status, setting clear targets for and preparing action plans for generating energy through
renewable energy sources and in conserving energy utilized in conducting Urban services. The proposed programme on “Development of Solar Cities” would support/encourage Urban Local Bodies to prepare a Road Map to guide their cities in becoming 'renewable energy cities' or 'solar cities' or 'eco/green cities'. The Ministry has already initiated various programmes in the Urban Sector for promoting solar water heating systems in homes, hotels, hostels, hospitals and industry; deployment of SPV systems/devices in urban areas for demonstration and awareness creation; establishment of 'Akshya Urja Shops'; design of Solar Buildings and promoting urban and industrial waste/ biomass to energy projects. The programme aims to consolidate all the efforts of the Ministry in the Urban Sector and address the energy problem of the urban areas in a holistic manner.
architects/engineers, builders and developers, financial institutions, NGOs, technical institutions, manufactures and suppliers, RWAs etc. and visits/ study tours within India. Preparation of proposals for carbon financing. Organizing publicity and awareness campaign through print and electronic media. Development of four Cities as “Model Solar City” by way of supporting the installation of renewable energy and energy conservation devices/systems in govt./ public buildings through financial support from the Ministry. About 50 new small townships/campuses being developed by the promoters/builders, SEZs/ industrial towns, Institutional campus etc. for preparation of a Master Plan/DPR including the action plan for renewable energy installations and green campus development will be supported.
Major thrust of the Programme Financial Provisions The Program has been designed to address challenges in delivering sustainable energy at city level through: Preparation of a Master Plan within a period of one year from the date of sanctioning by the Ministry. The Master Plan should be prepared as per the guidelines and format prescribed by the Ministry. The Master Plan prepared in the prescribed format would provide total and sector-wise projections for energy demand and supply for next 10 years. Further, it would provide a complete sector-wise base-line on energy utilization and GHG emissions in the city. Year-wise targets for energy conservation, renewable energy addition and GHG abatement along with the action plan for implementation will be clearly brought out in the Master Plan. Potential sources of funding from respective organizations (both public and private) for providing financial support will be identified. Before finalization, the draft Master Plan would be discussed in a Stakeholders Consultation Workshop having representation from elected representatives, local research and academic institutions, resident welfare associations, industries and corporate organizations, NGOs, SNA, etc. The Master Plan will also contain few implementable Detailed Project Reports which could be submitted by the Implementing Agency for sanction. The Master Plan will ensure reduction in their energy consumption from the existing level and consequent reduction in CO2 emissions.
The Central Financial Assistance (CFA) will be provided as follows: CFA for preparation of Master Plans along with the Action Plans, setting up of Solar City Cell and it's functioning, other promotional activities and oversight of implementation, etc.: Up to Rs. 50.00 lakh per city/town depending upon population and initiatives to be taken by the City Council/ Administration/Municipal Corporation, break-up of which is given below: (i) Up to Rs. 10.00 lakh is for preparation of a Master Plan alongwith few implementable Detailed Project Reports within a year. (ii) Up to Rs. 10.00 lakh is for oversight of implementation during three years. (iii) Up to Rs. 10.00 lakh is for setting up of Solar City Cell and its functioning for a period of three years. (iv) Remaining amount of Rs. 20 lakh is to be utilized in three years for other promotional activities, trainings, workshops, study tours and augmenting the activities of Solar City Cell. The above provisions are applicable for all 60 Cities including Pilot Solar Cities and Model Solar Cities irrespective of financial provisions made separately for these, elsewhere.
Setting up of “Solar City Cell” in the City Council including Senior Administrator and City Engineers, representative of SNAs for planning and implementation. A “Solar City Stakeholders Committee” will be set up for advisory support involving representation from elected representatives in the municipal bodies, local research and academic institutions, resident welfare associations, industries and corporate organizations, NGOs, State Nodal Agencies and other relevant stakeholder.
Sanctions will be given under Solar City Programme by the Ministry depending upon the maturity of the proposal commensurate with the Master Plan and DPRs. A total CFA for installation of various renewable energy projects/systems/devices in the city upto Rs. 2.50 crore will be provided for each Pilot Solar City.
Organizing training programmes/ workshops/ business meets/ awareness camps, etc. for various stakeholders such as elected representatives of the municipal bodies, municipal officials,
The funds will be released to the Solar City/Township under the Solar City programme subject to the condition that the equal amount i.e., Rs. 2.50 crore will be made available by the concerned Municipal Corporation/City Administration/State or
CFA for installation of various renewable energy projects/systems/devices in the Pilot Solar City:
21
any other resources. The financial pattern will be as applicable in the schemes underJawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission being implemented by the Ministry for Solar related projects. For other projects the MNRE's CFA of 50% or as in MNRE's respective programmes, whichever is higher, would be applicable. The first 10 cities will be covered under this financial assistance during 11th plan as Pilot Solar Cities on merit on first come first served basis. This financial assistance will be available to those cities which fulfill or have taken actions on the minimum of three conditions as listed in Annexure I. Those projects set up by availing this amount of Rs. 2.50 crore of MNRE as Pilot Solar Cities will not be entitled to further avail the MNRE subsidy for the same project under any other programme. However, the other projects can be set up under MNRE programmes. For other Solar Cities, the financial pattern will be as applicable in the schemes under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission being implemented by the Ministry for Solar related projects and for other projects the MNRE's CFA as applicable in MNRE's respective programmes under this programme may be utilized. CFA for preparation of a Master Plan and DPRs including the action plan for new small townships/campuses being developed by the promoters/builders, SEZs/ industrial towns, Institutional campus, etc: Upto Rs. 10.00 lakh for preparation of a Master Plan and DPR including the action plan for renewable energy installations, green campus development, awareness generation and trainings etc. will be provided for each new small townships/campuses duly notified/permitted by the States/Local Authorities. CFA for organizing seminars / workshops trainings, awareness campaigns preparation of literature/guidelines, etc: The activities relating to Solar City Programme may be carried out under the Ministry's scheme on 'Seminar and Symposia on New and Renewable Energy' by the Ministry or any other organizations.
CFA for Model Solar Cities:
22
The CFA up to Rs. 9.50 crore for each Model Solar City will be provided to four Model Solar Cities with the condition that the similar matching fund upto Rs.9.50 crore is provided by the Municipal Corporation/ Municipality/State/District authority or arranged by them from there own or and other sources including public private partnership for four Model Solar Cities. This financial assistance will be available for setting up of related project/systems/devices to those Model Solar Cities which have fulfilled or taken actions on the minimum of three conditions as listed in Annexure-I.
For earlier sanctioned two Model Solar Cities the 50% CFA can be availed out of the funds sanctioned. However, for the two new Model Solar Cities to be sanctioned under this modified scheme, the financial pattern will be as applicable in the schemes under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission being implemented by the Ministry forSolar related projects. For other projects the MNRE's CFA of 50% or as in MNRE's respective programmes, whichever is higher, would be applicable. Indicative measures and the list of energy conservation and renewable energy devices/systems that could help in preparing the Master Plan & developing cities as Solar Cities are given in Annexure-II & III.
Cities to be supported A total of 60 cities/towns are proposed to be developed as “Solar Cities” during the 11th Plan period. At least one city in each State to a maximum of five cities in a State will be supported by the Ministry. The cities/towns included in the program will have population between 0.50 lakh to 50 lakh which includes the floating population. Cities with even less population located in North Eastern and hilly states, Islands and UT's will also be considered under the program on case to case basis on merit.
Criteria for selection of cities The program encourages cities with high level of commitment and leadership quality. MNRE will consider the following while selection of cities: City Population, regional setting and prominence in region. Political and administrative commitment towards adoption of sustainable energies (Resolution to be passed by the City Council/Administration for implementing all the activities specified in the 'Solar cities' programme). Regulatory measures taken on adoption of energy conservation and renewable energy. Potential for adoption of energy conservation and renewable energy in the city activities. Initiatives already taken by City Council/Administration/ Private Developers/ Industry/General Public in promoting energy conservation and renewable energy. Urban Local Bodies' previous experience in involving public participation and working with all stakeholders. Willingness and commitment to provide resources, financial share and sustenance of activities initiated under the program.
Procedure for Submission of Proposals, Sanctions and Release of funds Proposals as per the prescribed format given in Annexure-IV w i l l b e s u b m i t t e d b y t h e C i t y Council/Administration/Municipal Corporation/ Municipalities/Developers/Institutions etc. preferably through State Nodal Agency. The proposals will be examined in the Ministry based on which 50% of the CFA will be released on sanctioned projects/activities and rest on progressive achievements and utilization of funds released for the activities
i.e., for preparation of Master Plan, setting up of Solar City Cells, other awareness, training and publicity, over seeing the implementation other than cost of setting up of the projects. For availing the provisions of funds for setting up of projects/systems/devices of Renewable Energy, the specific proposal for each project or group of projects will be submitted by the concerned City Council/Administration/Municipal Corporation/Municipalities/Organization of the approved Solar City for consideration. The proposal should be accompanied by the resolution of Municipal Corporation/Municipality/Nominated Agency indicating the commitment for providing the matching fund upto Rs.2.50 crore for the Solar City. The benchmarks for standards and costs and the guidelines as applicable in other programmes of MNRE will be followed. Similarly the proposal for Model Solar Cities will also be prepared and submitted alongwith the commitment of the concerned organization. The CFA for setting up of projects will be released on two installments. The 1st installment of 50% will be released at the time of sanction of the project with the commitment that the matching fund will be provided by the proposing organization. The 2nd installment of remaining 50% will be released on completion of the project, receipt of Utilization Certificate of the 1st installment and a project completion report duly submitted by the Competent Authority.For small townships/campuses the proposal should be prepared by the respective developer/builder/institution given in prescribed format at Annexure-V with the commitment in the suitable bond paper indicating that the installations of the projects/systems/devices of Renewable Energy will be under taken after preparation of the Master Plan/DPR.
Institution of Awards Annual awards to identified Solar Cities may be given away by the Ministry in the form of Shields/ Certificates based on the information provided by City Council/Administration in regard to initiatives taken on developing their city as Solar City. The awards to the best townships/campuses will also be given and with a certification of using the “Solar Township” or “Solar Campus”.
Performance Evaluation Sanctioned cities will be required to submit reports on half yearly basis as per the details given in their Master Plan. Energy saved and energy generated through energy conservation and renewable energy devices/systems will be clearly indicated in the report along with the promotional and policy measures taken by them in achieving the targets. An evaluation of the experience of implementation of the program would be undertaken at the end of Eleventh Five Year Plan and further extension and inclusion/calibration of program activities will be decided.
Provision of Consultancy Help One consultant will be engaged for providing technical help in implementation of the programme. This will help in expanding activities, rigorous monitoring and follow ups as well. Annexure-I Conditions required for a Solar City for availing the funds of MNRE i. The City has created a Solar City Cell and constituted the Stakeholders Committee. i. A copy of the notifications for creation of Solar City Cell and Stakeholders Committee to be submitted. ii. Action initiated/taken to amend building bye-laws for making the use of solar water heating systems mandatory in certain category of buildings. iii. Action initiated/taken to provide rebate in property tax through Municipal Corporations/ Municipalities or in electricity tariff though Utilities/ Electricity Boards to the users of solar water heaters especially in domestic sector. iv. Action initiated/taken to promote National Rating System for construction of energy efficient Green Buildings in particular to commercial and institutional buildings. The city has issued G.O as regards to construction of Green buildings in compliance with approved National Rating Systems like GRIHA particularly in Government/PSUs buildings. v. As per MSW Rules notified by the MoEF, the city has initiated/taken actions for proper MSW management and for setting up set up projects of suitable capacity for generating energy from the waste collected from the city/town. vi. The city has initiated actions in amending/has amended the byelaws or makes new byelaws for promoting the renewable energy options for avoiding use of diesel and petrol generator sets in markets, public places, schools, offices etc. vii. Action initiated/taken for reduction of electricity consumption in street light/garden lights, traffic lights, blinkers, hoardings etc. and in schools, commercial buildings, offices, institutional buildings and other establishments by using energy conservation & renewable energy devices. viii. The Municipal Corporation/ Municipality/SNA have established at least one Akshay Urja Shop alongwith the repair and maintenance facilities either in their campus or at some prominent place in the City. ix. The Master Plan has been prepared and the installation of at least 2 to 3 Major Projects of Renewable Energy have taken place/sanctioned/commenced. Annexure-II Renewable Energy and Energy conservation projects/system/devices for Solar Cities: Solar City will focus o n t h e l i m i t e d a n d p o p u l a r r e n e w a b l e e n e rg y projects/systems/devices such as solar PV systems including and building integrated photovoltaic, kitchen waste based plants, solar water heating systems, solar cooking systems, solar steam generating/drying/air heating systems, solar concentrators for process heat applications, solar airconditioning, power projects on methane recovery from STPs, bio-mass gasification based systems, biogas, wind, etc. Energy conservation/devices/systems i) LEDs/ CFLs instead of incandescent bulbs
23
ii) LED traffic lights iii) Electronics chokes and fan regulators iv) Sensors for automatic on/off of street lights v) Automatic speed regulating fans/motors vi) Plugging of leakages in the water supply system and use of efficient pumps and motors vii) Energy efficient electrical appliances such as fans, refrigerators, air conditioners, coolers, room heaters, water pumps, etc. viii) Use of insulating materials and low-energy/energyefficient building materials e.g. fly ash bricks, hollow bricks, stabilized mud blocks, etc. in building construction ix) Any other Energy Efficient/ Energy Conservation device, project being promoted by BEE, Ministry of Power or MNRE Solar passive architecture in buildings/housing complexes Major components of solar passive architecture are orientation of building, sun shades, double glazed windows, smart glazing window overhangs, thermal storage wall/roof, roof painting, ventilation, evaporative cooling, day lighting, wind towers, earth air tunneling, construction materials etc. Incorporation of specific components will depend in which climatic zone the building is being constructed. Green Buildings: The construction of the Green Buildings as per GRIHA Rating/other rating System. Annexure-III Indicative measures to be taken by City Council/Administration for developing their city/town as 'Solar City'
24
1. To create a “Solar City Cell” with in the City Administration/ Council which will be fully responsible for city planning and implementation of projects towards making it a “Solar City”? 2. To conduct energy auditing of Govt./Public sector buildings, water pumping and street lightings in the city at regular interval and take necessary steps towards conservation of electricity. Other establishments also to be encouraged for the same. 3. To reduce electricity consumption in street light/garden lights, traffic lights, blinkers hoardings etc. by using energy conservation & renewable energy devices. 4. To amend building bye-laws for making the use of solar water heating systems mandatory in certain category of buildings. 5. To provide rebate in property tax through Municipal Corporations/ Municipalities & in electricity tariff though Utilities/ Electricity Boards to the users of solar water heaters especially in domestic sector. 6. To issue G.O as regards to construction of energy efficient solar buildings at least in Govt. /Public sectors in accordance with ECBC :2006 and follow up its implementation rigorously. 7. To comply to MSW Rules 2000 notified by the MoEF and set up projects of suitable capacity for generating energy from the waste collected from the city/town. 8. To organize rigorous publicity, and also the training programmes/ business meets for various stake holders e.g.
architects, engineers, builders & developers, financial institutions, NGOs, technical institutions, manufactures/suppliers, RWAs etc. so as to involve them actively in meeting the objective of solar city. 9. To generate necessary funds from State Govt. and other funding organizations for achieving the objective of making the city as “Solar City”. Benefits of the schemes of Govt. of India will also be taken in meeting the objectives. 10. To achieve targets set by the City Council/Administration for reducing consumption of electricity through renewable energy and energy conservation devices during five years of implementations for developing their city as Solar City. Annexure-IV Format for submission of proposals for Solar City/Pilot Solar City/Model Solar City: 1. City Information City Name City Population (2001 Census) Present Population estimated Area (Sq Km) No of Wards Regional setting and connectivity (Air, Rail and Road) Economic Base of City Any other information 2. Implementing agency/organization Name of Local Body Organization (Please mention) Municipal Corporation/ Municipal Council / /Municipality Contact Person Complete Address with e-mail Telephone: Fax: Email Address and Website: 3. City Leadership and Commitment Please describe briefly enclose separate sheet for details Details of initiatives already taken by City Council/Administration in promoting energy conservation and renewable energy devices. Any regulatory measures taken on adoption of energy conservation and renewable energy devices. Exemplary initiatives taken in energy conservation /renewable energy by the private sector Local/State Institutions (academic/research institutions), corporate organizations, architects, NGOs, energy auditors, consultants etc. who can contribute in the initiative Political commitment to the project Can city establish and support a local expert group including administrators (state/local) relevant organizations/ institutions, politicians, consultants, utilities, information centres, etc.(provide information in detail) Commitment about the funds to be provided by Municipal Corporation/SNA/state/local Govt. Activity Plan and Budget (Please describe briefly enclose separate sheet for details) Amount sought from MNRE as per the provision of scheme. Amount to be contributed by proposing agency Action Plan for utilization of funds Time period for preparation and submission of Master Plan to the Ministry after sanctioning of the proposal Any other
infomation Expression of Interest On behalf of ……………………………………………………… we express our interest for joining the Solar Cities program of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt of India. Signature with Official Stamp (Head of City Council/ Administration)
energy auditors, consultants etc. who can contribute in the initiative Political commitment to the project: Can Townships/Campus establish and support a local expert group including administrators (state/local) relevant organizations/ institutions, politicians, consultants, utilities, information centres, etc.: Yes/ No Activity Plan and Budget (Please describe briefly enclose separate sheet for details)
Annexure-V (Format for submission of proposals for Small Townships/Campuses for preparation of a Master Plan/DPR including the action plan for renewable energy installations, green campus development, awareness generation and training): 1. Townships/Campus Information Townships/Campus Name Townships/Campus Population Area (Sq Km) No of Wards/Colonies/Sectors Regional setting and connectivity (Air, Rail and Road) Economic Base of Townships/Campus 2. Implementing agency/organization Name of Local Body Organization (Please mention) Municipal Corporation/ Municipal Council / /Municipality/Developer /Builder/Institution Contact Person Complete Address with e-mail Telephone: Fax: Email Address and Website: 3. Townships/Campus Leadership and Commitment (Please describe briefly enclose separate sheet for details) Details of initiatives already taken by Townships/Campus/Council/Administration in promoting renewable energy and energy conservation. Any regulatory measures taken on adoption of renewable energy and energy conservation devices Exemplary initiatives taken in renewable energy/ energy conservation by the private sector Local/State Institutions (academic/research institutions), corporate organizations, architects, NGOs,
Amount sought from MNRE as per the provision of scheme. Action Plan for utilization of funds for Master Plan/DPR including Action Plan & PERT Chart, Awareness Generation and Training Time period for preparation and submission of Master Plan to the Ministry after sanctioning of the proposal Financial Commitment of the Township/Campus for setting up of renewable energy projects/systems/devices Commitment for adopting National Rating System for Green Buildings like GRIHA Expression of Interest On behalf of ……………………………………………………… we express our interest for joining the Solar Township/Campus program of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of India. Signature with Official Stamp (Head of the Township/Campus)
Conclusion The Indian Solar Cities Programme has the potential to drastically reduce energy consumption in cities across India. Through partnerships with numerous stakeholders, cities are identifying the most promising opportunities for EE and RE technology installations. By acting on these findings and installing these measures, the cities can help the government reach its aggressive goals to install 14,000 MW of RE technologies during the years 2007-2012 and to deploy 20,000 MW of grid-connected solar power by 2022 as well as 2,000 MW of off-grid solar applications through the National Solar Mission. (Source: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of India, New Delhi)
Ramanathan Menon has more than three decades of experience as a journalist and a writer on Energy and Environment subjects, interacting with energy sectorsboth conventional as well as non-conventionalin India and abroad. In the Eighties, he was the Bahrain Correspondent for 'Middle East Electricity' magazine published by Reeds, U.K. He also worked as the Media Manager (India) for Washington, DCbased publication 'Business Times' which promotes India's commercial interests in North America. He was also the editor and publisher of 'Sun Power', a quarterly renewable energy magazine. He also worked as the Sub-Editor-Media Manager for a quarterly energy/environment magazine titled 'energynmanager' published by The Society of Energy Engineers and Managers from Kerala. Currently he is the editor and publisher of a bi-monthly energy and environment magazine 'Energy Blitz'. His contact email address: moothedathramanathan@gmail.com / editor.energyblitz@gmail.com
25
The Coimbatore Corporation is moving towards the status of a “Solar-City” wells. Coimbatore Corporation has already made a beginning to tap wind power energy and solar energy at its Mettupalayam Road bus stand. Corporation has a 3 kw wind power generator and 0.5 kw solar PV panels. This initiative has helped the Corporation meet the energy needs of 36 of the 72 lights and 15 fans at the Mettupalayam Road bus stand.
The Coimbatore Corporation is moving towards the status of a “Solar city”, which is aimed at reducing the conventional energy consumption by a minimum of 10% at the end of five years, through a combination of enhancing supply from renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures. The initiative will get funding from the Centre. The project planning and implementation is being closely monitored by Mayor S.M.Velusamy and Corporation Commissioner T.K. Ponnusamy. A total of 60 cities and towns are selected for “Solar City” initiative and Coimbatore is the only city from Tamil Nadu. Cities with up to 50 lakh population are chosen for this project. Relaxation on the population criterion has been done for the thinly populated North Eastern and hill States. A master plan for Solar City initiative is in the final stages. It has as the baseline the energy consumption during 2008 and forecasts the energy demand in 2013 and 2018. The plan will have sector-wise action plan for implementation of renewable energy projects so as to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Areas of energy consumption, avenues for efficiency, tapping renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass, small hydro and power from waste will be the top agenda of the solar city programme, says C. Sellakrishnan, Project coordinator for Solar City. With the Corporation area having been expanded, the civic body has now taken up 26,520 street lights from the added areas. It already has 37,753 street lights in the earlier city limits. Currently, the civic body's power bill is around Rs. 4.2 crore and maintenance is Rs. 3 crore. With the expanded city area, the power charges are likely to cross a whopping Rs 10 crore mark.
26
The Corporation is now pushing the renewable energy agenda after the contractor for street lights maintenance could not ensure the projected energy conservation. There are 827 borewells in the corporation area and the energy audit on the 3 MW to 5 MW submersible pumps in two wards carried out by International Council for Local Environment Initiatives had indicated that 25 to 55% improvement was possible in these borewells and the recommendations are under implementation in 18 bore
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission office in the Corporation main office building, a 45 KVA energy saver for reducing 15% of the consumption of power for airconditioners, computers and lights. Now Corporation has plans to emulate the same example at Gandhipuram, Ukkadam and Singanallur bus stands to reduce demand on conventional energy.
Agartala to be Northeast India's first solar city "Agartala city would be the first 'solar city' in northeast India within the next few years," Tripura's Urban Development Minister Manik Dey said after inaugurating a 50 kilowatt solar power plant at the Agartala Municipal Council head office. He said: "Solar power is the sustainable and viable energy for both cities and remote areas. Electricity crisis would not be solved in the country unless we use non-conventional energy like solar power in a big way." An official of the Agartala Municipal Council said a master plan of Rs.452.32 crore has been undertaken to make Agartala a 'solar city'. The union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) would bear 90% of the cost and the remaining would be borne by the Tripura government. As part of the master plan, solar hot water systems would be installed in all hotels, nursing homes, school hostels, government circuit houses and bungalows, hospitals and health centres, tourist lodges, temples and the governor's residence. According to the official, the Agartala solar city project is part of MNRE's plan to turn 60 Indian cities into solar cities. "The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Authority (TREDA) and urban development department, in association with MNRE, would implement the ambitious scheme," the official added. The city's street lights and other lights in public places would also be operated on solar energy. "Theft of battery and solar panel is a major problem facing the authorities in implementing the solar electrification programme," Tripura's Science, Technology and Environment Minister Joy Gobinda Debroy said. The minister said 700 hamlets and 50 villages in remote areas in the northeastern state have already been provided solar energy, benefiting more than 35,000 families, mostly tribals. "Solar energy would also be provided to hundreds of more remote villages in the state under the remote village electrification (RVE) scheme during the current financial year," the minister said. According to Debroy, through the TREDA, 80,000 solar
lanterns have been distributed among poor people residing in urban as well as rural areas in Tripura. Over 66,000 small and medium hot water plants have been installed across Tripura. "To popularise 'solar energy', lakhs of speciallydesigned 'solar caps' and 'solar torches' would be distributed among students in the state," he stated. Of India's 60 proposed solar cities, eight cities have been identified in the northeastern region by MNRE. The cities include Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh, Agartala in Tripura, Guwahati and Jorhat in Assam, Aizawl in Mizoram, Imphal in Manipur and Kohima and Dimapur in Nagaland.
Karnataka may get first solar city If everything goes as planned, Karnataka will soon be housing India's first solar city according to its Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar as the state is aiming to add 200MW of solar energy by 2016. "The state has a capacity ranging between 4.5 and 7 kWh per sqm . We are looking at establishing the country's first solar city in Karnataka . We shall adopt the Gujarat model of using irrigation canals to install solar panels ," Shettar said . The CM was speaking at the inaugural session of Solarcon 2012, an exhibition-cum-conference , which showcased solar photovoltaic (PV) sector in the state . "At least $200 million of the total $500m that we have financed in the solar PV sector is from India", said Anita M George, director for infrastructure in Asia, International.
Delhi soon to join solar city club, calls for proposals Delhi will soon join the list of solar cities. Recently, the New Delhi Municipal Council floated tenders inviting proposals from consultants for the solar city project. Officials say a consultant will be appointed soon. "We are in the process of appointing a consultant for the solar city project. For this project we have got all the necessary approvals from the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE). The consultant will get six months to prepare the master plan for the solar city," said Amit Prasad, spokesperson, NDMC. The main aim of the solar city project is to bring down the total non-renewable energy consumption by 5%. "While preparing the master plan, the consultant will take into account the expected increase in power consumption over the next 10 years. We plan to put up solar panels for water heating and generation of electricity," said an official. Once the master plan is ready, it will become mandatory for all buildings in the NDMC area to install solar panels. The civic agency is mulling of directly using the electricity generated from the solar panels in all its buildings. "Instead of storing it in batteries, we will connect the electricity generated from solar panels to the main electricity
supply. This will also bring down the load on the grid," said an official. "We had a pre-bid discussion with some of the consultants who have applied for the project on Tuesday. The consultants will prepare a master plan proposal after studying the group situation. In Delhi, we don't have much land, so we have to make good use of the rooftops. The consultant will also work out a budget for the project," said an NDMC official. The civic agency has received Rs 50 lakh for the project from the MNRE. Once the master plan for solar city is ready, the civic agency will submit it to the ministry for final approval. Officials are hopeful that the work on the project will start by next year.
China's 'Solar City,' Baoding, rushes to catch clean energy boom Solar panels jut out of streetlights in China's self-proclaimed Clean Energy City. Tiny wind turbines twirl atop public buildings. Schools are due to teach students about "green living." In the scramble to profit from demand for clean energy, this city southwest of Beijing is promoting itself as a manufacturing center for solar, wind and other gear by transforming into a living showcase of environmental technology. "Baoding is following a path of ecological civilization," a deputy mayor, Zhou Xingshi, told a group of visiting reporters. Baoding illustrates the intensity of Chinese government efforts to profit from rising global demand for clean energy. Communist leaders are promoting solar, wind and hydropower to curb surging demand for imported oil and gas and see technology exports as a route to cleaner growth and higher-paid jobs. Chinese utility companies are required to install wind turbines and Beijing has promised to pay part of the cost of solar equipment a strategy that is driving the rapid growth of Baoding and other supply centers. China led the world in clean energy investment last year at $54.4 billion, up 39% from 2009, according to a recent past report by the Pew Charitable Trust.
27
wind equipment. Yingli and other Chinese solar suppliers have long competed in global markets because their equipment was too expensive for domestic use. Chinese makers of wind gear are only starting to expand abroad but some domestic producers already are among the world's biggest due to their vast home market.
Worldwide, investment rose 30% to $243 billion. Baoding, 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the Chinese capital in the table-flat farmland of Hebei province, started billing itself as a renewable energy center in 2002 after the success of Yingli Green Energy Co., a local startup founded in 1987 that grew into a major supplier of solar panels. City leaders officially declared Baoding a "Clean Energy City" in 2006.
28
The Chinese government says it wants at least 15% of the country's power to come from renewable sources by 2020. It is spending heavily on grants and other aid to propel technology development. "The Chinese government is very supportive of the green market," said Liansheng Miao, Yingli's founder and chairman. In a sign of high-level endorsement, Yingli received a 36 billion yuan ($5.5 billion) line of credit last year from state-owned China Development Bank. Miao rejected what he said was the notion that Yingli, a private company with shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, succeeds due to government support. "I am an entrepreneur, not a state-owned entity, so the government would not help me," he said at a news conference. "What we compete on is our innovation and cost structure."
Today, Baoding has two government research labs and 170 companies that produce clean power equipment. They include Zhonghang Huiteng Windpower Equipment Co., one of the biggest makers of wind turbine blades. Other fields targeted by Baoding for development include batteries and power transmission.
Yingli's CFO, Li Zongwei, said it has yet to receive any money from the China Development Bank and will have to submit individual projects to obtain loans. Li said such projects are conducted on "commercial terms." Other companies in Baoding say business is booming.
Baoding's clean energy companies had 45 billion yuan ($7 billion) in revenue last year, according to the city government. It says the local industry should grow by 30% a year through 2016. Local authorities work closely with companies, organizing job fairs, providing training and helping to recruit employees through local schools. Companies also are attracted by Baoding's "funding resources," said Lian Shujun, deputy director of the Baoding National New and High-Tech Industrial Development Zone.
A wind turbine factory owned by China Guodian Corp., one of China's biggest power generators, expects to sell 1,100 units this year, nearly double 2009's level of 600, said the factory's deputy general manager, Wang Hongbin.Wang said all of his factory's output of 1.5-megawatt turbines was sold in China, but Guodian also has announced plans to expand to the United States by supplying units for a power project in Corpus Christi, Texas. “Production definitely will increase," Wang said, standing beside rows of 130-foot-long (40-meter-long) turbine blades in wooden cradles outside the factory, awaiting delivery to power companies.
Lian gave no details but Chinese companies in favored industries can receive government support ranging from tax breaks and low-interest loans to free rent in business parks. Such support has prompted complaints by Beijing's trading partners that the government is improperly subsidizing Chinese companies and hampering market access. The U.S. government said this month Beijing agreed to rescind some policies that American officials said amounted to subsidies to makers of wind turbines. China already is the world's biggest producer of solar and
Other city government efforts to promote clean energy include installing 110 solar-powered traffic lights, according to Lian, the industrial zone official. New buildings are required to use solar-powered water heaters. Baoding's city government launched a joint effort with the environmental group WWF in 2008 to share information on city planning and technology and to develop environmental education programs. "All citizens in Baoding will be taught about `green living'," he said, "starting with elementary school students."
The World's First Solar City
An enviro-utopia may be on its way. The city of Abu Dhabi, the World Wildlife Federation, and English architects Foster + Partners have recently revealed plans for a 3.5-mile car-free walled city near Abu Dhabi. The planned Masdar City, which means "the source" in Arabic, will be the home to some 47,500 residents. The WWF and the city of Abu Dhabi released ten sustainability concepts including sustainable transport, local food, culture and heritage, and fair trade. The WWF will monitor Masdar City's eco-performance. According to Treehugger, Masdar City is to be multi-level, with a light rail on one level moving people in and out of the city with pedestrians at ground level. In addition to solar power, wind turbines and waste-to-energy plants will be employed to generate power. Masdar City's electricity will be generated by photovoltaic panels, while cooling will be provided via concentrated solar power, according to a press release on The Masdar Initiative
website. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant. Landscaping within the city and crops grown outside the city will be irrigated with grey water and treated waste water produced by the city's water treatment plant. Buildings are not to be taller than five stories and streets no wider than ten feet. Rooftops will be covered with solar generators and the walls around the city will diminish the desert heat and noise from airplanes at nearby Abu Dhabi International airport. All this comes with a hefty price tag: $15 billion in funding from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai seeks more PV in energy mix with confirmation of 1GW solar park The managing director and CEO of Dubai Electricity &
29
Water Authority (DEWA), Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, has confirmed plans to build a 1GW solar park in Dubai while speaking at MENA Renewable Energy Forum. He confirmed plans to invest US$3.27 billion in building one of the largest solar parks in the region a 1GW PV facility. A specific location has not been disclosed. The facility, known as Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, is expected to be completed by 2030. The first phase involves the construction of a 13MW PV plant which is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2013.
Al Tayer also highlighted at the forum that distributed rooftop solar power sources may account for 20% of Dubai's electricity needs by 2030. Dubai is currently looking to reduce its energy consumption from non-renewable sources and has turned its eye to renewable energy sources including solar power. As cited by gulfnes.com, Al Tayer explained, “By 2030, Dubai's average energy growth is projected to be in the range of four to five per cent per annum and our target, under the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, is to reduce energy consumption by 30% through the implementation of enhanced energyefficient initiatives and, by the same token, to significantly reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide,�
30
As part of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy, which was implemented in January 2011, the country is hoping to diversify its energy mix with around 5% coming from
renewable energy including solar power. Shirdi awarded 'Solar City' status Appreciating and encouraging the efforts of using alternative energy in Shirdi City in Maharashtra, the Union Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE)`in last March, awarded Shirdi the status of 'Solar City.' The Ministry also gave away the first prize to Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust`Shirdi, for the new and renewable energy projects undertaken on the State level.
The MNRE would also be giving Rs.50 crore to Shirdi City in the next 5 years, to be utilised jointly by the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust and the Shirdi Nagar Panchayat, for further developing Shirdi City into a Solar City. Alternative Energy Projects undertaken by the Shri Sai Baba Sansthan Trust: 1) In 2009, it installed the world's biggest Solar Cooking system at the Shri Sai Prasadalaya`Shirdi, thus, saving huge amount of funds used for cooking. 2) It installed on its own, a 1.25 MW (megawatt) windmill power project in Bhorepathar village of the district. 3) Under-construction: Installing the world's largest solar water heating system which would provide 5 lakh litres of hot water per day to the pilgrims visiting Shirdi.
Eight stunning examples of Solar Architecture By Bryan Nelson, Clean Tech, Galleries, Solar “There's a lot more that goes into solar architecture than just strapping solar panels to the outside of a building. Green architects with an eye for solar also need to think of things like how to maximize exposure to the sun, how best to design a structure that comfortably distributes heat, and how to do it all without sacrificing any of the aesthetics that are so important to design�
More and more, architects are stretching the limits of solar technology, and it's becoming increasingly important for the homes, buildings, stadiums, skyscrapers and cities of the future to be energy-independent and sustainable. In fact, you might say that solar architecture is on the verge of a golden age; Many of the world's most spectacular structures in development today utilize solar energy in some way. Here's just a small sampling: 8 shining wonders of modern solar architecture. It's one thing to build an energy independent home or building, it's another thing to build an entire settlement that produces more energy than it consumes. That's exactly what the designers at Rolf Disch have done with the Solar City in Freiburg, Germany.
The rooftops of the settlement's buildings consist of large photovoltaic panels all pointed in the perfect direction, but they also act as sun shades. So while the sun beats down on their roofs, residents underneath alternatively enjoy cool temperatures. The solar community is anchored to Sonnenschiff, or the Sun Ship, a commercial building which is another marvel of solar architecture. In fact, Sonnenschiff was the first positive energy commercial building ever built.
Solar City Tower - Brazil 2016 Olympic Games The Olympic Games continue to move on towards energy eOlympics Games. Moving under this influence, we could talk about 2016 Rio de Janeiro, Olympic Games, and their Solar City Tower. The 2016 Olympics organizers are now developing what could be one of the most iconic buildings of any Olympic Games, a tower capable of generating energy by using a hybrid solar-water system, that will offer power to the Olympic Village and part of city.
31
Solar City Tower: 2016 Olympics The Solar City Tower, an extraordinary structure that will rise hundreds of feet into the air, was designed by world famous RAFAA Architectural firm. The Zurich-based design firm has designed a 105 meters tall structure that will function as a solar power generator during the day, and will run as a hydropower generator and power storage unit at night.
could represent the nation's role as a green leader in the 21st century--all while contributing to it with its sustainable features. The Solar Tower has conceptualized after an architectural completion held by the 2016 Olympic Games Organizers. The structure will be located near the obligatory approach for aircraft landing and will comprise a vertical structure which will seek to become a symbol for those arriving in Rio de Janeiro. Solar City Tower: RAFAA Architectural Firm RAFAA design studio, is located in Switzerland, is dedicated to deal with new techniques, inventions and designs by research. The studio was founded by Rafael Schmidt in 2008, having an architectural master's degree from ETH Zurich, and he has been working since 2001 for important firms such as Zaha Hadid and Foster & Partners. The collaboration with different artists such as photographers, composers or curators is a further key element. Some of the prestigious projects of RAFAA are Danish Dermatological Development, Frankfurt, Solar City Tower, Rio de Janeiro, Residence, Langstrasse, Zurich, New Bike Share System, Copenhagen, Memorial, Atlantic City, etc.
Solar City Tower will provide a spectacular show when ocean water will be pumped through the turbines, generating power and bringing an impressive water fall effect, as amazing as any Vegas Show. Furthermore, it this amazing structure has not impressed you, then you must look it closer: by bungee jumping from the tower's 90th floor, where a platform will be built to challenge all of those daredevils' fans.
Commissioned for Mumbai, India, the Cybertecture Egg is an impressive feat of sustainable architecture. The concept for the structure was originally inspired “by considering the world as an ecosystem allowing life to evolve,� according to its designers at James Law Cybertecture International. The eggy shape of the office building isn't just for show; the design also utilizes passive solar design, which serves to regulate temperatures within the building by decreasing heat gain and lowering energy loads. Gardens are also incorporated throughout the building to provide both shade and a natural aesthetic. This includes an elevated garden at the egg's upper 'tip,' which also assists in cooling the building.
The 2016 Olympic Games Iconic Tower will also have solar panels covering the outside of the tower, used to provide additional power to some of the Olympic Venues and the Olympic Village. Part of the energy produce by the solar panels will also be used to pump the seawater to the tower top. Solar City Tower Additional Features The solar city tower main attraction should be the waterfall, called by RAFAA a 'symbol for the forces of nature', however, the structure will have an amphitheater, auditorium, shops and other attractive retailers. The 2016 Olympic Tower will provide additional observation decks, on different floors, offering stunning breathtaking Rio de Janeiro's view. Long distance observation can be done from the observation deck on level +98.0. The urban balcony is situated at the top of the tower 105 meters above sea level. The designer thinks that by developing this towering structure, should serve as a game changing strategy to redefine sustainable urban design. Solar City Tower Location
32
The Solar City Tower will be located in one of the islands in Guanabara Bay, able to offer the most dramatic Brazilian skyline views. This structure will be at a par as the city's iconic Christ the Redeemer, a statue that resembles the Brazilian community around the world. The Solar City Tower
The building is powered using solar panels and rooftop wind turbines, and it can even harvest its own water for garden irrigation. Dubai is known for its outlandish, futuristic architecture, but the emirate's latest architectural trend is sustainable design. Few structures exemplify this more than the Vertical Village, designed by the architects at Graft Lab. The structure's solar panel arrays sparkle in the scorching Dubai sun, but the real genius of the Vertical Village's design lies in how everything is positioned to keep the building cool while maximizing solar capture at the same time. Each of the jettisoning 'walls'
Designed by Toyo Ito, the energy production of Kaohsiung National Stadium is enough to power 3,300 lights and two jumbo vision screens. Perhaps most impressive, the stadium takes just 6 minutes to power up completely.Since games aren't played inside the stadium everyday, the building is transformed into a power plant during its 'off' days, capable of meeting almost 80 percent of the neighboring area's energy requirements. Christened as the largest solar-powered building in the world, this building erected in Dezhou, China was designed to look
that hang over the structure's base point their panels at the sun while also being perfectly placed to provide shade. Solar architecture doesn't just have to fill the skylines of foreign cities; it could also soon be coming to North America. Check out this design for a Solar Tower in Chicago by Zoka Zola Architects. This skyscraper is almost completely shielded by sun-tracking solar panels which rotate like sunflowers to follow the sun throughout the day.
Solar power station in Spain that works at night too!!
like a sun dial. The structure also served as the apropos venue for the 4th World Solar City Congress. The building is also designed to provide 30 percent more energy savings than the national standard by utilizing advanced roof and wall insulation.
The panels are carefully positioned to provide shade for the building's floors but not to obstruct the view. According to its designers, this tower's “cosmo-bio-logical skin” could have the power to produce “new and intensified experiences and awareness” for the citizens of Chicago. Stadiums are almost always massive energy hogs, and usually make for poor examples of sustainable architecture. One exception to the rule, however, is this spectacular, dragon-shaped arena in Taiwan, which generates 100 percent of its electricity from the solar panels lining its exterior.
Created for Za'abeel Park in Dubai, this stunning tower designed by architect Robert Ferry would not only provide its own energy, but more than enough energy to run the rest of Za'abeel Park too. The design includes 224 large heliostatic polished mirrors, positioned on the tower's top platform, that rotate to track the sun. The mirrors then reflect brilliant beams of light into a central collector at the tower's tip. This magnified sunlight would then be used to generate steam to power a turbine. The tower would also provide the venue for a cultural center. An observation platform near the top would offer fantastic views. 'Almesian' is actually the Arabic name for one of the brightest stars in the sky from the Gemini constellation. It's a fitting name for a tower that would surely be recognizable from great distances thanks to the sunlight beaming at its tip.
33
Large and sustainable solar photovoltaic generators by using the roof-top of industry sheds for energy security during daytime By Praveen Kumar Kulkarni Residential Roof top projects with few private EPC companies are being mooted / realised in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat, which is a welcome initiative with few PILOT cases and their results. While supporting MNCs in INDIA before, I had envisioned this aspect of the usage of the roof top of these large manufacturing units can be put to best use for solar
in a haphazard way and then invests more to correct the flawed system..... thus, we remain as copy cats, instead, my drive is to collect data, bring transparency, allow a business case to be formed with low cost mechanism and insist to adopt that as a POLICY with an open business plan to promote new entrepreneurs, thus, INDIAN citizen gets the benefit of low cost energy generation, instead of allowing only few corporate or industrialist to make money..... Important: FIT (Feed In Tariff) or letting out roof surface area to third party (as is the case with residential roof top system) or such initiatives will increase or load common man, which must be avoided at all costs. With a good technology deployment mind set to use the DC power and then judiciously convert to AC power as per the need of the factory between 7 am to 6 pm be planned.
Image: Roof-top solar energy system PV power generation, with the falling prices of PV component, the surface area of roof top of such useful industrial SHEDs (mostly at 11 deg. to 16 deg. inclination) can be used (subject to structural design sustainability with design verification and validation for each location). Few of large factories like Alstom, Areva, ABB, L & T, ESSAR, Refineries, Ports, Auto giants, Steel plants, etc. in Gujarat / India can even house the PV panels equivalent to 4 MW / single location or more due to such large and useful roof top surface / exposed area. It would be a good idea to collect the data on available surface area i.e. roof top area of such large factories, steel plants, port or process industries located in GUJARAT / INDIA where solar irradiation can be best utilized with an effective planning to harness solar PV energy generation. No policy exists as of now to stop them using their own roof for their internal benefits, considering tariff escalation for commercial purpose in the decade to come... However, Government can provide necessary and modest FISCAL incentives to promote Solar PV power generation while allowing the factory for their captive consumption. Thus, promote the idea of Solar Generators!
34
The difference between INDIA and USA or other Western Country is: Capitalist idea based corporate creates a business opportunity and tries to scale up at fast speed (their Government administration allows quick action, even in Singapore, too) for its FIRST HUGE MARGINS, but, the “NEITHER Socialist nor Capitalist INDIA� (believes in borrowing at low cost through IREDA, but, allows middle men / institutions to make more percentage and charge high interest rate for debt funds which are secured at low costs, which is against socialism !) makes small trial after WEST takes initiative
The idea is to replace the consumption of Diesel (reduction in Import of Oil, Subsidy removal, promotion of cleantech) in DG or Gas or Coal during these hours by switching to Solar PV in a phased manner so that Production does not get interrupted during the operation or during the erection of the PV panel above the roof (i.e. no production down time or interruption or no damage to the existing structure of the factory sheds). Indicative figures (only for reference): The COG of Rs..4 to 5/kwh (Cost of Generation without ROE) with high equity with sample project cost of Rs. 6 Crore and 7.5 Crore/MW can be realized today. Less land usage (Electrics item location only), not much of additional structures, improved cabling through existing Cable trays route / supports, learned maintenance team available will be able to bring down the costs further. Joint awareness is necessary to promote solar PV power generation on Factory roof top so that Industry owners can come forward in bringing down the carbon emission (not just by buying the certificates or energy like what Torrent is doing, but, need to support them to invest in Solar Generators !), but, with a real participation. This will enable business creation and employment generation within the existing units with a good awareness of CLEAN TECH initiatives on Climate change with a business case (no charity please). Corporate Social Responsibility: Please note that many industries were given the land at very cheap price by the government (which belongs to public), now, it is the time to ask these industrialists to invest in Solar PV power generation to reduce the pressure on the grid, so that villages can be supplied with power in the day time. Excess power, if generated, with little mark up price on COG can be sold to Utility companies with good FISCAL incentives as "The business is no charity" and "Common man need not support solar PV generation through his nose" always with high
tariff being supported by Government as it will not be sustainable due to high budget deficit. There is always a scope for improvement on business numbers with a good intent and with a positive outlook at the India's foot print on Global climate change in an economical way with long term sustainability for its socioeconomic objectives with a clear business plan with increased stake holder participation with a great transparency at all levels with the necessary education. There is a Large Scope for roof top energy generation by the industries to relieve grid pressure during production hours. Roof top use on RESIDENTIAL ROOF in the other parts of the world are not successful (it may even increase corrupt practice of meter adjustments etc) as the rent to be paid and the real energy generation, non feasibility to connect the generated power to GRID due to Grid failures (in INDIA “No Power in Grid� is very frequent, hence, it may lead to manipulation or corrupt practices) and its monitoring / review are expensive and no transparency and may lead to wrong business practices..... It is better to collect the data of large and usable roof surfaces of Industry (which will run into 100s of MW solar PV power generation opportunity through Industry roofs) in each state and publish in the MNRE website officially to evolve a good business case, where the industry owner may like to hire good EPC company and maintain it as Solar PV may be their non-core business area. Please note that we need to use the Land for accommodating the Solar PV wherever possible, with a distributed Generation concept to reduce the oil import..... we can use the day power of Solar PV to the maximum along with day peak requirement, thus, for night power or peaking requirement (when solar PV power is not available), then, we can use other resources.
This can be a good solution along with hybrid power mix with SMART GRID metering to reduce the power theft and to improve the load side demand management very efficiently. Many Auto Industries are finding their place in Gujarat at a low cost land, which is a welcome point as the Government is a good facilitator. In order to ensure, future energy security, let the roof of these industry shed be designed (before giving them approval for their structures) to be Solar PV panels mounting compliant, so that in future these industries can deploy solar PV Generators to promote renewable energy, reduce coal or oil import due to grid power usage, thus, contribute to Current account deficit too. This shall apply to steel plants which are investing CAPEX for their capacity expansion etc. MECON / CET / SAIL / Dastur co. etc, may please be informed accordingly to incorporate in the structural designs in future. Though it may increase the cost of steel a bit, in principle, but it can be cost effectively designed, however for having secured government land (public property), the industry needs to give back to the society in the form of promotion for clean tech energy generation to reduce oil usage and thereby pollution related issues. It is also an endeavor to use the land for multi-purpose i.e. set up auto / steel industry + Power generation (be it captive or surplus). Let all new Industry sheds (structures) be, as a mandatory, implement structures to house future PV panels, through an ordinance (if need be). Let the CAPEX for Solar PV generator be provided after the internal accruals, but, we will be reserving the space (most precious land) for future PV energy generation as a sustainable energy development plan.
The author is a Gold Medalist from SLN College of Engineering, Gulbarga University. Industrial work experience over 23 years with PSU, MNCs. He had worked for: Tungabharda Steel Products Ltd, Hospet from 1988 to 1995. Executed engineering of 21 Hydro Mechanical Equipment projects. Deputed to Japan for 5 months as part of UNIDO program to become JICA participant-1994. He introduced CAD in TSPL with software programs for design of Gates, Hoists and Cranes. He was deputed to TSPL Hyderabad branch to assist business development of Steel Plant Equipments. With SMS Demag India Ltd, German MNC), he engineered Steel Melt Shop equipments of Jindal Vijay Nagar Steel Plant. Apart from being the Head of Secondary refining equipments viz VD, VOD, RH, RHOB, SMS equipments, he supported the pre-bid and business development activities thru ICB of SMS Demag Secondary refining equipments. Visited SMS Demag, Duisburg on company assignments. ALSTOM Portugal / India (French MNC) hired him as a Consultant and Part of Management team to launch Hydro Mechanical Equipment in India in their Baroda factory. Prepared Business plans, Export support (1ME,Owenfalls ,Uganda), tendering support to realize and launch Omkareshwar Project. Visited ALSTOM Lisbon, France, Grenoble on assignments and important missions. He was a Project Manager of Omkareshwar HME (24 ME) and as Implementation Manager to rebuild (15ME) Alstom Baroda factory to manufacture Hydro turbines, Generators and HME to cater to their Indian and Export Markets. He visited USA, Russia for special equipment evaluations, purchase and installations. He was the Project Director of Nam Ngum, Laos HME project (10ME). Established KK NESAR PROJECT PRIVATE LIMITED to execute renewable energy projects on EPC basis with a collaborative business approach with Indian specific needs. His contact email: praveenkulkarni@kknesar.com
35
India's First & Unique “Green Ashram” at the Solar Capital of India Gujarat A model & multiplier for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Community By Urvish Dave It's been very late arrival of Monsoon in most of the parts of Gujarat by now. Also since past two days there has been news of continual power failure in the Northern Grid of India affecting almost entire 13 states of India, more than the entire population of the EU. The combined northern and eastern grids serves and affects about the life of approximately 600 million people. The power failure on both the days has raised serious concerns about India's
This photo voltaic solar plant generates 13 KW peak power and provides electricity and lighting to the 400 residential students.
outdated infrastructure and the government's inability to meet the country's energy needs as it vies to become a regional economic superpower. Also on 30th there was a good debate on this topic on one of the news channel with panel members including Dr R K Pachauri, Director General, TERI who specifically emphasized on increasing the efficiency of the power plants of India, reducing T&D losses and to rely more and more on the Renewable Energy Sources in order to maintain the overall progress that India has targeted. India's demand for electricity has soared along with its economy in recent years, but utilities have been unable to meet the growing needs. India's Central Electricity Authority reported power deficits of more than 8% in recent months. Still One-third of India's households do not have enough electricity to power a light bulb, according to last year's census. Fortunately things are very different in the Solar State of India “GUJARAT” in terms of power crises and very much more different and unique at “Muni Seva Ashram (MSA)”or the “Green Ashram” as it is popularly known which is situated at Goraj, almost 30 kms from Baroda city. Besides nurturing about 700 MW of Solar Power Plant including Asia's Largest Solar Park Gujarat also is home to one of its kind of Ashram in India where probably you would witness deployment of all the RE Technologies at one single location !!!! Luckily I got a chance to visit the
36
MSA and interact with Shri Deepak Gadhia, a leading technocrat and a pioneer in the field of Solar and Renewable Energy in India and has earned international recognition for his accomplishments over the last 30 years. Among his accomplishments are: Development of the first solar steam cooking system in India. Installed the worlds' largest steam cooking system, producing upto 35,000 meals per day Installed the highest altitude steam cooking system in Ladakh, producing 500 meals per day in -40°C temperature conditions Installed the world's first & largest solar powered airconditioning system (100 ton system) for the Kailash Cancer Hospital (MSA), in Goraj India using Scheffler Concentrators. Development of a 400m3 biogas generation, treatment and bottling facility used for community cooking at the Muni Seva Ashram Recognised by the Clinton Global Initiative Foundation for outstanding work in the areas of renewable energy & much more At present he mentors and supports many start-ups like Excellent Renewable Pvt Ltd > a Biogas company and GreenForce Enviro Pvt. ltd a company in Mumbai that offers Green Solutions. He is also Chairman of Gehrlicher Solar India Pvt. Ltd. a JV between Gehrlicher Solar AG of Germany and GreenForce and offers EPC Solutions for MW Solar Parks. He also guides and mentors “The Green India Initiative (TGII)” and gives honorary service as a Trustee at Muni Seva Ashram at Goraj. In the last two decades Muni Seva Ashram has increased its scope of activities by many folds, credit for this exemplary growth goes to Pujya Anuben, for her love for humanity and to Dr. Vikrambhai who integrated education, health care, alternative energy, social services and agriculture to create an Ashram that Mahatma Gandhi would have been truly proud of. He wouldn't have hesitated to move from Sabarmati ashram to the Muni Seva Ashram!. Banter apart; the Ashram is an amazing place and the below description of all the renewable technologies deployed will provide only glimpses of what it is really like. There is no equal to visiting the Ashram. I highly recommend all the readers to visit MSA at least once in life time. Renewables at Ashram Back when the ashram was established in 1980, there was an utter lack of basic infrastructure such as drinking water, sanitation, roads and power. In such situation, alternative energy was not an option, it was a necessity. Thus began the journey to change the status quo by judicious use of appropriate technology and to manage to live in harmony with nature. The ashram has experimented and successfully implemented a
equipment it operates. Ashram has installed a Lithium Bromide based Vapour Absorption Chiller (VAC) refrigeration system that can achieve cooling up to 6 degc. Necessary heat was provided by two bio-boilers of 1.5 ton and 3 ton capacity. The machine required 5000 kg of wood per day.
India's largest Solar air-conditioning plant. (100 TR) using Scheffler Concentrators.
vast assortment of Sustainable solutions and Renewable Energy technologies to meet its needs. The Ashram today relies majorly on the Renewable Energy Technologies to meet its power requirement for High school, Air Conditioning requirement for the state of art cancer hospital and for preparing meals using the renewable energy systems deployed in the ashram premises.
To reduce wood consumption, Ashram has installed a solar steam generating system which employs 100 parabolic dishes for concentrating sun's heat. This allows water to reach a temperature of 180 degc and converts water to steam at 8 to 10 kg/ cm2 pressure. The temperature at the receivers reaches 500o C. For backup purpose, a wood fired boiler is used. This solar steam generating system which generates enough steam to run a 100 TR of air conditioning is world's first and largest commercially executed Solar Air Conditioning System using Scheffler Concentrators. Ashram also has a wood gasifier which burns wood in scarce air and produces carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which is used as fuel in an internal combustion engine to produce electricity for utility.
When Ashram started the residential schools in the 90s, there was no electricity and the students struggled to do their homework. The ashram met the challenge by installing a solar power plant. To cook for its 1200 strong community the Ashram kitchens needed a vast quantity of firewood. The ashram met this challenge by a combination of bio-gas plants and solar dishes for cooking. A thermic fluid based solar cooking system provides adequate temperature to fry, bake or roast in the comfort of kitchen. There are 10 dishes used for solar cooking system. The unique experimental feature of this system is that it uses thermic fluid instead of steam. Thermic fluid provides higher temperature of 200 degc required for frying. Another advantage is that it retains heat for a longer time
Ashram has 650 acres of land at Bakrol farm where there is a large Gaushala with more than 300 cows. The cow-dung is used as fuel for a large scale bio-gas plant. There are three digesters two of 85 cubic metre capacity (floating dome model KVIC) and one 250 cubic metre (fixed dome model). The floating dome digesters are fed with cow dung only and the fixed dome digester is fed with any type of biodegradable waste including kitchen waste. The biogas is scrubbed of CO2, compressed and stored in bottles which are used as fuel in the Atithi Mandir kitchen and also as fuel for a mini truck used by the ashram which runs for 180 km on two bottles (9 kg at 180kg/cm2 pressure each). The slurry which is vermi-composted and used as organic fertilizer in ashram farms.
than water, thus allowing it to be used for night time cooking.
This Bio gas plant provides 1000 meals each day. The gas is cleaned, compressed, bottled and brought to the Atithi canteen in a transport rack. Earlier when the biogas wasn't available, LPG was used. The kitchen required 2 bottles each day. Biogas has reduced dependence on fossil fuel.
The ashram runs a state-of-the-art Cancer hospital. It needs constant air conditioning because of the medical
One of the very unique feature of the Ashram is the installation of World's First and only “Solar Crematorium�.
37
Cremation is the normal practice across India. When a person dies, 200-300 Kg of wood is required to cremate the body.
The waste heat from gas engine will be used for running its vapour absorption chiller for air-conditioning. The ashram is expected to become grid-free in 2012. Ashram also proposes to provide surplus gas to nearby villages for power and gas.” !!!!! MSA truly is India's one of its kind of Green Ashram serving people for their betterment & showcasing a EcoFriendly Energy model that now needs to be deployed universally for humanity to exists…. To k n o w m o r e d e t a i l s a b o u t A s h r a m v i s i t : http://www.greenashram.org/. All of this shows that Renewable Energy Technologies are affordable, scalable and can be deployed even at the grassroots level to meet all the basic energy requirement of human race & also looking at the present energy crises/deficit and increasing Global Climate Change through excessive dependence on conventional sources of energy makes Renewable Energy not a matter of choice now !!!! It's a Compulsion !
Solar Water Heater at various buildings at Ashram Recognizing the need to conserve the wood, ashram installed a 50 Sq meter dish to burn dead bodies. When operational, the system will use biogas as backup and will burn a body in 100 minutes. Besides all of this unique technologies the ashram has also has 76 home lighting systems each lighting 3 CFL. Each panel converts solar radiation to electrical energy which is stored in batteries for later use. Solar Water heater at various ashram buildings are installed of about 8000+ liters capacity in total along with Solar-LED based street lighting's.
I'm often asked whether I believe in Global Warming. I now just reply with the question “Do you believe in Gravity?”-Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Meanwhile for all the Solar Enthusiasts as I mentioned in my previous blog we are going to publish Asia's first Solar PV technology benchmarking report of 700+ MW co-located utility power generation project installed at kutchh, surendranagar, patan and other parts of Gujarat including asia's first solar park at charanka in the state of Gujarat. This Report will display very vital information
Friends, it was a pleasure visiting the Green Ashram and knowing about all the various Renewable Energy Technologies deployed at ashram at one place. Unique !!!! Isn't it ????? Wait….There is more to come…..Future Plan : ”The ashram has planned to setup a 1.2 MW biogas plant which will Solar Water Heater at various buildings at Ashram provide 100% of the energy needs of the ashram. It will provide required for benchmarking like generation data of last three required gas for cooking, compressed gas for operating farm months, rating & capacity, manufacturer & make of the vehicles, electricity for the hospitals and fertilizers for the product used in installation of Solar PV project..Till farms. then….”Think & Grow Green” !
Urvish Dave is working in the Renewable Energy Arena as anIndependent Project Consultant with an expertise and keen focus in Solar Energy Sector viz. Rural Electrification, Grid connected SPP, Off-Grid Solar Projects, Captive power plants, Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) Mechanism, & CDM projects in India along with market intelligence pertaining to renewable energy sector. He holds the distinction of executing numerous Solar projects during the career path including EPC projects for Rural Electrification, Solar Grid Connected Projects, Off-Grid Projects etc. He is a freelance writer and publishes his article regularly on Solar Projects in India via his blog post. For more information on Solar Power Projects in India visit http://urvishdave.wordpress.com/For Consultation & assistance in Renewable Energy Projects and energy efficient product's, write him at urvish08@gmail.com
38
Addressing India's Energy Future: Ending India's Massive Power Grid Outages By Darshan Goswami, M.S., P.E.
Image courtesy: National Post, Canada On July 30th and 31st the world's largest blackout - The Great Indian Outage - stretching from New Delhi to Kolkata occurred. This blackout caused by northern power grid failure had put nearly 700 million people twice the population of the U.S. without electricity. A grid failure of this magnitude has thrown light on the massive demand for power in a country and its struggle to generate much-needed power supply. India aims to expand its power-generation capacity by 44% over the next five years. In June, the country's power generation fell short by 5.8% against a peak-hour demand for 128 gigawatts, according to government data. India is divided into five regional grids, which are all interconnected, except for the southern grid. All the grids are being run by Power Grid, which operates more than about 100,000 kilometers of electricity transmission lines. Serious concerns have been once again raised about the country's growing infrastructure and the disability to meet its energy needs. Government officials have concluded “The grid failed because of the overloading of power,” and contending that “many states” try to take more power than they were allotted from the grid. The country's lack of energy security is a major constraint
to its capacity to generate power. The slow pace of tariff reforms is hindering infrastructure investment at the state level in most parts of the country. The centralized model of power generation, transmission and distribution is growing more and more costly to maintain at current levels to meet the growing energy needs. The blackout and shortage of power are hampering India's economic growth and its capacity for growth. So what can the world's second biggest democracy do to help eliminate such wide-sweeping outages in the future? Government should make an assessment of how best to address the power needs to meet the future growth and prevent such massive power failures. India's power blackout is an opportunity for developing sustainable energy. India urgently needs to develop and deploy large scale renewable energy to end its power grid outages. I have addressed these concerns in my presentation “Renewable Energy Solutions For India A Strategic Development Plan” and in the following published papers: “How Concentrated Solar Power Can Meet India's Future Power Needs,” “Solar Farming Potential in India,” “How To Empower India With Big Solar Energy Plans,” and “Full version: India's solar sunrise - Renewable Energy Focus.” For economic as well as environmental reasons India need to shift to non-polluting renewable sources of energy. Renewable energy is the most attractive investment because it will provide long-term economic growth for India. Decentralized off-grid
39
CPV installation at Nichols Farm in Hanford, California, USA renewable distributed generation sources like solar, wind, hydro, biomass, biogas, geothermal, hydrogen energy and fuel cells are the answers. These sources have the advantage of permitting and empowering people at the grassroots level and offer less need for distribution and transmission with little to no emissions. India should consider developing targets for electrification that include
How solar energy can work for India Solar is the prime free source of inexhaustible energy available to all of us in this universe. India is one of the Sun's most favored nations, blessed with about 5000 TWh of solar insolation every year. Even if a tenth of this potential was utilized, it could mark the end of India's power problems using
Waste to Energy
Wind Farm in Germany
40
Arizona Solar Energy farm
Concentrated Solar Energy Plant
renewable off-grid options and/or renewable powered mini-grids. This will take the substantial electrical load off the existing power grid and also reduce the need for installing additional transmission and distribution systems.
the country's deserts and farm land. India should tap this vast resource to satisfy its growing energy demand and time is of the essence. India could lead the world by embracing the power of the sun, if smart business models and favorable policies are developed and implemented nationwide as quickly as possible.
Deployment of large-scale solar and wind projects are needed to begin a smooth transition off of fossil fuels, and nuclear power that is harming both communities and the environment. India can use renewable energy for meeting all future energy needs because it is sustainable, locally available free of charge, eco-friendly and eliminates global warming.
Solar Energy has the potential to re-energize India's economy by creating millions of new jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce the trade deficit and propel India forward as a “Green Nation.� In short, solar offers too many benefits for India to ignore or delay its development. India imports oil, coal, and natural gas and millions of rupees are spent on it but enormous renewable resources of solar
and wind energy goes to waste because it remains unused. India's present generation capacity is about 186,000 MW. India could potentially increase grid-connected solar power generation capacity to of over 200,000 MW by the year 2030, if adequate resources and favorable policies can be developed. In addition, the wind energy is a viable energy source in India and has a potential to produce over 100,000 MW by 2030. All new energy generation in India could be renewable and all pre-existing energy production could be converted to 100% renewable energy by 2050 while maintaining a reliable power supply, if all available renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, biomass and biogas are properly developed and utilized. The Government of India is taking many measurable steps toward improving infrastructure and power reliability, including the development of renewable energy from solar and wind. But clearly more needs to be done, and fast. One step in the right direction has been the establishing of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), which was launched in late 2009. However, the present JNNSM target of producing 10% of its energy - 20 GW by 2022 is inadequate. JNNSM needs to take bold steps with the help of central and state Governments to play a bigger role in realizing India's solar energy potential. India needs a plan with the same spirit, boldness and the imagination of the Apollo program that put astronauts on the moon. It's just like the case of personal computers, which were very expensive to begin with, but with mass production, the cost has come down dramatically. The technology is well established and available today for solar and wind energy. All that is needed now to make this concept a reality is political commitment and appropriate investments and funding to harness the solar and wind energy resource to reduce the India's dependence on fossil fuels. One step toward achieving this goal would be to start a nationwide solar initiative to facilitating growth in large scale deployment of 100 million solar roofs and large utility-scale generation installations within the next 20 years. India can become a major player and international leader in the solar energy for years to come. Now is the time for the country to make the shift towards more sustainable renewable energy power sources. Here are 10 strategies that can implement, beginning today: First, aggressively expand large-scale deployment of both centralized and distributed renewable energy including solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and geothermal to ease the strain on the present transmission and distribution system and reach more off-grid populations. Facilitate growth in large scale deployment by installing 100 million solar roofs and large utility-scale solar generation of both centralized and distributed energy within the next 20 years. Second, enact a National Renewable Energy Standard/Policy of 20% by 2020 to create demand, new industries and innovation, green jobs, etc.
Third, develop favorable government policies to ease the permitting process and to provide start-up capital to promote the exponential growth of renewable energy. Create and fund a national smart infrastructure bank for renewable energy. Fourth, accelerate local demand for renewable energy by providing preferential Feed-in-Tariffs (FIT) and incentives (e.g., accelerated depreciation; tax holiday; renewable energy fund; initiatives for international partnerships/collaboration incentives for new technologies; facilitate human resource development for solar revolution; zero import duty on capital equipment, raw materials and excise duty exemption; and provide low interest rate loans). Fifth, phase out all energy subsidiaries. Force petroleum products to compete with other fuels, like biomass, biogas, etc. Sixth, accelerate the development and implementation of cost-effective energy efficiency standards to reduce long term demand for energy. Engage states, industrial companies, utility companies, and other stakeholders to accelerate this investment. Seventh, initiate a move to electrify automotive transportation or develop Electric Vehicle (EV) - plug-in hybrids such as the Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt, etc. Develop and implement time-of-day pricing to encourage charging of cars at night. Adopt nationwide charging electric car from solar panels on your roof and solar-powered Electric Vehicle charging stations around the country. Thousands of these solar-powered recharging stations can be sprouted up across India, just like the present public call office (PCO) giving birth to the “Green Revolution.� These recharging connections can be deployed at highly concentrated areas including shopping malls, motels, restaurants, and public places where cars might be parked long enough to get a jolt of needed power for electric vehicles. Eighth, aggressively invest in a smart, two-way grid and micro-grid. Invest in smart meters; reliable networks that can accommodate the two-way flow of electrons, and resilient networks that do not result in cascading blackouts will be in a better position to accommodate the advanced generation technologies of the future. Ninth, develop large scale solar manufacturing in India (make India as a global solar manufacturing hub). Promote and establish utility scale solar generation parks and farms. Also, establish R&D facilities at academic, research institutions, industry, Government and civil society to guide technology development. Tenth, works towards a Hydrogen (H2) Economy development plan (H2 as the fuel of the future). H2 can also be fed into a fuel cell, a battery-like device that generates heat and electricity. Develop fuel cell vehicles. Produce hydrogen using renewable energy with solar and wind power. If done successfully, hydrogen and electricity will eventually become society's primary energy carriers in the twenty-first century. For more details see my publications: “Hydrogen Economy -
41
A Revolutionary Vision for the Future of Energy,” and “How to Eliminate America's Addiction to Oil.”
resources, and we must accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.
Benefits of Renewable Energy
India can ramp up its effort to develop and implement large utility-scale solar energy farms to meet India's economic development goals. Solar energy will create energy independence and bring potentially enormous environmental benefits. Both issues have a direct influence on national security and the health of the Indian economy. India needs a radical transformation of its energy system to the use of renewable energy, especially solar to “End Power Grid Outages.”
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Create millions of new good paying jobs Renewable energy is environmentally friendly Zero emissions while generating electricity or heat Boost the rural economy by providing much needed energy for basic needs at affordable prices Avoid the high costs new transmission capacity Avoid distribution losses Avoid recurring fuel cost Enable rural village co-operatives to supply their own power Renewable Energy bring gains for Indian economy by way of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects
Conclusion Solar energy represents a bright spot on India's economic future. If India makes a massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power plants to solar energy, it is possible that 70% of India's electricity and 35% of its total energy could be solar-powered by 2030. Excess daytime energy can be stored in various forms such as molten or liquid salt (a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate), compressed air, pumped hydro, hydrogen, battery storage, etc., which would be used as an energy source during nighttime hours. Solar Energy will be competitive with coal as improved and efficient Photovoltaic (PV), Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), and Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV), enter the market. I predict that solar farming advancements and growth would empower India's rural economies. To take advantage of low cost renewable solar energy, companies will move their operations from urban areas to rural areas due to cheaper land and labor within the solar belt. I personally think there are no technological or economic barriers to supplying almost 100% of India's energy demand through the use of renewable energy from solar, wind, hydro and biogas by 2050. It's time to recognize that our energy must ultimately come from renewable
By using renewable resources India can realize its full economic potential and achieve its key social, political, and environmental objectives. The Indian Government should develop favorable government policies to ease the permitting process and to provide start-up capital to promote the exponential growth of Solar Energy to make India's bright future. The favorable renewable energy policy could create economic stimulus of at least $1 trillion and perhaps much more if all indirect economic (ripple) effects are included. "India is the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy sources and, if properly utilized, India can realize its place in the world as a great power," said Jeremy Rifkin, an economist and activist, in New Delhi in January 2012, “but political will is required for the eventual shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.” All that is required is the political will for the eventual shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy. India could potentially increase grid-connected solar power generation capacity to over 200,000 MW by 2030, if adequate resources and favorable policies can be developed. Solar Energy is a game-changer for India: It has the potential to re-energize India's economy by creating millions of new jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce the trade deficit and propel India forward as a “Green Nation.” Solar energy offers too many benefits for India to ignore or delay its development. The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the writer and are not intended to represent the views or policies of the United States Department of Energy. The article was not prepared as part of the writer's official duties at the United States Department of Energy.
Darshan Goswami has over 35 years of experience in the energy field. He is working for United States Department of Energy (DOE) as a Project Manager in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He retired as Chief of Energy Forecasting and Renewable Energy from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, DC. Earlier, he worked for 30 years at Duquesne Light Company, an electric utility company in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. He is a registered Professional Electrical Engineer with a passion and commitment to promote, develop and deploy Renewable Energy Resources and the Hydrogen Economy). His contact email: dlgoswami@hotmail.com
42
10 solar projects in India that can help fight grid blackouts By Katie Fehrenbacher
“While the massive blackouts in India are focusing attention on the opportunities for clean power in India, the country already has many solar projects under way. Here are some of the most notable and promising efforts” “India's massive grid blackouts this month have been the subject of much debate and much concern and from a clean power perspective, highlights a market where there is much opportunity. But there are actually a good deal of projects in India that are already focused on installing solar projects, both for rural villages and larger utility-scale programs” 1) Solar-power microgrid service in rural villages: Startup Mera Gao Power wants to have a total of 70 villages electrified with its solar panels, cell phone charging service, and distribution lines by the end of 2012. Co-founders Jaisinghani and Brian Shaad have been working on these projects for about two years, and their business innovation was to sell the solar power as a service. One micro-grid system that can electrify about 50 households costs $1,200 and includes two solar panels, two batteries and four distribution lines. The villages agree to have the system installed and then households in the villages pay about Rs.25 per week for the service (the cost of kerosene for lanterns can be around Rs. 30 per week). The system starts to pay for itself after a certain period of time.
2) One of India's first megawatt-scale rooftop solar projects: Azure Power, a startup run by entrepreneur Inderpreet Wadhwa, is developing a project that puts solar panels on dozens of rooftops and shares revenues from power sales with the building owners. Five-year-old Azure is venture capital backed and engineers, builds and operates its own power projects and sells the electricity to utilities. Most
of the at least 56 MW worth of solar projects that Azure has built are ground-mounted projects, but more recently Azure won this deal to build part of a huge rooftop system in the Gujarat state government. Azure plans to install solar panels on over 60 rooftops and complete the project by March 2013. 3) 600 MW of solar in Gujarat: The Indian state of Gujarat in April threw a big party to celebrate the commissioning of 600 MW of solar energy projects over a year. Much of that occurred (214 MW) from a solar park in the Patan district. But over 50 companies have built solar power projects in Gujarat, including SunEdison, Tata Power, Lanco Solar, Moser Baer, Adani Enterprises and GMR Gujarat Solar Power.
43
powered irrigation pumps to Indian farmers. 8) Solar lanterns: Startup D.light recently celebrated its fifth anniversary and the company has reached the goal of 7 million people using its solar-powered products in 40 countries. The company says sales growth between May 2011 and 2012 was 400% and D.light focuses on India and countries in Africa. The company is backed by Indian VC firm Nexus Venture Partners, Indian conglomerate the Mahindra Group, venture firm DFJ, and others. 9) Giant solar thermal projects: Areva Solar is building a 250 MW solar thermal project in the northwestern part of India (in the state of Rajasthan) that will use mirrors to concentrate sunshine onto water filled tubes to produce steam steam that will drive a turbine and make electricity. The project is supposed to be half way done by spring 2013. 4) The aspirational country goal: The National Solar Mission in January 2010 set a goal of installing 20 GW of grid-connected solar and 2 GW of off-grid solar by 2022 that's 3% of the country's power using solar by 2022. This has led to auctions won by developers at rock bottom prices (almost too low to get them done profitably). Individual states also have their own solar plans. 5) SunEdison experimenting with rural projects, too: While project developer SunEdison has brought 45 MW of solar projects in Gujarat online, it is also looking at how it can make solar panel projects work in rural villages. Its project will focus on building a business model for designing, installing and managing solar systems for 29 villages in India's Guna District. The 29 projects will be funded through a combo of government grants and private funds from other investors and corporations. 6) Selling solar like cell phone service: Startup Simpa Networks has developed a home solar panel product for offgrid customers controlled by a mobile, pay-as-you-go system. Customers pay for only the electricity produced by the solar panel at their home, in addition to a small upfront payment for the system. The basic solar system is 25 watts to 50 watts, which can power a couple of CFL lights, a mobile phone charger and maybe a fan or a TV cable box. 7) Solar teaming up with water use: One of SunEdison's solar projects is a 1 MW installation over nearly half a mile of the Narmada Canal in the state of Gujarat. It will produce electricity and conserve land and water. Other companies are looking to sell solar-powered projects to the agricultural and water industries. Claro Energy is looking to sell solar-
10) Solar for cooking, heating, making stuff: A company called Flareum sells solar concentrating systems that can be used for cooking, and for producing steam and heat for industrial applications. Siemens is using some of the solar systems at factories in Bangalore.
Katie Fehrenbacher Katie is a Senior Writer & Features Editor for GigaOM and has been covering cutting-edge technology, startups and innovators in Silicon Valley for close to a decade. She launched GigaOM's greentech channel in 2007 and closely tracks energy entrepreneurs and investors.
44
How solar power can help thehydrogen billion people without electricity Harvard scientists create fuel cell that lasts longer By Staff Writer
Solar panels in poor villages and neighbourhoods could be the best way to the billion people without access to electricity
Sharan Pinto installs a solar panel on the rooftop of a house in Nada, a village near Mangalore. Photograph: Rafiq Maqbool/AP After the Durban talks last month, climate realists must face the reality that "shared sacrifice," however necessary eventually, has proven a catastrophically bad starting point for global collaboration. Nations have already spent decades debating who was going to give up how much first in exchange for what. So we need to seek opportunities arenas where there are advantages, not penalties, for those who first take action both to achieve first-round emission reductions and to build trust and cooperation. One of the major opportunities lies in providing energy access for the more than 1.2 billion people who don't have electricity, most of whom, in business-as-usual scenarios, still won't have it in 2030. These are the poorest people on the planet. Ironically, the world's poorest can best afford the most sophisticated lighting off-grid combinations of solar panels, power electronics, and LED lights. And this creates an opportunity for which the economics are compelling, the moral urgency profound, the development benefits
enormous, and the potential leverage game changing. The cost of coal and copper the ingredients of conventional grid power are soaring. Meanwhile, the cost of solar panels
and LEDs, the ingredients of distributed renewable power, are racing down even faster. If we want the poor to benefit from electricity we cannot wait for the grid, and we cannot rely on fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency, historically a grid-centric, establishment voice, admits that half of those without electricity today will never be wired. The government of India estimates that two-thirds of its non-electrified households need distributed power. Fortunately, the historic barriers to getting distributed renewable power to scale in poor villages and neighborhoods are rapidly being dismantled by progress in technology, finance, and business models. Getting 1.2 billion people local solar power they can afford is within grasp if we only think about the problem in a different way. In fact, the world can finish this job by 2020. The poor already pay for light. They pay for kerosene and candles. And they pay a lot. The poorest fifth of the world pays one-fifth of the world's lighting bill but receives only 0.1 percent of the lighting benefits. Over a decade, the
45
average poor family spends $1,800 on energy expenditures. Replacing kerosene with a vastly superior 40 Wp (Watts peak) home solar system would cost only $300 and provide them not only light, but access to cell-phone charging, fans, computers, and even televisions. Kerosene costs 25 to 30% of a family's income globally that amounts to $36 billion a year. The poor do not use kerosene because it is cheap they are kept poor in significant part because they must rely on expensive, dirty kerosene. And the poor pay in other ways. A room lit by kerosene typically can have concentrations of pollution 10 times safe levels. About 1.5 million people, mostly women, die of this pollution every year, in addition to those who die from burns in fires. So why do the poor use kerosene? Because they can buy a single day's worth in a bottle, if that is all they can afford. For the poor, affordability has three dimensions: total cost, upfront price, and payment flexibility. Solar power comes in a panel that will give ten, or even 20, years of light and power but the poor cannot afford a ten-year investment up front. And many cannot handle conventional finance plans, which require fixed payments regardless of their income that month. So lighting the lives of 1.2 billion people with off-grid renewable electricity requires three ingredients: *Capital to pay for solar or other renewable electrical generation for 400 million households that depend on kerosene; *Business models for those households to pay for the electricity they use, at the price it really costs, which is a lot less than kerosene; *Financing, public policy, and partnerships to create the supply chains and distribution networks capable of getting distributed electrical systems to every household that needs them. (These needs might require $6 billion in credits and loan guarantees.) The money is on the table. It's just on the wrong plates. Purchase and finance of solar power for 1.2 billion people would cost about $10 billion a year over a decade. The 11 countries with the largest number of households without electricity spent $80 billion each year subsidizing fossil fuel only 17% of which benefits the poor. In 2010, the World Bank spent $8 billion on coal-fired power plants, few of which provided meaningful energy access to the poor. The UN's Clean Development Mechanism is proposing to give $4 billion a year to anything-but-clean coal-plants. So there is already far more capital in the system than is needed. Even five years ago the business models did not exist to enable the poor to afford solar. Solar was much more expensive. The only alternative to buying a solar system with cash was a bank or micro-credit loan for which most of the poor could not qualify.
46
But the combination of dirt-cheap solar, the cell-phone revolution, and mobile phone banking has changed everything. There are almost 600 million cell-phone customers without electricity using their phones very little, still spending $10 billion to charge them in town. There are
hundreds of thousands of rural, off-grid cell towers powered by diesel at a price of about $0.70/kilowatt hour. All over the world cell-phone towers are being converted from diesel to hybrid renewable power sources. So cell phone companies have a powerful motivation to get renewable power into rural areas, to get electricity to their customers, and to charge for electricity through their mobile phone payment systems. At least three commercial models have been launched in the last several months. India's Simpa Networks in partnership with SELCO in India and DT-Power in Ghana, India and Kenya are testing models in which solar distributors can allow customers to pay for electricity through mobile banking "pay as you go" plans. Zimbabwe's Econet Power has launched an even more intriguing model, in which it provides its cell-phone customers with solar power as a customer benefit, charging them only $1 week to use a home solar system provided by Econet, with the bills tied to the customer's cell phone account. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has proclaimed 2012 the Year of Universal Energy Access. Imagine that at Rio, instead of embracing business-as-usual solutions to energy access, the world decided to empower the poor with the electricity they can truly afford distributed solar? What would the benefits be? In carbon terms alone, kerosene for lighting emits almost as much greenhouse-gas pollution as the entire British economy. 1.5 million lives a year would be saved from respiratory ailments. The available income for the world's poorest fifth would be increased by 25 to 30% a pretty big development bang-for-the-buck. Numerous studies have shown that providing basic energy access increases household income by 50 percent or more by providing more time and opportunities for home-based income generation. But the leverage is actually much greater. If one-fifth of the world is on solar, as these people prosper and can afford more electricity, they are going to expand solar systems, rather than turning to coal or nuclear. Their neighbors include the onethird of humanity with "spasmodic" electricity wires that in rural areas work only at night, and in urban areas go down in the afternoon. These customers would find distributed solar far more reliable than the current grid. If we add those 2 billion to the 1.2 billion who are not on the grid, virtually half of humanity could be turning to renewable power as the cheapest, most reliable and most available form of energy. The fossil fuel interests would lose completely their current moral argument that more carbon will power the poor. That, I would argue is a phenomenal game-changer and a powerful first step in building a trusting, low-carbon coalition of rich and poor nations. And that coalition could lay the groundwork for the more challenging global efforts that will be needed to stabilize and eventually restore the climate. (Courtesy: Carl Pope for Yale Environment 360, part of the Guardian Environment Network, Guardian.Co.U.K.)