I am starting this thread on Renewable Energy for India. There are pros and cons for topic.

To start of I am pro-Renewable Energy for India. This is major strategic initiative to kick the habit from Coal/Oil based products. Coal and Oil based products are major polluters contributing to tonnes of CO2 emission per year. India is currently producing around 70% of its energy from Coal based plants.

The current initiatives in renewable energy are a) Wind b) Jatropha biodiesel c) Solar Energy d) Ocean Tidal wave energy.

Wind is a well established technology and depends on the wind map of the country. The current estimates for Wind are around 60,000 MW on land. Offshore there is more potential.

Solar Energy is promising since India gets a lot of sunshine throughout the year. Some experts estimate that the Solar Energy Shone on India is sufficient to power its energy needs. The major stumbling blocks are solar to electric conversion are costly (though recent advances in California put it a grid parity cost, i.e. cost have come down to the same level as other conventional energy on a per unit basis).

One promising use for solar is home water heaters. This is not very expensive and people with independent homes can avail of this technology today. Lots of home have solar water heaters on their rooftops, the sun heating small tubes of water in a glass planel and hot water collected in an insulated tank. For those days that do not have sunlight an in-line heater element heats up water. So on balance, for a majority of the time people can enjoy hot water. Commercial establishments like laundries and hotels can make use of solar water heaters.

Coming to the issue of electricity from Solar there are various other alternatives that produce electricity. One instance in Seville, Spain uses reflecting mirrors to heat a liquid that runs an engine to produce electricity. This technology is being pursued by PG&E in Southern California for a 500 MW + plant. I believe that the best way to mitigate energy use is to have individual homes with Solar energy. During day time they can produce electricity returned to the grid and during night they take back from the grid. The savings could be substantial and conventional systems can augment deficit power.

India is also looking to increase its Nuclear Energy program.

Here is con argument from dis.agree

you cannot just shutdown & bring up coal based plants on a daily basis. they run for long durations and provide base load power. i am surprised you say that india has highest potential to reap solar energy. i am yet to see any decent paper on this.

while operational cost of solar power is near zero, it is highly capital intensive. there is still some distance to go from technology perspective. thin films is the most promising technology. it's efficiency is low but it compensates through lower capital needs. but even that on a levelized cost perpective is about 3-10 times expensive in western countries (at locations with good insolation levels). this however depends on discount rates used. you will not find indian banks lending at such low 5% interest rates. best you could hope for now is 10%. solar technology is still unproven & i doubt any serious bank would lend at all. you need equity but indian investors expect a much higher roi and so large scale solar projects would be financially unviable in india.

your view that oil imports benefit sheiks, while mainstream, is not free market thinking. they export oil and import other stuff. it is just a globalized economy. and that way we can argue against solar & wind energy as well. we are dependent capital intensive technology that are more expensive than fossils: usa for solar & europe for wind.

we definitely need to move away from coal, oil & gas. i am not saying this because of global warming of which i have reasons to be skeptical, but because oil production has started to decline for a few years now. gas too would follow very soon and coal possibly in next 2 decades. so, we must look at alternatives - nuclear & wind is the best short term option and in medium-long term solar.

indian government does not have that kind of money to subsidize such renewable energy. in any case, best way to get this done is to leave the markets to function freely. if state electricity boards allow/simplify sale of such power produced by independent producers directly to consumers and allow them to enter into long term contracts, i am sure we would soon see more such renewable energy generation.

mine the moon ! :)

solar is perfect for india because of the heat, but the thing is to implement and make solar panels are very expensive....

Renewable energy plans are gaining steam very rapidly. Make no mistake that nations that race towards a sustainable future will be the leaders in the world. Towards this goal India must be cognizant of its needs and also of its growth potential. Very soon all nations will get together and put meaningful caps on C02 emission. The biggest culprits happen to be coal based plants. The solutions are daunting for the moment because the problems seems insurmountable. Sustained 24x7 power is cheaply produced by coal plants. But the penalties are mounting.

Countries like the US and even China to some extent are moving very aggressively to meet the challenge. Obama has given a goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025 for the US. The US can meet this goal by Wind alone, its wind map has the potential of producing 3x the current total power of the US. Wind energy in the US is the fastest growing industry and now is the largest the world. The wind energy industry installed over 2,800 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in the first quarter of 2009 and the U.S. is now 28,206 MW, enough to serve over 8 million homes. The biggest problem the US faces is that there is no grid infra in remote places like Montana to evacuate Wind power.

India needs to evolve a roadmap for aggressive renewable energy usage. I see only Solar in its future. The only solutions is distributed power generation as opposed to central systems. Each household and industry needs its own power supply based on Solar. Low wattage systems (including LED bulbs) which reduces the per person consumption of power is the only way forward. I see this as boost for innovation in all kinds of industry. Every appliance can be rethought along the lines of a Tata Nano. Refrigeration, fans, lights, electrical grinders/household appliances all of them. Once this figure is reduced to a bare minimum then the problems don't look too insurmountable.

The best and most effective way to adopt renewable energy is to solve day to day problems of the ordinary man/family especially for the Indian Context.

Rural India could really benefit from Solar Energy. Simple things that can enable rural farmers/family

1) Cooking with Solar Appliances

2) Rudimentary Lighting in Villages

3) Operation of the irrigation water pump - currently some states provide this as freebie.

My brother on a trekking trip in the Himalayas told me how an enterprising dweller in the area provided chai (tea) for travelers. He used a rudimentary solar reflector to heat up water piping hot to make tea. Of course it takes a while, but the volumes needed are not much. Cooking with Solar has been demonstrated in Rajastan wherein a community kitchen cooks large quantities of food using solar energy.

2) is easily available. street lights are now solar panels in some highways. If the same tech can be provided to villages that would be great. I know this is possible, since I have solar garden lights, during daytime they store the energy and operate for about 4-6 hrs in the night. All unattended with little to no maintenance, invariably covered with dust and water from the sprinkler.

3) is highly possible since these are low hp motors pumping water from some irrigation canal or well. During day time they can operate flawlessly. No need for govt to subsidize power, instead they can give farmers loans/grants for installing solar water pumps.

I am sure there are more such applications. Feel free to provide more examples.

It’s a challenge: Farooq Abdullah (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/05/30/stories/2009053051611000.htm)

On Day One of taking over the Ministry for New and Renewable Energy, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and chief of the National Conference, Dr Farooq Abdullah, brushed aside the perception that he was miffed with the choice of ministry allocated to him.

“This ministry is a big challenge and I take this challenge head on. I am happy that I have been entrusted with the job which ultimately benefits our future generation,” he said, adding that “no profile is big or small. It is just a perception of people…This portfolio is bigger than me.”

Mr Abdullah said that his first priority would be to create awareness about the ministry. “I will go to each and every state and tell them what this ministry is all about and what help we can offer to promote non-conventional energy sources,” he said. The 72- year old minister said he would strive to harness solar energy and tap the vast potential of wind energy, particularly along the country’s coastline.

Tata Power to generate 5 MW from geothermal, solar plants in Gujarat (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/06/04/stories/2009060451340200.htm)

Gandhinagar, June 3 Tata Power Company Ltd plans to produce 5 MW of power, each from geothermal and solar power plants in Gujarat, with an investment of Rs 200 crore. It is exploring various options in this regard.

Strengthening its renewable energy portfolio, the company had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Gujarat Government during the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit (VGGIS), in January, to explore the possibility of setting up a 5-MW geothermal power plant in phase one at a suitable location in the State.

Similarly, the company had also signed another MoU for developing a 5-MW solar photo-voltaic (PV) power plant. Tata Power had proposed investments of Rs 100 crore in solar as well as geothermal projects.

These MoUs were part of the Rs 1.10 lakh crore worth of investments promised during the event for renewable power sources.

A company spokesperson told Business Line from Mumbai that post the agreements (MoUs), various options are being explored. Tata Power would be producing 25 per cent of its electricity from renewable, carbon-neutral sources by 2017. With an installed capacity of 2,300 MW, it currently produces about 16 per cent of electricity from green energy sources such as hydro and wind power. Geothermal energy is the natural heat found within the earth, where temperature increases with depth, typically by 10-50 degree Celsius/km.

In Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) technology, heat is extracted from granites located at a depth of more than 4,000 metres by circulating water through them in an engineered artificial reservoir. The heated water returns to the surface under pressure and is converted into electricity via a heat exchanger and conventional geothermal power plant.

Tata Power’s presence in solar includes Tata BP Solar India Ltd, which is a joint venture with BP Solar, one of the largest solar companies in the world.

Tata BP Solar is a market leader in solar PV technology in India with a turnover of Rs 660 crore. Nearly 75 per cent of its sales come from exports largely to Europe and the U.S. Its growth plans include expansion of its module manufacturing facility and thrust on domestic sales.

At a time when green energy sources are getting a lot of importance from power producers in the country, wind farms are Turning out to be big suppliers of energy to Tamil Nadu Electricity Board.

Wind farms in Tamil Nadu added 431 Mw of power to Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) in 2008-09 as compared to 381 MW in 2007-08. A total of 6,655 million units were generated from wind and were fed to the grid during 2008-09.

Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)’s Green Power 2008, an international conference and exposition on renewable energy, inagurated in Chennai today Christodas Gandhi, chairman and managing director, Tamil Nadu Electricity Development Agency said that the total installed capacity of power generated from renewal energy sources, small hydro power in Tamil Nadu was 4,813 Mw as on April 30, 2009.

This includes energy from wind at 4,311 Mw and cogneration and bomass power at 413 Mw, which accounts for 35 per cent of the installed capacity from renewable energy source in India. This alone represents 27 per cent of TNEB’s grid capacity against 9 per cent for the country as a whole. Electricity generation from renwable enegy sources in the state was 7,532 million units in 2007-08 which was about 11 per cent of the grid consumption.

He added that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission had recently fixed the tariff for purchasing renewable energy by TNEB. For instance, the existing tariff for wind power rose to Rs 3.30 per unit from Rs 2.90 per unit, biomass power to Rs 4.50 per unit from Rs 3.15 per unit, cogeneration bagasse-based to Rs 4.38 per unit from Rs 3.15 per unit and solar power it would be Rs 3.15 per unit, under the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s incentive scheme.

Meanwhile TEDA has taken up R&D projects, jointly with Anna University, including development of Solar Cooker based on Thermal Storage System for cooking during the nightôearly morning, design and development of energy efficient building using solar passive architecture and design and develoment of bagasse drying unit using waste heat.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/green-energy-getsleg-up/361576/)

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) today said that all power state utilities in the country will have to purchase at minimum five per cent of their grid purchase from renewable energy sources from 2009-10 onwards and 15 per cent by 2020.

In his special address at Green Power 2009, an international conference and exposition on renewable energy, organised by Confederation of Indian Industry at Chennai today Pramod Deo, chairperson and chief executive, CERC said that the regulator in carrying out of an internal action plan on global climate change.

The Cerc will determine the active minimal buy standard for renewal energy which will help bring down emission from the electrical energy sector. “While the minimum purchase standard will be fixed, from 2009-10 onwards all electrical energy utilities in the country will have to buy renewable energy. There will be one per cent increase in the purchase of renewable energy for every year for the next 10 years,” he said.

He added, currently 20 state electrical energy regulative commissions (SERCs) have already determined the percentage of energy that has to be bought from renewable sources. “While Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are currently buying 10 per cent of their grid purchase from renewable sources, Maharashtra has reached four percent target,” he said.

“A minimal renewable energy purchase obligation also has to be fixed,” he said.

Deo further revealed that the ministry of new and renewable energy is also carrying on a feasibility study for introducing renewable energy certificates. “One certificate will be equal to 1 Mw of renewable energy generated. The certificates can be traded to meet the mandatory targets of renewable energy purchase,” he said.

He added, though the certificate to all forms of renewable energy the government is thinking of introducing separate certificate for solar energy.

The certificate will be valid for one year and it can be traded through the power exchanges. “Whether trading companies will be allowed to do trading, we are currently thinking about it, he said.

The new system is likely come into place from April 2010, said Deo and it will be bought by those states which are facing deficit currently. A registry from National [i] Load Despatch Centre would handle.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/buy-at-least-5-renewable-energy-cerc-orders-state-utilities/64975/on)

BANGALORE: India is being applauded for taking a bold step with its 'solar mission plan'. The state government, however, is yet to come up with its own draft renewable energy policy.

The state government had earlier promised that the draft renewable energy policy would be released on January 1, 2009. It's been six months and there is no sign of the draft.

"We have given the draft for wider consultation and that's the reason it's getting delayed," says principal secretary (energy department) K Jairaj. "The department has been getting an excellent response and we are reaching out to people for wider consultation," he said. The Centre had earlier directed all states, especially those that face power shortage, to prepare their drafts for renewable energy policy.

When reminded that the draft has been due for six months, he said: "We do not want to make it a hit and run affair." According to Jairaj, the initial plan included just the wind and hydel energy projects, when they had announced to launch it on January 1. "Later, we realised there was a great potential for solar and biomass energy as well," he said.

The government, in the next five years, is expecting an investment of around Rs 20,000 crore in the renewable energy sector.

"This being the case, we want to be cautious while finalising the draft," Jairaj said, hinting that the policy may be finalised by July-end, after which there would be a consultation meeting with stake-holders, including energy companies and NGOs, among others.


Source: EB (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Karnataka+policy+draft+delayed&artid=eOVtWwfyLvs=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==&SEO=)


BANGALORE: The proposed green cess is part of the state's first renewable energy policy. This follows the Centre's direction to all states, specially power-starved ones, to put in place their renewable energy policies.

"We proposed a green cess of 5 paise per kilowatt hour (kWh) on commercial and industrial consumers and that's expected to generate about Rs 55 crore annually for renewable energy," said G Satish, conservator of forests and general manager, KREDL.

The draft policy, a copy of which is available with TOI, aims at escalating renewable energy generation from 2,400 MW to 6,600 MW by 2014. Energy conservation and efficiency will save up to 7,901 million units or 900 MW.

Sell it to the grid!

A tariff will be set for rooftop grid-connected solar kW-level projects with net metering facility -- a system by which renewable energy can be directly sold to the grid.

The `Solar Karnataka' Programme aims for 25,000 solar rooftops of 5-10 KW with net metering in the next five years and with a generation potential of 350 MU. The solar feed tariff will be Rs 13 per kWh for the first 12 years and Rs 3 from the 13th to 25th year.

Lucrative incentive

An incentive of Rs 25 lakh per MW will be given to biogas manufacturers, which will be added to the grid and sold to Escoms. There'll be a single-window clearance for all projects by the state-level empowered committee.

"An award scheme for timely commissioning and an inter-departmental review committee to monitor policy and implementation are also part of the policy," Satish explained.

Multi-crore investment

The Akshaya Shakthi Nidhi (green energy fund) will invest Rs 500 crore in renewable energy through funds generated from the green cess. The total load from the industrial sector is 11,000 MU, and a 5 paise cess will help them generate adequate funds for renewable energy development.

The consortium of Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd, Akshaya Shakti Nidhi Trust and the energy department in collaboration with the Karnataka State Finance Corporation will raise funds. Forest-land clearance will be achieved in four months and various statutory clearances within 90 days.

A system of renewable energy economic zone for all SEZs will be created whereby 10% of the SEZ land will be provided for such energy generation. For now, the plan looks ambitious and a timely solution for the fluctuating power situation in this power-starved state.

Rise of renewable energy

* 5 paise cess per kilowatt hour on commercial and industrial users

* With this, the government hope to generate at lest Rs 55 crore

* This money will be used to develop infrastructure for renewable energy sources

* Draft policy aims to increase renewable energy generation from 2,400 MW to 6,600 MW by 2014

Solar rooftops in focus

* `Solar Karnataka' Programme aims for 25,000 solar rooftops

* These will be of 5-10 KW with net metering in the next five years

* The generation potential is 350 million units

* Solar feed tariff will be Rs 13 per kWh for the first 12 years and Rs 3 from the 13th to 25th year

* Incentive of Rs 25 lakh per MW to biogas manufacturers

Behind the initiative

* Consortium of Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd, Akshaya Shakti Nidhi Trust and the energy department in collaboration with the Karnataka State Finance Corporation will raise funds



Source: ToI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Bangalore/Green-cess-to-raise-Rs-55-crore/articleshow/4637249.cms)

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu ranks first in wind energy generation with an output of 45 per cent of the power generated throughout the country.

“The State has installed capacity of 4,138 mw out of which for the year 2008-2009 ended March, we have generated 5,537 million units,” DV Giri, Chairman of the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTM), told The New Indian Express on the Global Wind Day on Monday. IWTMA is the Board Member of the Global Wind Energy Council.

Tamil Nadu generated 5,537 million units for the year 2008-2009. From the period 1986 to 2009, the State has generated 32,286 million units, a TNEB report says. But this statistics fade when taken into the innumerable power cuts the State is experiencing.

“If it had not been for the wind industry, the entire State would have simply plunged into darkness,” said Giri recalling two major power shutdown cases in TN (the Neyveli Lignite Corporation and the Tuticorin Thermal Power Station) when the wind energy industry came to the rescue of the State.

India ranks fifth in the global power list with states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan in production of undoubtedly, one of the best forms of renewable energy.

Going by research, 40 years down the line, with the no coal situation, the most viable option could be wind energy. It is a double whammy resource, with no fuel cost, maintenance problems and security issue.

Moreover, it is environmentally friendly. The states which have proper policies envisaged for wind energy utilisation include Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The Southern States have the maximum potential for using wind energy.

India has a potential of upto 45,000 mw of wind production but it has been unable to deliver it. The potential is huge and untapped, Giri said.


Source: EB (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Wind+energy+industry+blows+strong&artid=abyFOJVLSPY=&SectionID=lifojHIWDUU=&MainSectionID=wIcBMLGbUJI=&SectionName=rSY%7C6QYp3kQ=&SEO=)

NEW DELHI: Sugar mills in India produce 2,000 megawatt of biomass-based energy every year, as much as windmills produce, and at half the cost, a new study has found.

The sugar mills, which produce both electricity and heat through cogeneration, are already selling power to the grid and can produce up to 5,100 MW - 69 percent of the country's total cogeneration capacity - according to the study carried out by the New Delhi-based NGO Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

The study said "such alternatives to fossil fuel energy are critical for India's energy and climate security. But lack of policy and pricing issues threaten the sustainability of this green power

Sugar mills generate biomass-based 'green' energy from bagasse, a waste product that comes from sugarcane cultivation. Mills in the five major sugarcane growing states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh are now generating enough to meet the energy needs of a business centre the size of Gurgaon.

However, says the study, India has no policy framework in place to strengthen this green energy source. Sunita Narain, director, CSE, points out: "This energy source is an important win-win solution, as it brings value-addition and additional funds to agricultural resources, which in turn will give better payments to farmers and improve productivity. The question is what can be done to increase this energy source for the future."

Today, out of the 650-odd sugar mills in India, 107 have cogeneration plants. This revenue stream has managed to bail out sugar mills reeling from the falling prices of sugar, says the report. The Dhampur Sugar Mills in Uttar Pradesh, which has the largest cogeneration capacity in the country, made Rs.420 million from its cogeneration unit in 2007-08, compared to Rs.110 million from its sugar units. It sold about 177 million units of power to the state. The third largest sugar maker in India, Triveni, based in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh, is selling 16-17 MW of power to the grid.

The International Energy Agency says that the sugar sector has a potential to produce 5,100 MW of power through cogeneration, which is 69 percent of total cogeneration capacity. If the resources and technology are improved, cogeneration can produce almost 10,000 MW or 40 percent of the country's 2008 power deficit.

The report points out that bagasse generates nearly the same amount of power as the wind energy sector. Wind produces almost 2,000 MW, most of which remains unutilised most of the time.

Bagasse-based cogeneration plants also earn carbon credits as the carbon dioxide absorbed by sugarcane plants while growing up is more than the carbon dioxide produced in burning bagasse. The cogeneration plant of Triveni earned about 186,000 certified emission reductions worth over Rs.30 million between March 2004 and December 2007.

India launched its biomass power (bagasse-based cogeneration) policy in 1990. As the shortage of power grew in many sugarcane states, the policy was revised in 2006 to provide capital subsidy (Rs1.5 million per MW) and tax rebates (including 80 percent depreciation in the first year for selected equipment). The 2003 Amendment to the Electricity Act also provided the necessary framework for promoting renewable energy sources - asking states to fix a minimum limit for energy utilities to buy green energy.

However, the country still has a long way to go, the report says. In the absence of a strong policy framework, feed-in tariffs (the premium cost of green power) differ from state to state and are based on scarcity (not policy). While in some states like Tamil Nadu, the tariff is as high as Rs.7 per unit, others like Uttar Pradesh pay only Rs.3 per unit. Low feed-in tariffs have begun to hurt cogeneration, says the study.

Narain says: "The policy must incentivise the generation of power, not capital investment." The capital cost of biomass energy is roughly Rs.40-50 million per MW, which is half the cost of installing wind energy. But unlike wind, the raw material - bagasse or other agricultural residues - has competing uses and value. Narain says this price must be paid, as it helps local farmers to improve their returns and encourages production of biomass.

Narain also recommends making the renewable purchase obligation (RPO) mandatory, so that it becomes a tool to push for preferential markets for green energy. "To do this," she points out, "the policy must allow for inter-state sale so that green power-deficit states can purchase from others. In addition, we should consider how biomass-based energy can be used to feed local grids for local and decentralised distribution. Local energy supply should be given preferential tariffs so that villages that do not have power get it."


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Energy/Sugar-mills-generate-as-much-green-energy-as-windmills/articleshow/4625100.cms)

One of the simple ways of tapping solar happens to be solar - thermal power plants. PG&E in California has signed up with BrightSource Energy for a 500 MW solar-thermal plant. Fields of mirrors at the plant will focus sunlight on centralized towers, boiling water within the towers, creating steam and turning turbines.

Closer to home:


CHENNAI: Udangudi in Tuticorin district may be the site for a 100-megawatt solar thermal power plant. This was mooted during a meeting between Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami here on Saturday 2009/06/21.



I think a better idea would be smaller plants e.g.


A 2MW municipal solar power plant requires about 10 acres of land to serve a city of 1,000 homes — that’s acreage generally easily available at the outskirts of any city of such size in even the most developed countries. With a solar power plant in each of several hundred cities, a Gigawatt of power is delivered locally to where it is needed, in a digestible size.

By feeding power directly into the (local, medium-voltage) distribution grid, they avoid the (long-haul, high-voltage) transmission grid which is expensive to build and expand, and also avoid the expense of a substation for down-transforming transmission voltage to municipal voltage.

Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Energy/Sugar-mills-generate-as-much-green-energy-as-windmills/articleshow/4625100.cms)

A thread after my own heart!

I am really fascinated by biomass power generation because of the easy availability of biomass (waste wood / rice husk / corn cobs, stover & stalk / sugarcane leaves, bagasse etc.) across the country. I believe this holds a lot of promise for India.

The economics of this mode of RE power generation are as follows:

Capital cost = Rs 6 lakhs for a 10KW unit
Per unit cost of generation ~ Rs 1.3 to 1.4 per unit as against ~ Rs 5 /unit from the grid.

In fact I am currently looking into combining biomass power generation with microenterprise development (through an organization in the US that I am a founder member of) to make rural communities in India self-sufficient in power. The idea is to pick young enterpreneurs in these communities to set up their power generation plants and sell power to other members of these communities. The capital cost of the plant will be met through a loan at low interest. Let us see if the idea has legs.

Fortunately, one of the top experts in this field is a classmate from my college days who went on to get a Phd from MIT in this field. He runs a company that makes biomass gasification plants and so I will be getting sound technical advice.

For me, the biggest benefit from such distributed power generation schemes is that it provides power to corners of the country that the government could not care less about. Even more significant is that this will allow our village communities to develop internal capacity to create enterprises and keep the people from flocking to our already overcrowded cities with crumbling infrastructure. And finally, rural India will be much closer to a carbon-neutral and environmentally-healthy existence.

Ultimately, I want to live in a way that I am completely independent of the government for power, water etc. while leaving the least footprint on this earth, so in a way I am doing this for myself.

Slightly older but important news.


NEW DELHI: The Union Government has finalised the draft for the National Solar Mission. It aims to make India a global leader in solar energy and envisages an installed solar generation capacity of 20,000 MW by 2020, of 1,00,000 MW by 2030 and of 2,00,000 MW by 2050.

The total expected funding from the government for the 30-year period will run to Rs. 85,000 crore to Rs. 105,000 crore. The requirement during the current Five Year Plan is estimated to be Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 6,000 crore. It will rise to between Rs. 12,000 crore and Rs. 15,000 crore during the 12th Five Year Plan.

Implementation will be in three phases. The first phase of solar deployment (2009-2012) will aim to achieve rapid scaling-up to drive down costs. It will spur domestic manufacturing through the consolidation and expansion of on-going projects for urban, rural and off-grid applications. This will involve the promotion of commercial-scale solar utility plants, mandated installation of solar rooftop or on-site photo-voltaic applications in buildings and establishments of government and public sector undertakings. The target is 100 MW installed capacity here.

The Mission will encourage the use of solar applications to meet day-time peaking power requirement that is now met through diesel generation. Further expansion of solar lighting systems through market initiatives including micro-financing, in the rural and urban sectors, is expected to provide access to lighting for three million households by 2012.

In this phase, the Mission will make it mandatory for all functional buildings such as hospitals, hotels, guest houses and nursing homes to install solar water heaters. Residential complexes with a minimum plot area of 500 sq m will also be included.

In the second phase, to be implemented between 2012 and 2017, the Mission will focus on the commercial deployment of solar thermal power plants. This will involve storage options, and the promotion of solar lighting and heating systems on a large scale in market mode. This will be without subsidies but could include micro-financing options.

Finally, between 2017 and 2020, the target is to achieve tariff parity with conventional grid power and achieve an installed capacity of 20 gigawatts (Gw) by 2020. The installation of one million rooftop systems with an average capacity of 3 kilowatts (kW) by the same year is also envisaged.

The proposed strategy of the Mission should help achieve significant reduction in the cost of solar power and create a robust infrastructure for it.


Source: The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/26/stories/2009042660422200.htm)

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has reported that India has seen a 12% increase in investment in the renewable energy sector with an investment of $3.7 billion in 2008. The largest share was asset finance at $3.2 billion which grew by 25%. The clean renewable energy includes wind, solar, biomass and small-hydro projects. The major portion of investment has been made in wind energy sector. The investment in wind energy sector grew at 17% from $2.2 billion to $2.6 billion.

The investment in small hydro projects grew about four-fold to $543 million in 2008.

The growth in biofuels fell by 80% from $251 million in 2007 to $49 million in 2008.

The venture capital and private equity remains a small piece of total clean energy investment in India, but saw a significant increase of 270% to $493 million in 2008.

In 2007, Indian companies began to explore foreign exchanges as a source of funds, raising $756 million on the Singapore Stock Exchange and London’s AIM, compared to $646 million on domestic exchanges. With the financial turmoil in 2008, both those funding avenues dried up with no money raised internationally in 2008 and only $74 million raised on Indian exchanges. Shriram EPC, an Indian wind turbine manufacturer and engineering firm, rose around $38 million in an IPO.


Source: Energy BUSINESS Review (http://www.energy-business-review.com/news/indias_renewable_energy_investment_grew_by_12_in_2008_says_unep_090607)

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced it is to double its annual spending on clean energy investments in Asia-Pacific to $2bn (£1.2bn).

The increase, which forms part of ADB's Energy Efficiency Initiative, will take effect from 2013.

In year 2008 ADB spent $1bn on clean energy.


ADB said its clean tech investments to date include wind power projects in China and India, hydro-power developments in Bhutan, China and Vietnam, and a biomass power plant in Thailand.


Source: businessGreen (http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2244473/asian-development-bank-invest)

Green diesel through green technology (http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/008200906220980.htm)

New Delhi (PTI): A new process that converts algae and other biomass into liquid fuels with the help of a catalyst can brighten the prospect of substitute fuel production in the country.

"The technology is a process for converting algae and other biomass into liquid fuels similar to petroleum diesel which is better than the bio-diesels in quality and characteristics. The technology is a pyro-catalysis process," said T Raghavendra Rao, director of Sustainable Technologies and Environmental Projects (STEPS).

"Originally the hydrocarbon oils have been formed over a few million years from algae under the layers of the earth. Now, we are attempting to replicate the natural process using a catalytic process in a much quicker way," Mr. Rao told PTI.

The innovation was recently conferred the gold medal at the Innovators' Award established by aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corporation under its India innovation growth programme.

The new process, according to Mr. Rao, is not cumbersome as the conventional one besides it yields more fuel that before.

In this method the algae is vapourized in a particular temperature, which is then passed through a catalyst conversion chamber, putting them into a molecular structure that is similar to hydrocarbon fuels.

A lot of research is happening on using algae as a source for bio-fuel....I saw a program in PBS where they showed algae has 100 times or more potential than corn as source of bio-fuel....and they best thing with algae is that they dont require fresh water

But still cost to manufacture when compared to fossil fuel is much much higher...someday algae can be a great source...

But not sure it is carbon neutral though....(at any rate it is much greener than fossil fuels)

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Government plans to launch an ambitious self-sustaining solar technology programme in 3,900 villages in 39 most backward blocks to cater to the energy needs of 50 lakh people.

State-owned Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) this week invited bids from solar technology providers to design, finance, build, operate and maintain solar/hybrid power plants and collect user fee to provide solar energy on a sustainable basis for the requirement of village clusters.

These plants provide power either through a local mini-grid or stand-alone or make it available at a charging station, enabling residents to charge their electrical appliances. Solar power is to be provided for street-lights, household consumption, ente rtainment/educational purposes, water-lifting for irrigation, drinking water supply, purification/desalination plants, deflourination, milk pasteurisation and local cottage industrial applications.

Solar power would be metered and made available at a fee determined in advance. “Most of the targeted villages either have no electric supply or get poor voltage at present,” KREDL, Managing Director, Mr H.G. Shivanandamurthy, told PTI.

“We will play the role of facilitator in the project. Our interest is to see that the people get power at the lowest cost,” he added. - PTI


Source: The Hindu (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/27251260.htm)

^^ Biofuels recycle carbon in atmosphere. They absorb carbon while growing and put back the same amount to atmosphere when burnt. So, in effect there is no addition of carbon to the atmosphere. But, what I feel is biomass, wind, water based energy is in turn derived from solar energy. There could be a more efficient way of using solar energy directly instead of turning it to biomass. Pongamia, Jatropha or Neem require some energy to extract fuel. And also need considerable amount of fresh water. Hope in near future we would be able to harness solar energy directly in an efficient way.

Karnataka Grameen Bank planning 80 solar villages

A.J. Vinayak

Mangalore, May 20 The Dharwad-headquartered Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB), which has financed over 12,000 solar light units under its area of operation, is now planning to make 80 villages solar villages.

Mr K.P. Muraleedharan, Chairman of the bank, told Business Line on Wednesday that the bank wants to make 80 select villages in nine districts under its area of operation as complete solar villages by March 2010.

As many as 20 villages in Belgaum; 10 each in Bijapur, Bagalkot, Haveri, Gadag and Dharwad; four villages in Uttara Kananda; and three each in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts will be made solar villages by March-end.

The bank wants to make more than 10,000 houses in these villages solar houses by the end of the year. The bank will finance 85 per cent of the cost of the solar light unit, and the buyers are free to opt for the company of their choice for solar lights, he said.

Till now, the bank has financed around 12,000 solar lights to the tune of Rs 18 crore.

Considering the need for the maintenance of solar light units, the bank is planning to form farmers’ clubs in these selected villages. Apart from creating awareness about the solar light projects, the members of these clubs will take up maintenance and repair of the solar light units.

Mr Ullas Gunaga, an official from the bank, said such use of solar power would help save considerable amount of grid power. The bank has financed more than 12,000 solar light units till now, which helped save more than 12,000 units of power a day.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/05/21/stories/2009052150901700.htm

AHMEDABAD: WIND seems to be flowing in favour of India as far as the world wind energy affairs are concerned. On Monday, Anil Kane was reelected as president of World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) for yet another two-year term during the 8th World Wind Energy Conference 2009 held on the picturesque Jeju island, Korea. This is the third consecutive term for Mr Kane as the president. The WWEA has never repeated its president.



Mr Kane will continue to be at the helm of affairs of world’ most powerful body in wind energy with membership base spread across 90 countries. WWEA’s 400 members, from 91 countries, represent a total membership of more than 50,000 members.

WWEA provides a platform for dialogues among the members worldwide and it advises and influences governments and international organisations in policymaking. WWEA also provides international technology transfer.


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/Economy/Policy/Indian-again-at-the-helm-of-World-Wind-Energy-Association/articleshow/4692287.cms)

NEW DELHI: The power ministry is mooting a venture fund to underwrite investments in new clean energy projects, as it looks to invite fresh players into the sector.

About 50% of its kitty will come from the government directly and the rest from domestic as well as global financial institutions such as IFC, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency and private equity firms, according to a ministry official. The proposal has been sent to the finance ministry for approval, the official said on condition of anonymity.

With backing from a government-operated fund, these firms will find it easier to raise bank loans even in the absence of a strong balance sheet or large initial investments from promoters.

“It is extremely important to have such a venture fund in the country. Such a fund would cover the risk of energy services companies and give a big boost to the sector,” The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) executive director Leena Srivastava said.

According to Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) director-general Ajay Mathur, banks often refuse such projects since they find it difficult to understand the business models of energy-efficient projects, which often don’t reveal income projections.

“In such cases, the fund will act as a partial risk guarantee fund and help companies get loans from banks,” he said.

Clean technology projects are mostly based on savings, and hence the risk element is high. “You may either underestimate or overestimate the saving and hence the risk,” Mrs Srivastava said.

According to a recent report of the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) on ‘Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2009’, $155 billion was invested in 2008 in clean energy companies and projects worldwide.

Countries such as China, India, Brazil and Africa contributed almost one-third of it. While China led investments in Asia with an 18% increase over 2007 to $15.6 billion, green energy investments in India grew 12% to $4.1 billion in 2008.


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Energy/Green-projects-get-VCF-energy/articleshow/4689822.cms)

Maharashtra-based Sanjay Ghodawat group is planning to focus more on renewable enery and agriculture business this fiscal,with major expansion plans in the pipeline.

The group has earmarked an investment of Rs 2,000 crore over the next five years, a major chunk of which will go into the group’s renewable, FMCG and agro business.

The group is also looking at expanding its business network in the eastern and north eastern region, especially in states like West Bengal, Orissa, which have a lot of potential in the renewable energy sector.



“In India of the total 17,000 Mw of installed renewable energy capacity, some 10,000 Mw comes from wind energy alone. We see huge potential in this sector, and we plan to invest heavily in this sector,” said Ghodawat.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ghodawat-group-linesmajor-expansion-in-renewable-energy-sector/360718/)

CHENNAI: Udangudi in Tuticorin district may be the site for a 100-megawatt solar thermal power plant. This was mooted during a meeting between Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah and Electricity Minister Arcot N. Veeraswami here on Saturday.



In spite of the constraints of the wind power sector the State has been promoting the green energy. As on January 31, 2009, Tamil Nadu accounts for around 42 per cent of the country’s total installed capacity of 9,756 MW of wind energy, the memorandum stated.

The State also sought Central assistance for establishing 17 co-generation plants in cooperative and public sugar mills with a capacity of 234 MW and modernisation of the mills at a cost of Rs.1,500 crore.


Source: The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/21/stories/2009062155880100.htm)

Gujarat’s green energy sector is all set to get a major boost if the draft notification relating to the CERC (Central Electricity Regulatory Commission) Regulations 2009 (Terms and Conditions for Tariff determination from Renewable Energy Sources) is approved. The draft offers substantial incentives for future renewable energy projects in the country.

Among other things, it even provides for pre-tax return on equity of 17 per cent per annum for the first 10 years after project completion, and 23 per cent per annum from the 11th year. Sobhana Desai, Deputy Secretary, Energy and Petrochemicals Department, said, “It certainly is a desirable step by the CERC. We are looking into the draft and will send our observations before the deadline ends on the June 15.”

GEDA officials also mentioned that Gujarat, which already has its own Solar and Wind Power Policy in place, is set to gain further as the CERC draft also includes the clause enlisting sharing of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) benefits between the project developer and concerned off-taker. It states that 100 per cent of the benefits will be retained by the developer in the first year, and thereafter, it will be shared by the beneficiaries, increasing by 10 per cent every year till it reaches 50 per cent.

The tariff regulations apply to wind power projects having minimum annual mean Wind Power Density of 200 watt/sq m; small hydel projects of lower than or equal to 25 MW; biomass power projects; and non-fossil fuel based co-generation projects. The tariff determination period under these regulations will be 13 years, and single part tariff will include five fixed components of return on equity, interest on loan capital, depreciation, interest on working capital, and operation and maintenance expenses.

Meanwhile, the existing solar power policy of the state provides for a fixed tariff of Rs 13 per unit for the first 12 years for the sale of energy by those photovoltaic solar projects commissioned before December 31, 2010, and Rs 3 per unit for the remaining 13 years. The tariff fixed for other solar projects commissioned before March 31, 2014 is Rs 12 per unit for the first 12 years, and Rs 3 per unit for the remaining 13 years. With regards to wind power generators, the purchase rate has been increased from Rs 3.37 per unit to Rs 3.50 per unit to attract more investment.


Source: indian express (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/New-state-policy-to-add-thrust-to-green-energy-sector/470761)

Oriental Green Power (OGP), a renewable energy generation company promoted by Chennai-based Shriram EPC, has achieved Rs 400-crore financial closure for six bio-mass based power plants.

Speaking to Business Standard, T Shivaraman, managing director and chief executive officer of Shriram EPC, said the company was planning to invest around Rs 1,100 crore in eight projects, of which financial closure for six projects has been achieved.

“A majority of the lenders are public sector banks, with the only private sector bank being Yes Bank. The banks had come forward to extend debt to the tune of Rs 400 crore,” Shivaraman said.

OGP has set a target to set up bio-mass based power plants, with a generation capacity of 130 Mw by March 2010. The company expects about 20 per cent of its business to come from bio-mass power.

Two plants have already been commissioned at Dindugal and Pudukottai in Tamil Nadu, each entailing an investment of Rs 40 crore. Two more plants – coming up near Vandavasi and at Chibbarbarod in Rajasthan – are likely to commence operations by this September.

Shivaraman said bio-mass power plants had to source agriculture waste – the main raw material – from farmers within 40-50 km radius. The raw material is not available in huge quantities, and hence upgrading or installing power plants beyond 7.5 Mw is not viable, he added.

Shriram EPC is a leading service provider of integrated design, engineering, procurement, construction and project management services for renewable energy projects, process and metallurgical plants and municipal service sector projects throughout India and is also a manufacturer of 250 Kw wind turbine generators.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ogp-tiesrs-400-crore-for-six-power-plants/361057/)

Chandigarh (PTI): State owned Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has finalized the allocation of 31 decentralized Biomass Power Projects with aggregate capacity of 338 MW to private developers.

Stating this in a release issued here on Sunday, Viswajeet Khanna, Secretary, Science and Technology, Punjab said that these power projects are to be set up in the State on Build, Operate and Own (BOO) basis and private investment to the tune of Rs.1450 Crore has been attracted in this sector.

Out of these, 21 such projects having total capacity of 220 MW have been allocated to the private developers. All these power projects are scheduled to be commissioned by September 2010.

He said that in order to encourage cogeneration in the industries, PEDA has also facilitated and commissioned 6 Biomass Cogeneration Projects with a total capacity of 39 MW and 4 such projects of total capacity of 91 MW were under advanced state of execution.

Another 8 Cogeneration Biomass Projects with a total capacity of 71 MW were in the pipeline and MOUs for the same were being signed shortly. With the commissioning of all these power projects direct employment for 1600 skilled persons and indirect employment for 5000 persons would be created in the state.

He said that these power projects being environment friendly would help in abatement of Green House Gases (GHG) emissions responsible for global warming and help the state in earning carbon credits.

The Secretary said that Punjab faces peak power shortage to the tune of 3000 MW and the commissioning of these environment friendly projects would help in supplementing power requirement of the State to the tune of around 26 per cent through renewable energy resources.

He further informed that the State Government was committed to promote renewable power through private sector by providing attractive tariff and fiscal incentives for these projects in order to add 1000 MW capacity to the state grid through renewable resources in the next two years.


Source: The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200906211551.htm)

London: The world's leading green energy awards, the Ashden Awards for this year were given out in London on Thursday evening by His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales. Three Indian initiatives have won the Ashden Awards for sustainable energy for their work in providing renewable energy solutions to local communities.

The winners, who bagged £20,000 each, include Saran Renewable Energy of Bihar, which provides electricity using biomass and Geres, a French NGO constructing greenhouses in Ladakh.


Source: IBNLive (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/3-indian-projects-get-ashden-awards-in-london/94799-2.html)

What would be % of renewable energy mix in India

Total power/energy = 130 GW

Wind = 10 GW
Solar = < 0.5 GW
Hydro = 25 GW
biomass = 1 GW ??

assuming hydro to be renewable we are close to 30% which is not bad when we compare to developed nations

^^ Whether the above figures are only grid-connected energy or also includes stand alone energy?

Compared to other countries we may be doing well. But, the ideal goal is 100% clean energy (renewable + nuclear) including 100% green transportation. We have to meet all energy demands, with an expected GDP growth of around 9% (?), with a minimum use of fossil energy without harming the environment much.

What would be % of renewable energy mix in India

Total power/energy = 130 GW

Wind = 10 GW
Solar = < 0.5 GW
Hydro = 25 GW
biomass = 1 GW ??

assuming hydro to be renewable we are close to 30% which is not bad when we compare to developed nations

According to Wikipedia, the ~10GW of Wind Energy in India represents 3% of the total electricity output. That will put the total at over 300 GW. Not saying that Wiki has accurate #s.

According to Wikipedia, the ~10GW of Wind Energy in India represents 3% of the total electricity output. That will put the total at over 300 GW. Not saying that Wiki has accurate #s.

I think Wiki may be right. Wind energy is intermittent, installed capacity could be 10GW and it is safe to assume that efficiency is < 50% which would compute to ~150GW.

BTW, there is renewable energy conference hosted by Indian Govt in August, 2009 clicky (http://www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com/index09.html)

According to Wikipedia, the ~10GW of Wind Energy in India represents 3% of the total electricity output. That will put the total at over 300 GW. Not saying that Wiki has accurate #s.

This gives the more accurate picture from the ministry of power

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_India_by_installed_power_capacity

renewables+hydro+nuclear is at 33%...1/3 of total power

I am trying to visualize what will be the scenario at 2020...a lot of countries have goals set for 2020 and 2050...2050 is too far fetched to have a decent prediction...

at a minimum of 10% growth...we will be at 400 GW by 2020...

of which we have plans for
20 GW of nuclear
45 GW of wind ( think that is the total potential of the country unless we have offshore or newer technologies...)
20 GW of solar...(dont think that is achievable....unless we have far cheaper infrastruture)

still we wont be at 50% renewable....at 400 GW we will be emitting same amount of greenhouse as China today or USA in the nineties...

The goal for renewable energy is to reduce carbon emission, reducel crude oil import bill, reduce coal import bill.

Fossil energy means coal, petrol and natural gas. Out of total electrical energy generated in India 67% is fossil energy consisting of coal & natural gas and 33% is renewable & nuclear.

Electrical energy generated by crude oil is negligible. India uses approximately 130 MMT of crude oil mainly for transportation. (Petrol is also used for agricultural pumps and also for generating industrial by products). If we assume that 100 MMT of petrol needed for transportation in year 2020 then this will be equivalent to approximately 140GW of electrical energy.

If we want to substitute petrol used in transportation by renewable energy option available are electrical (for example reva car) or biofuel. (Solar vehicles may not be an immediate option). Out of 140GW if we assume 100GW to be generated through eletrical power then we need total electrical power of 500GW in 2020. (got by adding another 100GW to 400GW predicted above).

What about wave energy? Any more research on that?

This gives the more accurate picture from the ministry of power

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/States_of_India_by_installed_power_capacity

renewables+hydro+nuclear is at 33%...1/3 of total power

I am trying to visualize what will be the scenario at 2020...a lot of countries have goals set for 2020 and 2050...2050 is too far fetched to have a decent prediction...

at a minimum of 10% growth...we will be at 400 GW by 2020...

of which we have plans for
20 GW of nuclear
45 GW of wind ( think that is the total potential of the country unless we have offshore or newer technologies...)
20 GW of solar...(dont think that is achievable....unless we have far cheaper infrastruture)

still we wont be at 50% renewable....at 400 GW we will be emitting same amount of greenhouse as China today or USA in the nineties...

those are rated capacities. for best sites for wind we could assume 30-35%. but they are already taken. assume only 25%. for solar assume 20%. nuclear & coal plants run nearly at 80% rated capacities.

at a minimum of 10% growth...we will be at 400 GW by 2020...



I think this linear expansion of power is a wrong assumption. The world has to think in terms of reducing per capita power consumption. Excessive use of power needs to be rethought. Already, modern buildings are converting to LEED goals with the idea of reducing power consumption. LED lights can drastically cut down incandescent light bulb power consumed in households. Efficient strategies for energy conservation includes better insulation, design for ambient light, use of alternate energy sources (including solar) at the unit level and all of these strategies goes towards reducing central monolithic power. Low power should be the norm for the entire spectrum of modern appliances too. Dishwashers, washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, electric appliances all require an overhaul in terms of power consumption. If man can live frugally we can solve most of the daunting issues that confront modern mankind.

I think this linear expansion of power is a wrong assumption. The world has to think in terms of reducing per capita power consumption. Excessive use of power needs to be rethought. Already, modern buildings are converting to LEED goals with the idea of reducing power consumption. LED lights can drastically cut down incandescent light bulb power consumed in households. Efficient strategies for energy conservation includes better insulation, design for ambient light, use of alternate energy sources (including solar) at the unit level and all of these strategies goes towards reducing central monolithic power. Low power should be the norm for the entire spectrum of modern appliances too. Dishwashers, washing machines, microwaves, refrigerators, electric appliances all require an overhaul in terms of power consumption. If man can live frugally we can solve most of the daunting issues that confront modern mankind.

Agreed. Energy saved is energy produced. However it is highly unlikely we will have all these overhaul done in the next decade.

Most scientists agree that we (world) has to peak carbon emissions by 2020...if we are still increasing in emissions after that we will have irreversible consequences...

One promising technology is rooftop solar and wind power. Egypt a developing country with very similar climatic conditions like us and is a world leader in rooftop solar.

We have achieved something similar with water harvesting...Though the comparison is not correct there are some parallels. Water harvesting in homes and buildings have greatly improved water tables and reduced the dependency on centralised water supply....

if only we can achieve something like that for electricity !!!

I did not see anything related to funds allocation for renewables in the budget. All our goals seem too long term to be taken seriously.

Yes, very sad state of affairs in the Budget 2009. The giveaways are galloping at an alarming rate. NREGA (which is corruption for the politicians / babus) is now at Rs 39, 000 crores up from 14,000 crores. Mind bogling to say the least. The Govt is down a path of appeasement. Instead if they had a rebate program on CFLs (compact fluorescent) or LED bulbs that would have saved tons of energy consumption in households. I have noticed in places other than Bluru very little usage of Solar for water heating. I don't know about others but I still prefer a hot shower. Solar heating is the best solution for India. Commercial establishment like hotels/motels/restaurants should install solar water heating. New buildings/commercial buildings should have provisions made at build time to install solar water heaters. The Govt can make a great start by converting its own buildings into energy efficient sustainable units. They can be retrofitted with CFLs/LEDs and/or like I have in my home a Solar Light Tube for daylight lighting. Solar water heaters are ubiquitous and needed in Govt buildings for hot water supply. The govt should have incentives for each state in the union to get 1000 MW on average of renewable energy in the next 2-3yrs. The goal is easily achievable if each district in state targets at least 10 MW of power. This would have instantly added 30,000 MW of power to the grid.

What about wave energy? Any more research on that?


The total potential of tidal energy in India is estimated at 8,000 mw with Gulf of Cambay accounting for over 90 per cent.


Read more about tidal energy in Project Monitor (http://www.projectsmonitor.com/detailnews.asp?newsid=17116)

There is also a potential of 10GW through geothermal energy (may not be renewable). But, I have a doubt that how much of geothermal energy is safe to extract? Whether there is any possibility of earthquakes due to cooling and shrinkage of earth's inner layer due to the extraction of heat?

Giving shock treatment to private energy producers, the government has terminated the contracts of more than 50 private companies which had obtained licenses to generate power from wind. Despite being approved more than five years ago, these companies had not shown interest in setting up installations.

Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) had given contracts to several private companies to generate wind power in various parts of the state. But as many as 55 companies, even several years after approval, had not commissioned their projects, while they continued to enjoy tax rebates available for investing in non-conventional energy sector. Eshwarappa said a total of 9,000 MW was to be generated by these companies, however, only 1,400 MW of power is being generated.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Bangalore/Fewer-blackouts-promises-Eshwarappa/articleshow/4746333.cms)

Read also report on Daijiworld (http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=62253&n_tit=%3Cb%3ENon-implemented+Wind+Power+Projects+Thrown+to+Wind%3C%2Fb%3E).

Produced by Jaju and filmmaker Ekta Kothari (co-founders of the grassroots climate action project Switch ON), “Why New Coal?” will premiere in New Delhi at the Indian Youth Summit on Climate Change this July 18-23.

Source: WORLD CHANGING (http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010078.html)


http://whynewcoal.com/

-I9tA-368_o

http://www.andhrajyothy.com/mainshow.asp?qry=/2009/jul/19state32

for the sake of who don't understand telugu,

Raus Power limited established a Power plant in East Goadavari district(Andhrapradesh) to produce power from Poultry Litter(dried) and Rice husk.As per the Plant incharge Mr. Sridhar,


It's been in operation for the last 4 months
To operate this plant, daily 120 Tonnes of Litter and 50 tons husk are required.
To dry the litter , special boilers are used.
To avoid of the risk of nonavilability in rainy season, 600 ton capacity godown is constructed.
To do away with pollution, EPC(electrostatic precipitator) is being used.
Waste from the plant is being used in brick manufacturing and laying the roads.
The reason why this place was choosen is, near by poultry farms capacity is more than 8 Million (Guess it is almost 40% of total State)
Local farm owners are happy as it is no more issue to get rid the litter



Media says, apart from this place, Chittor(Famous temple town Tirupati is located in this district) also equal potential place for the same.

Good video KK:)

New Delhi: India today asked the United States to bring down the "barriers" preventing research and technology transfer and ensure easy funding in the renewable energy sector to combat the threats of climate change.

This was conveyed by Union minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah to US special envoy for climate change Todd Stern in a meeting, where the two leaders also deliberated on ways to intensify collaboration to harness renewable energy.

"We have told them very clearly that renewable energy for instance sun is very expensive and therefore we are unable
to give the boost that it needs.

"Secondly we also spoke on how they would make the research easily available to the developing nation, particularly to India," Abdullah later told reporters.

He also stressed on bringing down the barriers preventing technology transfer.

"Almost all the barriers that are there should be brought down. For low cost funding there need to have financing network in such a manner that the US could give money at easy loans to our industry to switch over to clean technology," the minister added.

Solar energy is not even a fraction of the country's renewable energy sources, consisting primarily of wind and biomass that makes up 3 per cent of the country's total electricity production.

But India's goal is to reach 20,000 megawatts of solar electricity by 2020, as part of the National Action Plan on Climate Change that was unveiled in June last year to combat global warming.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_india-asks-us-to-remove-barriers-preventing-research-technology-transfer_1275987)

Astonfield Renewable Resources Ltd (ARRL), the US-based renewable energy company, and Areva Renewable, the green energy arm of the French energy major Areva, have entered into an agreement to set up 100 Mw of biomass-based power generation capacity in India.

The two companies would invest Rs 550-630 crore for setting up 10 power projects of around 10 Mw capacity each at various locations in the country.

“Areva would invest 40 per cent of the project cost and the rest 60 per cent investment would be made by Astonfield. The projects have been targeted for commissioning by 2013,” Ameet Shah, co-chairman and director, Astonfield Renewable Resources, said.

Work on the first power plant of 10 Mw capacity under the agreement would begin by the end of the current year at Gangarampur in West Bengal.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/astonfield-areva-to-invest-in-biomass-power-projects/364897/)

we must improve renewable energy
like
*converting garbage to current
*interlinking of water and the dams can be used for hydro
*installing of more windmills
*we can utilize solar energy in huge scale

http://www.pump-zone.com/global-news/global-news/india-aims-for-20000-megawatts-of-solar-power-capacity-by-2020.html

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)
The Indian government is reported to have finalized the draft for the National Solar Mission, outlining ambitious long-term plans to attain an installed solar power generation capacity of 20,000 MW by the year 2020, which would be increased to 100,000 MW by the year 2030, and further to 200,000 MW by the year 2050.

The plan also aims to reduce the cost of solar power generation to between $0.0846 and $0.1058 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by 2017-20 in order to make solar power competitive with power generated from fossil fuels.

In order to achieve the proposed targets, the government is likely to make investments of approximately $18 billion to $22 billion over a period of 30 years. An estimated investment of about $1.06 billion-$1.27 billion will be required during the current Eleventh Five-Year Plan period, 2007-12, while an investment of $2.54 billion-$3.18 billion will be required during the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, 2012-17.

The Mission envisages 20,000 MW of solar power generation capacity to be installed across five application segments by 2020. These segments include 12,000 MW of power connected to the utility grid, 3,000 MW of power from 1 million captive and grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations with an average individual capacity of 3 kilowatts (kW) each, 3,000 MW of rural installations, and 2,000 MW of distributed solar PV applications such as telecom towers. In addition, about 20 million households are envisaged to have access to solar lighting, while solar heating applications would be set up over 20 million square meters of collector area by 2020.

The plans are proposed to be implemented in three phases during 2009-2020. The first phase will focus on achieving economies of scale and validating the economic and technological viability of different solar applications. Some of the plans to be implemented during this phase include promotion of large-scale solar utility plants, and mandatory deployment of onsite or rooftop PV applications in buildings and establishments owned by the government and public sector undertakings to achieve a target of 100 MW through this initiative by 2012.

The government also plans to mandate installation of solar power generation capacity of at least 5 percent of the total installed capacity of upcoming thermal power plants based on oil, gas and coal. Further, vacant land available in existing power plants would be used for setting up solar power units.

Solar applications are planned to replace diesel generators to meet peak daytime power requirements. Solar PV panels will be used to charge inverter systems in residential and commercial establishments.

The government also plans to develop two or three large-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) plants with capacities of 50 MW, 100 MW with storage, and a 150-200-MW solar/gas hybrid model, to demonstrate economic and technological feasibility. Pilot projects will be undertaken for large-scale rural electrification based on solar power.

Solar lighting systems will be promoted in rural and urban sectors through micro-financing business models to provide access to lighting for 3 million households by 2012. The government is expected to invest up to $254 million in this initiative.

There will also be a focus on the promotion of solar heating systems, for which the target has been set at 7 million square meters of solar heating applications by 2012. The government plans to mandate installation of solar water heaters in functional buildings such as hotels, hospitals and guesthouses, subject to availability of at least 500 square meters of land area.

The first phase of the Mission would also see the establishment of technology parks to promote local manufacturing capacities. This target has been set at 1,000-1,500 MW of manufacturing capacity by 2012-13.

In the second phase of implementation, during the period 2012-17, the plan is to achieve 6,000-7,000 MW of installed solar power generation capacity by 2017. This would be accomplished by scaling up validated applications with focus on grid-tied installations, implementation of validated business models for rural electrification, commercial deployment of solar thermal power projects with storage capabilities, and pilot deployment of advanced technologies such as CSP, thin film applications, storage systems and dish/Stirling systems.

In the third phase, during the period 2017-20, the target is to achieve an installed capacity of 20,000 MW by 2020 and attain tariff parity between solar power and conventional grid power. This phase would see commercial deployment of storage technologies and other advanced technologies indigenously developed through research and development. The Mission envisages the deployment of more than 1 million rooftop systems with an average capacity of 3 kilowatts by the year 2020.

In order to promote rapid and large-scale capital investments in this sector, the government is proposing to provide incentives in the form of feed-in tariffs, tax holidays up to a period of 10 years, and relief from excise duty and customs duty on critical materials and capital equipment. Similar incentives are already in place for projects in the infrastructure and information technology sectors.

Feed-in tariffs would be determined through a market-based price discovery mechanism such as inviting bids for large-scale projects. The incentive would be distributed among the utility and the central and state governments, with the utility bearing a cost of $0.0741 per kWh, while the balance amount would be borne by the central and state governments in the ratio of 70:30. Costs of solar power generation are expected to decline at a rate of 7 to 9 percent per year by 2020.

India currently has a PV-module manufacturing capacity of 700 MW. However, there is no indigenous manufacturing capability for solar thermal power plants. The government intends to promote the establishment of new plants to manufacture concentrator collectors and receivers required by CSP plants.

The proposed plans to increase solar power generation capacity to 20,000 MW by 2020 are estimated to result in a reduction of 42 million tons per year of carbon-dioxide emissions. Solar lighting and heating initiatives are expected to further reduce emissions by 3 million and 15 million tons per year, respectively, by eliminating the use of kerosene and other fuels. Additionally, solar heating applications are expected to result in peak-load shaving of about 7,500 MW, free up 4,500 MW of installed power capacity that is currently used for heating applications, and save about 350 million liters per year of fuel oil. Rooftop PV systems, estimated to reach 3,000 MW by 2020, could save about 1,050 million liters per year of diesel and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.36 million tons per year.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy related markets. For more than 26 years, Industrial Info has provided plant and project opportunity databases, market forecasts, high resolution maps, and daily industry news.

The Government is providing various fiscal incentives for setting up of power generation projects from biomass throughout the country including capital subsidy linked with capacity and fiscal incentives such as concessional customs duty on import of machineries and components, excise duty exemption, accelerated depreciation on major components, relief from taxes and term loan from Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), and other financial institutions. This apart, preferential tariff is being provided for sale of power from commercial biomass power projects in 14 states. Promotional incentives are also provided for development of biomass power projects, capacity building, awareness creation etc.

The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore has prepared a National Biomass Resource Atlas. It reports that the surplus agro, industrial and agricultural residues in the country has been estimated to about 120-150 million MT per year for power generation which has a biomass power potential of about 18000 MW.

A cumulative biomass power generation capacity of 1870 MW through 220 projects has already been installed and 2170 MW through 170 projects are under implementation as on 30.6.2009 in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

This information was given by Shri Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Source (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=51410)

The Government has taken various measures to improve overall availability of power in the country. They are, addition of generation capacity, development of Ultra Mega Power Projects, harnessing surplus captive power into the grid, strengthening and improving of sub-transmission system in States, promoting demand side management, energy efficiency and energy conservation measures, and strengthening of inter-state and inter-regional transmission capacity.

An Energy Coordination Committee chaired by the Prime Minister has been constituted in 2005 to enable a systematic approach to policy formulation, promote coordination in inter-departmental action and function as a key mechanism for providing institutional support to decision making in the area of energy planning and security.

The Government is already providing support to renewable energy sector through a mix of fiscal and financial incentives. Central Financial Assistance ranging from about 30 % to 90% of costs of various types of renewable energy systems/devices for different applications is being provided depending on the technology employed, location and user category. Fiscal incentives being provided include accelerated depreciation, nil/ concessional excise and customs duties. Further benefit under Section 80-1A of Income Tax Act 1961 is available to undertakings set up for the generation or generation and distribution of Renewable power in India. This apart, preferential tariff for grid interactive renewable power is being given in most potential States.

Accordingly, the main proposals for energy sector, which are being acted upon are as contained in the Integrated Energy Policy formulated by the Government in December 2008 covering all sources of energy including renewable.

This information was given by Shri Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

Source (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=51408)

To roll out 1,000 MW greenfield capacities in Karnataka, Gujarat and AP.
NTPC signs MoU with Karnataka Power Corporation for setting up 500 MW wind power capacity
The total investment for this venture is estimated at around Rs 2,500 crore


New Delhi, Aug. 22 Amid increasing challenges on the fuel front, NTPC is fast-tracking plans on diversifying its fuel mix, with wind power a key thrust area in the renewables space.

The thermal power major is working on plans to begin rolling out a cumulative 1,000 MW of greenfield wind power installations across Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh over the next few years, company officials said.

The company’s first wind project is expected to come up in Karnataka, with wind farms totalling 500 MW at half a dozen locations in the State. While the state-owned utility is in advanced stages of finalising the Detailed Project Reports for the projects in Karnataka, it is also assessing the techno-commercial viability of the other identified projects. India’s total installed wind generation capacity was 9,645 MW at end-March 2009.

NTPC has already signed an MoU with the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL) for setting up the 500-MW wind power capacity, under which KPCL will provide the land while NTPC will set up and operate the wind farms. The total investment in the Karnataka venture is estimated at around Rs 2,500 crore.

“The move to focus on green projects is a response to increasing environmental consciousness… We envisage increasing pressure on thermal utilities across the world to prove their commitment to the global climate change agenda,” an official said.

At present, around 78 per cent of NTPC’s installed capacity of 30,644 MW is coal-fired, while much of the remaining capacity is based on natural gas.

NTPC’s plan to enter the wind generation business comes at a time when India has been slipping on the wind-based capacity addition front. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, a global body for the wind energy sector, India added 1,800 MW during the last year, taking its total installed wind generation capacity to 9,645 MW.

China, in comparison, added a whopping 6,300 MW, second only to the US in terms of new additions, taking its capacity at the end of the year to 12,210 MW.

The US, with 8,358 MW added during the year, overtook Germany to take the lead in terms of total wind energy installed capacity.


Source: The Hindu Business Line (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/08/23/stories/2009082351230100.htm)

ban immersing idols in rivers,lakes and it should be immersed only in sea or ocean
but idols made of mud or without chemicals can be allowed
*Also govn should ban sacrificing animals in temples,bakrid etc i saw last year they sacrificed some 50 camels ,its high to time ban this stupid act ,also animals should not be cut in roads,pavement,public place
*we need food administration to check this fast food which is growing like indian population and also causing traffic and obstacle

Ushdev International Ltd is substantially expanding its wind power portfolio. The Mumbai-based wind power producer plans to set up a 9.9-mw wind farm in Theni district, Tamil Nadu, with a total investment of Rs 60.9 crore. The order for supplying six wind turbines (of 1.65 mw each) has already been placed on Vestas Wind Technology India Pvt. Ltd. The project is due to complete next month.
In a telephonic interaction with Projectmonitor, Ushdev officials said that once the new wind farm was in place, the company's total wind power capacity would increase significantly from the current 12.93 mw to 22.83 mw, with a cumulative capital investment of around Rs 125 crore. The company has its farms in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Primarily a steel trader, the 1994-formed Ushdev International diversified into power generation and trading by setting up its first project—a 2.53-mw wind farm with 11 turbines in Tamil Nadu—in 1997. Between 2005 and 2007, new capacity worth 10.4 mw was set up in Gujarat (4.8 mw), Rajasthan (2.4 mw), Karnataka (1.6 mw) and Tamil Nadu (1.6 mw). The latest addition was in May 2007 when it commissioned a 3.2-mw project at Sumana, Jamanagar district, Gujarat, with an investment of Rs 32 crore.
All the power plants are grid-connected and sell power to respective state electricity boards, officials noted. As part of its wind energy portfolio expansion, the company is looking at expanding capacity at existing locations and exploring newer states, including Maharashtra, they added.

Source (http://www.projectsmonitor.com/NEWPROJECTS/ushdev-international-to-expand-wind-power)

Farooq Abdullah, Union Minister for New Renewable Energy on Monday said that Shimla and Hamirpur towns of Himachal Pradesh will be developed as Solar Cities . He said that Dr. Y.S.Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan and National Institute of Technology (NIT) Hamirpur would be developed as Energy Parks under the Ministry of New Renewable Energy Programmes of the Government of India.



Union Minister said that the Government of India would soon be coming up with National Solar Policy which was likely to be launched on November 14,2009, offering vast incentives to the user of solar energy in the country. He said that the Ministry would also be training local youth in maintenance of the different solar system so that continuity in the energy supply was maintained. He said that Himachal Pradesh had many prominent religious shrines which could avail of the solar system for energy and kitchen purposes.

Mr Abdullah said that the Union Ministry had launched 'Griha' scheme aimed at creating quality solar infrastructure for domestic and commercial purposes. He said that all hill states had similar geophysical conditions and wind velocity at higher reaches was high which could be beneficial to explore possibilities of wind power generation as well. He said that the Ministry would also be providing financial assistance upto Rs. 1.00 crore for solar lighting of Raj Bhawan, Civil Secretariat and other important offices. He assured the Chief Minister of his best cooperation for exploitation of available hydel potential to set up mini and micro hydro projects.

Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister said that 292 micro projects upto 5 MW had been allotted during past one year of which 273 projects with aggregate capacity of 456 MW had been allotted to Himachali entrepreneurs. He said that the State had simplified the process and procedure and fixed time frame for clearances. He said that open access is allowed to small hydro projects. He said that IPPs developing projects upto 5 MW were being provided concessional royalty for selling power to the HPSEB. He said that Transmission Corporation had been constituted for evacuation of the power. He detailed the provisions under Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna which benefitted 16 lakh domestic consumers with free 4 CFL bulb sets.


Source: NORTH INDIA TIMES (http://www.northindiatimes.com/news/129/ARTICLE/1503/2009-08-24.html)

A significant increase in the M&A activities is expected in the renewable energy (RE) sector in India , as a wave of consolidation hits the industry, says Ernst & Young’s ‘Renewable Energy in India – The Evolving Dynamics’ report.

According to the report, despite numerous challenges, opportunities in the renewable energy space are attracting various types of developers/investors. Among key emerging players are conventional energy developers looking to diversify into clean energy, large international utilities wishing to participate in the Indian opportunity, private equity-backed renewable energy development companies, and companies with existing renewable energy assets looking to expand their portfolio, among others. All these players are seen to be pursuing both organic and inorganic expansion strategies.

India has seen significant transaction activity with deals worth $2,155 million being announced between January 2005 and July 2009. The average deal size (based on deals with announced value) stood at $69.5 million during the same period. Huge demand-supply gap in power, depletion of fossil fuels and energy security have been the key drivers behind sustained investments in the sector.

The transaction activity is skewed by Suzlon’s acquisition of REPower as this transaction, worth $1,327 million, itself accounts for 61.6% of transaction activity in value. Another significant transaction was Gammon India’s acquisition of a 50% stake in Sofinter for $101 million. Private Equity (PE)/Venture Capital (VC) players have also shown a keen eye and have invested $527 million, 24% of the total transaction value in India.

Wind has the maximum share of approximately 79% of the transactions in the renewable energy space during January 2005 and 21 July 2009. Biomass, hydro, solar and others (having presence in all renewable energy segments) share the remaining part of the pie.

The PE/VC investment accounts for only 24% of total transaction value. However, if the transaction activity is observed in terms of the deal count, they have a substantial share. In fact, 20 of the 37 transactions between January 2005 and 21 July 2009 were by the PE/VC players. These players are chasing up the innovative players while several funds with specific renewable energy mandates have contributed to the transaction activity.

Kuljit Singh, partner and transactions advisory leader for infrastructure, real estate and government, Ernst & Young, says, “In the near time frame, a significant number of assets are expected to change hands with some of the existing project owners refocusing efforts on core areas, raising finances by selling non-core assets and de-leveraging balance sheet in case of assets which are on the balance sheet of the main company etc.”


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Energy/Power/Renewable-energy-sector-may-witness-hefty-increase-in-MA-activities/articleshow/4881959.cms)

Bangalore: State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) and Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) will form a Rs 2000 crore joint venture by March 2010 to manufacture 250mw solar photovoltaic (PV) production facility for processing silicon wafers, solar cells and PV modules, a top company official said Tuesday

"The joint venture with 50:50 equity holding will be set up where abundant power will be available. We will also rope in an overseas technology partner, which will be given a proportionate stake subsequently," BHEL chairman and managing director K. Ravi Kumar told reporters here on the margins of a function.

Though the location to set up the facility has not been identified, Ravi Kumar hinted Karnataka could be considered, provided the required quality of power was made available to the venture.

As part of the government's green energy initiative, BHEL has upgraded its solar PV module manufacturing facility at its electronics division on the outskirts of the city to 8mw from 3mw per annum at a cost of Rs 16 crore. The initial investment in the facility was Rs 15 crore.


Source: sify (http://sify.com/finance/equity/fullstory.php?a=jjcknKdhdbb&title=BHEL_BEL_to_float_joint_venture_for_solar_panels_facility&cid=20753)

India is likely to spend over Rs 1 lakh crore on setting up of power plants based on renewable energy sources by the end of 2011-12, according to Devasis Majumdar, chairman and managing director of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).

“As per the target of the 11th Five Year Plan, power plants with a capacity of 14500 MW based on renewable energy sources would be set up by the end of 2011-12. So far, power plants with a capacity of 3,000 MW based on renewable energy sources have been set up at an investment of Rs 15,000 crore”, he said.

He was speaking at a seminar on Power Mart, organized by the North Zone regional office of CII-Orissa. Speaking on the occasion, Manish Verma, the Balasore district collector, said, India has a tremendous potential to generate 1,50,000 MW of power from the hydro power sources but we are yet to tap the hydro power in a big way due to some bottlenecks. He stressed upon the need to focus on solar power to sustain the development process. Stating that the distribution network and the plant load factor have to be strengthened to keep pace with economic development, Verma said, the Orissa government was committed to providing electricity to all people in the rural areas of the state.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-to-spend-over-rs-1-lakh-crorerenewable-power-by-2012/368679/)

After allotting capacities to 34 developers for generating a total of 716 Mw of solar power, as many as seven developers have come calling to the state for setting up solar panel manufacturing units here.

The seven players who have shown interest in setting up solar modules manufacturing units in the state include Lanco Solar, Moser Baer, Mumbai based PLG Power, Hyderabad based Solar Semiconductor, Sunkon Energy, Gandhinagar based Top Sun Energy Ltd and Surat based Waree Energies, said a government official close to the development.

While the exact size of the project and related investment details are awaited from the developers, the cost of setting up a solar module manufacturing unit would be about Rs 500-1,000 crore, depending on the size, the official further said.

Lanco Solar has proposed an investment of about Rs 4,000 crore in the state which includes a 200 Mw solar photo-voltaic power plant. The proposed investment includes Rs 1,000 crore for solar module manufacturing unit.

All the seven players have meanwhile been allotted different capacities under the state's solar policy for setting up power plants that will generate power using solar photovoltaic cells.

The state government meanwhile is considering to set up a Solar SEZ and aims to rope in manufacturers in the special economic zone.

"The manufacturers can plan their capacities once we allot them capacities. And this we did it very recently. Apart from the solar modules being required for their own PV plants, the modules produced by the seven players can also be sold to various other players whose projects would come up in the SEZ. Besides there is a good overseas market too," sources said.

Meanwhile, Clinton Foundation's proposed 'Solar Integrated City' project may also come up in the proposed SEZ.

The Central government has recently approached the state to consider setting up a 'Solar SEZ' in Gujarat.

A senior official from the Department of Commerce, government of India had written a letter to the state's energy department for considering a Solar SEZ in the state, sources privy to the development said.

Besides Kutch, two more locations including one in Jharad in Banaskantha and Shantalpur in Patan district are being considered for the project. Clinton Foundation is scouting for about 15,000 acres of GIDC land for the project that will generate about 3,000 Mw of solar thermal power.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/seven-developers-eye-solar-panel-manufacturing-units/368639/)

India is the most developed renewable energy market in South Asia with an annual turnover of about $500 million, though it is just a fraction of the country's potential, said a UN report on climate change.

"These initiatives (National Electricity Policy, Renewable Energy Plan 2012 etc.) have helped India become a country with the most developed and diversified renewable energy market in South Asia," said the UN's World Economic and Social Survey 2009 which was released today.

Noting that India produces 3,500 MW of power through renewable energy sources, the survey entitled 'Promoting Development, Saving the Planet' said, "this is just a fraction of the estimated total economic potential of 100,000 MW."

With an investment of about $1 billion (approximately Rs 4,800 crore) in wind, solar and other sources of clean energy, it said, "renewables still account for less than one per cent of all electricity produced in the country.

"This is because many renewable technologies such as wind turbines, operate intermittently and cannot function at 100 per cent capacity," it added.

Pointing out that various legislations, policies and tax incentives have encouraged development of clean energy, the UN survey said the government needs to put in place a standard policy for purchase of power generated through renewable energy sources.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-most-developed-renewable-energy-market-in-south-asiaun/72483/on)

KOCHI: The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), a Vienna based non-government organisation engaged in promoting renewableenergy, has provided 667,500 Euros in seed funding for eight new finance projects to accelerate the clean energy market in the developing world. Thisincludes funding for establishing retail outlets in Karnataka for selling energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps, pressure cookers, stoves andsolar lanterns in villages.

The Vienna-based NGO will associate with microfinance institutions to provide finance to end users. The funding for small-scale projects isintended to open up access to energy services for the rural poor, according to an e-mail message from REEEP. The agency is collaborating with the Kerala government in the renewable energy sector. The project involves study on expanding the renewable energy network and funding for various projects in a time-bound manner. REEEP has also funded various projects in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. It will work in Uganda to help microfinance institutions (MFIs) toestablish small businesses selling solar, biogas and high-efficiency cook stoves, and to provide loans to 5000 consumers who buy them. The REEEPproject in Brazil targets the agricultural sector for financing to make solar water pumps for irrigation, solar dryers for fruits, and bio-digestorsfor agricultural waste available to small farmers.

The organisation has taken up a successful microfinance mechanism known as Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN)), a finance coaching and investormatchmaking service that works well in many developing markets as well as India and China.

With microfinancing at one end of the spectrum, other REEEP projects will aim to unlock the potential of large-scale investment in renewables.Institutional investors such as pension funds, insurance companies, and savings and investment banks see high risks associated with the emergingmarkets and with renewable energy. A REEEP project will seek to develop risk mitigation strategies and financing products through intermediaries toattract these major players to the renewables market, according to the organisation.


Source: The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200908141514.htm)

Oriental Green Power (OGP), a renewable energy generation company promoted by Chennai-based Shriram EPC, would invest Rs 730 crore for setting up biomass-based power plants. The company is also planning to list by 2011.

Speaking on the sidelines of the company's annual general meeting here on Monday, T Shivaraman, managing director and chief executive of Shriram EPC, said, “We have set a target to list OGP by March 2011. The company wants to give thrust on renewable energy both in domestic and international markets.”

The investment would go into setting up of 146 Mw plants, each Mw entailing Rs 5 crore. Most of these would be ready by December 2010. The company currently operates biomass plants with a total production capacity of 22 Mw, he said. The company would fund the project through debt, which would constitute 70 per cent and equity, comprising the remaining 30 per cent.

This apart, Oriental is in the process of acquiring wind farms having a capacity of 200 Mw. So far, it has acquired wind farms with a capacity of 100 Mw in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.


Read full news on BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/oriental-green-to-invest-rs-730-crore-in-biomass-power-plants/368634/).

Electrotherm Renewables - a division of Electrotherm (India) Limited, is investing between Rs 700 crore and Rs 800 crore for setting up a 40 Mw solar thermal power plant in Banaskantha. While Electrotherm is still on the lookout for a 500 acre land, the company is expecting some assistance from Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA).


Talking further about the solar thermal plant, Bhandari said, "Around 10 companies are coming up with solar thermal power plant of varying capacities. The total capacity allotted by the government for solar thermal power plants is around 350 Mw, of which 40 Mw is being developed by us. Once successful, we would like to replicate such power plants across the country. For solar thermal power plants, Gujarat, along with Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are the most viable locations."


Read full news on BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=367507).

BHUBANESWAR: The State will prepare a vision document for developing renewable energy. This was decided at the 32nd governing body meeting of Orissa Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA). IT and Science and Technology Minister Ramesh Majhi chaired the meeting.


Source: EB (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Vision+document+for+renewable+energy&artid=qCXEKniIJsI=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=oHSKVfNWYm0=&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=)

New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah today said the government was targeting to add a capacity of at least 1000 MW in Himachal Pradesh in next five years.

"In a meeting with the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Abdullah pointed out that the state has a huge potential to generate energy through small hydro-projects," ministry officials said.

While observing that Himachal Pradesh imports power during winter and exports during summer though it is a power surplus state, Abdullah said that after adding 1000 MW capacity, the state would generate additional revenue and would also be able to avoid the import of power.


Source: PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/246234_Govt-targeting-addl-capacity-of-1000-MW-energy-in-HP)

Gurgaon, Aug 20 (PTI) Haryana has signed a MoU with the private investors for generation of 215 MW electricity from renewable sources at an investment of about Rs 1000 crore.

The announcement was made by PWD and Irrigation Minister Capt. Ajay Singh Yadav today during a function to mark the birthday of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi.

The Minister also inaugurated the Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Park constructed at a cost of Rs 2.06 crore in sector 29 of Gurgaon.

Capt. Yadav said for promoting renewable energy, the state has introduced an energy policy that grants industry status to electricity generated through renewable sources.

He further said the work of setting up 6 MW hydel power project at Dadupur in Yamunanagar was likely to be completed by December this year.

The state already has a plan called ' Shiksa Deep' that works with students for promotion of renewable energy.


Source: PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/239960_Haryana-signs-MoU-for-215-MW-renewable-energy-plant)

New Delhi: New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday inaugurated a 30 KW micro hydel plant in the Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The minister, who also met with local administrative and army officials, discussed deployment of solar energy equipment and micro hydel units to replace diesel and kerosene in civil and army establishments.


Source: SamayLive (http://www.samaylive.com/news/leh-gets-30-kw-micro-hydel-plant-inaugurated/653672.html)

JODHPUR: Rajasthan is soon set to spearhead the solar energy power production movement in the country. With the proposals worth 56 MW already sanctioned and on the stage of tariff finalisation and other 110 MW in the process of bidding, western Rajasthan is going to be the hub of solar energy production by the end of next financial year. Gujarat is also vying to tap the solar thermal potential by developing the Rann of Kutch as the hub of solar energy followed by Banaskantha.

CMD, Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation, Naresh Pal Gangwar, while asserting that the state will soon be the pioneer in solar energy production, said solar radiation is highest in western Rajasthan and according to an estimate, there is a whopping 1.5 lakh MW untapped potential of solar energy in this part. The only snag so far, is the high energy generation cost of this mode. But assured that once the plants start functioning the cost of solar energy will decrease like that of conventional energy -- thermal and hydel.

Describing this phenomenon as the "grid parity", which is expected to be achieved by 2017, Gangwar said the renewable energy sources will get a major boost, thereby discouraging the conventional modes of energy production.

Presently, the process of finalising the tariff per unit is underway for the initial phase of 56 MW to be produced by 11 companies, for which the applications have already been forwarded to Rajasthan Energy Regulatory Commission (RERC). Once this is done, the companies will start setting up their respective plants across the districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Bikaner and Jodhpur. These plants will be based on different technologies like solar photo-voltaic, solar thermal and thin film etc. and it will be seen in the long run which technology is more feasible to produce low cost energy.

Other two solar energy plants of 5 MW each are also to be set up under a scheme of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), the cost of which is expected to be about Rs 15 per unit, Rs 10 of which will be borne by the MNRE and Rs 5 will be borne by the DISCOM in the form of subsidy. Besides this, two more plants of 50 MW each based on the photo-voltaic technology and solar thermal technology are also to be set up through cost bidding by the developers, who will then select the site for the plant.

According to the scientists, the solar energy production is in its early stage of research and the high unit cost of the solar energy is still the biggest impediment in the success of solar energy plants. As a matter of fact, solar thermal potential is highest in Rajasthan but unfortunately, it still remains untapped. Endorsing this, Gangwar said, "This is just the beginning and as time passes by, we will be able to strike upon the ways, by which we can reduce the cost of the solar energy."

Surendra Mathur, project director in Jodhpur also said the prices of solar cells and other necessary components have seen a fall in the past few years and it is the right time to take the solar energy seriously.

The Central government has set up a solar mission with the targeted solar energy generation of staggering 20,000 MW by 2017 with a major focus on Rajasthan. Now the stress is being laid on the renewable sources of energy as the conventional sources are fast depleting and the government believes that acting now will pave way for more research and technological innovations so as to bring a substantial reduction in green energy like solar and wind.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/jaipur/State-to-lead-in-solar-energy-production/articleshow/4930514.cms)

Ghodawat Energy Ltd (GEL), the Maharashtra-based wind turbine manufacturer, plans to invest Rs 20 crore to acquire wind farms as part of its proposed Rs 100-crore expansion plan. The fund has been generated from the group internal accruals and also from debt.

GEL is currently engaged in manufacturing wind turbines and towers, and in power generation through its own wind farms. Currently, it generates 100 MW wind power with a target of reaching 500 MW by 2013.


Read full news on REUTERS INDIA (http://in.reuters.com/article/indiaDeals/idINIndia-42053720090828).

The Sunderbans boast the highest concentration of solar home panels in India thanks to the efforts of a former government scientific officer.

Sustainable technology may be the next big thing for India Inc, but for S P Gon Chaudhuri, it’s been a reality for more than a quarter century.

Way back in 1983, long before Climate Change convulsed into a heated global debate, Gon Chaudhuri harnessed the power of the sun to make a giant leap for solar technology in India.

Then a senior scientific officer in the Tripura government, Gon Chaudhuri started a small 100 watt solar photovoltaic irrigation and institutional solar lighting project in a tribal village that lacked grid connectivity. Achieved under the radar and with little fanfare, that project turned out to be the first successful installation of solar photovoltaic technology in India.

Ten years later, as managing director of the West Bengal Green Energy Corporation (WBGECL), the state’s nodal renewable energy agency, he has brought electricity to the island chain known as the Sunderbans. Stuck in dense mangrove jungles in the Ganga delta this is tough terrain for pretty much any construction. Yet today, the islands boast the highest concentration of solar home panels in India.

Since 1996-97 — that is, in just 12-odd years — more than 100,000 solar panels have been installed in the Sunderbans for which the government has spent just Rs 40 crore.

“About 10 years ago, solar power production cost Rs 30 crore per Mw and has now fallen to Rs 10 crore per Mw,” says Gon Chaudhuri. Though this is still significantly higher than the Rs 4 crore per Mw for a conventional thermal power plant, Gon Chaudhuri says costs will start falling faster once solar power use achieves critical mass and as research progresses. Set off against the pollution that thermal power generates, the costs are incalculable.

As a result of Gon Chaudhuri’s pioneering efforts, villagers in the Sunderbans are completely dependent on renewable energy, in the form of solar, wind or biomass and many say it has transformed their lives.

Take the case of 45-year old Murari Halder of Dakhin Mokhambariya, a village about 150 km from Kolkata. About nine years ago, he bought a 75 watt solar panel for Rs 4,500. “The light has become a life-saver for my family and me. My son was able to complete his studies and is now doing his graduation in Kolkata — all thanks to the solar panel,” he said.

Halder is not an isolated case. There are approximately 2,500 such solar panel houses in the village. More than 60,000 solar panels light up the lives of thousands.

Many like Halder have been using it for a decade. Sumita Maiti, for instance, is now a part of a local self help group and is able to work from home thanks to solar-powered electricity in her home.

A couple of years ago, Subhash Mondol installed a 75 watt solar panel for Rs 18,000, which powers two or three lights every day and one TV for an hour or so.

Most villagers in Dakhin Mokhambariya have electricity for five to six hours continuously everyday and get to watch television twice a week or more — indeed, a couple of DTH satellites could be spotted on rooftops.

Meanwhile, in nearby Basanti block there are approximately 2,500 users and on the other side of the river in Gosaba block, there are 5,000 solar users and 1,200 who use biomass power from a 500 kilowatt biomass power plant that WBGECL had set up, the first such plant in the country.

The drawbacks mostly lie in the weather since the panels don’t get enough sun to charge them. Gon Chaudhuri, however, said, “Ideally a 75 watt solar panel if fully charged can support three solar lights for a five-hour stretch and a TV for two hours but invariably most villagers don’t know this.”

Hurricane Aila did considerable damage to the solar panels and the state government is reviewing the extent of the damage. WBGECL plans to develop a package with the help of the Centre to restore the solar power system in the worst affected areas.

Villagers also complain that the government does not extend subsidies to install solar panels. Gon Chaudhuri explains that a Rs 4,800 crore subsidy was being given for the last two years, but has been rolled back owing to a change in the central government’s “solar home system project”.

“The Union government is trying to introduce a modified cluster concept which is expected early next year, so there is a gap now. A new subsidy and project form is being developed,” he adds.

Under the subsidy regime, WBGECL had shortlisted 19 companies to supply the solar panel set-up, each of which would get the subsidy in the name of the user (this partly explains why most villagers were unaware of the scheme). The subsidy scheme was designed to attract more companies into solar power business, Gon Chaudhuri explains.

WBGECL’s Sunderban project has attracted considerable attention but Gon Chaudhuri has been able to replicate this solar lighting system in Leh, Jammu & Kashmir, Silchar, Mizoram as well as in neighbouring Bangladesh.

He predicts that the future lies in renewable energy for purely practical reasons. “Thermal power will be phased out by 2050 because coal reserves will be exhausted,” he says, adding,

“From a small 100 watt project in Tripura, the installed solar capacity in the country has grown to more than 100 Mw. Solar and nuclear power will be the primary energy forms by 2030-2040 in India.”


Source: BS

CHENNAI: The ministry for new and renewable energy, in its solar mission to be launched on November 14, will introduce a 55 % subsidy on solar power installations for home and office use and will allocate Rs.90000 crore till 2030 for solar power development, according to Union minister for new and renewable energy Farooq Abdullah.

"That is one avenue of power that remains under-explored in India. We have managed to do the best we can in hydel power with the minimal rainfall we get. But, we have left our ample solar resources under utilised," he said. "In order to make advances in solar power, we are in talks with western countries like the US, Spain and Germany for free technology transfers."

"Free technology transfers will attract conditionalities, of course. We are trying to work those out," he told ET on Monday. The Minister was here for launching the Indo-Finnish joint venture, WinWind's wind turbine manufacturing facility at Vangal in Tiruvalluvar district.


Read full news on ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Energy/Power/Siva-ventures-enters-wind-energy-space-in-India/articleshow/4983008.cms).

NEW DELHI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - India hopes to set up by December next year energy efficiency targets for more than 700 industrial units, which account for 40 percent of India's fossil fuel use, the country's head of energy efficiency said on Monday.

Energy efficiency is a focus in India's climate change policy and setting targets for energy-intensive industries marks a step towards initiating a national trading scheme centred on energy efficiency certificates.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved the national energy efficiency plan last month. The program could help India save about five percent of its annual use of fossil fuel by 2015.

The scheme is among a number of emissions reduction measures India has announced that could bolster the nation's position ahead of a U.N. gathering in Copenhagen at the end of this year aimed at trying to win agreement on a broader pact to fight climate change.

Ajay Mathur, director-general of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, said 714 energy-intensive industrial operations had been identified from nine sectors, including power and cement, which would be measured on efficient use of energy.

"All industrial units within a particular energy efficiency band will get the same percentage reduction target," said Mathur, who is one of India's top climate change negotiators.


India is also making energy efficiency ratings a must for energy-intensive electric appliances, including air conditioners, distribution transformers and refrigerators, from next year.


Read more on REUTERS INDIA (http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINDEL15998520090907).


The mission introduces a “perform, achieve and trade” (PAT) mechanism which would assign energy efficiency improvement targets to the country’s most energy-intensive industrial units and provides for Energy Savings Certificates, called ESCerts. Units will also be allowed to use purchased ESCerts to meet their targets.


From TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/New-climate-plan-targets-5-energy-saving-by-2015/articleshow/4930826.cms).

Krishna, thanks for the regular updates.

CHENNAI: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah has said that the Union Government is ready to provide Rs 10 as subsidy for every unit of solar power produced at a cost of Rs 18 in the country by way of augmenting the non-conventional energy situation under the proposed solar energy mission that is going to be in place on November 14 this year.

He also said that solar energy remained expensive and the solar mission under the guidance of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would chalk out plans in terms of its implementation and most importantly the cost aspect through proper allocation of funds.

“The final report of the solar mission will be placed before the Prime Minister for his approval,” he said and added that the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry would go into all aspects of the massive exercise and come out with enough forward looking solutions.

“The Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) will be a major provider and more power will be given for collecting funds,” he added. Farooq said that the Union Government would provide millions of solar lamps to the people of the country by way of making their lives better under all circumstances.

Stating that energy demands would be growing at a rapid space, he said that India could make use of solar and wind energy to the maximum on the lines of the western countries such as Germany where one could find solar plates fixed atop every homes there.

He wanted industries to create more factories for tapping nonconventional energy through windmills and provide power at a cheaper rate to the masses, particularly the rural ones.

Making a strong bid for technology transfer in the field of non-conventional energy, Farooq said that the west could do this freely as that would benefit the world at large.

“My ministry gives benefits to all sectors in the realm of energy development and banks are also giving loans at zero per cent interest for solar energy panels at homes,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister Arcot N Veerasamy said that the State ranked first in wind energy generation, 2,000 MW a day, though the installed capacity stood at 4,000 MW.

“We will generate 10,000 MW by 2014 and we will be in a position to supply power to other States, 6,000 to 7,000 MW to Maharashtra, Karnataka and other States,” he added.


Read full news on EB (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Centre+to+extend+subsidy+on+solar+energy&artid=7qbam8tgj3o=&SectionID=XT7e3Zkr/lw=&MainSectionID=XT7e3Zkr/lw=&SEO=Farooq+Abdullah+,+Rajindra+Valsalan,+Managing+Dire&SectionName=HFdYSiSIflu29kcfsoAfeg==).

With proper incentives, wind power can meet over 24 percent of India's energy needs by 2030, says a study carried out by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA).


The study says wind power can supply 21.2-24.2 percent of the electricity India will need in 2030, if the industry gets all the encouragement it wants. In contrast to this 'advanced' scenario in the report, it says without any extra push, it will be able to supply 2.4-2.7 percent of India's energy needs in 2030.


The report says: 'India's tremendous wind energy resource has only been partially realised due to the lack of a coherent national renewable energy policy. Currently, the promotion of renewable energy in India is mainly driven by state governments, but inconsistent implementation and the lack of a national policy is hampering genuine progress...'


Source: sify (http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jjkrOigggba&title=Wind_power_can_meet_quarter_of_India_s_energy_needs_by_2030)

Read also India to host Global WindPower 2010 (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/india-to-host-global-windpower-2010/515068/).

Panaji , Sep 7 In order to promote sharing of knowledge on energy efficiency between India and the US, some Indian cities will be paired with America&aposs urban centres.

The initiative is a joint venture between All India Institute of Local Self Government and America&aposs office of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

" There is lot of learning happening between the cities in America and India. The aim is to have more and more green buildings and energy conservation initiatives in these cities," Mark Ginsberg, senior executive adviser to the assistant secretary of the office of energy efficiency and renewable energy, US department of Energy, said.


Read more on Indopia (http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/666089/National/1/20/1).

The Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has fixed the tariff for solar grid connected photo voltaic power in the state. While the tariff has been fixed at Rs 15 per KWH from the first year to 12th year, it will be Rs 7.5 per KWH from 13th to 25th year.

The above tariff is generic and all the incentives/subsidies received by the developer from the Union ministry of new and renewable energy sources (MNRE), Government of India and Orissa government will be factored into it.

So the state owned Grid Corporation of Orissa (Gridco) will pay the net amount after deducting the incentives and subsidies. However, both Gridco as well as the developer are free to negotiate for an agreed tariff within the above ceiling rate.

This will be applicable to solar photo voltaic projects which would be established in the state by March 2010. The commission said, the connectivity of these 5 Mw solar projects will be at 33 KV level.

OERC referred to various orders of the other State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERC) before the determination of the the tariff. However, the fixed tariff will be provisional as OERC is in the process of formulating a comprehensive renewable energy policy, consequent to the consultative paper floated for the purpose.

It has roped in Pune based World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) to prepare a report on the development of renewable energy policy guidelines for Orissa, which is in final stages.

It may be noted, Solitaire Energies Pvt. Ltd., Lanco Solar Pvt. Ltd., Sahara India Corporation Ltd. and New Era Power Corporation, had applied OERC for determination of tariff for solar photo-voltaic power in the state. The Commission also conducted a public hearing on the matter.

Solitaire Energies Pvt. Ltd proposes to set up a 5 Mw Grid interactive solar photo voltaic project at Katapalli village in Jharsuguda district and Lanco Solar Pvt. Ltd proposed to set up its 5 Mw unit at Ramdaspur in Cuttack district. Similarly, Sahara India and New Era Power Corporation also proposed to set up 5 Mw solar power plant each in the state. The determination of tariff is expected to pave the way for setting up of more solar photo voltaic power projects in Orissa.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/oerc-fixes-tariff-for-solar-photovoltaic-power/369824/)

India has the potential to be the leader in the renewable energy sector, International Renewable Energy Agency chief Helene Pelosse said today.

"I think India has the potential to emerge as the leader in renewable energy and help the world in making photo voltaic panels and solar energy commodities in next few years," she told reporters here.

Asked about India's plans to focus on nuclear and coal-based energy sources, she said, "I think they want to grow their nuclear share and also want to grow through renewable share."

"At some point, with nuclear, you have the issue of waste and you have the issue of future as there is not enough uranium on earth and it is not renewable," she added.

Pelosse said that nuclear waste lasts for 10,000 years and it was not viable economically also.

IRENA chief had yesterday met New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah and discussed the potential and future of renewable energy in the country.

Drawing a parallel with the electronics industry, Pelosse said that Asia would also become the hub of production of renewable energy equipment and the shift of industry had already started.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-has-potential-to-be-leader-in-renewable-energy-irena/73269/on)

On July 30, the world’s largest solar steam cooking system was installed at the Saibaba Sansthan Trust in Shirdi, Maharashtra, to cook food for 20,000 pilgrims every day.

The system, designed and installed by Gujarat-based Gaddhia Solar Energy Systems was completed within 10 months. It comprises 73 automatically tracked solar dishes and generates around 3,500 kg of steam daily. The system has been designed such that even if the electricity is not available to run the feed water pump for circulating water in the system, it can generate sufficient steam to cook food for the required number of people. It has a steam header connected with a large number of receivers where water can be stored in the morning, when electricity is available.

The total cost of the system is Rs 1.33 crore and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) provided a subsidy of Rs 58.4 lakh to the Trust for the same. The system is expected to save around 100,000 kg of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) per year, which is equivalent to around Rs 20 lakh.

Manufacturers of small capacity solar-powered systems like Gadhia which make home lighting systems, solar lanterns, pumps, traffic blinkers, illuminating hoardings and billboards, cookers, geysers, traffic signals and even standalone power plants — all clubbed as ‘off-grid’ — have a lot more reason to smile.

The Centre is finalising its plans to offer them soft loans and subsidies. Not only through central and state government ministries and departments but also through local bodies, public sector undertakings, educational/technical institutions, non-banking financial companies , self-help groups, non-governmental organisations and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency(Ireda) itself.

“The volumes of off-grid connections have a huge potential. We believe that if we offer soft loans, it will open up the sector to smaller manufacturers too. However, it will need third-party monitoring,” says Gauri Singh, joint secretary, MNRE. The scheme, though, will not be applicable to larger manufacturers of solar photovoltaic (SPV) cells and modules.

India, where most regions enjoy nearly 300 sunny days a year (solar energy equivalent to over 5,000 trillion Kwh per year), is an ideal market for solar power companies. However, the high cost of light-to-electricity conversion — at Rs 12 to Rs 20 per Kwh (kilowatt-hour) — is a major deterrent.

Thus, despite being in the business for over two decades, the domestic revenues of the country’s solar power industry are estimated to be between $250 million and $500 million, with 60-70 per cent of solar ware being exported to Europe, North America and China.

The government has set a target of 1,000 Mw for solar power generation during the Eleventh Five Year Plan, and 20 Giga watts (Gw) by 2020. These primarily comprise huge grid-connect solar power plants from the likes of Tata BP Solar India and Moser Baer.

However, the little-documented story is that of off-grid solar-based applications, for which the government has planned an outlay of Rs 375 crore till the remaining period of the 11th Plan.

“While cost is indeed a deterrent in most cases, we believe that financing such innovative projects will help the cause of solar-based projects in a big way,” concurs Debashish Majumdar, chairman and managing director, Ireda. The Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA) feels the same. Its president Poornima Shenoy believes this step will help in boosting the fortunes of off-grid applications.

The government is targeting 2 million such SPV applications by 2020. Till March-end this year, a total of about 637,000 solar cookers, 434,692 home lighting systems, and 697,419 lanterns have been provided to people in the country.

Moreover, solar home lighting systems have been provided in most of the 5,379 unelectrified villages under the government’s Remote Village Electrification Programme.

The governments of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhatisgarh and Union Territories of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Chandigarh have also issued orders to urban local bodies to make solar water heaters mandatory in functional buildings.

The MNRE, on its part, has been providing financial support between 25 and 50 per cent on concentrating cookers and 50-90 per cent on home lighting systems, depending on general/special category states, including the North-East region, which has been made available to people under the schemes. A subsidy of Rs 2,400 is also available for solar lanterns in unelectrified villages and hamlets of special category states and Union Territories.

During the last three years, around Rs 195 crore had been spent on solar cookers and SPV systems, which include solar lanterns and solar home lighting systems. In the current year, an amount of Rs 89 crore has been allocated for SPV systems and demonstration programmes on solar thermal systems, including solar cookers. The schemes are mainly for rural areas.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/off-grid-solar-applications-to-getmajor-boost/369787/)

Chennai, Sept. 18 Vestas India has bagged an order to supply 60 wind turbines for a Rs 600-crore wind farm to be set up by the CLP group in Tamil Nadu.

According to a press release from Vestas Wind Systems A/S, Denmark, Vestas India will supply 1.65 MW wind turbines for the 99-MW wind farm to be set up in Theni, Tamil Nadu by the CLP group. The delivery of turbines from Vestas’ Chennai plant is to start from the fourth quarter of 2009 for the project to be commissioned in January 2010. The contract includes supplying and commissioning the turbines, installing an online monitoring system and a 10-year service and maintenance agreement.

Mr Arvind Kaul, Managing Director, Vestas India, said that the order is a “good addition” to 2,000 MW of Vestas’s wind energy generators operating in India. It strengthens the company’s presence in one of its largest markets.

According to industry experts, this is the first large independent power producer model wind farm project in Tamil Nadu. This has been made possible by the attractive Rs 3.39 a kWh tariff for wind energy projects in Tamil Nadu. Till now, such IPP model wind energy projects were largely confined to Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.

The order from CLP is one of the largest single deals of its kind in Tamil Nadu, which has nearly half the country’s installed capacity of wind power, he said.

According to CLP officials, the project estimated at about $125 million follows the favourable policy environment for wind energy in the State. The company is in the process of finalising the project details.

The Hong Kong-based CLP Group is among the largest foreign investors in the power sector, including wind power generation, in India. Through its subsidiaries here, CLP has about 230 MW of wind power projects, in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.

The release quoting Mr Rajiv Mishra, Managing Director, India, CLP, said that the project in Theni adds to its current renewable portfolio of 350 MW of wind power in the country.


Source: Business Line (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/19/stories/2009091952050100.htm)

Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Contracts to build the world’s largest solar power facility in India’s Gujarat state, valued at $10 billion and backed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, will be awarded by January, a state government official said.

The 3,000 megawatt project will get help with logistics and finding financing from the William J. Clinton Foundation, a charitable group started by the former president, said S. Jagdeesan, principal secretary, energy and petrochemicals in the government of Gujarat. The foundation and the Gujarat government signed a preliminary agreement on Sept. 8.

“The Clinton Foundation will help us in bringing manufacturers and power generators and also in providing access to international funding at cost-effective interest rates,” Jagdeesan said in an interview. “They are facilitators. We will invest in the infrastructure.” The project may be developed on 10,000 hectares of land spread across three locations within an area of 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) in Gujarat.


Read full article on Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=a82Eaa7f_xBU)

Read also UPI Asia.com (http://www.upiasia.com/Economics/2009/09/16/india_warms_up_to_solar_energy/2804/)

The main purpose of the IPO is to raise resources for the company’s photovoltaic solar cell manufacturing unit in an SEZ at Bhachau in Gujarat’s Kutch district. The plant, being built at a cost of Rs 178.03 crores, will have a capacity of 40MW per year.


Read full news on BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/euro-multivision-forays-into-solar-energy-space/370395/).

New Delhi: A recent report on the wind energy industry in India reveals that turbine prices have always been lower than the global average due to lower labour and production costs in the country. More than a dozen international companies now manufacture wind turbines in India.

"Over the past few years, both the government and the wind power industry have succeeded in injecting greater stability into the Indian market. This has encouraged larger private and public sector enterprises to invest in wind," states the report published by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and the Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA).

"It has also stimulated a stronger domestic manufacturing sector; some foreign companies now source more than 80% of the components for their turbines in India. The current annual production capacity of wind turbines manufactured in India is about 3,000-3,500 MW, including turbines for the domestic as well as for the export markets. However, the actual number of turbines produced is driven by market forces, and high interest rates often do not allow for the accumulation of inventory. Thanks to new market entrants, it is expected that the annual production capacity will rise to 5,000 MW per year by 2015," adds the report.

Companies operating in this segment in India include Suzlon, Vestas Wind Tech, RRB Energy, Enercon, Vestas, GE, Gamesa, Siemens, ReGen Power Tech, LMGlasfiber, WinWinD, Kenersys and Global Wind Power.


Read full report on MACHINIST.IN (http://machinist.in/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2343&Itemid=2)

Read also Wind energy sector hopes to power up on cheaper turbines (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/16/stories/2009091650080300.htm).

NEW DELHI: The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) on Thursday announced tariff norms for electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass.

The new tariff regime will offer 19% on pre-tax return on investment (ROI) in new projects for the first 10 years and 23% in the subsequent period.

“The new tariff regulations are expected to promote investments in renewable sector that is also required to meet the goals stipulated in the National Action Plan on Climate Change,” CERC chairman Pramod Deo said.

While notifying tariff regulations for electricity generated from renewable energy sources, the power sector regulator said that specifying capital cost norms and fixing tariff upfront for the whole tariff period are the two main features of the new regulations.

The tariff permitted to a project under these regulations would apply for the whole tariff period, which is 13 years for wind power projects, 25 years for solar power projects and for small hydro (below 5mw) it has been kept as 35 years, another CERC official said.

However, the regulations provide normative capital costs for projects based on different renewable technologies and they will be revised every year for incorporating escalation.

“This is important especially for solar as the data available with us is scanty and mostly from outside the country. As we get more data for solar, producers can come and file a separate petition for revision,” Mr Deo said.

The regulations are significant in view of the National Action Plan on Climate Change which stipulates that minimum renewable purchase standards may be set at 5% of the total power purchases by 2010. At present, only 3% power is generated through renewable sources such as wind and solar.

CERC and other state regulators have also agreed to implement renewable energy certificate (REC) mechanism which will allow states with less renewable energy sources to purchase RECs, from those that have excess of it, to fulfil renewable purchase obligations.


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/New-tariff-rules-to-boost-renewable-energy-sector/articleshow/5024640.cms)

Read also Renewable energy projects to fetch 19-24% returns (http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_renewable-energy-projects-to-fetch-19-24pct-returns_1291132) & Renewable power projects to fetch higher returns (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/18/stories/2009091851181500.htm).

Mumbai institute looks to develop a solar center and testing ground backed by the government of India and an industry-based consortium.

To help facilitate cost-effective solar thermal power generation, IIT Bombay plans to develop a megawatt-scale solar thermal power facility, which is being sponsored by the ministry of new and renewable energy.

"The idea is to help create cost-effective solar power. There is a huge gap between the demand and supply of electricity and one option worth developing is solar power," said a faculty member of IIT Bombay. The plan to build theplant was proposed by IIT-B last year and it will come up at the Solar Energy Centre in Gurgaon. It will be connected to a grid and supply around a megawatt to the national grid. The test and simulation facility will be set up by a consortium involving different Indian industries and IIT-B.

"While the US and Europe have already built such consortia, it will be a first in India. This facility is expected to help in developing inexpensive solar power plants in the future," he said.

Even as the test facility will enable assessment of new technologies, components, and systems for solar thermal power, the simulation can be used to scale up designs and optimise use of solar power.

"Besides developing indigenous capability, it is expected to provide the experience in concentrated solar power, which has the potential to provide a sustainable energy solution for India's power system," said the faculty member. The project, which will last for five years, is expected to start in another two years.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/academy/report_iit-b-looks-to-solar-power_1290554)

GE Energy, one of the world's leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, today announced plans to set up a wind turbine generator unit in South India and develop a local supply chain for its products.


GE's entry in the Indian market with major expansion plans is expected to challenge the near-monopoly of the Tulsi Tanti's Suzlon Energy in the local market.

The plant would start production in the second half of 2010 with GE's 1.5XLE model Wind turbine, which, the company says, is most suited for India's low wind regimes, a company release said.

GE plans to expand wind turbine capacity in the Indian unit and eventually start supplying, on an average, 300 wind turbines of 450MW of capacity yearly.

The local facility would also enable GE Energy to create a larger sourcing base from India for critical items, including - blades, towers, gearboxes, castings and forgings, the company release said.


Source: domain-b.com (http://www.domain-b.com/companies/companies_g/ge/20090916_acquires.html)

Veer Energy and Infrastructure has plans to set up wind turbine generator farms with 200 megawatt capacity in Gujarat, which would cost Rs 1,000-1,200 crore. The company’s Joint Managing Director Ritesh Choksi is confident that looking at the current energy scenario in India, the requirement for renewable energy is going to go up. Further, he adds, “We are also looking at exploring new places and new projects in Tamil Nadu where wind conditions are good.”


Source: CNBC TV18 moneycontrol.com (http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/veer-energy-plans-200mw-wind-farmgujarat_415655.html)

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/1918/indiawindcapacitya.jpg (http://img200.imageshack.us/i/indiawindcapacitya.jpg/)

India may be able to generate almost five times more wind energy capacity than the government’s estimate by 2030, due to offshore wind resources, according to a study by the Global World Energy Council, reports Bloomberg News.


Read full article on environmental LEADER (http://www.environmentalleader.com/2009/09/14/wind-can-provide-24-50-of-india-and-chinas-power-needs/)

Read also earlier post 'Wind power can meet quarter of India's energy needs by 2030' (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=42901932&postcount=77).

CLP India is setting up close to 450 Mw of wind power capacity in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka with Rs 2,500 crore of investments, said Rajiv Mishra, managing director.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/hong-kong-group-raises-rs-3900-cr-for-project/370494/)

BANGALORE: The World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) with funding from the British High Commission has created a draft renewable energy plan for Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The plan aims to develop capacity building to implement renewable technologies for climate mitigation.

The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited has already produced a draft renewable energy policy. It will be finalized and sent to the cabinet next month.

According to Founder Director General, WISE, GM Pillai, the three states were chosen because they have the highest potential. "Tamil Nadu also has very high potential but they are already in advanced stages of implementation. It is important to focus on renewable energy now because fossil fuels are depleting at a rapid rate. Half of NTPC's projects are running short of coal," said Pillai. Karnataka has already implemented a good amount of Hydel power and has above 25,000 MW potential for wind and solar respectively.

Managing director, KREDL, Shivananda Murthy said they were pushing for grid strengthening. Power allocation for 8000 MW of wind energy is already done, 540 MW is being generated from co-gen projects, 420 MW from mini-hydel and 100 MW has been allocated for solar power. Three small solar projects of 1 KW each are being started at Kolar, Belgaum and Raichur to power irrigation projects there.
"Solar water heaters have been very successful. They have already covered 23 lakh sq metres in the city. Similarly, we want to introduce solar roof-top systems in commercial and individual buildings," Murthy said. Pico-hydro projects are also increasingly becoming popular in the Western Ghats.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/bangalore/Plan-afoot-to-power-state-with-green-energy/articleshow/5052973.cms)

Due to the increasing confidence in the State and the State bureaucracy Canasia is broadening its scope of activities in Gujarat to include solar power, natural gas and possibly geothermal. A 2 x 25MW solar proposal was submitted to the State last month with a request for 500MW downstream.

Source: marketwire (http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Canasia-Power-Corp-1048987.html)

New Delhi, Sept. 25 The Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Mr Farooq Abdullah, has dedicated the solar home lighting systems installed in 3,900 households in 27 villages of Gurez Tehsil, Jammu & Kashmir, to the people of the area.

An official statement issued here on Friday said, the solar lights will enable 30,000 people living in these villages to enjoy the benefits of modern lighting. Illumination provided by the lights will be sufficient not only for household chores but also for reading and writing, the statement said.

The Gurez valley in North Kashmir has been deprived of conventional electrification due to its remoteness. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy contributed Rs 4.5 crore of the project cost of Rs 5 crore. The balance has been contributed by the State Government, the statement said.


Source: Business Line (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/09/26/stories/2009092651621700.htm)

In a bid to exploit the available potential in the bio-mass sector, the Orissa government has approved two more bio-mass based power projects with a combined generating capacity of 39 Mw of power.

With this the total envisaged generating capacity in the bio-mass sector will increase to 129 Mw. Earlier, the government had approved 8 bio-mass based power projects with a combined generation capacity of 90 Mw.

Though states like Chhatishgarh have been able to generate about 135Mw from bio-mass based power plants, Orissa was unable to utilise its potential in this sector.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/orissa-aims-to-generate-129-mw-bio-mass-35-mw-solar-power/371149/)

Steve Sawyer , secretary general, Global Wind Energy Council, was in Delhi recently to release a report on the Indian Wind Energy Outlook
for 2009. He tells Narayani Ganesh that at least one quarter of India's energy requirements could be met with wind power by 2030:

Is it realistic to say that by 2030, 25 per cent of India's energy requirements would be met by wind power?

That's the projection the Indian Wind Energy Outlook 2009 report makes in its presentation of an advanced scenario, on the premise that by then, there would be opportunities to tap the country's full potential for wind generated electricity. This does not include future potential of similar power generated from offshore wind farms, something that holds great promise considering that India has a 7,000 km coastline.

India has the technology; in fact it is among the leaders and the technology is still evolving. All of the major manufacturers of wind equipment have operations in India. In order to reach full potential it would be necessary to develop offshore technology since along the coast winds are steady and in some places concentration of resources is close to load centres in metros. India ranks fifth in total installed capacity with 9,645 MW of wind power installed at the end of 2008.

Won't high capital costs hike per unit cost to consumer?

With wind, it's a one-time capital cost and almost all costs are capital costs whereas with conventional power plants, it is ongoing. Once a wind farm is set up, there are no further capital costs like buying fuel as in other power plants that have to source coal, gas etc whose costs too vary from one time to the next. In due course it is hoped that wind farm capital costs too will get reduced but first, private financiers have to get convinced.

Around five billion tonnes of CO2 emissions would be reduced cumulatively from now to 2030 that is, amounting to 500-plus million tonnes per year. This is not to do with current emissions; only the projected ones. In climate change negotiations it is important to show that there is huge mitigation potential in India and China but the question is, who will pay for that?

What more policy initiatives are required?

Right now solar energy is four times costlier than wind energy. But certainly it is a good investment, since it generates power as well as employment opportunities. Earlier, Germany's wind energy industry was driven by environmental concerns; now it is driven by the business of creating a large number of jobs. In India, presently 15,000 people are employed directly in the wind industry and 75,000 indirectly. The key is not to look at technology in isolation but to see it in the light of energy security, and its potential for employment, export, emissions reduction potential and saving water. Thermal power stations consume hundreds of millions of gallons of water per day. Wind energy consumes no water.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/opinion/edit-page/QA-India-needs-to-develop-offshore-wind-farms/articleshow/5052105.cms)

Leitner Shriram Manufacturing Ltd, a joint venture between Shriram EPC and Italy-based Leitner Technologies, on Friday inaugurated its Rs 200-crore facility at Gummidippondi near Chennai.

Spread across 20 acres, the facility would have a manufacturing capacity of 150 wind turbines per annum in Phase I. The plant was inaugurated by Union minister of state for power Bharatsinh Solanki.


According to estimates, India has the potential to generate 45,000 Mw of wind power. Since, these wind farms are set up in rural areas, it generates opportunities for employment in the form of electrical, civil and mechanical engineers and technicians. The total capacity installed in India stood at 10,134 Mw as of March 31, 2009.

Greenfield windfarms The two joint venture partners are planning to set up greenfield windfarms in the country, said Shivaraman. Oriental Green Power, a renewable energy generation company promoted by Shriram EPC, is in the process of acquiring wind assets.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/leitner-shriram%5Cs-wind-turbine-facility-begins-operations/371268/)

Sugen (Surat), Sept 30 (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today appealed to the Centre for setting up a solar energy park on Gujarat-Rajasthan border to tap solar energy.

Modi suggested that the project will benefit the BSF deployed at the border of two states.

He was speaking at a programme to announce the country's first Rs 3000-crore 1150 MW gas-based power project of Torrent Power at Kamrej taluka here.

Gujarat Government has also signed an MoU with Clinton foundation to set up a 3000-MW solar park in the state, he said.

"We want to transform the state of Gujarat into an integrated solar generation hub for the entire nation," he said.

The Chief Minister announced to give power connections to the tribal farmers of Vapi and Ambaji as part of golden jubilee celebration of the Gujarat State in 2010.


Source: PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/308202_Modi-suggests-Centre-to-set-up-solar-energy-park)

3000MW is gigantic even for a combined cycle or coal power plant. There is no way the solar park is going to be 3000MW, unless they intend to use up all or Gujarat and Rajasthan. 3MW - probably, 300MW - unlikely but possible.

^^
Where does it say it is one gigantic plant. The 3000 MW can be for the whole state of Gujarat and they could be 30MW x 100 such plants in various places. I would not rule out our desi dorky media to misquote numbers. India's solar potential is quite high and if say each state in the Union targets on average 1000 MW we would have 30,000MW of Solar power. Small units are the way to go, maybe each district/taluk can have 10MW goal, construct the solar plant on unused/un-arable land. The key is to have good grid connectivity. This is a major issue. Most of the Wind Turbine farms have paltry grid connectivity which is a total loss in terms of energy generated.

The Indian Govt needs to think big and come up with an action plan to increase Solar Energy Power. Instead of having a state to come up with finance, they should talk to World Bank/JBIC/etc for a one big low cost loan and dole them to the states. Each state would have a specific target for Solar Power Generation. Wherever possible economies of scale should be applied, i.e. the center could dictate what the bulk buying price for solar panels are. Apply any good lessons/savings/short cuts learned across all states. Renewable energy is a strategic imperative.

^^
Where does it say it is one gigantic plant. The 3000 MW can be for the whole state of Gujarat and they could be 30MW x 100 such plants in various places. I would not rule out our desi dorky media to misquote numbers. India's solar potential is quite high and if say each state in the Union targets on average 1000 MW we would have 30,000MW of Solar power. Small units are the way to go, maybe each district/taluk can have 10MW goal, construct the solar plant on unused/un-arable land. The key is to have good grid connectivity. This is a major issue. Most of the Wind Turbine farms have paltry grid connectivity which is a total loss in terms of energy generated.

The Indian Govt needs to think big and come up with an action plan to increase Solar Energy Power. Instead of having a state to come up with finance, they should talk to World Bank/JBIC/etc for a one big low cost loan and dole them to the states. Each state would have a specific target for Solar Power Generation. Wherever possible economies of scale should be applied, i.e. the center could dictate what the bulk buying price for solar panels are. Apply any good lessons/savings/short cuts learned across all states. Renewable energy is a strategic imperative.

It says it is a (singular) solar energy park : hence my conclusion that they are talking about one facility. Hopefully it is a plan for distributed generation stations across and throughout the states, because I still don't buy that they are making plans for generating 3000MW at one spot.

Please read the earlier post.



Sept. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Contracts to build the world’s largest solar power facility in India’s Gujarat state, valued at $10 billion and backed by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, will be awarded by January, a state government official said.

The 3,000 megawatt project will get help with logistics and finding financing from the William J. Clinton Foundation, a charitable group started by the former president, said S. Jagdeesan, principal secretary, energy and petrochemicals in the government of Gujarat. The foundation and the Gujarat government signed a preliminary agreement on Sept. 8.

“The Clinton Foundation will help us in bringing manufacturers and power generators and also in providing access to international funding at cost-effective interest rates,” Jagdeesan said in an interview. “They are facilitators. We will invest in the infrastructure.” The project may be developed on 10,000 hectares of land spread across three locations within an area of 150 square kilometers (58 square miles) in Gujarat.


Read full article on Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=a82Eaa7f_xBU)

Read also UPI Asia.com (http://www.upiasia.com/Economics/2009/09/16/india_warms_up_to_solar_energy/2804/)

Venture capital investment in clean technology (cleantech) continued its recovery in the third quarter of 2009, after significant declines in Q4FY08 and Q1FY09, paralleling the global economic downturn, according to a preliminary report from Cleantech Group and Deloitte.

Investments in the sector continued to decline. Indian cleantech companies raised $21.5 million (around Rs 102 crore) in five investment rounds. Another five M&A deals were tracked with a total value of $142 million (around Rs 678 crore), of which two deal values were not disclosed. Energy generation attracted the most interest and, in particular, the wind sector.

“The billions in government funding being allocated globally in clean technology have begun emboldening private capital, which has in turn helped propel clean technology to the leading venture investment sector, now eclipsing biotech and IT. Hundreds of millions of dollars in new venture funds this quarter are also evidence of investor confidence and momentum, including $1.1 billion in two new funds by Khosla Ventures alone,” Cleantech Group Managing Director Dallas Kachan said.

Companies involved in M&A deals this quarter were Schneider Electric India, Techno Electric & Engineering, Chloride Group, Luminous Power Technologies and IDFC Private Equity.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/cleantech-investment-declines-in-india/371954/)

Krishnamoorthy, thanks for pointing me to the relevant post from before. Looking forward to this giant solar power venture.

Do we get any of our energy from nuclear power or are we not able to do that yet? I just learned recently that 75% of France's energy needs come from nuclear energy.

^^ There are a few interesting articles here.

Indian Subcontinent Weighs Nuclear (http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=2416)
India’s quest for uranium (http://www.upiasia.com/Economics/2009/10/09/indias_quest_for_uranium/4071/)

Gurgaon-based ACME Tele Power Ltd seems to be betting big on renewable energy sector. The Rs. 2,000 crore company has chalked out plans to set up 110 Mw solar thermal power project in Gujarat involving an investment around Rs. 1,500 to Rs. 1,600 crore.

The company has zeroed in on Banaskantha district for its proposed solar thermal power project, for which it requires a total of 800 acres of land.

"The project will be executed in a phased manner. In the first phase, 50 Mw unit will be set up across 400 acres of land.

We expect to commission 50 Mw capacity by December 2010. Remaining 60 Mw capacity will be added over the period of next two to three years time", said RB Mishra, vice-chairman, ACME.

The intends to complete the entire project by March 2014. ACME has entered into a technology partnership with US-based eSolar. In fact, the company is taking up solar thermal power projects in various states of India.

The company has planned solar thermal power projects aggregating to 500 Mw, which include 15 Mw and 150 Mw plants in Rajasthan and 100 Mw and 15 Mw projects in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively.

"In the long run the company is aiming to install power generation capacity of 10,000 Mw", Mishra added.

ACME is also looking at coming up with its public issue by March next year to raise around Rs. 1,000 crore by diluting 5 to 10 per cent equity.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=372781)

KSK Surya Photovoltaic Venture today announced that it has signed a contract with Applied Materials Inc, to purchase two of the latter’s SunFab Thin Film Lines for manufacturing solar panels and in setting up solar farms.

These SunFab lines will be installed at the Fab City coming up near Hyderabad, wherein the company, part of KSK Power Venture Inc, plans to invest up to $500 million. The project envisages an annual capacity of about 150 MW.

The KSK Group Chairman, Mr T.L. Sankar, in a statement said: “The alliance with Applied Materials will help play a big role in the country’s mission to build 20,000 MW through solar plants.”

The company said that these large panels would enable them to quickly build PV capacity and supply renewable energy at an affordable cost. The company expects to apply its power generation experience in deployment of solar farms.

The Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Applied Energy and Environmental Solutions Group, Dr Mark Pinto, said these fully integrated SunFab lines would enable KSK to rapidly and cost-effectively deploy solar farms to meet the fast growing energy needs.

KSK Surya also signed a service contract with Applied Materials covering the first five years of production. This includes support and preventive and corrective maintenance, spare parts and other services to optimise equipment performance and output.

“Compared to crystalline silicon technologies, our SunFab thin film modules will be capable of producing more power at high ambient temperatures and under diffused light, maximising the energy yield from our solar farms,” Mr Anil Kutty, Managing Director of KSK Surya, said.


Source: Business Line (http://www.blonnet.com/2009/10/09/stories/2009100950170200.htm)

JAIPUR: Saying that the desert state offers a potential to producing renewable energy (read solar and wind) is stating the obvious. But take a look at the following projections; Rajasthan producing grid connected power projects in the range of 97,636 MW to 4,45,794MW, wind energy contributing upwards of 10,823 MW to 16,234MW, solar photovoltaic and thermal sources together adding up to 85,221MW to 4,26,103 MW. These futuristic projections state that Rajasthan has immense potential of becoming future powerhouse of north India.

"It's energy which is going to power the state ahead in the years to come, the process has begun and it's a matter of few years and careful executions of plans before Rajasthan emerges on top and becomes the power distribution centre for other north Indian states," said G M Pillai, founder director general of World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE).

WISE is working on developing state level action plans based on clear energy for climate mitigation in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharastra. The project is funded by UK's foreign and commonwealth office and supported by the British high commission.

The report lays stress on the grass root level and puts forward the idea of implementing development projects strongly.

All eyes are on the prime ministers National Solar Mission which will be announced on November 14, and experts feel following this a lot of investments will come to the desert state. "I can't disclose the content of the mission report, but it is promising and after which there will be a lot of foreign investment in the state," says Pillai.

Pillai is upbeat about promising prospects for the state, "The tariff structure that the state offers is one of the best in the country and will interest a lot of investors," he says. That will be an added advantage as solar energy along with land is available in abundance here. Close to 50% of land in the state is unused and even if we use just 15% of it, the target will be easily reached.

His hopes are based on the government's ambitious plans for the sector. "We formulated a policy on developing green energy in 2004 and so far the progress has been steady. Today the installed renewable energy capacity is 816.5 MW and by the end of the year we plan to add another 400 MW," says Naresh Pal Gangwar, CMD Rajasthan, Electricity Regulatory Commission.

Gangwar further adds that the government is laying emphasis on developing the biomass energy in the state and plans to add another 40MW by the end of this year to the humble 35MW energy production. He shares that schemes like competitive bidding for 50MW small plants too are considered and they'll help in controlling cost and ma

Despite the numbers indicating a rise the state hasn't been able to develop an image of an investment friendly state and does the government plan to do something to this effect to lure investments? "Well we are an investor friendly state and it can be accessed from the fact that in the last 10 days projects for 1000MW have come forward and are being considered. However, we would like to spread more awareness regarding the opportunities we provide," concludes Gangwar.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Energy-to-power-Rajasthan-ahead-in-future-WISE-chief/articleshow/5107768.cms)

WISE Action Plan for Green Energy in Rajasthan (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/WISE-Action-Plan-for-Green-Energy-in-Rajasthan/articleshow/5106490.cms)

Suzlon Energy Ltd on Friday said it will further increase the capacity of its wind power plant at Jakhau, Kutch by about 750 Mega Watt.

Suzlon plan at Jakhau is the biggest wind power plant in India with an installed capacity of about 750 MW. The company is planning to double the plant capacity in the next two years.

“We are planning to expand the current 750 MW capacity of the plant. We will make it 1,500 MW in the next two years in Gujarat,” said Harish Mehta, Director, Suzlon India on the sidelines of the 3rd India Energy Conclave, which is being held as part of the 4th Energy Expo in Ahmedabad.

The additional capacity of the Kutch plant will be excluding expansion in its plants at Dhule and Satara in Maharashtra, said Mehta.

Suzlon, the fifth largest turbine maker in the world, had signed an MoU worth Rs 5,000 crore at Vibrant Gujarat 2009 for expansion of its wind power capacity by 1,500 MW. Currently, Suzlon has commissioned wind power turbines with a capacity of 800 MW between Jakhau and Surajbari in Kutch district. The new project will further expand the capacity of its wind power plant.


Source: IE (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/suzlon-plans-to-double-capacity-of-jakhau-wind-power-plant/527391/)

Suzlon to double capacity of Kutch wind farm (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/suzlon-to-double-capacitykutch-wind-farm/372779/)

Neyveli Lignite to enter hydel, wind power sectors (http://blog.taragana.com/n/neyveli-lignite-to-enter-hydel-wind-power-sectors-87760/)

CHENNAI - Mining-cum-power company Neyveli Lignite Corp (NLC) is planning to enter hydel, wind and nuclear power generation, a top official said here Saturday.

“We are interested in setting up a 1,000-MW hydel power project in Uttarakhand partnering with the state government. We will also get into wind power with a 50-MW farm near Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu),” A.R. Ansari, chairman-cum-managing director of NLC, told reporters.

V. Sethuraman, director (power) of NLC, said: “The wind energy project is mainly for meeting the power needs of NLC’s 1,000 MW power project being set up in Tuticorin.”

NLC may buy around 30 windmills for the project.


IOC plans 50 MW wind power plant (http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/10/07/MTE0OTY5/IOC_plans_50_MW_wind_power_plant.html)

GE Energy is back in India for a second shot at wind energy (http://www.business.in.com/article/cross-border/where-the-wind-blows/4672/1)

He admits that the company has won its first order in India after 2005 but refuses to divulge details. An industry source says GE signed the Rs.150 crore contract with Bhoruka Power, a Bangalore-based power generation company.

Alternate energy provider ACME Group plans to raise Rs 1,000 crore through dilution of five to 10 per cent of its equity by means of a public issue in March 2010, said Mr R.B. Mishra, Vice-Chairman, ACME Group.


Read more on moneycontrol.com (http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/ipo-upcoming-issues/acme-to-raise-rs-1000-cr-thru-public-issue-_419736.html) and also earlier post #107 above.

PUNE: City headquartered not-for-profit organisation World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) is undertaking a major national project to develop state-level action plans based on clean energy technology for climate mitigation for three Indian states including Maharashtra, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

Funded by UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and supported by the British High Commission in India, the project aims to enhance capacity building at the state level to tackle climate mitigation through accelerated deployment of clean energy technologies, strengthen public-private partnerships and develop suitable policy and implementation mechanisms.

WISE sources said that while there is some action taking place at the national level with the promulgation of the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), the urgency to move forward at the state level (and even at the level of individual cities) is being strongly felt as states are at the cutting edge of implementation of development projects.

The fastest intervention in favour of climate-friendly policies and choices needs the involvement of the state. The initiative to develop Clean Energy Technology Action Plans for Climate Mitigation in Indian states is seen as the first step in this direction, sources said.

The current installed renewable energy capacity in Maharashtra is 2543.37 MW, of which wind contributes the highest capacity, ie 1969 MW. While the current potential for renewable energy is estimated at around 7852 MW (excluding solar), fresh preliminary assessments made by WISE in the draft Action Plan show that Maharashtra has the potential to develop grid-connected renewable projects in the range of 35,185 MW to 1,36,709 MW. While wind power alone can contribute upwards of 14,260 MW to 23,140 MW, solar photovoltaic and thermal sources together can contribute between 15,077 MW to 1,05,539 MW, depending on land availability assumptions.

The draft Action Plan aims at strengthening the state's renewable energy capacity and providing energy security, and spans the entire range of energy, climate, fuel and sustainability issues that need to be addressed through forthcoming actions in three phases upto 2012, from 2012-2020 and from 2020-2030.

The topics covered include renewable power technologies such as wind, solar, bioenergy, biofuels, off-grid applications, as well as conservation and substitution possibilities.

Sources said that WISE plans to organise a series of workshops in the state and present the draft action plan to senior administrators from the state government to garner first-hand views and opinions and suggestions, the first interactive workshop in this series being held later this month in Mumbai.

Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/WISE-drafts-national-clean-energy-tech-plan/articleshow/5132848.cms)

London, Oct 16 (IANS) India’s ambitions to roll out a massive solar energy project is set to receive a strong boost as part of a climate change deal in Copenhagen at the end of the year, a senior British minister has revealed.

British Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliand’s comments, made to IANS, came ahead of a Major Economies Forum (MEF) meeting in London Oct 18-19, set to be attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Special Envoy Shyam Saran.

Although the prospects of India being offered free green technology have receded in favour of what is being described as a “collaborative and cooperative” approach to technology development and sharing, India’s technology needs will be at the top of the agenda at the Copenhagen summit this December.


Miliband said solar energy will deliver electricity to 20 million new households as part of an overall financing agreement in Copenhagen. Currently 450 million Indians do not have access to electricity.

British negotiators say current thinking on technology transfer - in New Delhi and London - has shifted to favour “horizontal cooperation” on technologies like carbon capture storage, knowledge sharing, and “getting our scientists and engineers to learn form each other”.


Source: Thaindian News (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sci-tech/climate-deal-to-deliver-solar-power-to-20-mn-indian-households_100261548.html)

Scotland and India make pledge on clean energy (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/scotland-and-india-make-pledge-on-clean-energy/529015/)

This new project, in which a large country such as India will be involved in, holds a lot of promise since India is bordered on three sides by the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal. The new project, in which a 5 megawatt power pilot plant will be followed by a much larger 100 megawatt one, will be financed by a state budget of $700 million USD. The smaller plant, budgeted for a cost of $5 million, is scheduled to be completed at the end of 2010, and will be followed by the larger one, all being well.

SDE has already built 8 model plants, which have been financed by the Israeli government. The technology involved in harnessing and producing electricity from a 1 mw ocean waves power plant ($650,000 USD) is said by the company to be very efficient, environmentally clean, and relatively low in cost as compared to a similar sized solar energy plant ($3,000,000) or a wind energy plant using wind turbines ($1.5 million).


Source: Green PROPHET (http://www.greenprophet.com/2009/10/16/12744/sde-ocean-waves/)

Israeli inventions that could shape the next green century - Biomass (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1255547729488&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull)

Mihar also argues that it is far cheaper to produce than other green energies such as solar and wind. The firm is currently setting up a project in India, though its flagship project is in Israel.

Mihar has presented the idea to the relevant government ministries, which are checking its feasibility. The company is also examining three potential sites on which to build a 50 MW plant.


Source: The Jerusalam Post (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1255547729488&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull)

India has a potential of generating over 48,000 Mw through wind energy farms, and for that it would require just 1 per cent of its land, according to an estimate by the Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET).

The centre, in its initial study at the coastal district of Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, has showed it is possible to generate power through offshore wind farms. So far, these farms had been developed onshore. To examine the feasibility of offshore wind farms, the centre conducted the first phase of its study at Dhanushkodi in Rameswaram.

For the next level, it is awaiting approval from various government agencies.

C-WET is an autonomous research and development institution under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

“Our initial finding showed that it could be possible to generate power by setting up offshore wind farms,” C-WET executive director S Gomathinayagam said on the sidelines of the CII-organised Power 2009 summit.

Of the total 15,000 Mw of renewable energy, 10,528 Mw is wind energy, he told Business Standard. Tamil Nadu continues to maintain the number one position in the country in wind power generation, with 42 per cent of the total installed capacity in the country.

The data measurement include wind speeds, wind direction, sea temperature, sea current characteristics and wave data for environmental research, design and development of offshore wind farm and potential impacts of these measured parameters on wind farms.

“So far, Rameswaram has shown good potential, where wind power density of about 350-500 Watts per sq metres has been recorded. This was measured with velocity along with the height and measuring through sound deduction technology,” he said.

“We are now going for the next level by setting up a 100-metre mast, which would require clearance from 10 government departments,” said Gomathinayagam. MNRE has funded Rs 1 crore for this project.

Apart from the offshore, the centre has installed 620 stations across the country to measure data and 261 places have been identified as potential locations, which can go beyond 200 Watts.

Offshore wind development zones are generally considered to be 10 km or more from land. Offshore wind turbines are less obtrusive than turbines on land, as their size and noise is mitigated by distance. Because water has less surface roughness than land (especially deeper water), the average wind speed is usually considerably higher over open water. Capacity factors (utilisation rates) are considerably higher than for onshore and nearshore locations.

As of 2008, according to reports, Europe leads the world in development of offshore wind power, due to strong wind resources and shallow water in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, and limitations on suitable locations on land due to dense populations and existing developments. Denmark installed the first offshore wind farms, and for years was the world leader in this, until the United Kingdom gained the lead in October 2008, with 590 M2 of nameplate capacity installed. The UK plans to build much more extensive offshore wind farms by 2020.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/%5Cindia-can-generate-48000-mw-through-wind-energy%5C/373226/)

Suzlon commissions 19.5-MW GMDC wind farm project (http://www.myiris.com/newsCentre/storyShow.php?fileR=20091014114413203&dir=2009/10/14&secID=livenews)

MUMBAI: The green energy revolution is not miles away from India. The country has emerged as the world’s number one, along with United States, in annual solar power generation.

In wind power production, India ranks fifth in the world. And when it comes to space, scope and facilities for renewable energy expansion, India ranks fourth in the world.

McKinsey & Company, in its survey ended in May 2009, has stated that India has one of the world’s highest solar intensities with an annual solar energy yield of 1,700 to 1,900 kilowatt hours per kilowatt peak (kWh/KWp) of the installed capacity.

This is similar to the US and Hawaii, the two other countries which have been ranked first along with India. After India, US (mainly California state), Hawaii and Spain are the largest solar power producers with 1,500 to 1,600 kWh/KWp followed by Italy, Australia, China, Japan and Germany.

Similarly, in the BP statistical review of world energy, India has been ranked as fifth in the world. While United States contributes 20.7% of the total wind energy in the world, Germany produces 19.6%, followed by Spain (14%), India (8%), China (6%) and Denmark (3%).

According to Ernst & Young’s renewable energy country attractiveness indices, which ranks countries based on regulatory environment, fiscal support, unexploited resources, suitability to different technologies and other factors determining renewable energy growth in a country, India maintains a ranking within the top five countries in the world.

Besides solar and wind, India’s index for development of renewable energy resources in hydropower sector is the fourth topmost in the world after US, Germany and China. Similarly, the country’s development index in biomass is ranked third in the world after US and Germany. Countries like Italy, UK, France, Canada and Australia lag behind India in this world index.

“This implies enormous potential in energy generation running into several hundred Giga Watts with current solar technologies. As the cost of building solar capacity continues to fall over the next five to 10 years, a significant scale-up of solar generation (in multiples of tens of GW) is a very realistic possibility in India,’’ the McKinsey report stated.

It further reveals that India’s biomass potential could be as high as 70 Giga Watts, bagasse 5 GW and agro-waste 18 GW. Use of wasteland for growing feedstock (woody biomass) is another potential source of biomass and a programme to cultivate such crops like poplars and cottonwoods on just a quarter of country’s 80 million hectares of degraded land, it could generate 45 to 50 GW of power.

The Ernst & Young’s report stated that India’s gross renewable energy potential (up to 2032) is estimated at 220 GW.
“Clearly, with a renewable energy capacity of 14.8 GW i.e, 9.7% of the total installed generation capacities of 150 GW (as on June 30, 2009), India has barely scratched the surface of a huge opportunity. However, given that in the last couple of years itself, the share of renewable energy in installed capacity has grown from 5% to 9.7%, India is definitely looking to make up for the lost time rapidly,’’ stated the report.


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/India-tops-with-US-in-solar-power/articleshow/5161932.cms)

The Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) has issued offer letters, so far, to an Indian and two American companies for setting up solar power plants at Kadiri in Anantapur district where it has earmarked an area of 5,000 acres for allotment to solar power projects.

According to APIIC chairman and managing director BP Acharya, the three companies will together invest over Rs 3,000 crore. While US-based Sunborne will be investing Rs 2,000 crore, California-based AES Solar and Hyderabad-based Lanco Solar will be investing about Rs 600 crore each.

Participating in a panel discussion on solar and renewable energy here on Thursday, Acharya said offer letters for setting up solar projects at the place would be issued to some more companies during the three-day SolarCon India 2009, an exposition and conference on solar energy, to be held in the city from November 9.

He said that besides the 5,000 acres earmarked already, an addition 15,000 acres of land was available at Kadiri for allotment to various solar companies. The barren land was surveyed by the Tata Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) and was found to be suitable for setting up solar power units. The interested companies have also surveyed the area and felt it was suitable for their projects.

While the proposed units at Kadiri would generate solar power to cater to the needs of the domestic sector, the projects set up in the Hyderabad Fab City manufacture solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, 70 per cent of which are currently being exported. The latest company that has evinced interest in setting up a unit in the Fab City is BHEL, which will be investing Rs 500 crore.

“The Fab City alone will be generating 3 Gw (3,000 Mw) of solar power in the next 7-10 years,” Acharya said adding about seven out of the 20 companies, which had been allotted land here, would commence commercial operations in the next four years.

He said the Humburg-based Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems had agreed to set up a training and quality testing centre in the city for the benefit of solar PV manufacturers. A memorandum of understanding is likely to be signed in this regard when institute's head, Eicke Weber, visits the city to take part in SolarCon. Efforts are also on for setting up a research and development centre in collaboration with the University of Hyderabad.

Emphasising the need to give a big boost to solar power generation, Acharya said the state government had prepared a draft solar energy policy, which would be released after the central policy on this sector is announced on November 14. Hereafter, SolarCon would be an annual event to be held in the city.

Titan Energy Systems managing director, Sankar Rao, said the cost of Solar PV has already come down from $7 to $3.5 per Mw and in another 10 years the cost would be on a par with other sources of energy.

SEMI India president, Sathya Prasad, said the cost of solar power would decease with the adoption of new technologies and as the industry achieves economies of scale.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/three-solar-companies-to-setunits-in-andhra/374023/)

Mumbai: In their effort to find an alternate and cost-effective fuel, scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have found it possible to extract oil from a type of single-celled microscopic algae 'Diatoms' by housing them within 'biological solar panels'.

The scientists proposed creating a biological solar panel, which will contain diatoms instead of photovoltaic cells.

Diatoms would float about in a nutrient-rich water solution and produce oil when exposed to sunlight.

Diatoms, commonly observed as a brown-skin coating on submerged stones in rivers and lakes and as phytoplankton in seas and oceans, typically contain oil droplets inside their cells, quite similar to petroleum.

The oil is a food source for the plants in lean times. Scientific analysis of diatom oil has shown that it is very suitable for use as biofuel.

"Here, we propose altering cells of the diatoms so that they actively secrete their oil droplets. We propose "milking" of diatoms without killing their cells similar to secretion of milk by selective breeding of cattle and alter their environment to maximise the rate of milk secretion," Prof TV Ramachandra of Centre for Ecological Sciences at IISc told PTI from Bangalore.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_biofuel-similar-to-petroleum-from-microscopic-algae-iisc_1301260)

Chennai, Oct 20 (IANS) The Indian arm of the US-based biomass power company Clenergen Corp will set up two wood-fired plants with a combined capacity of 71-MW in southern India, a top official said here Tuesday.
Clenergen India will invest Rs.1,135 crore to set up the plants in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, Mark Quinn, chief executive Clenergen Corp, told reporters.

“A 16-MW plant will be set up in Tuticorin and a 64-MW plant will come up in Mangalore,” Quinn said.

Clenergen India has hired ICICI Securities and Ernst and Young for raising Rs.312 crore debt from the domestic market for the project.

The Indian subsidiary has already entered into a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Power Trading Corp (PTC).

According to Quinn, the company needs around 4,000 acres in Tamil Nadu and 16,000 acres in Karnataka where it would grow trees that offer high biomass to fire its power plants.

“We have already signed up for 800 acres in Tamil Nadu with a religious institution. Discussions are on for another 1,200 acres and arrangements are being made for the acquisition of the balance 2,000 acres in Tirunelvelli district,” he added.


Source: Thaindian News (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/us-firm-to-set-up-biomass-plants-in-south-india_100263151.html#)

ITC has set up a 14 Mw wind energy project in Tamil Nadu, the power from which will be used for the company's packaging and printing businesses in Chennai, the company said in a statement.

The project has been set up at a cost of Rs 90 crore.

ITC plans to register the project as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project. The company said it plans to progressively use more renewable energy to remain carbon positive. Companies which are carbon positive have the option of selling carbon credits to raise money.

ITC’s hotel in Hyderabad – ITC Kakatiya – is already using wind energy as part of its energy portfolio for the hotel.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/itc-sets14-mw-wind-power-project-in-tn/47564/on)

Three public sector companies are planning to set up 60-80 megawatt solar plants with an investment of Rs 1,000-1,200 crore. The projects will come up in Rajasthan, Punjab and the Leh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd (RVPN) would set up a plant at Suratgarh in Rajasthan, while a similar plant would be set up by NTPC at Anta in the state, S Seshadri, member of the Central Electricity Authority, said on the sidelines of a CII-organised conference on power. The state utility of Punjab would set up a solar plant in the state, he added.

However, it was not decided which state-run power company would set up the plant in Leh.

“For the first time, we are planning to tap solar energy in Leh,” said Seshadri.

Capacity of these plants would vary from 15-20 megawatt each, Seshadri said, adding it would cost Rs 16 crore per megawatt.

Each of these utilities would fund the projects individually, added Seshadri.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/3-psus-to-invest-rs-1200-cr-to-setsolar-plants/372475/)

Two major ports in Tamil Nadu are planning to set up captive wind farms at a combined investment of around Rs 82 crore.

While Chennai port has proposed a 7.5 Mega watt wind farm, Tuticorin port will set up a 6Mw farm.

Speaking to Business Standard, Chennai Port Trust chairman Subhash Kumar said the wind farm would come up at Veppilian Kulam in Tirunelveli district. The port has called for bids and hopes to place the order for wind mills by December.

The project is estimated to cost Rs 40.73 crore and would require around 11-12 acre of land, Kumar said. The farm would cater to 50 per cent of the port’s power need, which is around 15 Mw per annum.

Kumar said the port would save around Rs 8 crore on power every year by setting up its own farm. The production cost would be Rs 2 per KwH and savings Rs 4 per KwH.

On the other hand, Tuticorin port has issued a tender for its project and six companies, including Vestas and Suzlon, have participated in the pre-bid. The total project cost would be Rs 42 crore, said G J Rao, chairman, Tuticorin Port Trust.

Tuticorin port requires around 5 Mw per annum. “The project will go on stream by the end of 2010,” said Rao.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/tamil-nadu-ports-plan-wind-farms/373263/)

National Thermal Power Corporation is to set up two solar power plants of 50 MW each in Gujarat. These power plants will be set up in Banaskantha and Kutch.This was announced by Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki here today.


Read full news on Gujarat Global (http://www.gujaratglobal.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1832&Itemid=38).

MUMBAI: Tata Power, India’s largest private utility, has planned a joint equity investment of Rs 4,000-Rs 5,000 crore over five years to build joint venture hydropower projects with Norway’s renewable energy firm SN Power. The move signals Tata Power’s interest to increase its presence in hydro power, even as the government eases norms for investment in renewable energy projects.


Read full news on ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/Tata-Power-plans-JV-projects-with-Norway-co/articleshow/5181946.cms).

Logistics and transport major VRL Logistics Ltd (VRL) is looking at exiting its 42.5 Mw wind power venture at Mundargi in Gadag district of Karnataka, because of delayed receivables from the sale of power as well as its high operational costs. The Hubli-based company had forayed into the wind energy business in 2007 by setting up the venture for Rs 250 crore.


Read full news on BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/vrl-looking-to-exit-its-wind-power-business/375583/).

PetroAlgae has signed a memorandum of understanding to enter into an agreement to license its proprietary micro-crop technology to Indian Oil Corporation for future large-scale production of renewable fuels.

Under the agreement and the license agreement to be completed, Indian Oil will build a pilot facility to demonstrate commercial viability of producing renewable fuels from micro-crops in India.

A commercial production facility with 200,000 metric tons a year capacity would then be built under license.


Read more on RECHARGE (http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/biofuels/article197703.ece).

Inventors' high-flying kites harness wind power (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2009/11/06/MNC71AFVT1.DTL)
Bright Idea: Bringing Eco-friendly Lighting to India's Hinterland (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/india/article.cfm?articleid=4425)

Suzlon Energy, the world’s third-largest wind turbine supplier, has scaled down its sales forecast for the current year to 1,900-2,100 megawatts (Mw) from the 2,400-2,600 Mw guidance given earlier, owing to delay in execution of orders.


Read full news on BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/suzlon-scales-down-forecast/375037/)

India has millions of hectares of desert and barren lands making them attractive for solar farms. The states like Rajastan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra, Madhaya Pradesh, Karnataka have large patches of lands, which don't receive enough rains making them more suitable for solar farms. Both for economic and environment reasons solar is right way for a country like India which receives enough sunshine through out the year.

Andhra Pradesh is leading in attracting investment both in solar farms and solar cell fabrication and manufacturing facilities. Andhra Pradesh has hosted one of the world's popular solar event Solarcon in Hyderabad.

Chief Minister Shri K. Rosaiah has inaugurated Solarcon India 2009, a 3-day ongoing (Nov 9-11 2009) exhibition and conference organized by Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International in association with Intersolar. Solarcon is supported by MNRE, and IREDA, Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corp (APIIC) and AP Invest. Indian Semiconductor Association is also partner of this event.

The immediate projects initiated by AP govt. include solar farm near Kadiri, Anantapur, a dry place around 100 kms from Bangalore. On the manufacturing side, Hyderabad has provided manufacturing eco for semiconductor IC and solar PV cells, the facility is called Fab City.

The solar semiconductor companies who have already established manufacturing facilities or in the process of setting up in AP include, Moser Baer PV, Solar Semiconductor, Sunborne, Lanco Solar, AES Solar and Titan Energy, and KSK Surya.

The solar technology researcher Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems is also engaged with authorities here to start solar testing centre in Fab City.

The companies gravitating towards Hyderabad is much higher than any other region in India.


Source: EE Herald (http://www.eeherald.com/section/news/nw10001057.html)

Solar cos out to tap $42 billion bounty
Excerpts from original here http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_solar-cos-out-to-tap-42-billion-bounty_1310439


Several multinationals and scores of Indian companies, many of them start-ups, are following the sun in India for an opportunity the World Bank estimates at over $42 billion over the next 10 years.

But before they put the money on the table, these companies, participating in the first SolarCon conference and exhibition in Hyderabad that concluded on Wednesday, would like to see the fine print of the government of India’s plan to reach its stated objective of generating 20 gigawatts (20,000 mw) of solar power by 2020.

The National Solar Mission (NSM), to be unveiled on Saturday, is thus being watched keenly. According to a draft of the policy, the government wants to see an installed solar generation capacity of 1 lakh mw and 2 lakh mw by 2030 and 2050, respectively. The draft also talks about 4-5 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2017.

The NSP, which clubbed technology for computer chip manufacturing and solar cells in the same basket, given the common raw material requirements and technology, received 17 investment proposals, of which 15 were for solar cell and module manufacturing capacities totalling 3000 mw at a whopping Rs 1.3 lakh crore investment. Of these, 12 received in-principle approval as of June this year.

States like Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra too have been proactive in wooing potential investors into the solar space, in anticipation of the new policy. Andhra Pradesh has been at the forefront, thanks mostly to an opportunistic positioning of the FabCity, which failed to attract much of semiconductor investments, but proved ideal for solar photovoltaic manufacturing companies to set up shop. At the same time, the state has just kicked off plans for its SolarCity project to attract companies for setting up solar farms near Anantapur in the state, some 70 km from Bangalore.

While the FabCity has received investment proposals from 25 companies totalling an investment of nearly Rs 10,000 crore in 3-4 years, at least six companies want to set up solar generation utilities at the SolarCity at an investment of Rs 4000-5000 crore over the next 4-5 years, B P Acharya, chairman, AP Investment Infrastructure Corporation, told DNA Money.

It is difficult not to worry if the solar bandwagon will go the semiconductor way.
“That is unlikely to happen. Photovoltaics is not a new kind on the block, unlike semiconductors which did not have a local market,” says SEMI’s Prasad. If you ask him, the NSM couldn’t have come at a better time.

GUWAHATI, Nov 12 – The Centre has agreed to sanction solar home lighting systems to below poverty line (BPL) households in 5,000 remote and inaccessible villages of Assam not connected by conventional power grid. Most of these villages are located in char (riverine) areas. This was assured by the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abdullah, during a meet with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and senior officials of the State Government on Wednesday, an official release said.


Read more on The Assam Tribune (http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=nov1309/at03).

(Source: Datamonitor) Enfinity, a Belgium-based renewable energy developer, and Titan Energy Systems, a manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, have announced their collaboration on developing, financing and constructing 1GWp of photovoltaic installations on 3,000 acres of land in Andhra Pradesh, India in the coming five years.

Enfinity has said that Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC), an undertaking of the government of Andhra Pradesh, will allocate in long lease 3,000 acres of land in the villages of Thumalla, Dademavaripalli, Pulikuntapalli, Karimireddypalli and Lokogipalli, and at the industrial park of Amadugur near Kadiri, all in the Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh.

Enfinity has said that it will develop and finance the project while Titan Energy Systems will act as a contractor and supplier of the photovoltaic (PV) modules. Enfinity and Titan will establish a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for this purpose.

Sankar Rao, managing director of Titan Energy Systems, said: "Receiving the allotment letter for 1GWp solar power plant from APIIC is a testimony of Titan's ability and competency in establishing large utility scale solar power plants. Our SPV with Enfinity would be the right vehicle in implementing such large projects."


iStockAnalyst (http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3628488)

With the state announcing sops for biomass-based power plants, projects worth Rs 800 crore have been lined up in Tamil Nadu.

“For the last 18 months, not even one project had come to the state. But, after the tariff for biomass power procurement was increased to Rs 4.50 per unit from Rs 3.15 by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission, the state has started attracting investments,” said PR Muralidharan, deputy general manager (bio-mass), Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (Teda). This apart, biomass-based power units have been allowed to sell their produce to third parties.

Tamil Nadu has the potential to produce 500 mega watt (Mw) of power through biomass, of which production of around 200 Mw has already commenced. Teda has received 10 proposals, said R Christodas Gandhi, principal secretary and chairman and managing director of Teda.

Gandhi was speaking to Business Standard on the sidelines of the Renewable Energy Chennai 2009 conference held in Chennai recently.

Currently, 12 plants with a capacity of 110 Mw are operating in the state. These include one in Kanchipuram, two each in Sivakasi and Pudukottai, and one each in Tiruvanamallai, Dindigual, Theni, Thanjavur, Madurai, Virudunagar and Thiruvallur districts.

While two projects with a total capacity of 17.5 Mw are nearing completion at Tiruvanamalai and Krishnagiri, four projects with 40 Mw are under way in public-private partnership. Nine projects with a capacity of 99 Mw have got the recommendation of Teda and are yet to approach the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board. “In all, around 156 Mw of projects are likely to come up in the state, entailing an investment of Rs 5 crore per Mw,” he added.

Stating that Tamil Nadu had become one of the model states when it comes to bio-mass usage for captive purposes, Gandhi said, “Producers of tea and dal and other farmers are using biomass-based captive power for their irrigation purposes. This had led to 100 per cent liberalisation from the power grids.”

According to industry representatives, a 10 Mw-biomass power plant can support around 2,000 marginalised families. They can be employed in collection, transportation, cutting and chipping of biomass, and cultivation of wasteland with energy plants like juliflora.

Of the country’s total installed biomass power capacity of 683 Mw, Tamil Nadu accounts for 147 Mw. However, over the last two years, capacity utilisation had declined sharply due to a steep increase in the cost of biomass fuels, a recent TNEB release said.

“The capacity utilisation, which ranged from 5 per cent to 70 per cent during 2007-08, declined to 3 per cent to 48 per cent during 2008-09. Other users of biomass fuel have been procuring biofuels at a much higher price, making it unviable for biomass-based power plants. This deficiency has been addressed by fixing the fuel cost at double the present rate of around Rs 2,000 per tonne.”

Biomass energy is derived from plant and animal material such as wood from forests, residues from agricultural and forestry processes, and industrial, human or animal wastes.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/rs-800-cr-biomass-power-plants-linedin-tn/375775/)

Chandigarh: The delay in land acquisition for the proposed biomass-based power projects in the state has prompted the Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (Hareda) to issue notices to the concerned parties to speed up the process.


The 20 biomass-based power projects are expected to generate 183 mw of power at places like Sirsa, Panipat, Karnal, Hisar, Fatehabad, Bhiwani, Nilokheri, Jagadhari, Khanesar and Dabwali.

New Delhi-based Star Wire India has already acquired 14 acres in village Baragudha in Sirsa for a 8 mw project at a cost of around Rs 38 crore. “It’s in the process of finalising the plant and machinery and has got the environment impact assessment (EIA) approvals as well. The company in totality had bagged four projects of 8 mw each and one project of 5 mw,” the official added. Another firm Sri Jyoti Renewable Energy has purchased a 20 acre plot for a 7.5 mw project in Bhiwani.


Source: FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Haryana-renewable-energy-dept-speeds-up-biomass-projects/539246/)

By Joydeep Gupta

New Delhi: India has put off until 2022, from the targeted 2020, its plan to produce 20,000 MW from solar power, even as it postponed Saturday the launch of the country's ambitious solar energy mission.

A key financing strategy in the plan has also been dropped, according to a member of the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, after the ministries of coal and power opposed a proposal to levy a cess of four paise a tonne of coal mined for research and development on solar energy.

In his Independence Day speech this year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had promised that the solar energy mission would be launched Nov 14. But an official spokesman said Friday night: "The mission will be launched as soon as the approval of the government to the recommendations has been obtained, which is expected shortly."

He was referring to recommendations by members of the PM's council when it met Oct 26 to approve the solar energy mission.

"The recommendations of the mission have been finalised and an implementation plan has been formulated after a series of consultations within government as well as other stakeholders," the spokesman added.

Bureaucrats are now talking of Nov 19 as a probable launch date for the mission, whose highlight is to increase hundredfold the current output of 200 MW through solar energy.

Two major changes have been made since the last draft of the mission document was made public, members of the council said on condition of anonymity. One was to push back the target date for generating 20,000 MW a year from solar power to 2022 from 2020, to bring it in line with India's five-year plan cycle.

More important, the section on putting a cess on coal used for power generation in order to fund the solar mission has been dropped, more than one member of the council told IANS. "Without this, how are we going to finance this mission?" one of them wondered.

The main bottleneck in spreading solar energy today is cost. While it costs Rs.3-4 to generate one unit of electricity from coal, it costs Rs.14 to do so from solar photovoltaic cells. If various subsidies given to the coal industry now are removed, the cost will go up to Rs.5-6, still well below the cost from solar power.

This does not take into account the other costs of using coal -- respiratory diseases caused by pollutants released when coal is mined and then burnt, the destruction of soil associated with the mining, the effects of climate change caused by coal burning in terms of reduced farm output and more frequent and more severe droughts, floods and storms.

While there is no official calculation of these costs, an environmental economist has estimated them to total Rs.4 per unit. That would bring the real cost of producing electricity from coal to Rs.9-10 per unit, still below the cost of doing so from solar power.

But solar power technology has been improving rapidly. Till a few years ago, it cost Rs.27 to produce one unit of electricity from solar photovoltaic cells.

While the renewable energy industry is excited about the mission, it is not happy with the planning process.

"We are being asked to increase solar energy production hundredfold in the next 13 years, from 200 MW to 20,000 MW by 2022, but we have not been consulted on how it is to be done," a senior executive of a firm making solar photovoltaic cells told IANS.

(Joydeep Gupta can be contacted at joydeep.g@ians.in)


Source: SamayLive (http://www.samaylive.com/news/solar-mission-target-pushed-back-financing-strategy-dropped/667498.html)

ONGC may look at setting up nuclear power plant: Sharma (http://www.zeenews.com/news577489.html)

A technology that converts rice husk into electricity is gaining ground in Bihar. Some 100,000 households in the state already use electricity produced from biomass and their number is steadily growing.

According to an estimate, 44 percent of India's population still live without electricity, making this biomass-based power generation technology indispensable in energy-starved states like Bihar.

Though this technology has been in use for the past 50 years in India, Husk Power Systems (HPS), a rural electrification company, has modified it to create a cost-effective operational model.

Today, HPS supplies power to 50 off-grid villages in the state. Each village has a population between 2,000 and 4,000. By 2012, HPS plans to cover 2,000 villages in the state.

Rice husk is traditionally discarded in India. However, when it is heated, it releases a gas that HPS uses to run modified diesel engines to generate electricity.

"We heat rice husk to a point at which they turn into gas and that gas runs an engine," said Chip Ransler, chief strategy officer of HPS. The power is supplied through a grid that HPS operates.

The rice husk is procured from farmers and mill owners, and each biomass gasification plant is run by trained mechanics.

"Roughly 1.5 kg of rice husk yields 1 KWh (kilowatt-hour) of electricity," Ransler said.

"Electricity is generated via an alternator and delivered in three phases at 220 volts. We set up grids that are specially suited according to the size of the villages. The setup is completely decentralised," he added.

The villages that have benefited include Tamkuha, Dhanaha, Rupahi, Madhubani, Inarawa, Sarisawa and Majhoulia. All are located in West Champaran district.

However, the company wants to keep its electricity rates confidential.

"We don't share the price. But villagers save 50 percent of what they were spending on kerosene and diesel, and they're getting much larger output from the investments in HPS," Ransler said.

Simon Desjardins, an analyst with Shell Foundation, a Britain-based NGO that provides financial and technical aid to HPS, said electricity shortages can directly impede the economic development of a village, apart from the environmental pollution caused by the use of diesel and kerosene.

"Today, Bihar represents a viable market for modern energy services. The rural communities are willing to pay for reliable electricity," he said.

Ransler said HPS initially provided electricity to 15 villages with support from the Shell Foundation. Now it has 10 biomass plants with capacity ranging from 35-100 KW. It has also created jobs opportunities for the locals.

Biomass gasification plants are eco-friendly as they replace diesel and kerosene with carbon-neutral biomass-derived electricity.

Ransler said each HPS plant offsets roughly 80-100 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.


Source: DHNS (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/36936/bihar-villagers-now-get-green.html)

The Indian petroleum minister Murli Deora recently convened a meeting with fuel retailers and sugar millers for seeking their support in its ethanol-blending policy. The move comes in the wake of government asked the petroleum ministry to ensure that oil companies compulsorily sold petrol mixed with 5 per cent ethanol and which was not being followed citing ethanol shortage.


Read more on WheelsUnplugged (http://www.wheelsunplugged.com/ViewNews.aspx?newsid=4869).

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/11/20/business/energy-environment/19greeninc_india/blogSpan.jpg
A worker arranges the photovoltaic cell components of a solar module panel at a factory near Bangalore.

The Indian cabinet approved a plan on Thursday that sets out to increase energy production from solar technology to 20 gigawatts by 2022, up from six megawatts today. The government will spend about 43 billion rupees ($922 million) in the first of three phases of the program. The total cost for all three phases could approach $20 billion.


Source: The New York Times (http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/india-to-invest-900-million-in-solar/)

India unveils plans for massive solar power boost (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8370944.stm)

It is reported that India and Japan will soon be jointly setting up new and renewable energy parks in various parts of India using Japanese know how and latest technology.

A taskforce of the apex industry body Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India had visited Japan in July this year and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a Japanese firm for transfer of technology to set up renewable energy parks.

The MoU was signed between ASSOCHAM and Oskak NGO that develops technologies in renewable energy, designs energy parks and promotes non-conventional energy worldwide.

Mr Hideaki Domichi Japanese Ambassador in India said that “India is a big market for Japanese technology and investment as recently India has surpassed Japanese investment than in China. Now, India would be destination for us and relationship would be strengthened as India is a special country for us.”

Japan ranks fifth in terms of cumulative FDI equity inflow into India. Japan’s FDI in India is estimated to be around USD 5.5 billion over 5 years from 2006 to 2010.

Both the countries will combine their resources together to set up NRE parks by March next year. These parks will showcase latest New and Renewable Energy technologies including solar, wind, clean coal and fossil, the Japanese ambassador said and added that an energy park will be set up in Meghalaya and other places will be finalized soon.

The parks will be set up with the help of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Ministry of Environment in India and the Japanese Government. India and Japan will explore more ways and means to further cooperation in the field of New and Renewable Energy sources and other sectors.


Source: Steelguru (http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/11/19/MTIxMzAy/India_and_Japan_joins_hand_for_renewable_energy_parks.html)

As a part of its wind power foray, the company has plans to invest Rs 6,000 crore over the next five years and is targeting to produce nearly 1000 mw of wind energy for which it will come up with wind farms in states like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Kerala. "We are in the final stages of commissioning the turbine manufacturing facility that will produce around 300 turbines per annum. The assembly shop would be ready by December," said GFL's director and group head for corporate finance, Deepak Asher. The company has set up a separate subsidiary, Inox Wind Ltd for manufacturing the turbines. However, the wind farms would be managed by GFL itself.


Read more on BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/inox-group-chalks-out-rs-150-cr-to-manufacture-wind-turbines/377389/).

The government plans to double wind power generation capacity to over 20,000 MW by 2022 to promote use of renewable resources.

The current installed power capacity from renewable sources of energy stands at about 13,300 MW, of which 10,500 MW comes from wind power. The government plans to double wind power generation in the country over the next decade.

"Currently wind power generation in the country stands at about 10,500 MW. We will double this capacity by 2022 and try to triple it," Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of an Assocham event.

Meanwhile, the government has set a target of adding 1,300 MW of solar power by the end of the current XIth Five Year Plan (2007-12).

"We have to add 1,300 MW solar (power) in the next three years...time is less we have to do it fast," Abdullah said.

The government recently said it has approved setting up of 20,000 MW grid solar power and 2,000 MW off-grid solar power by 2022 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

The mission aims to develop solar technologies for making solar power competitive to conventional grid power and install 20 million square metre solar thermal collective area by 2022.


Source: Deccan Herlad (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/38173/govt-double-wind-power-generation.html)

20 GW of solar power and 20 GW of wind power by year 2020+2.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00652/00000PAGE73_385x185_652011a.jpg
The Gulf of Kutch, off Gujarat, is ideal for tidal energy and can be exploited by the turbines that are made by Atlantis Resources

A small British-based tidal energy company has won a landmark contract to attempt to harness the power of the sea around India for the first time.

Atlantis Resources has forged a deal with the western state of Gujarat, under which the privately owned company will establish the feasibility of developing tidal power projects capable of generating more than 100 megawatts of power — enough to supply about 40,000 households.

Of particular interest are the Gulf of Kutch and the Gulf of Khambhat in the Arabian Sea: two sites renowned for extreme daily tides. The project could lead to hundreds of millions of pounds worth of investment in tidal energy if the results of the study are positive.


Read more on TIMESONLINE (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article6935567.ece).

The overall agreement with India and its various components is reminiscent of the recent partnership established between the U.S and China during President Obama’s trip to that country. Since India is one of its next largest trading partners, it was necessary to develop a collaboration with them as well. Prime Minister Singh and President Obama agreed to strengthen U.S.-India cooperation on clean energy and climate change by launching several key initiatives.

First, a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding to enhance collaboration on energy security, energy efficiency, clean energy, and climate change was agreed upon. Both countries will work in tandem to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technologies and to enhance cooperation on adaptation to climate change, climate science, and reducing GHG from forests and land use. Second, Prime Minister Singh and President Obama agreed to encourage the mobilization of public and private resources to support a fund that would invest in clean energy projects in India. Third, the Leaders affirmed that the Copenhagen outcome must be comprehensive and cover mitigation, adaptation, finance, and technology. In addition, in all of this, a system indicating full transparency for the implementation of their emissions reductions commitments and appropriate processes was emphasized. Regarding one of these issues, financing in the clean energy sector underwent severe pressure during the recession; however, U.S. cleantech venture capital rose during the third quarter, increasing 46 percent compared to the prior quarter- to $965 million, according to Ernst & Young.

Again, similar to the recent U.S-China Partnership, the two Leaders launched an Indo-U.S. Clean Energy Research and Deployment Initiative, supported by both U.S. and Indian government funding and private sector contributions. This new Initiative will include a Joint Research Center operating in both the U.S. and India to foster innovation and facilitate the deployment of clean energy technologies. The key areas of this Initiative will likely include: energy efficiency, smart grid, next-generation biofuels, carbon capture and storage, solar energy, energy efficient buildings, advanced batteries, sustainable transportation, wind energy, and micro-hydro power. What’s more, the Initiative will allow the two governments to utilize expertise from both countries including government, private industry, and higher education to advance the respective technologies, as the countries have done with nuclear power and weapons. However, the recent Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station radiation leak and the political fallout, thirty years after its first fiasco, does not bode well for this form of energy, which is being considered a component to fund in the emerging U.S. cap-and-trade legislation denoted as the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act.

The Initiative’s work will be complemented by two Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on Solar Energy and Wind Energy. In order to conduct the MOU on Solar Energy, the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL), which is the nation’s leading institution in this technology, will partner with India’s Solar Energy Center to develop comprehensive nation-wide maps for each country of solar energy prospects. More than two dozen U.S. and Indian cities will partner to pursue solar energy deployment. Prior to the U.S. Partnership announcement, the Indian government approved a $19 billion solar power program with the aim of creating 20 gigawatts of solar energy generation capacity by 2020. The MOU on Wind Energy between NREL and India’s Center for Wind Energy Technology will focus mainly on supporting efforts to develop a low-wind speed turbine technology program.


Read more on examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/x-8178-Phoenix-Green-Business-Examiner~y2009m11d24-USIndia-Clean-Energy-Partnership-who-will-gain).

Lucknow: The abysmal power situation in Uttar Pradesh may be causing heartburn among senior government officials, who are hard pressed to bridge the demand-supply gap, but for John Howard and Amit Shah, co-founders of Bangalore-based Duron Energy, it provides the biggest opportunity to promote solar energy.

Launching the first multi-functional solar home power system Duron Pro in the country, John Howard said UP provides exciting challenges and tremendous potential. The company will target the countryside where power cuts are extensive. “In the beginning, we will start with ten districts around the state capital, including Rae Bareli, Sitapur, Hardoi, Unnao, Pratapgarh, Shahjehanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri and Barabanki. “We have been conducting extensive research for a year and have also done some initial field tests. At Rs 5,999, we can provide a quality of life that is missing in the rural hinterland,” says Howard.

Indeed, the problem of outages is so severe that barring a few cities such as Lucknow, Agra and Allahabad, all other districts of the state face heavy roistering of 10-16 hours. The Duron Pro comes with a 5 watt solar panel that charges the system from the sun for free and also includes three overhead lights that use advanced LED technology. In fact, the problem that is usually faced by many people in the towns is that they are unable to charge their cell phones too due to lack of power. Duron Pro looks into this problem too and provides a mobile phone charger with the set. “UP is the most populous state in India but it has one of the lowest per capita power consumption in the country. With Duron, Pro, we will solve this problem by providing renewable energy which is affordable and multi-functional as well,” said Howard, adding that after the successful launch in UP, the company will head to Karnataka in January. Stating that the company is trying to work out deals with micro financing institutions to finance the portable set to consumers, Amit Shah said the biggest challenge is to create awareness about solar power. “Along with forming the normal distribution channel, we will are also planning to tie up with NGOs in the rural villages.”

It may be mentioned that the power scenario in UP has worsened and in the event of long roistering, inverters also do not operate due to insufficient power to charge the batteries.


Source: FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Bangalore-firm-to-light-up-UP-with-solar-power/549608/)

Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh while speaking at the Environment Friendly Vehicles Conference in New Delhi said that bio-fuels have a limited role in India due to India’s land limitation and food security issues, a view which differs from the official line pushing for a 20 per cent blend of such fuel in gasoline and diesel by 2017. The same seems to be debated now by experts in the industry as well.

While pushing for hybrids and CNG-run vehicles, Ramesh said “Biofuel does not have a relevance role in Indian context in view of land limitation and food security. India has neither the land nor the agricultural liberty to promote biofuels,” minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh said, adding that, “We have land limitation and huge population pressure.” Instead, he pitched for hybrids and gas-run vehicles. Ramesh said India could not follow Brazil which is a world leader in the use of ethanol as transportation fuel. He maintained and added “It (bio-fuel) may play a small role but a big role has to be from the hybrids, auto-electric and of course the CNG type vehicles.”

It may be recalled that in October 2007, under pressure from the developed world to cut emissions of the greenhouse gasses produced by fossil fuel combustion, India had fallen in line and mandated that all diesel should contain 5 per cent of biofuel by volume.

Valued opinion by some experts states that the Minister for Environment and Forests appears to have got his idea wrong. In fact, the biofuels crops that are being considered and researched upon are meant to be grown in marginal and waste lands which are present in considerable extent in the country. These crops need not be grown in potential and productive field crop growing areas. Regarding food crops, Indian yield levels are woefully low as compared to many countries - for example, Indian rice yields are less than half the yields obtained in China. Sorghum yields are far lower than what US harvests. To feed the growing Indian population increasing the yields per unit area must be the approach.

Also there are a number of non-edible yielding plant species that are native to India. The country has vast waste land resources, where traditional crop- production is not only difficult; but not sustainable. It is possible to harness these untilized lands for the production of non-edible vegetable oils of bio-fuel / bio-diesel value. If this approach is well directed and properly implemented, the country will never have to depend on imported fossil fuels. Also there will not be any need to depend on ethanol technology if we could successfully harness non-edible vegetable oils for our energy needs.


Source: Wheels Unplugged (http://www.wheelsunplugged.com/ViewNews.aspx?newsid=4925)

What about growing algae biofuel in sea water? Vertical farming? Atleast we can try to convert sewage to algae.

Biofuel recycles carbon which was already there in air where as fossil fuel adds carbon which was buried under earth to air.

Mumbai Oil and gas behemoth, Reliance Industries will focus on growth in its renewable energy segment and plans to pilot projects in biofuels, solar energy and fuel cells, its Chairman Mukesh Ambani said.

"As part of our road-map for value creation, we are entering into the renewable energy space, as a natural extension of our conventional energy platform. Our efforts will be on piloting projects in alternative energy," he told shareholders at the company's 35th annual general meeting.

"Research and proof of concept project in biofuel, solar energy and fuel cells, to understand and enable scale-up, would characterise this effort. Our efforts would be to grow the conventional energy and material platform through greater global scale and competitiveness," he said.

Currently, solar photo-voltaic cells to generate power is considered a costly proposition in India. Although India can produce solar cells with a total capacity of more than 50 MW, it uses less than half of this due to higher cost of generation compared to thermal and wind.

The Solar Group of RIL has already implemented a large electrification programme at the community and village level in Maharashtra in 2007-08.


Source: expressindia (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/RIL-to-focus-on-renewable-energy--Mukesh/542741/)

Bangalore: Vihan Network, for developing a solar-powered GSM system, and Bloom Energy, for developing method to convert renewable and traditional fuels into electricity, have been recognized as Technology Pioneers in 2010 along with 26 other companies by the World Economic Forum.

Technology Pioneers are chosen on the basis of six criteria: Innovation; Potential impact; Growth and sustainability; Proof of concept; Leadership; and the company must not currently be a Member of the World Economic Forum, according to Rediff.com.

Rajiv Mehrotra is the Founder, Chairman and CEO of Gurgaon-based Vihaan Networks. Mehrotra is working on the next wave: bringing mobile phone service to the more than one billion people who live in the world's poorest and remotest areas. VNL has developed a solar-powered GSM system specifically for remote and rural areas where people have less than 2$ a month to spend on their phone bills. VNL's WorldGSM technology can help bring the reach of the current mobile infrastructure to billions more people.

K.R. Sridhar is Founder and CEO of California-based Bloom Energy. The company aims to change the way the world generates and consumes energy by converting a wide range of renewable and traditional fuels into electricity through a highly efficient electrochemical reaction, rather than combustion. If it works, homes, offices and factories could generate their own electricity and fuel their own vehicles, using local resources. In the developed world, this would help meet energy needs while reducing costs and the carbon footprint.

In the developing world, it would help give people access to power for the first time without huge investment in infrastructure or negative impact on the environment.


Source: SiliconIndia (http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/2_Indianrun_firms_among_tech_pioneers_of_2010-nid-63564.html)

Tata Power has set its priority straight after the union environment minister Jairam Ramesh announced his plan to reduce India’s carbon intensity by 25 per cent by 2020. The Mumbai-based power generator plans to add around 100-150 mega watt (mw) of wind power capacity every year with an investment of around Rs 500-750 crore.

The company is also tying up loose ends under the Solar Energy Mission and plans to enter the segment in a big way. Tata Power has an installed capacity of 200mw of wind power as of now. They have almost met their target of 100mw for this financial year by adding 96mw at an investment of around Rs 500 crore. Another 4mw is in the process of being added, the company said.

Executive director of strategy and business development at Tata Power Banamali Agarwala told Financial Chronicle that the company also seeks governmental support as far as financing is concerned. Just as NTPC’s trading arm agreed to buy solar power under the solar mission plan, “we expect the power produced from wind would be purchased and the additional cost of purchasing the power would be shared by the government or passed on to the consumers, if large scale participation is required in renewable,” Agarwala said.


Source: mydigitalfc.com (http://www.mydigitalfc.com/power/tatas-add-150mw-wind-power-year-202)

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-FA646_Solari_D_20091206232710.jpg
A villager scans for snakes and scorpions with the help of his Sun King solar lantern in Chikanpada, India.

CHIKANPADA, India -- Sunset used to be bedtime for 10-year-old Ankash Govind. This village, three hours from the bright lights of Mumbai, has not had electricity for the last eight years.

.Now, he spends his nights reading to his siblings by the light of a solar-powered lantern called the "Sun King." They were sold last year to about 400 subsistence farmers in the village, converting them from smoky, expensive kerosene lighting to a cleaner and cheaper alternative.

Some 400 million people in India do not have access to electricity, according to the World Bank. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has pledged "power for all" by 2012. Supporters of solar technology say products such as the Sun King can play a crucial role in achieving that goal.


Mr. Sekhsaria says that for such solar lamps to take off on a large scale requires them to be sold to villagers at such a low cost. But so far the government, which provides huge subsidies for power nationwide, hasn't accepted the Sun King as a product that meets its qualifications for receiving subsidies. The reason: its thin beam of light emits an average of only 6 lux (a measure of light penetration), short of the 16 lux average required for government backing.


The government does sponsor a solar-lantern program but those lanterns, which are bulkier than the Sun King, cost consumers between $25 and $40; without the subsidy they cost an average of $60.


Even without subsidies, though, he says the lights make economic sense. He says villagers who purchase Sun Kings at the retail price of $15 and quit using kerosene for lamps can recover the cost of the lamp in 15 months.

Read full article on THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125991486832876383.html?mod=googlenews_wsj).

Wind farm owner and operator Indian Energy Ltd (AIM: IEL) said it has entered into an agreement with ReGen Powertech Private Ltd for the construction of a 49.5 MegaWatt wind farm at Theni in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the second farm in its portfolio.


Read full news on proactiveinvestors (http://www.proactiveinvestors.co.uk/companies/news/11128/indian-energy-ltd-to-build-495-mw-wind-farm-in-tamil-nadu-state--11128.html).

Country’s first megawatt size grid connected solar power plant has been inaugurated at Jamuria, in Asansol district of West Bengal. Stating this in the Lok Sabha today, Dr. Farooq Abdullah,Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy said that the plant has already generated more than three lakh units of electricity in about three months time. He said that two more plants of two megawatt capacity each have been set up in Karnataka at Kolar and Belgaum districts. They will add one more megawatt to both plants very soon. One more plant of one megawatt will be set up in Raichur district in Karnataka, the Minister added.

Dr. Abdullah further announced that his Ministry has recently cleared proposals to set up another 28 megawatt capacity solar plants in the country. The Minister said that many private companies are preparing projects to set up more plants.


Source: PIB (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=55711)

Azure Power Launches First Privately Operated MW Scale Solar Power Plant in India (http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/62151/)

Dr Farooq Abdullah union minister for new & renewable energy has said that several measures are being initiated to reduce the cost of solar power.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha Dr Abdulla said that his ministry is supporting R&D on all aspects of solar energy starting from poly silicon material, solar thermal coatings to complete solar energy systems. This, the Minister said that will be very important to reduce the cost.
Dr Abdullah said that one company in West Bengal is planning to set up a unit to manufacture poly silicon material in the country. He observed that Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission envisages major participation of private sector by setting up grid connected solar power projects on Build Own and Operate basis. They will be eligible to get preferential tariff for solar power fed to the grid. In addition, private sector will continue to be engaged in setting up of manufacturing units in the country. The Minister said that the private sector is also expected to be a major user of various types of solar energy systems & devices.

Emphasizing that Government will strengthen some of the existing research institutions in the country for undertaking intensive research in solar energy and develop them as Centres of Excellence, Dr Abdullah said that a number of incentives such as nil or concessional customs and excise duty on selected items, 80% accelerated depreciation, preferential tariff for feeding solar power to the grid; and capital / interest subsidy for installation of solar energy systems for various applications are also available to the users including private sector at present.

Under the National Solar Mission, 3 major steps are proposed
1. Create volumes which will allow domestic manufacture
2. Support R&D to reduce material consumption and improve efficiency
3. Announce long term policy to purchase power.

The first phase target of the Mission is 100 MW grid solar power capacities by March 2013. An amount of INR 4337 crore has been approved for implementation of the first phase of the Mission.

The Minister informed that CERC has announced preferential tariff of INR 18.44 per unit for solar PV power and INR 13.45 per unit for solar thermal power. This tariff will be paid for a period of 25 years. He said that zero or concessional duty is applicable on import of certain specific items while zero Excise duty is on domestic manufacture of many solar energy devices and systems. NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam will purchase solar power for a period of 25 years at a fixed tariff announced by CERC. CERC will review the costs every year and fix tariff accordingly for new projects.


Source: Steel Guru (http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/12/13/MTI0NTk0/Efforts_on_to_reduce_cost_of_solar_power_-_Dr_Farooq_Abdullah.html)

JAIPUR: The solar show has not started just yet on a big scale, but the investments now trickling in look like precursor to a deluge.

As the world is moblising opinions and planning laws to douse the explosion of greenhouse gases, and looking at ways and means to rescue itself from the traps of the dirty energy like crude and coal sourced from hell', there is a renewed thrust on energy from heaven' such as solar and wind.

While this an opportunity for India to shift its focus from the conventional sources of energy, Rajasthan can become a potential launch-pad for milestone ventures in these early days of green-energy revolution.

Harnessing solar energy requires vast tracts of land along with sufficient radiation. India's biggest state has both -- large swathes of desert and abundant sunshine with solar insulation being one of the best in the world, says Naresh Pal Gangwar, chairman & managing director of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC).

Although there is not much to brag right now in terms of electricity generated from solar sources, the pipeline of proposals has never been so robust.

The RREC has received 90 proposals worth 3,000 MW capacity to set up solar power ventures as of now. If all proposals are converted into projects, then the state would be receiving investments up to Rs 51,000 crore. Projects with a capacity of 66 MW by 11 companies, including Reliance Industries, Jindal Power, Par Solar, GVK Power and Infrastructure Ltd, Moser Baer Photovoltaic Ltd have been approved.

To attract investors, RREC has been active in identifying suitable areas and has also built infrastructure for electricity evacuation.

"We have prepared a land bank for solar projects. The size of the areas starts from 5 MW onwards. This infrastructure is complemented by an extensive evacuation system, which is being used for wind energy," adds Gangwar.

However, the commercial viability of this sector still looks some years away. The hiatus between solar and conventional power in terms of profitability is yet to shrink. Subsidies on fossil fuels add to the inferior commercial feasibility of solar power.

The cost per megawatt power in case of solar is at Rs 17 crore, while that of thermal and hydel is at around Rs 4-5 crore.

But equations are fast changing. Technological advances in recent times, coupled with subsidies to the manufacturers of solar panels, hold out hopes that prices are going to be on the decline. This year, excess supply of solar panels owing to mushrooming of manufacturers has reduced prices by 45%.

Further breakthrough in cheaper thin-film technology, replacing the expensive crystalline panels will bring down the cost of solar panels. In a place like Rajasthan, where there is little constraint for space, thin-films will be a natural choice instead of solar thermal which requires gallons of water. The popularity of thin-films in recent times can be gauged from the fact that its market share has been rising from 10% levels in 2004 to almost half now.

Thin-films are solar cells made with thin coatings of silicon and other materials in place of expensive slices of crystal.

Rajasthan receives plenty of sunshine with rich intensity and solar power is shovel' ready, meaning, once a project is sanctioned, it takes a few weeks or a couple of months (in case of high capacities) to be on stream. Also, in due course, the per-unit cost of power comes down as the input cost drastically declines compared to other sources of generation like thermal and hydel.

To encourage and facilitate investments in the sector, the state government is currently drafting a new renewable energy policy which is expected to be announced early next year.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Solar-power-projects-worth-Rs-50000-crore-in-plan-pipeline/articleshow/5324647.cms)

Now Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan are having 3000 MW of solar energy project proposals. :banana:

New Energy Matters (http://www.newenergymatters.com/?p=list&t=newsitems&id=35434)

The Gujarat government has till date signed 70 agreements with private firms to set up nearly 12GW of renewable energy projects, particularly in solar and ...


Natural Power to set up 5 Mw solar plant in Jaipur (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/natural-power-to-set5-mw-solar-plant-in-jaipur/379172/)
Suzlon gets Rs 192-cr order (31.5 MW) from Rajasthan utility (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/12/10/stories/2009121052550300.htm)

New Delhi: The government is ready to run parliament on solar energy, Minister of New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said in the Lok Sabha on Friday.

"We are ready to electrify parliament with solar energy," the Minister said when Speaker Meira Kumar asked the Minister to consider solar energy for Parliament, reports IANS.

The House acknowledged the Speaker's request and minister's reply by thumping of desks.

Abdullah asked the state governments to follow in the footsteps of West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi who uses solar energy in the Raj Bhavan in Kolkata.


Source: iGovernment (http://www.igovernment.in/site/india-ready-run-parliament-solar-energy-36273)

COPENHAGEN: A World Bank study, done on India's request, has contradicted the UPA government's claims made last week while pledging a voluntary emission intensity target of 20-25% below 2005 levels by 2020.

Contrary to the government's claims, the WB study has estimated that the country would have to make substantial financial investments in order to reduce its emissions. It has estimated that just the capital costs in setting up cleaner grid power could rise by 15-25%. Capital cost is just one of the several cost factors.

The government has claimed, based on homework done by the Planning Commission, that meeting the 20-25% emission intensity cut target would be easy and that the country could, in fact, look at a more ambitious target.

Significantly, the report, though commissioned by the government, has yet not been approved even though it is to be released in Copenhagen on December 11. The report also indicates that even if the government was to undertake no new targets and just implement the existing plans, its emission intensity would continue to drop regardless and remain well below that of most developed and developing countries. This, despite the fact that it is already 20% below the world average, the study states.

A synopsis of the report also points out that several of the major proposals that India has now suggested it would undertake under the 12th and 13th Five-Year Plan to meet its target would cost massive amounts.

The study calculated the cost of each type of action at the current state of technology and found that moving towards cleaner coal technologies itself would be the most expensive proposition. Several critics had raised questions whether the government had assessed the costs different sectors and segments of the economy would have to bear and others that would gain from the moves before it suddenly unveiled the 20-25% emission intensity cut target.

India has already undertaken a roughly Rs 75,000 crore solar mission target, the decision triggering a controversy about the diversion of limited resources to a renewable energy source that is right now prohibitively costly in relation to traditional sources such as coal.

The report warns such subsidies (required to promote costly renewable power) run counter to the general prescription for economically efficient energy pricing and compete with other priorities for scarce resources, including expanding the availability of modern energy services for the poor. The report concludes that by adoption of various measures, India can lower its GHG emission trajectory compared to business-as-usual, but cannot, under any scenario of increasing living standards to their poorest, stabilize by 2030 with current available technologies, and institutions.

The report also indicates that overall emissions of the country would have to increase substantially if the poorest two-thirds population has to be provided a reasonable level of assured electricity and yet India would have a much lower level of access to energy than the industrialized world.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/UPAs-emission-intensity-target-a-tall-order-World-Bank/articleshow/5320695.cms)

Can India afford renewable energy? (http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/features/can-india-afford-renewable-energy_429370.html)
Carbon credits offer us a Rs 28,000-cr opportunity (http://business.rediff.com/report/2009/dec/11/carbon-credits-offer-us-a-rs-28000-cr-opportunity.htm)
Govt’s proposal a mixed bag for India Inc (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Govt-s-proposal-a-mixed-bag-for-India-Inc/551624/)
1,300MW solar power to be added over three years (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/1300mw-solar-power-to-be-added-over-three-years/378983/)
India ranks fourth in world in wind energy generation (http://www.geo.tv/12-9-2009/54414.htm)
A new place in the sun (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/a-new-place-insun/378929/)

Bangalore: Karnataka plans to add 6,000mw through renewable energy resources in the next four years, a top official said today.

The Karnataka government had set out three goals in terms of energy. It was focussing on ensuring energy for all, being energy efficient and "greening" energy, K Jairaj, additional chief secretary, energy department, Karnataka government, said.

"The focus is on conserving energy through use of energy efficient devices like solar water heaters and 'CFL' lighting," he said.

In Bangalore itself, use of solar water heaters had reduced peak hour demand by 200mw, he said.

In Karnataka, transmission and distribution losses was 22.5% which accounted for 8,000-9000 million units of loss. The government aimed at reducing overall transmission and distribution loss to 15% by 2013, he said at a function to mark National Energy Conservation Day, co-organised by Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited.

Karnataka energy minister KS Eshwarappa harped on how enery saved was as important as energy produced and that small changes in lifestyle without any great investments or technial knowhow could save energy.

Latha Krishnarao, MD, Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited, said Indians should stop aping the west in terms of building construction. The glass arcades were huge energy guzzlers.Sensitising school children and training masons on greening could be small steps in energy conservation, she said.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_karnataka-to-add-6000mw-of-power-through-renewable-energy_1323676)

Gujarat 12000 MW, Karnataka 6000 MW, AP 3000+ MW, Rajasthan 3000 MW. :cheers:

Government has given in-principle approval to 34 cities in the country to be developed as Solar Cities. These include cities from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chandigarh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamilnadu, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Kerala. Proposals were invited from all States and Union Territories for development of Solar Cities. Approval was given based on the proposals received as per guidelines. Proposals from remaining States are yet to be received. A total of 60 Cities are proposed to be developed as Solar Cities.

The criteria set by the Ministry for the identification of cities include a city population between 0.5 to 5 million (with relaxation given to special category States including North-East States), initiatives and regulatory measures already taken alongwith a high level of commitment in promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Solar City aims to reduce a minimum of 10% of its projected demand of conventional energy at the end of five years through energy efficiency measures and generation from renewable energy installations.

This information was given by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.


Source: PIB (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=56274)

Chandigarh to be developed as solar city (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/chandigarh-to-be-developed-as-solar-city/379994/)
Goa to have solar cities (http://oheraldo.in/pagedetails.asp?nid=31347&cid=2)

Bangalore: Live life off the grid or tap the sunshine in your backyard (http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/report_live-life-off-the-grid-or-tap-the-sunshine-in-your-backyard_1317492)

The government has proposed that all SEZs should meet at least 25 per cent of their lighting needs through solar energy, a move that will go a long way in making SEZs green, even as consensus eludes climate change talks in Copenhagen.

"At least 25 per cent of the installed external lighting load should be solar powered," the draft guidelines for Green Special Economic Zones said.

The government also wants at least half of the requirement for bill boards to be solar-powered.

The draft proposals intend to make all new and existing SEZs green as the government wants existing SEZs to go for green certification.

In addition to lighting requirements, the draft proposals also call for a minimum of two per cent of estimated energy consumption for each zone from solar or other forms of renewable energy and scale it up gradually.

"Over a period of 10 years, the solar/ other forms of renewable energy must be extended from two per cent to a minimum of 20 per cent of total estimated energy consumption," it says.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh before leaving for Copenhagen Summit had said India, as a responsible member of the international community, has announced that it will reduce the emissions by 20-25 per cent in 2020 compared to 2005.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/govt%5Cs-green-sez-policy-favours-solar-power/81214/on)

25% solar power must for SEZs soon (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/25-solar-power-must-for-SEZs-soon-/articleshow/5353050.cms)

Whether Green SEZ have only Green Buildings?

LALWA(PATIALA): The Punjab government is targeting to produce 3000 MW power by harnessing 20 lac tones agricultural residue being produced in the state every year.

Talking to the media man informally at the residence of Chairman Zila Parishad Mohinder Singh Lalwa, Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister said that besides solving the chronic problem of pollution due to burning of paddy residue and tackling decreasing productivity of the land due to heat generated by this fire, power generation from biomass was the green source of power that would earn carbon credit worth crores to the state. He said that 28 bio mass would start producing 280 MW Power by next December where as another 28 plants in the year 2011 would generate combined power from biomass to the extent of 700 MW.

Focusing on strengthening the economy of rural areas, Sukhbir Badal said that next year SAD-BJP government would distribute 1 lac gobar gas cooking tables to BPL and EWS families in the villages to harness cooking gas from cow dung.

Blaming the Congress Party for the ills of power scenario, Badal said that failure of Congress Party to generate a single unit of power during their five years rule had deteriorated the demand-supply equation in this sector. He said that Punjab was producing 5000 MW power against the demand of 9000 MW with the average shortage of 4000 MW Power.

He said that with the completion of 4 Thermal plant and harnessing of energy from renewable sources, Punjab was all set to become first power surplus state of India. He congratulated the people of Punjab for the state becoming first state in the country having first commercial solar plant. He said that Punjab was planning to tap 100 MW power from solar sector.


Source: PunjabNewsline (http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/view/21888/38/)

Punjab, Haryana seek incentives to boost renewable energy projects (http://www.ptinews.com/news/426413_Punjab--Har-seek-incentives-to-boost-renewable-energy-proj)

Gujarat 12000 MW, Karnataka 6000 MW, AP 3000+ MW, Rajasthan 3000 MW, Punjab 3000 MW. :cheers:

50% of Gujarat power will come from green technologies (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_50pct-of-gujarat-power-will-come-from-green-technologies_1324575)

This will be achieved at a huge initial cost. But the extra cash will be well spent as it will lead to savings on recurring expenses. It will ensure that state's carbon emission does not shoot up in the next decade because of its power generation projects.


No recurring expenses to purchase coal. But what is the plan to reduce recurring cost on crude oil?

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has announced an incentive of 50 paise per unit of wind power fed by independent power producers into the grid.

The generation-based incentive (GBI) is aimed at attracting investment in the wind energy sector and increasing the quantum of grid-interactive renewable power.“We are implementing the GBI scheme for grid-interactive wind power producers from today. This would definitely boost wind power producers and help in cutting carbon emission,” New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said today.

The incentive has been capped at Rs 62 lakh per Mw and the total yearly disbursement will not exceed Rs 15.5 lakh per Mw for the first four years. The sops, to be continued till the end of the current Plan period (2007-12), will be provided to companies through the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), the financial development agency for the renewable energy sector.The incentive, however, will be limited to wind power generation plants with a maximum installed capacity of 4,000 Mw.

The scheme will allow the investors, apart from getting the tariff determined by the state regulatory commissions, also get an incentive of 50 paise per unit of electricity for a period of 10 years, provided they do not claim the benefit of accelerated depreciation.

The ministry had earlier announced the provision of 80 per cent accelerated depreciation under the Income Tax Act for those investors who have a sound balance sheet to absorb depreciation benefits.

The domestic industry has welcomed the incentive scheme. “The GBI programme will create an attractive investment market for large integrated power projects and foreign direct investors, which will facilitate projects of 50 Mw and above. It is an extremely positive step for the industry in India,” said Tulsi Tanti, chairman and MD of Suzlon EnergyIndia’s largest wind turbine maker.

Share price of Suzlon Energy, a major equipment supplier for wind energy, at the Bombay Stock Exchange today closed at Rs 82.9, up 2.47 per cent compared to the previous day’s close.

Last year, the ministry had announced a similar scheme to provide generation-based incentive to grid-interactive solar power projects of up to a maximum capacity of 50 Mw.

Wind energy accounts for over 70 per cent of the total 15,540 Mw of installed renewable energy generation capacity in India. The country is likely to spend over Rs 1,00,000 crore in setting up renewable energy generation capacity by the end of the current Plan period, Debashish Majumdar, chairman of IREDA, had informed earlier this year.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/government-launches-incentive-scheme-for-wind-energy-projects/379955/)

Rs 380-crore subsidy for wind power (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/biz/india-business/Rs-380-crore-subsidy-for-wind-power/articleshow/5349747.cms)
India vies to climb wind power ranks with new subsidies (http://green.venturebeat.com/2009/12/17/india-vies-to-climb-wind-power-ranks-with-new-subsidies/)

Green energy plants to get government subsidy (http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/business/green-energy-plants-to-get-government-subsidy_100290265.html)

PIL to promote green energy (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/PIL-to-promote-green-energy/articleshow/5349661.cms)

Lakshmi Overseas Industries Ltd has announced that the Company will expand further in renewable energy by way of setting up biomass based Power Plant of 60 MW next to its existing state of the art food grain processing factory and 30MW biomass based power plant at Chandigarh-Ludhiana National Highway, Khamano, Punjab.

The foundation stone laying ceremony of aforesaid biomass based Power Plant of 60 MW was performed on December 15, 2009 by Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Hon'ble Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, Sardar Prakash Singh Badal, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Punjab and S. Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Cabinet Minister, Food and Civil Supplies, Punjab.

The stock closed the day at Rs.160.80, up by Rs.4.50 or 2.88%. The stock hit an intraday high of Rs.173.70 and low of Rs.155.

The total traded quantity was 506608 compared to 2 week average of 331955.


Source: EquittyBulls (http://www.equitybulls.com/admin/news2006/news_det.asp?id=65060)

Centre today said that it would allocate funds to the institutes such as IITs to carry out research projects in the sphere of renewable energy in a bid to boost country's research and development capability for harnessing renewable energy potential.

"We will give funds to institutes like IITs to conduct research to develop new technology for exploiting renewable energy potential in the country," Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said while addressing a conference on 'Renewable Energy' here.

According to a report prepared by Ernst & Young, India has a commercially viable renewable potential of around 85,000 Mw, which includes wind potential of 45,000 Mw, small hydro of 6,000 Mw and 25,000 Mw of biomass. Moreover, the country has potential to generate 20 Mw per square km using solar photo-voltaic and solar thermal energy.

Addressing the gathering, Abdullah also talked about the setting up of a committee comprising personalities like R K Pachauri, which would guide the government to give impetus to renewable technology based projects in the country.

Stressing upon exploiting renewable sources like solar, wind and biomass for producing power, the union minister said, "Over Rs 90,000 crore will be needed only for solar energy by 2030," said Abdullah.

The Ministry of new and renewable energy had already announced a solar mission whereby the government had planned to generate 20,000 Mw of power by 2020.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/%5Cfunds-for-institutes-to-conduct-rd-in-renewable-energy%5C/81010/on)

Govt. Permits 100% FDI In Renewable Energy - Abdullah (http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=1156576)
European funding group invests in renewable energy in Asia (http://www.reinforcedplastics.com/view/5918/european-funding-group-invests-in-renewable-energy-in-asia/)

The Global Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Fund (GEEREF), supported by the European Union, Germany and Norway, made the commitment to Berkeley Energy’s Renewable Energy Asia Fund (REAF). GEEREF has been joined by five other emerging market institutional investors (BIO, CDC, Calvert, DEG and FMO), committing to REAF’s first closing of €51m.

REAF will target India and the rest of Asia, where there are “tremendous opportunities for renewable energy investment,” the group explains. REAF will invest into renewable energy projects in their development stage, transform the investments into operating portfolios and generate high returns through successful exits.

With the pressing need to ramp up the installed capacity by about 60,000 mw, from 1,25,000 mw to 1,85,000 mw, at a cost of around $100 billion(Rs 4,50,000 crore) between 2007-2012 to meet the country's burgeoning power demand, the gestation period of projects coming on stream provides a huge business opportunity for power backup equipment companies, says Gaurav Burman, director, transaction business, $6.3-billion APC (American Power Conversion India Pvt Ltd) by Schneider Electricin, in a chat with S Saroj Kumar of FE. Indeed, there is a 100% growth opportunity for backup storage companies when India kick-starts the growth of solar power to balance the energy basket portfolio in addition to its committment to embark upon clean and green energy. Excerpts:

Could you explain how the advent of solar power could open big business opportunities for power backup companies ?

As mentioned, the gestation period of power projects coming on stream is the opportunity time to get well entrenched for the power back-up companies in the area of solar energy that is getting increasing impetus from the government and industry. Power backup companies that produce digital inverters and UPS (uninterrupted power supply) boxes have an indispensible role as the digital inverters are the ones that are going to store the generated solar power from the panels to be apparently pumped in to the common grid. Besides the clean energy advantage, India needs solar power due to three major factors–ageing national power grid, unquenchable appetite for power for upcoming major industries and widening gap between peak demand and peak supply currently pegged at 13.6%. Furthermore the factor of transmission and distribution losses mounting to a whopping 27%.

Isn’t that too ambitious to expect a 100% growth?

Keeping in mind the current imbalances in the energy security portofolio excerbated by the increasing clamour to cut carbon emissiones in the country, the renewable energy source like solar would be an able replacement. Expectation of an exponential growth is no euphoric statement, as we have a fab city being set up in Hyderabad, China committing humongous amount of investments in exploring ways to reach economies of scale in solar panel production and Karnataka initiating discussions with IPPs (independent power producers) on fixing up of the per kw (kilo watt) charges for each unit of generated power.

Have things moved beyond drawing board in India?

Undeniably no, as the tipping point currently could not reached as the cost to be incurred is not concrete on the anvil. The deterring factor for a power generating entrepreneur is the Cost Benefit Analysis(CBA) that disfavours the investing community on the current business model envisaged by the government. In the long chain of business, the current model does not tie the links like certain amount say X investments would lead to Y returns with the certain years of plant life within which the investor needs to recoup his investment. We want the government spell out unambiguous policy guidelines encouraging greater investor participation in the solar power production.

You mentioned about the 13.6% gap between peak demand and peak supply. Is that a seeming opportunity?

Very much so, as the harrowing power outage persists despite the economic slow down, the economy would keep UPS and inverter industry, busy and buoyant. But, I would candidly admit the fact industry witnessed negative growth in first-half of 2009 due to belt-tightening measures in sectors especially like IT/TES and BFSI where we have a major presence. I would call it a curate's egg year due to the uptrend in the second-half with the pangs of revival visible in IT/ITES sectors.

How green compliant is APC in UPS manufacturing?

Though BEE(Bureau of Energy Efficiency) is yet to bring UPS industry under its scanner, but APC being a global company has 100 per cent ROHS(Restriction of Hazardous Substance) compliance with the voluntary adoption of Real Standard Harmonics to improvise rectifiers and filters in UPS and inverters to enhance greater output efficiency and lesser wastage making products with greater energy efficiency.

What is your forecast of growth for 2010-11?

We expect a solid 10 to 15 per cent growth in going forward, especially in our present portfolio of IT/ITES, BFSI and government. The government spending looks intact as the government is keen to invest in various e-governance projects including the setting up of SWAN(State Wide Area Network) and data centres that need the power backup solutions. The expansion of banking industry with the spread of e-banking is also a good augur unleashing new array of opportunities for APC.

What are your plans for the SOHO(small office and home office) and SMB segments?

We are very much focussing on the Rs 1,300 crore SOHO and Rs 800 crore SMB IT spend market in India. We have a channel centeric approach through our 6,700 resellers to reach this market segment.


Source: FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Backup-equipment-companies-bet-big-on-solar-power/559841/)

The West Bengal government is planning to set up a hub exclusively to manufacture electronics component for solar energy at Andal near Durgapur in Burdwan district. The proposed hub, which will be spread over 100 acres, is expected to attract an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore in next two to three years' time, top officials said.


Meanwhile, West Bengal expects to generate 115 mw solar power by March 2013.

“We are expecting to generate 110 mw from land-based solar power plants to be set up with the help of private sector companies. Another 5 mw will be produced through rooftop panels by 2013,” Chawdhury said. Around Rs 1,500 crore will be invested to produce the 115 MW.


Read full news on mydigitalfc.com (http://www.mydigitalfc.com/plan/west-bengal-plans-set-green-energy-hub-764)

Chandigarh: The recent CII-Ernst & Young’s report on ‘renewable energy- the next wave’ points out huge untapped renewable energy resources in the country, which can be used to generate power. As per official estimates, India has a commercially viable renewable potential of around 85,000 mw, which includes wind potential of 45,000 mw, small hydro of 6,000 mw and 25,000 mw of biomass/ bio-energy. The report also adds that the country has potential to generate 20 mw per sq km using solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energy.

India ranks fourth on the All Renewable Index (ARI), an Ernst &Young’s Renewable Energy Country attractiveness Index, which ranks countries based on regulatory environment, fiscal support, unexploited resources, suitability to different technologies and other factor determining renewable energy growth. It adds that India’s consistent top-grade ranking in the ARI over the past few years reflects the country’s appeal as a renewable energy destination.

Highlighting the untapped energy potential of the country, the report stated that though the total wind potential is 45,000 mw, the installed capacity at present is about 10,464 mw with nearly 35,000 mw yet to be tapped. Of biogases co-generation potential of 5,000 mw only 23% has been achieved so far. About 6,000 mw of energy can be generated through small hydro projects, which are economically viable as well, but till date 2,461 mw has been realised. In the solar segment the potential of 20 mw/sq km remains largely untapped for grid interactive solar power.

As the country witnesses a high peak deficit of 12-13% and a sustained energy shortage of 6-8%, the demand and supply gap can be bridged to a large extent through renewable energy sources.


Source: FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/-India-has-huge-untapped-green-energy-/558789/)

BANGALORE: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday asked the Karnataka government to consider a ‘heritage sites’ plan for popularisation of solar energy and also assured the state that its energyrelated demands would be considered “generously.” Abdullah, who had recently told Lok Sabha that the parliament house could be run on solar energy, noted that according to the heritage sites plan, places like Hampi, Raj Bhavan and the state secretariat (Vidhana Soudha) could go all-solar in terms of lighting and other daily energy demands.

Following a meeting with Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Energy Minister K S Eshwarappa and senior officials in Bangalore, Adbullah invited additional chief secretary and principal secretary (energy) K Jairaj to New Delhi to further the same and discuss other energy related issues.

The union minister told reporters that the recently announced Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission will go operational in January and his ministry was targeting 1,300 MW in generation over a three-year period. The southern states already have the capacity for 11,000 MW wind power generation, he noted, and said that it can be improved upon. He also mentioned the need to push forward the waste-to-energy projects from municipal waste.

Yeddyurappa requested Abdullah to press for speedy clearances—on forests and environment clauses—for mega power projects in the state.

Farooq Abdullah said that as power failures occur frequently in India due to power shortage, there has been an urgent need to renovate the country’s power network.

Because India is augmenting its power generation through many new technologies and resources like solar, wind and nuclear, it needs to upgrade its grids too, and the opportunities for building the smart grid are great, he added.

4200 MW by 2014 for state

Under its proposed renewable energy policy, the Karnataka government aims to generate 4200 MW by 2014.

In a presentation made to Abdullah, the government detailed the following targets: 2,969 MW from wind power projects, 600 MW from mini and small hydro power projects, 281 MW from cogeneration in sugar industries, 300 MW from biomass/ biogas and 50 MW from waste-to-energy projects.

Green energy cess and green energy fund will be part of the new initiatives, it was noted.


Source: EB (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Abdullah+moots+solar+power+for+heritage+sites&artid=wYLd5Fe%7ChVA=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&SEO=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==)

Kohima | December 21 : The newly created department of New & Renewable Energy, Nagaland, aims to promote and propagate the development of renewable sources of energy systems in the state. It also aims to promote power generation from renewable energy, implement various Renewable Emergency Programs sponsored by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, government of India.

Non-Conventional Energy Cell, department of Rural Development, Nagaland, under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, government of India, became a full fledged department in Nagaland in July 2009 .
A pamphlet received here states that family size bio-gas plants for cooking and lighting purposes are installed at subsidised rates with the dairy farmers targeted as potential beneficiaries. Another scheme is the improved ‘chullah’ which have higher thermal efficiency than the traditional ones. They have the potential to conserve firewood, save forest, eliminate indoor air pollution and improve the health of womenfolk besides reducing drudgery. The ‘Portable Improved Chullahs’ are procured and distributed to the needy people at subsidised rates. Various models of fixed smokeless chullahs are set up in villages and towns by trained masons.

The department has also installed Energy Parks at major institutions and popular places to exhibit and spread awareness of Renewable Energy. Altogether five district-level energy parks have been set up at Kohima, Dimapur, Medziphema, Mon and Phek. In addition, for the setting up of State Level Energy Education Park at the Agri Expo site in Dimapur, the government of India has sanctioned Rs.83.00 lakhs, revealed the pamphlet.
Under Solar Thermal Extension Program, the pamphlet stated, one of the areas of application of Solar Thermal Technology is heating of water for domestic, commercial and industrial use. The radiation from the sun is collected by solar collectors, which convert the radiation into heat energy. The solar water heating system can be used for heating water upto 60 to 80 degree Celsius.

The solar water heating system can be installed at residential complexes, hostels, hospitals, dairies, etc. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy provides Rs.6000 per square km, and the balance is borne by the beneficiaries. Till date, a total of 40 units of various capacities arranging from 100 to 2000 litres per day have been installed. Two Akshay Urja Solar Shops have been installed in Kohima and Dimapur. Another three shops are to be established at Mokokchung, Kiphire and Tuensang.

Under the Bio-Mass Gasifier project, during the 10th Five Year plan, special incentive for the north eastern states was introduced against which seven projects with a total capacity of 740KW have been sanctioned. The Biomas Gasifier projects are located at Asukhomi, Medziphema, Longwa, Pfutseromi, Tizit, Sutemi and Panso villages.

Under the rural electrification programme, three villages under Pungro RD Block in Kiphire district – Wongtsowang village, Muthingtong and Hakumute village – have been selected at a total project cost of Rs.29.00 lakhs. Out of these three, Wongtsowang and Muthingtong villages have been electrified and Hakumute village is to be electrified shortly.

The Centre for Wind Energy Technology, Chennai, has put up a wind mast of 50 metres height at three sites at Pfütsero Town, Kikruma Block and Thizama village during 2009-10 to study the wind velocity and its directions for two years. Under the Solar Photo Voltaic program, 6,245 units of solar lanterns, 720 units of solar home lights, 10 units of solar streetlights and three units of solar water pumps have been distributed at subsidised rates till date, the pamphlet added.


Source: Morung Express (http://www.morungexpress.com/regional/40165.html)

New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah today said India needs to build a modern intelligent grid to save energy and improve efficiency of electrical gadgets.

Along with augmentation of power through solar, wind and nuclear methods, the country needs to upgrade its grids too, he said, adding that there were huge opportunities for building the "smart grid".
Smart Grid is a system that allows electricity supplier to monitor usage of home appliances using a two-way digital technology, thus, increasing energy efficiency.

"For India to continue on its path of aggressive economic growth, it needs to build a modern intelligent grid," he said, inaugurating a one-day seminar on smart grids organised by Consortium of Electronic Industries of Karnataka (CLIK) here.

While, blanket energy efficiency is important, India would greatly benefit from intelligent energy efficiency in the form of demand response and grid-responsive appliances, he said.

Renewable energy sources, when integrated into the grids, will help consumers determine operating costs, improve energy efficiency and prevent depletion of existing fossil and water resources, he said.
He said when it came to pushing forward renewable energy, differences among states and centre should not hamper the country from achieving its power generation goals.


Source: DHNS (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/42670/intelligent-grids-important-energy-efficiency.html)

New Delhi, Dec. 25: India is likely to run out of usable coal reserves in about 45 years and not 200 years as has been widely assumed, a non-government energy think tank has said in a report on India’s energy security.

The report from The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi, has called for new policy initiatives on renewable energy, pointing out that the government itself has downgraded its estimation of useful coal resources to about four decades.

Geological studies have estimated that India has about 267 billion tonnes of coal, including 105 billion tonnes of proven reserves — leading to expectations that the resources would last for more than a century and perhaps up to 200 years.

“It’s a myth that India has a virtually unlimited supply of coal,” said Rajendra Pachauri, director-general of Teri. “Much of our coal is so deep that it cannot be mined. We have been fed exaggerated figures.”

While coal currently provides about 60 per cent of India’s total energy requirements, the country’s import of coal is likely to rise in the coming years. The figure could touch 1,300 million tonnes per year by 2030 if steps are not taken to reduce dependence on coal, according to the Teri report that was submitted to the government earlier this year. The import could be restricted to 200 million tonnes through initiatives on renewable energy.

The report has called for an aggressive promotion of solar lanterns to replace traditional kerosene lamps in villages, solar rooftop generators to replace backup diesel generators in India’s cities, and decentralised community solar stations.

It has recommended that India aim to exhaust its coal reserves in the next 30 years and any new coal-based thermal power capacity be limited to a level that is based on available domestic reserves.

The Indian government had earlier this year announced a plan to add 20,000MW of solar capacity by 2020, but the Teri report has cautioned that this “may not serve India’s needs”.

India has an installed capacity of about 15,000MW but its energy shortages, estimated to be about 10 per cent during 2007-08, are expected to rise rapidly because of increasing demand and limited pace of adding capacity.

One in two Indians still depends on firewood, animal dung or agricultural residues to meet even cooking energy needs.


Source: The Telegraph (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091226/jsp/nation/story_11910480.jsp)

Gujarat Fluorochemicals' (GFL), a part of the $2 billion Inox group that has diversified interests in chemicals, engineering and entertainment, will generate 500 mw of wind power in the initial stages that is slated to take off in October this year.

It has chalked out a Rs 6000 crore plan to generate 1000 mw of wind power over the next five years, and has already invested Rs 150 crore to set up turbine manufacturing facility in Una, Himachal Pradesh that is all set to go onstream in February. "The first set of three test turbines would be ready by March and then we plan to monitor their performance over April to September, the high wind season, before we go for generation in October.", explained Deepak Asher, GFL's director and group head for corporate finance.

He added that the company has tied up land in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Karnataka to generate about 500 mw in the initial phase. Starting October, GFL's generation is expected to touch 200 mw by March 2011, drawing an investment of Rs 1200 crore. GFL is in process to identify suitable locations based on wind pattern studies and energy output estimations across the country. "We are working on tying up land for our wind farms and have also initiated the land acquisition process in some areas.", Asher said without giving out further details.

Most of the investment would be made from internal accruals. Asher claimed that the company had liquid funds of around Rs 1000 crore available to make the initial investment, and could leverage that later to access debt. GFL had registered a turnover of Rs 1100 crore in 2008-09 and hopes to touch Rs 1250-1300 crore this fiscal.

The company is yet to tie up formally with state electricity boards to supply power. GFL had already done a pilot project of 23.1 mw wind farm at Gude Panchgani, Maharashtra, with an agreement with the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) to supply power for 13 years with an investment of Rs 160 crore.

Asher informed that a separate subsidiary, Inox Wind Ltd has been set up for manufacturing the turbines. However, the wind farms would be managed by GFL itself.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/gfl-to-produce-500-mwwind-power-by-march-%5C11/382114/)

Mumbai: The debate over the proposed nuclear power plant at Madban, near Jaitapur, has heated up with environmentalists claiming that renewable sources of energy are more effective and economical.

“The government is trying to impose nuclear power plants on people under pressure from multinational companies. But the fact is that in 2009, energy generated from renewable resources was at 13,242 MW, as against 4,120 MW of nuclear power,” said Girish Raut, an environmentalist.

The budget allocated for atomic power during 2003 was a whopping Rs3,350 crore, while the same for renewable energy resources was Rs470 crore.

“Renewable energy resources are definitely economical, as the source of energy is free and only one-time investment is required to set up the facility,” said Nishikant Kale, an expert on global warming and climate change. “On the other hand, operating a nuclear power plant involves huge investment, as the fuel is costly,” Kale added.

Also, nuclear power plants involve high risk of disasters if the radiations are not controlled, Kale added. If a similar disaster happens here, the radiations would destroy entire Goa and Mumbai, Raut said.

He also pointed out that since the supplier of the nuclear reactor is liable for risk covering, Areva, the French company supplying the reactor, has pressurised the government to cap the maximum limit of insurance cover in case of such incidents. “While the maximum limit in the USA is Rs48,000 crore, it is Rs1,700 crore in India,” Raut said.

Solar energy is the ultimate solution for countries like India. “The wind power sector is progressing fast and as on today is generating 7,400 mw of electricity,” Kale said. Solar dryers and water heaters have directly contributed to the conservation of electricity. But due to some technological limitations, solar photovoltaic has failed to gain necessary popularity.

Though it is a very costly option, the breakthrough will soon be achieved to make it cost-effective.

According to Kishor Rithe, president of Satpuda Foundation, “Grid interactive solar energy getting popular in European countries as it does not require a battery to store generated energy which is actually the biggest trouble.”

Solar plates tap the solar power and provide it to grid from where it is distributed. “People who install solar panels get money for maintaining it in addition to the earnings through the sale of power,” Rithe said.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_who-says-nuclear-energy-is-more-effective-experts_1331391)

Bhopal, Jan 5:
A total of 60 cities of the country are proposed to be developed as Solar Cities during the 11th plan period. The objective is minimum 10 per cent reduction in projected total demand of conventional energy. At least one city in each State to a maximum of five cities in a State will be supported by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India.

An expenditure of Rs 30 crore is expected to be incurred under the programme on development of Solar Cities during the 11th plan period. The budget will be met from the allocated budget of Solar Thermal Energy Programme.

The five cities of Madhya Pradesh, which have been selected to be developed as solar cities are Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur and Rewa. Several Indian cities and towns are experiencing 15 per cent growth in the peak electricity demand. There is need to develop framework that will encourage and assist cities in assessing their present energy consumption status setting targets and preparing action plans for generating energy through renewable sources and in conserving energy utilised in conducting urban services.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has written to heads of State nodal agencies in this connection. An expenditure of Rs 30 crore is expected to be incurred under the programme on `Development of Solar Cities' during 11th plan period.

Guidelines for implementation of the programme on development of solar cities are as follows: The master plan will set a goal of minimum 10 per cent reduction in projected total demand of conventional energy at the end of five years to be achieved through energy saving from energy efficiency measures and generation from renewable energy installations. Setting up of solar city cell in city council including senior administrator and city engineers for planning and implementation. A solar City stakeholders committee will be set up for advisory support involving representation from elected representatives in municipal bodies, academic institutions, resident welfare associations, industries and corporate organisations, NGOs, State nodal agencies and other relevant stakeholders. Preparing of proposals for carbon financing. Organising publicity and awareness campaign through print and electronic media.

Up to Rs 10 lakh have to be spent on preparation of master plan within a year. Up to Rs 10 lakh for oversight implementation during 5 years. Up to Rs 10 lakh for setting up solar cell and its functioning for a period of five years. Remaining amount of Rs 20 lakh will be utilised in five years for other promotional activities.


Source: Central Chronicle (http://www.centralchronicle.com/viewnews.asp?articleID=23628)

India and Japan to jointly develop Solar City (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=56658)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Energy-starved India could soon use its abundance of sunlight to power one megawatt (1 MW)-capacity rooftop storage batteries to electrify homes and offices, an official said.

The government is in talks with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US to use its prototype of 1 MW-capacity rooftop storage battery, Power Secretary H S Brahma said.

"We are in discussion with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a partnership to install the 1 MW rooftop storage battery it has developed recently," Brahma said.

The union ministry of power has proposed the tie-up with MIT under the Indo-US Science & Technology Forum to develop the prototype storage battery into a commercial product for meeting India's growing energy demand.

The proposal was discussed during the visit of US Energy Secretary Steven Chu to India Nov 12-14 under the clean energy cooperation between the two countries.

"We are sending a team of officials soon to the MIT to discuss the proposal, including issues such as IPR (intellectual property rights), royalty and licence to manufacture the product on large-scale at a later stage," Brahma said on the margins of the Indian Science Congress (ISC 2010) that concluded Friday.

Using solar panels, a rooftop battery converts chemical energy into electrical energy and stores up to 1 MW or one million watts for supplying uninterrupted power to cities, an entire district or a cluster of villages across the country.

"Initially, the ministry will fund a pilot project that will be implemented jointly by the state-run BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd) and NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) at select sites to evaluate the cost and the quality of energy generated to ensure uninterrupted supply to low-tension power users," Brahma pointed out.

The US energy department has offered to help India explore renewable resources such as solar and wind energy to bridge the growing demand-supply gap for power across the country.

"Being a tropical country with sun shining brightly during 10 months a year, 1 MW storage batteries are best suited for India to ensure power supply in secondary cities, towns and villages that are subjected to hours of blackouts in peak season," Brahama noted.

The storage battery can also be charged with wind energy that is available in abundance across peninsular India for most of the year.

"When sunlight is less during monsoon and winters, wind energy can be harnessed to charge the storage battery and maintain power supply to end-users through smart grids," the secretary noted.

Admitting that solar panels and photovoltaic cells were still cost prohibitive and hence economically unviable, Brahma said India would collaborate with MIT for further research and development (R&D) to reduce the cost so that storage batteries become affordable to manufacture, install, supply and charge at a reasonable rate per unit.

"We can supply power from storage battery directly through a local grid on stand-alone basis or pool it with national grid to rationalise its generation cost with that of thermal or hydro power, which are cheaper to produce," Brahma asserted after making a presentation on the power scenario in the country at a plenary session on 'Need for Alternative or Green Energy' on the valedictory day.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Solar-powered-rooftop-batteries-to-electrify-homes/articleshow/5430499.cms)

NEW DELHI: The goal of India's solar energy mission to produce 20,000 MW of power from the sun by 2022 may be reduced by as much as 80 percent before the prime minister formally inaugurates the mission here Monday, official sources said.

The sources said Friday that the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission may now have the goal of producing 4,000 MW for the grid from solar energy instead. The mission is one of the eight announced as India's National Action Plan on Climate Change.

Centre for Science and Environment Director Sunita Narain, who is also a member of the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change, said the 20,000 MW plan had been found to be prohibitively expensive.

"The mission plan is to provide Rs.17.50 per MW feed-in tariff to solar power generators for 20 years," Narain said. "Out of this, Rs.5.50 will be paid by the utilities and the central government will pay the rest.

"For 20,000 MW, the cost of this was coming out to be Rs.270,000 crore (Rs.2,700 billion/$54 billion) over 20 years, and the finance ministry pointed out there was no way it could find this kind of money."

So the goal is being reduced to 4,000 MW, official sources said, which would cost the government Rs.90,000 crore over 20 years.

Countries around the world have paid generators of renewable energy feed-in tariffs to make them competitive with generators of power from fossil fuels or dams.

Since India has already announced a goal of producing 20,000 MW through solar power by 2022, the mission document may now stick to that figure, but most of it would be off-grid, an official of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy added.


Source: TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/-Solar-mission-goal-may-be-scaled-down-80-percent-/articleshow/5426454.cms)

Word Bank to lend more for low-carbon energy growth in India (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/word-bank-to-lend-more-for-low-carbon-energy-growth-in-india/381912/)
BTS Investment to launch Clean Energy fund soon (http://in.reuters.com/article/indiaDeals/idINIndia-45256120100108)

Chandigarh: Haryana is going to set up biogas plants alongwith bottling of biogas in cylinders for use in cooking and transport areas besides generating fertiliser.

Stating this, power and renewable energy minister Mahender Partap Singh said Option Energy India would set up 1,000 cu m biogas fertiliser plant at Shri Haryana Goshala, Hansi, Hisar at a cost of Rs 183.43 lakh.

The plant will have high rate bio-methanation digester fitted with special patented technology called induced Blanket Reactor (IBR) developed by the Utah State University, USA.

Other project for setting up 1,000 cu m biogas fertiliser plant in Sonipat district at a cost of Rs 145 lakh had already been approved by the ministry of new renewable energy for which central financial assistance of Rs 72.5 lakh will be provided.This would be the first plant of its kind to be installed in the country.


Source: FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Two-biogas-plants-to-come-up-in-Haryana/562224/)

Suzlon Energy secures repeat orders from ITC for 27 MW (http://www.equitybulls.com/admin/news2006/news_det.asp?id=65712)

New government policy on biofuels may consider financial incentives.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), the country’s biggest oil marketing company, is looking to acquire 50,000 hectares of wasteland in Uttar Pradesh for plantation of non-edible oilseeds, such as jatropha and karanjia, that are used for biodiesel production.

“We are in talks with the state government to acquire wasteland in the Lalitpur area near Jhansi. Plantation on this land will be done partly by IOC and partly through contract farming,” said B M Bansal, director (business development) at IOC.

The company has already acquired 30,000 hectares in Chhattisgarh and another 2,000 hectares in Madhya Pradesh. “We have planted 1,000 hectares so far and aim to plant 10,000 hectares this year. Seeds from the plantations will start coming after three to four years,” he added. IOC has also entered into an MoU with Indian Railways for plantation of jatropha on railway land.

The Union Cabinet last month approved a national policy on biofuels that aims to implement 20 per cent blending of biodiesel with diesel and ethanol with petrol (the current rule is 5 per cent) by 2017. The new policy may consider financial incentives such as subsidies and grants for biofuel production. The policy also envisages setting up of a National Biofuel Fund and a National Biofuel Coordination Committee headed by the prime minister.

The government will also announce a minimum support price for such oil seeds. A minimum purchase price (MPP) for purchase of bioethanol and biodiesel would also be announced with periodic revision.

The current rule on 5 per cent ethanol blending with petrol is still not successful. Ethanol is being produced by sugar mills from molasses, a byproduct of sugar.

The research and development division of IOC has perfected a process to produce biodiesel from various non-edible oils, especially from jatropha and karanjia. The biodiesel produced has been tested for its properties and meets the stringent international standards. Extensive field trials have been conducted by IOC using five and 10 per cent biodiesel blends in collaboration with Indian Railways and Haryana Roadways. A reduction of 10-15 per cent in smoke density has been observed with the use of biodiesel blends.

Biofuels are derived from renewable bio-mass resources and help promote sustainable development. Beside supplementing conventional energy sources in meeting the rapidly increasing requirements for transportation fuels associated with high economic growth, as well as in meeting the energy needs of India’s vast rural population.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ioc-wants-50000-acres-for-biofuel-cultivation-in-up/381690/)

Unlike fossil fuels, bifuel just recycles carbon already in the atmosphere.

BANGALORE: There is a long way to go before Bangalore finds it’s place under the sun. For, the muchhyped and ambitious Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) Rooftop project seems to have been shelved, at least for the time being.

The blueprint for the project — that envisions setting up 2 KW to 5 KW solar panels on about 10,000 rooftops in city — was to be prepared by Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) by October 2009.

However, till date “due to various reasons” the study has not been taken up, K Jairaj, Principle Secretary (Energy) told Express.

“Funding has been one of the issues that is stalling the project. However, the department would be putting forward the matter with the Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, on January 29.” The solar photo voltaic rooftop project was announced in June last year. The principal secretary had then declared that the project will be implemented within six months and that the proposal had already been discussed with the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdulla, who had agreed to support it.

Anshu Bhardwaj, CSTEP director said, “There were constant changes in the renewable energy policy, while there was no directive on how to proceed with the project.” He said that the project can be taken up only after ‘solid groundwork’ which requires additional human resource and funds and added that it is more feasible that the study be conducted on a smaller-scale.

However, an official of the Karnataka Renewable Energy Limited (KREDL) said the project was getting delayed due to ‘technical reasons’.

“There were technical issues on integrating the solar panels and grids, the grid connection technology is still to be worked out,” said the official.

So now instead of a fullscale study, the CSTEP director has said that together with the KREDL the project will now be started at two houses in a chosen area. For a state that is reeling under energy shortage, green energy alternatives like this can increase the renewable energy production of the state. Karnataka aims to generate 6,600 MW through renewable energy sources.


Source: EB (http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Bangalore%E2%80%99s+place+in+the+sun+a+long+way+off&artid=cBpQf69sdfQ=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&SEO=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==)

India will put in place a solar feed-in tariff in 2010 that will govern the first phase of its 'National Solar Mission’, a project intended to deliver 20 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2022 and catapult India to the forefront of the increasingly commoditised solar industry.


Read more on RECHARGE (http://www.rechargenews.com/energy/solar/article203215.ece)

PM launches solar mission (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/46200/pm-launches-solar-mission.html)
PM for creation of Solar Valleys across the country (http://www.ptinews.com/news/462358_PM-for-creation-of-Solar-Valleys-across-the-country)
India plans 20,000 MW through solar power by 2022 (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/India-plans-20000-MW-through-solar-power-by-2022/articleshow/5432619.cms)
is no doubt an ambitious target. But I do sincerely believe that the target is doable - PM.
India targets 20 million solar light bulbs (http://calcuttatube.com/india-targets-20-million-solar-light-bulbs-49563/)

The country plans to instal 20 million solar powered lights and 20 million square metres of solar panel to generate 20,000 MW by 2022 as part of the National Solar Mission launched here Monday.

“By 2022, we aim to install 20 million square metres of solar thermal collectors in the country and save about 7,500 MW power generation capacity,” said New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah at the launch of the mission.


As per official data, of India’s total installed generation capacity of 155.8 GW, renewable energy forms only about 10 percent. Most of this clean power is based on wind, while solar power’s contribution is negligible.

“In the next three years, India plans to add 1,300 MW of solar power, out of which 1,100 MW will be grid-connected and 200 MW will be off-grid. This is our first benchmark. If we achieve this, achieving the remaining target would not be impossible,” the minister said.

A national photovoltaic research and education centre, a first of its kind in the country, is being set up at IIT Bombay. Photovoltaics is the science and technology of converting solar energy directly to electricity.

“IIT Bombay has been emphasising on energy for many years now. With our experience in the department of energy science and engineering and Centre of Excellence in nanoelectronics, it was felt that IIT Bombay is ideally placed to initiate a major new activity in this area as it combines silicon technology and energy,” said professor Juzer Vasi, who is involved in the project.

While the concept emerged in the middle of 2009 at IIT Bombay, the government came out with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in November 2009, which mentions the creation of such a centre at IIT Bombay.

The solar mission plans for a national target of 20 gigawatt of solar generation capacity by 2020 and the estimated manpower requirement is 100,000.

“The centre will look at research, education and manpower training in the photovoltaics area in an integrated manner. It will provide support to JNNSM which has a major national agenda and international significance and seeks to catapult India to one of the world’s major solar energy powerhouses by 2020,” said Vasi.

A proposal is being submitted to the ministry of new and renewable energy. “The exact cost is being worked out,” said Vasi.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/academy/report_solar-energy-to-electricity-at-iit-b_1333701)

To make solar power competitive vis-à-vis other sources of energy, the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission – Solar India envisages an investor friendly mechanism which reduces risk and provides an attractive as well as sufficiently extended tariff for solar power offtake.

The Mission, formally launched by the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Monday, has designated the trading arm of NTPC, NVVN (NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam), as the nodal agency to procure solar power, at a tariff fixed by the regulator, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) for the first three years, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Mr Farooq Abdullah, said.

NVVN, in turn will bundle four units of thermal power with each unit of solar power to bring down the final cost to around Rs 5 per unit or Rs 5.5 per unit. Currently, the cost of electricity generation from solar thermal and solar photovoltaic energy systems is Rs 13.45 and Rs 18.44 per unit respectively.

Compared with this the cost of power from thermal projects including coal and gas-based stations ranges from Rs 3 to Rs 7 per unit. NTPC's average selling price was Rs 2.12 per unit till March 2009.

To promote solar energy in areas such as island States and border areas, Mr Abdullah said, “We propose to provide up to 90 per cent support for setting up solar power plants. In many other solar applications, where the initial cost is still very high, we're considering proposals for providing up to 30 per cent grant in aid.”

The Prime Minister, while stating that the target of 20,000 MW of solar generating capacity by the end of 13 {+t} {+h} Five-year Plan (by 2022) was ambitious, said “but I believe that the target is doable and that we should work single-mindedly to achieve it as a priority national endeavour.”

The aim of the Solar Mission is to make solar power competitive with conventional grid power. Within next three years the plan is to add 1,300 MW of solar power out of which 1,100 MW will be grid connected and 200 MW will be off-grid.

The Mission anticipates achieving grid parity by 2022 and parity with coal-based thermal power by 2030. By 2022, the aim is to install 20 million sq mt solar thermal collectors in the country and save about 7,500 MW power generation capacity.


Source: The Hindu Business Line (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/01/12/stories/2010011251151500.htm)

http://beta.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00022/IN12_SOLAR_22975f.jpg
Aerial view of the solar panels in Chennai. Russia keen to assist Indian firms to construct solar power stations. They are also planning to enter into series of MoUs with Indian partners

Russia keen to assist Indian firms to construct solar power stations. They are also planning to enter into series of MoUs with Indian partners

Lauding the major renewable energy initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission, Russia on Tuesday expressed strong confidence that both New Delhi and Moscow had great potential for forging joint ventures and setting up manufacturing facilities for application of solar energy in the fields of industrial, military, civil and space sectors.

“In our opinion, India has adopted a very right approach in renewable energy. This is a very interesting and really ambitious programme and if implemented fully would put India among the world leaders in application of solar energy and its components,” said Sergey V. Seredin, First Deputy Director General (Economics and Finance) Open Joint Stock Company, Research, Production Enterprise ‘Kavant’ told The Hindu during this visit to New Delhi to take part in the conference on Solar Energy Mission.

Mr. Seredin said the Russian side was very much interested to participate in the solar mission programme and was ready to assist India and Indian companies to construct solar power stations on a turnkey basis as they had advanced technological knowhow in this field.

“We are open to forging joint ventures and also set up manufacturing facilities in India and Russia for solar energy components for industrial and other use, including supply of solar cells, modules or other such applications. We see huge prospects for joint ventures with India,” he added.

Mr. Seredin, accompanied by his associate, Sergey Dyachev, who is also part of the Russian delegation, said the company was planning to enter into a series of memorada of understanding (MoUs) with Indian partners as well as the Government agencies for providing them with solar power station technology and its installation.

Explaining further, he said that till now photovoltic panels (PV) technology was used only for space applications but now it was being adopted for industrial use as space technology had moved from silicon expertise to more advanced multi-layer and multi-junction structures.

“We are pioneers of new technology and we are working today on space technologies that could be used for industrial use in multiple applications,” he added.

Mr. Seredin said they were also part of the ambitious Brahmos missile project being implemented by India as they were supplying some components for this system.

“Our opinion is that this experience should be spread further to other fields. It would be a good solution to various issues and this could also involve production of solar panels in Russia or India. Such a work plan would be economically profitable for both the parties as production of solar components and cells requires huge consumption as large volumes, like the market in India, could bring down cost of solar energy,” he said.

Stating that energy was less costly in Russia, Mr. Seredin said volumes in India could bring down prices significantly in the coming years.

“All over the world there is tendency to reduce the price of each watt of installed solar power and this process is likely to continue. We are looking at new technologies to increase efficiency and reduce price levels. We are ready to transfer to India and our partners here the latest technology.

“The policy of the Indian Government in terms of solar energy production like fixed tariffs, guaranteed returns offered to buy electrical power produced by solar energy means is good. Without such support, it would be difficult to initiate business opportunities for the production of expensive electrical power,” he said.


Source: The Hindu (http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/article79657.ece)

While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday announced the National Solar Mission, the Delhi government is eyeing World Bank help to produce solar energy.

To produce grid-based solar energy, the Delhi government is at present working on a proposal for the Climate Investment Fund (CIF) — a consortium of groups like the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.

A ‘flexible scheme’ was thrashed out at a high-level meeting held last week between representatives of the Delhi government, Delhi’s power distribution companies (discoms), and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. As part of this scheme, electricity may be generated on rooftops by consumers, with the surplus energy sold back to the grid and the discom.

The scheme will also stress on net production over net consumption.

Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta admitted that sales of solar water heating equipment in the Capital have not taken off as expected, despite the government offering subsidy.

Delhiites, he said, do not need hot water for more than four or five months in a year, “so the major emphasis has to be on (producing) solar energy”.

To partner it in producing solar energy, he said, the Delhi government will try the CIF at this point since the ministry is funding projects of larger scale.

According to experts, the cost of producing solar energy in Delhi is expected to be huge. As per estimates prepared by discoms, a rooftop unit producing between 5 KV and 10 KV would be priced upwards of Rs 7 lakh.

Mehta said one of the ways consumers can make the model sustainable is by selling the surplus energy. “A major concern is to make the process economically sustainable — for ourselves and for the consumer,” he said. “At this point, we have told discoms to formulate their individual action plans. We will send the finalised proposal to the CIF.”

Another major concern is that there is no redress system for renewable energy options, such as solar panels or solar water heaters, at present. “We have told discoms that they must also bear maintenance and cost of recovery,” Mehta said.

Tap The Sun

* Scheme chalked out by Delhi government, discoms, and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to generate solar electricity on rooftops
* Consumers can sell surplus energy back to the grid and discom


Source: IE (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/delhi-eyes-aid-to-produce-solar-power-from-consumer-rooftops/566747/2)

India is planning to create a £10 billion-a-year market in energy-saving certificates that officials hope will burnish the country's green credentials and help to avert a looming energy crisis.

Under the plans, due to be implemented in April next year, more than 700 of the country’s most polluting industrial units, such as steel and cement plants, will be given targets for reducing energy consumption.

Those that better their targets will be able to sell energy savings credits to those that fail to make the required cuts.

Ajay Mathur, director-general of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, the government department leading the project, told The Times he believed that the scheme could save the equivalent of 10 million tonnes of oil a year.

Officials believe that transactions in energy savings certificates could reach £10 billion a year and help to save about 5 per cent of the national energy consumption by 2015.

The move comes as India struggles to provide power to its people, 400 million of whom live in houses that are not connected to the national grid.

Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister, has pledged "power for all" by 2012, but demand for electricity is likely to increase more than fivefold to 3,870 terawatt hours a year by 2030, according to McKinsey, the consultancy.

In the same period, the number of vehicles on India’s already congested roads is expected to rise sevenfold, to about 380 million vehicles.

If those predictions are realised, India, which relies on its modest coal reserves for the lion’s share of its power and already imports 70 per cent of the oil it uses, would become the third-largest consumer of energy, after the United States and China.

Its share of world energy consumption will nearly double, pitting it against international rivals in a fierce battle for scarce resources.

The energy savings trading scheme is one of several projects designed to tackle the power deficit and cut the emissions blamed for climate change.

There are also plans to distribute 200 million solar powered lamps in the next few years, and to install solar panels on all government buildings by 2012.

Among the more eye-catching experiments is a recent bonus plan for banking executives.

Those whose lending results in villages becoming “fully solar electrified” — by funding small photovoltaic systems capable of powering portable TV sets and street lights — will receive a 100,000 rupee cash prize from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, enough to buy a car.

The grandest scheme of all is a $19 billion (£11.67 billion) plan to make India a global leader in solar power.

The plan, which was launched this week, calls for India to generate 200GW of power from solar sources by 2050.

The entire world can generate about 14GW of solar power today.

India will join a growing number of counties exploring energy savings trading schemes.

Several states in the US have instituted similar initiatives, as has New South Wales in Australia.

Italy, Britain and France have also established schemes for energy-saving certificates.

However, only a handful of trades have occurred in the British scheme, which is overseen by Ofgem, the regulator of gas and electricity markets, according to the World Resources Institute, meaning that effective prices have not been set.


Source: TIMES ONLINE (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article6989257.ece)


The India Solar Market: How Big and How Soon? (http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-india-solar-market-how-big-and-how-soon/)

With India firmly on an ambitious solar path in the next decade, a mega research programme that promises to deliver a dozen products for harnessing the enormous power of the sun for the benefit of the common man within the next five years, is almost ready.

The Rs 900 crore project will involve more than 100 scientists from eight laboratories under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and big time industrialists like Reliance, Tata and Moserbaer who have business interests in solar energy.

The innovative products could range from building paints that absorbs and store solar energy for use in computers, and mobile phone chargers to efficient roof tiles that does away with the traditional photo-voltaic cell panels and mirrors that can focus solar energy to generate hot water and steam.

Other technological challenges facing the scientists are developing futuristic rapid-charge, rapid-discharge batteries for storing solar energy, improving the efficiency of solar photo voltaic cells from existing 17 per cent to 22 per cent and reuse the PV material lost in wafer manufacturing.

“Some of these products are low hanging fruits, which can be realised within the next 3-4 years. Others can be achieved within the next 5 years,” S Sivaram, director of National Chemicals Laboratory in Pune and coordinator for solar programme at CSIR told Deccan Herald.

The last meeting to give the final touches to the programme document will be held on Thursday after which it would be submitted to the Union ministry for new and renewable energy, which had promised substantial financial support.

On Monday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission that seeks to generate 20,000 MW of electricity from solar energy by 2022.
Launching the mission Singh stated that technological innovations ranging from nanotechnology to cost effective storage as well as hybrid solutions would be critical in ensuring the success of the mission. The objective would be to reduce the space intensity of current solar applications.

CSIR began working on the solar R&D programme in October, 2008 after the PM’s council on climate change endorsed the government’s ambitious plans on solar energy.

“In the last two decades, investment in solar energy was sub-optimal and the research was in bits and pieces. There was no connecting of the dots,” admitted Sivaram.

Through 12 research clusters, the CSIR programme not only seeks to connect the dots but also extend it to pre-commercialisation stage. The industrial houses too are interested in putting in money.

A major focus of the programme would be on non-grid applications as the road-map on solar energy makes it aptly clear that only a portion of the 20,000 MW planned capacity, would be added to the grid.

The council has already Rs 80 crore from its own budget to kickstart the research and expects a major push in the upcoming budget.


Source: DHNS (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/47381/harnessing-solar-power-via-indigenous.html)

Haryana promotes energy conservation in farming (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Haryana-promotes-energy-conservation-in-farming/568371/)

Farmers in Haryana are turning to energy conservation by shifting to ISI/star-rated pump sets in place of the traditional ones. The state government that has floated a scheme for energy conservation in agriculture is providing financial assistance at the rate of Rs 400 per horse power to farmers.

'I wear two hats-to get coal for power and to save forests' - Jairam Ramesh (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/%5Ci-wear-two-hats-to-get-coal-for-powerto-save-forests%5C/382805/)

Allows states to buy renewable energy certificates.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has announced renewable energy certificate (REC) norms in a bid to promote power generation from clean sources in the country.

The REC scheme aims at increasing power generation capacity from renewable sources by allowing utilities from green energy-deficient states to buy renewable energy certificates to offset their lag.

The Electricity Act of 2003 mandates state distribution utilities to purchase electricity from renewable energy sources, as a certain minimum percentage of the total consumption of power in the state.

“The new regulations will benefit renewable power generators, who will be able to recover their cost by selling RECs to deficient states like Delhi. They will also benefit distribution utilities by enabling them to purchase tradable energy certificates at market determined prices who have to otherwise buy costly power to meet their renewable purchase obligations (RPOs),” said CERC Secretary Alok Kumar.

According to the new norms, the regulator will designate a central agency to issue RECs to generators who can sell them to green energy-deficient states utilities.

The value of an REC will be equal to 1 Mw-hour of electricity injected into the grid from renewable energy sources. These certificates will be exchanged at the power exchanges within a price band that will determined by CERC.

The uneven distribution of renewable energy potential in India discourages states with lesser renewable energy generation sources from committing higher RPOs. In New Delhi, for example, the state regulator has specified an RPO of merely 1 per cent to the three distribution utilities, as the capital lacks potential for green energy generation.

“The cost of generating renewable energy is high, and distribution companies are reluctant to buy green power beyond their RPO level. The new norms will address this mismatch,” Kumar added.

The commission had issued draft of the new regulations last year, which were followed by a public hearing with the stakeholders last month.

Industry experts have welcomed the new regulations. “It is a positive development as it benefits both the generators and distribution utilities. It will definitely encourage the capacity addition of renewable energy as well. The commission has chosen an approach which could be refined over time,” said Chandrashekar Iyer, associate director, PricewaterhouseCoopers.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/cerc-gives-push-to-green-energy/383055/)

Penalty for non-compliance with renewables purchase obligation (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/01/19/stories/2010011953130100.htm)

Tata Power bets on solar energy, Q3 net rises 28% (http://www.mydigitalfc.com/companies/tata-power-bets-solar-energy-q3-net-rises-28-195)

Ahmedabad: How about having a town in Gujarat — buildings generate energy for its use? If all goes well Gujarat might soon get one of such town under the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India under its project to come up with Satellite Town with the US Department of Energy.

Buzz in the urban development department say, Sanand from Gujarat might come up as Satellite Town under the ministry of urban development department of Government of India.

Senior Executive Board Member at the US Department of Energy, Mark Ginsberg said there is plan of coming up with eight satellite towns in India under the project. Ginsberg while elaborating on the concept of Satellite Town, “For general concept is it is going to be a new township or SEZ or satellite city that can be designed from start to be more energy efficient — with use of renewable energy and to be sustainable. More importantly, such towns are also planned keeping best of urban planning in mind.” said.

He said, the concept includes buildings that are highly energy efficient which has solar parks with ground source heat pumps that powers renewable energy as per the need of the community. Such towns would have its solid waste going to its local bio-refinery to generate energy.

Ginsberg said they are also working with the ministry of urban development to prepare model guidelines to keep separate provision for green energy as part of urban planning. “There will be guidelines to check if proposals submitted by local civic body has included energy conservancy in the project of planning,” said Ginsberg.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_will-sanand-be-gujarat-s-satellite-town_1341039)

'O energy' concept for Ahmedabad and Surat (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_o-energy-concept-for-ahmedabad-and-surat_1340578)

New Delhi: *On January 6, Japan signed a memorandum of understanding, wanting to be a part of one of the 34 solar cities being planned in India in the Eleventh Plan.

An Indian delegation is currently on a visit to Japan to explore further cooperation in the renewable energy sector.
Governments of, and private sector companies in, countries such as Spain, Australia and United States are showing interest in making investments as well.
Then of course, there is the Clinton Foundation.

India’s renewable energy sector is sure drawing international attention. The government is stepping up efforts to convert that into serious dollars of investment. Sources familiar with the development said India’s government machinery is already in advanced talks with counterparts in many countries to woo capital investments.

According to conservative estimates, they said, over $200 million can be expected to flow into India by 2010-11 as foreign direct investment (FDI) in renewable energy. Such investments have risen at a compounded annual growth rate of over 200% in the last three years.

On January 18, the Clinton Foundation, promoted by former US president Bill Clinton, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rajasthan government to provide assistance to establish solar energy parks in the state.

These parks would have a capacity to produce 3,000-5,000 mw; land for the project has been identified at two places.

The Clinton Foundation has been involved in the Indian renewable energy sector for over a year now.

Before the Copenhagen meet on climate change, Steven Chu, secretary, department of energy, US, had said that the biomass gassifier technology offers enormous potential to meet the energy requirement in rural areas.

The two sides agreed to intensify their R&D collaboration to develop small biomass gassifiers, which can be available for rapid deployment to meet the power needs in rural areas in India and US. “Many countries are looking towards India to get associated with our National Solar Mission not only from an investment point of view but also to learn from its experience. The response so far has been tremendous. There is no doubt that the FDI in the sector will keep rising,” said Farooq Abdullah, Union minister for renewable energy said.

Earlier this month, India launched an ambitious solar mission that targets production of 20,000 mw of solar energy in by 2022. The solar mission itself requires an investment of Rs 160,000 crore, of which a large chunk is expected to come from the foreign countries to promote the manufacturing of solar panels.

In the wind energy sector, the government recently announced a generation based incentive scheme for grid connected wind power projects with the objective of broadening the investors’ base by attracting the FDI and independent power producers. The incentive is about 50 paise per kw.

“Investment in the renewable energy sector will depend on the subsidy support provided by the government, at least in the initial years. While the scheme of pooling solar power with conventional energy is going to boost the solar energy sector, the incentive provided to the wind energy sector is also very promising. If innovative schemes are introduced in other renewable energy sectors as well, huge amount of FDI will come into India,” said Kuljit Singh, Partner-infrastructure practice, Ernst & Young.


Source: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_foreign-direct-investment-buzz-grows-in-renewable-energy_1340957)

India Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future (http://cchronicle.com/2010/01/india-leading-the-way-to-a-sustainable-future/)

The Karnataka government will again go before the State power regulator seeking permission to impose a “green cess” on industries to raise funds to support the renewable energy initiatives.

Announcing this while participating in a seminar on “Renewable energy options in hotels, hospitals and technical institutions” organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the Karnataka Energy Department and the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited in Bangalore on Friday, Additional Chief Secretary K. Jairaj said the State was planning to raise additional resources to the tune of Rs. 50 crore a year through the proposed cess.

Tariff petition

In the tariff petition filed before the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission last year, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) had proposed to levy a green cess of 5 paise a unit of power consumed by the Low Tension Industrial and Commercial consumers. But the commission had not considered such a proposal on the grounds that “such a levy is not a part of the tariff issue and hence it is outside the scope of the tariff order.”

However, Mr. Jairaj told presspersons later that this time an exclusive proposal would be made before the commission regarding green cess. He made it clear that the exact quantum of cess to be levied on every unit of consumption was yet to be worked out this time.

The cess amount would be used for building infrastructure for renewable energy projects such as laying new power lines for evacuation of power, he said and pointed out that such a system was in practice in the neighbouring Maharashtra. The government had formed an empowered committee headed by the Chief Secretary to provide clearances for renewable energy projects.


Source: The Hindu (http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article97240.ece)

Green cess: KERC nod sought again (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/49654/green-cess-kerc-nod-sought.html)

Broadlands To Lead 10MW Solar Power Project in Rajasthan, India (http://www.targetwire.com/targetwire/2010/01/28/tw692/tw692_us.html)
BTS Investment Plans $150 Million Clean Energy Fund in India (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=awwcft7P5UZE)
Orient Green plans to raise funds via IPO (http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Orient_Green_plans_to_raise_funds_via_IPO-nid-64863.html)
Solar-powered Water Pumping Project in Rural India Won by Kirloskar Brothers Limited, India, With GreenBrilliance PV Solar Panel (http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/press-release/krlkf_zzfnv_solar-powered-water-pumping-project-in-rural-india-won-by-kirloskar-brothers-limited-india-with-gr-731364.html)
Solar Power Initiatives in India on the Rise (http://testfunda.com/examprep/mba-resource/current-affairs/article/solar-power-initiatives-in-india-on-the-rise.htm?assetid=0bf3acb2-9bf4-44ef-bca7-f2345a2bfbd7)
http://files.testfunda.com//Content/ZeusToolsAssets/Content/Media/Images/FullSize/a78dcc6d-8a63-45e4-94c6-2d1c86c75672.JPG

JAIPUR: The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), a programme of US-based William J Clinton Foundation, has joined hands with Rajasthan government to set up solar parks in the state. Each solar park will serve as a concentrated zone of solar development in Rajasthan and will included 3000 to 5000 Megawatts of solar generation as well as manufacturing over a period of time.

“CCI will provide technical and other support to develop these parks. The project envisages an integrated solar city wherein all the raw materials including glass and panels will be produced by them, bringing down the cost substantially. We are expecting to attract an investment of over Rs 50,000 crore from these project in next five years,” said a senior government official.

The state government has identified Badi Sid & Kansingh Ki Sid in Jodhpur and Bhadla in Jaisalmer for developing these parks. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that the agreement signed between State Government and Clinton Foundation would help the state to receive more benefits of Jawahar Lal Nehru National Solar Mission.“Rajasthan would be able to become leading state of the country in electricity generation from solar power in the coming years,” he said.

Chairman of Clinton Foundation Ira Magaziner, who was in Jaipur to sign an agreement with the state government, said that the foundation would soon prepare the feasibility report of the project. “We would identify and provide assistance to mobilize international resources including solar energy developers, technology suppliers, sources of credit and investors to participate in the development of solar parks,” he said.

The foundation is setting up similar plants in California, South Africa and Australia and Gujarat in India. It has recently signed an agreement with Gujarat government for setting up 3000-MW solar plant along border districts of Kutch and Banaskantha.

Apart from this CCI project, investment proposals of over Rs 53000 crore in solar projects have already been lined up in Rajasthan. More than 80 power companies including Reliance Industries Limited, Par Solar, Jindal Power, GVK Power and Infrastructure Limited, Moser Baer Photovoltaic Limited and Zoom Developers have registered with the state government for setting up solar plants.

“Reliance Industries Limited and Par Solar are setting up solar plants of 5 MW each in Nagaur and Jodhpur respectively. Apart from that we have sanctioned projects worth 70 MW which will take off soon,” said Naresh Pal Gangwar, managing director of Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC), the nodal agency for renewable energy in the state.

There is a great potential of solar energy in Rajasthan as it receives the highest solar radiation in the country. According to an estimate, there is a whopping 1.5 lakh MW untapped potential of solar energy in this part of the country. “The only snag so far, is the high energy generation cost of this mode. But once the plants start functioning, the cost of solar energy may decrease to the likes of conventional energy - thermal and hydel,” Mr. Gangwar said.

Power generation from solar energy is prohibitively expensive. The cost per megawatt in case of solar power comes around to Rs 18 crore while in case of wind power it is Rs 5 crore and Rs 4 crore in case of thermal power. “The per unit cost of generation is also high at Rs 15 in case of solar power plant compared to Rs 3 per unit in conventional electricity. Over a period of time, solar energy would be the most cost-effective as its operational cost is extremely low,” he said.


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/Clinton-Foundation-inks-pact-with-Rajasthan-govt-for-solar-parks/articleshow/5477425.cms)

5000 MW of Solar Power in India Touted Under Clinton Climate Initiative Plans (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/01/5000-megawatts-solar-power-india-clinton-climate-initiative.php)

MUMBAI: Promising action that will help curb India's dependence on coal, Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh, said India will have at
least 6,000 MW of installed solar power capacity by 2017, bulk of which will be put up by the private sector.

Ramesh said the Jawarharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, launched in the national capital last week, has planned 20,000 MW of solar energy by 2022 and intends to drive down costs through a rapid scale-up of capacity.

"In the next two years, we are not going to see huge amounts of capacity but by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan (2017), I expect to see at least 5,000-6,000 MW of capacity," Ramesh told reporters on the sidelines of a conference here yesterday.

This is higher than the target of 4,000 MW of solar power by 2017 envisaged in the solar mission document.

"We want to replicate the mobile telephony revolution in solar energy till the cost of solar energy continues to fall very drastically," Ramesh said.

The government will create the necessary environment to attract project developers to invest in research and domestic manufacturing of solar power equipment.

"It's a country-wide mission including the private and public sector. In fact, the bulk of the 20,000 MW will come from the private industry, not from the government," he said.


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/India-to-have-6000-MW-solar-power-by-2017-Ramesh/articleshow/5473391.cms)

$50bn over 10 years to be ploughed into solar and wind installations

Indian mobile phone and commodity export firm Airvoice Group has formed a joint venture with public sector body Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam to build 13GW of solar and wind capacity in a sparsely populated part of Karnataka district in south west India.

The joint venture is budgeting to invest $50 billion over a period of 10 years, claiming it to be the largest single renewable energy project in the world.

The majority of the capacity planned - 10GW - will be generated through photo voltaic installations, and the remainder through wind farms. Sanjay Kapoor, chairman and managing director of Airvoice Group, told the Hindustan Times his company had identified 12 potential sites for the solar installations and four districts in Karnataka.

The first phase – 100MW of solar and 200MW of wind capacity – is expected to be commissioned in the next 36 months.

Tendering for the 1.5MW wind turbines is to begin shortly, and the company is already in talks with Eurowinds and Suzlon.

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, itself a joint venture between the governments of India and the district of Himachal Pradesh, has 48 per cent equity in the new company.


businessGreen.com (http://www.businessgreen.com/business-green/news/2257557/joint-venture-plans-13gw)

Ghajini!!

Largest Green Energy Plant in the World Planned for India (http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/02/10/largest-green-energy-plant-in-the-world-planned-for-india/)

Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Siemens AG, Germany’s biggest engineering company, plans to double its annual investment in India by making products including wind turbines to tap into demand for cleaner power in Asia’s third-largest economy.

Munich-based Siemens plans to invest 16 billion rupees ($346 million) over three years in the South Asian nation, a third of which will go to making wind turbines, Armin Bruck, managing director of the company’s India unit, told reporters in New Delhi today.

Siemens, whose products range from medical devices to turbines, is expanding into renewable-energy equipment to benefit from surging demand for clean power. The company has almost 7 billion euros ($9.76 billion) in orders for wind equipment.

“We are taking advantage of India’s growth opportunity,” Peter Loescher, president and chief executive, told reporters.

The company plans to sell the wind turbines in the local market, the first of which should be delivered by 2012. It expects to eventually produce turbines to generate 500 megawatts of electricity, Bruck said, without specifying a time frame.

Siemens is looking at sites in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu states for its turbine plant, Bruck said.

India aims to nearly double power generation capacity in the next seven years to reduce blackouts. As the world’s fourth- largest producer of greenhouse gases, it wants to generate an increasing share of power from renewable sources and plans to add 10,500 megawatts of wind capacity in the five years ending March 2012.

India’s total installed capacity was 156,092 megawatts as of Dec 31, according to the Central Electricity Authority.


Source: bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=apE4LCS96kOQ)

Green energy a priority in Indo-German cooperation (http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/green-energy-priority-indo-german-cooperation-075)
Germany seeks bigger bang for its development buck in India (http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/307799,germany-seeks-bigger-bang-for-its-development-buck-in-india.html)

Many telecom companies are now exploring multiple sources of renewable energy, like solar, wind, biofuels, etc. A lot many are going with choices like green wireless networking equipment.

A recent study made by Bell Labs says that ICT networks have talhe potential to be 1,000 times more efficient than they are. ICT solutions have the potential to reduce by a factor of five the sector's own emissions. This is equivalent to 7.8 GTn CO2, or 15% of the total world emissions predicted by 2020, as per Smart 2020 Report.

Other countries have started getting huge outputs from their stakes in renewable energy. By 2010, five solar thermal electricity generators in the Australian desert will produce enough electricity for a million homes.

The operating expenditure of a network company is spent on electricity and is more than half of the total budget of the business, according to Ericsson. The proportion of money spent in BTS and other infrastructure tends to be higher or lower depending on the location of the infrastructure. This necessity to meet the spiking energy prices and also to contribute a bit in the development of the environment has made telecom companies look for alternative sources of energy.

The DoT also started offering financial support from the USO to telecom players using renewable sources of energy. This move by the government itself speaks volumes about the seriousness with which the alternative sources of energy are being looked at by the authorities at all levels.

Exploring alternative sources of energy is not only imperative now but is also seen as a viable option that can help with a cleaner and greener environment and also generate job opportunities in the rural part of the country.

In India, More than 80,000 villages do not even have a grid electricity pole anywhere near. Supplying power to these areas still remains a challenge for telecom companies.

Contemplations

Gurdeep Singh, COO, Aircel says, "Going green has become the keyword for telecom companies as they now realize their side of responsibilities."

The Chinese network vendor, Huawei, which is deploying WiMax based broadband infrastructure in 1,000 blocks for BSNL is exploring low power consumption alternatives. It made various infrastructural deployments harnessing the energy from sources such as solar and wind power.

Huawei also made a meaningful research where it researched the 'green' energy sources to power rural network. It analyzed the environmental conditions and came up with a roadmap where different forms of alternative sources of energy like solar and wind can be combined to power rural networks. The research proposed to save 8,760 kWh electricity and decrease 11 tons carbon dioxide releases per site per year.

It is yet to be seen that 'green' just doesn't remain a marketing differentiator, but actually becomes a compulsory ingredient of all the equipments, products that are rolled out by telecom operators.

According to Wang Jianzhou, CEO, China Mobile,"We leverage the strength of mobile communications services to benefit the society, and help our customers and communities to reduce carbon emission."

Concerns

There are many challenges which telcos are facing in their ambitious plans to go green.

Philippe Keryer, executive VP & president, carrier products group, Alcatel-Lucent says, "In today's world, exploring alternative sources has become a part of the corporate social responsibility also. We need to maximize our energy efficiency by adopting the best eco-compatible methods."

According to Trai, with urban teledensity reaching 102.79 at the end of September 2009, the new focus area for operators is rural area. The power needed for base stations will have to be managed.

Atul Chaturvedi, COO, Idea Cellular explains, "Scalability, reliability, contiguity and economy are the only challenges. Industry must promote focused R&D for development of these resources to reap benefits."


Source: CIOL (http://voicendata.ciol.com/content/service_provider/110020304.asp)

Pune: Suzlon Energy Ltd said the country’s wind energy sector needs to gear up faster than before. Suzlon Energy CMD Tulsi Tanti said, "India needs to expand the wind energy sector faster than it has in the past. The country has taken 20 years to add 10,000 mw of wind power, while China's wind power industry installed 12,000 mw in just one year."

Tanti expressed doubts about National Action Plan on Climate Change's (NAPCC) target. "The NAPCC's 15% target requires an addition of more than 1,00,000 mw of renewable energy capacity in the next 10 years. Without concrete steps to support the growth of renewable, this cannot become a reality," Tanti pointed out.

"China has recognised the contribution wind can make and has set truly ambitious targets for this sector. They have put in place the policies and frameworks that make the growth possible," Tanti said. India has an estimated potential of over 1,00,000 mw from onshore and offshore sites and it was simply a matter of foresight and commitment to make a difference, Tanti said.

He was speaking on `RE Regulation India 2010' organised by the World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) in Pune on Thursday. Tanti suggested steps such as penalty mechanism to give the RPS/RPO targets real teeth, enactment of the much-debated renewable energy law, reforms on land, improved grid planning, non-recourse project financing and strong bankable PPAs. Tanti said the Copenhagen conference brought together over 190 world leaders and fixed the world's attention on the problem but did not find a solution.


Source: FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Wind-energy-sector-must-gear-up--says-Suzlon/575812/)

One of the major power company’s in the country, NTPC, who are supposed to be introducing a public follow on offer on Wednesday, have been able to secure the approval for the addition of capacity worth 315 MW using solar projects which are a part of their strategy for diversifying the mix of electricity generation. The company, which plans to have a total installed capacity of close to 75,000 MW by the year 2017 which is up by 45,000 MW from it’s current installed capacity, has said that they will be adding up to 1,000 MW up to this time only by the use of various renewable sources of energy such as wind, solar, biomass and small hydro plants.

RC Shrivastav, the director of human resources had said, “We have been able to obtain the approval of the board for an addition of 315 MW to our current capacity using solar energy.” NTPC also wishes to install a hydrpower plant with a capacity of 9,000 MW by 2017 as well as a nuclear plant that will have a capcity of 2,000 MW. By doing this, the company hopes to have a larger diversification of it’s fuel mix where around 70% will come from coal, 14% from gas, 12% from hydroelectricity, 3% from nuclear and 1% from various renewable sources of energy by the year 2017. The company has also signed the memoranda of understanding for the Karnataka government which will allow them to develop wind projects and they have also signed with Andaman and Nicobar for developing solar energy projects. Also, the company plans to explore wind & solar power generation in a lot more detail in projects based in Rajasthan & Gujrat.

When talking of renewable energy, the company plans to add a capacity of 650 MW to it’s total from wind, 350 MW from hydro and the rest of the capacity addition is supposed to be coming from various geo-thermal, biomass and solar sources. Shrivastav also said that NTPC was going to open a bulk tender for eleven supercritical units, 660 MW each, by Feb 12th. This tender was floated during October 2009 so that the equipment could be gathered. Here, there was also 9 units from the coal fired plants of NTPC as well as 2 units that came from the Damodar Valley Corporation. This tender involves a condition that the bidder selected has to base their manufacturing unit for the main equipment like boilers & turbines in India so that manuacture of these materials could be encouraged indigeneously.


Source: biofuelswatch (http://www.biofuelswatch.com/ntpc-ready-for-solar-challenge/)

Phase one of Indian Energy Ltd.'s (LON:IEL) Theni Wind Farm project has gone fully operational and is connected to the existing grid.

In December, Indian Energy signed a contract with ReGen Powertech Private Ltd for the construction of a 49.5 MW wind farm at Theni in the State of Tamil Nadu, India.

The first phase of development of the project has seen three, 1.5 megawatt (MW) turbines be erected. An additional eight, 1.5 MW wind turbines will be connected within the next five months, bringing the total capacity to 16.5 MW. The second construction phase is due to start in June 2010, bringing the total up to 49.5 MW.

Shortly, Indian Energy will enter into a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board for the sale of the power generated at Theni, as governed by the current State Tariff Order.

The Theni Project should be eligible for the Generation Based Incentive [pdf] scheme that has recently been announced by the Government of India and, as a result, receive a further INR0.5/kWh.

Furthermore, the Theni project is also expected to qualify for the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol and, as a result, both phases one and two are expected to generate approximately 120,000 Certified Emission Reductions per annum.

“The fact that these three turbines have already begun to contribute to earnings demonstrates how quickly we can deploy capital to generate returns and develop what we believe will be a long-term and sustained income stream,” said Rupert Strachwitz, chief executive of Indian Energy.


Source: energyboom (http://www.energyboom.com/wind/indian-energys-theni-wind-project-starts)

Farooq 'throws light' on bulb-less India (http://www.ptinews.com/news/511714_Farooq--throws-light--on-bulb-less-India)

Indianisation of solar energy sector is very important, says Farooq Abdullah (http://news.oneindia.in/2010/02/10/indianisationof-solar-energy-sector-is-very-important.html)

Speaking during the valediction of Indo-Australian Solar Energy Workshop here, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, said: "India imports 85% of its energy needs be it oil, be it gas, be it coal and you can imagine the amount of foreign currency
we have to dish out and if we can save this currency our villages would be better, our healthcare would be better, our education would be better and our irrigation facilities would be better. We would be far advanced but constraints come when we have to spend so much for the energy."


Abdullah said India has done tremendously good as far as photovoltaic is concerned. "You have right here in Noida two large companies which produce solar panels but 85% of these panels are exported. We are not able to use them because they are expensive. The first and foremost important thing is to bring down the cost of these panels and then, to manufacture them in India."

"Indianisation of the solar energy sector is very important. I have made this clear to the industries in this sector that I am not against them making money but that money is not only to be used by them; part of it should be used to make this industry grow, in R andD and in Human Resource Development because then only India will advance. It is not only the question of making money; the question is that the technology must be so good that at the end of the day, the man who is using it says yes that I have got something that is really good. Otherwise, what is the use of a panel which will work for 10 days and eleventh day it will be gone; people will lose faith in this energy," said Abdullah.

"We are electrifying villages by giving them panels and they have two lights and we hope in some years we will be able to increase the size of the panel so that they can use a television set in their home; they can use a fan in their home so that more and more improvements can take place. We will give some grants to the institutes to undertake fundamental research in this area. Mutual Cooperation is very important between nations," Abdullah stated.


Energy sector needs to be given priority, says Farooq Abdullah (http://news.oneindia.in/2010/02/11/energysector-needs-to-be-given-priority-says-farooqabdull.html)

Peak oil has been around for a while now. Energy specialists in India, specially those working in the renewable energy space, are now talking the same about coal: not quite peak coal but an increasing likelihood that coal will not always be available to run power plants.

Will this mean that development as we know will come to a halt, given that energy production and consumption are regarded internationally as a major cause for climate change? For India, a net importer of fossil fuel, including gas, and increasingly of coal, energy security is a compelling reason to go green, G M Pillai, director general, World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) believes.

Development cannot stop and it needs energy but the conventional sources of energy , oil and coal are fast running out. So, renewables are the only option. And, they are also green. So the primary objective of going for renewable energy, notes Mr Pillai, should be to secure the country’s growing energy needs. Solar energy can be a source for our growing energy needs, but what advancements have been made to store it?

Storage technology has been developed to the level that it can be stored for six-seven hours. In states such as Maharashtra, where peak power demand is at night, the stored power can be used. Which means that the grid will have to have a mix of hydro, biomass , solar and a proper dispatch.

The hybrid format grid allows using existing thermal power with an RE source. There is already one such at Singrauli in UP. The transition has begun, but the obsession with ultra mega power projects continues. And these projects are being sanctioned without assessing the security of fuel supply for the next 30 years. And, that is where issues over peak coal arise, as Indonesia, a major exporter , gradually caps these.

This will mean that India would have to compete with the US and China, for global coal from the one big exporter, Australia. Will we be able to compete with international buyers?

The worrying aspect is that some power companies have taken a short-term view, says Mr Pillai. They expect to achieve payback in five years on their projects, hence they are unconcerned about fuel supply for the plant for the rest of its life. How can renewable energy impact our lives?

Concentrated solar thermal (CST) units, for instance, can be retrofitted on low-rise buildings — those with up to five floors. Wind mills on buildings to power street lights in a large housing complex too can be considered. Of course, renewables will require that we change the way we do business . While renewables could power households , what about industry and metros?

Powering industry using renewables remains a big question. But, smaller, distributed units can reduce the burden on the grid for housing and even agricultural needs. Industry requires those large power plants. “We have 2.13 lakh sq miles of desert in Gujarat and Rajasthan, half of which the government owns. This region can power the country’s industry and metros, with huge solar power plants being set up there.

As water is required to cool turbines and that would pose a challenge in the desert, the solution lies in using air cooling systems.” Nevada, in the US, has attempted solar thermal generation. It began with 40MW generation, which is now at 394 MW and can go to 500 MW. The use of deserts to locate such power generation units is best exemplified by the International Renewable Energy Agency, located in Abu Dhabi. The west Asian countries are taking measures with peak oil looming large.

Renewables will change the power scene. Over 5-6 years, low-rise buildings could have their own solar-thermal units to take care of at least some of the power needs of the inhabitants there. Software technology firms that have large terraces could be among the first to install such units.

Or malls, where the structures are not usually very tall. What else will change through a widespread deployment of renewable energy? Urban planning is one. Tall buildings of over 100 metres cannot be powered by renewables. So, ideas about city development will have to change. What about financing these projects?

Mr Pillai pointed out Maharashtra’s four paise per kilowatt hour green cess on conventional power production for industrial and commercial units generates about Rs 100 crore annually. It has been converted into seed money for the Urja ankur nidhi a corpus used solely for the development of renewable energy. The government of Karnataka has also announced a similar cess.


Source: ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5574599.cms)

* Projects to come up in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
* ‘One project, with a capacity of 1 MW can create 20 jobs’

BANGALORE: The National Thermal Power Corporation is set to enter the solar power generation field in a big way with a plan to develop four grid-connected solar thermal power projects.

Revealing this to presspersons in Bangalore on Monday, G.M. Pillai, Director-General of World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE), a non-profit organisation, that is preparing a feasibility report for one of the four projects for the NTPC, said the total capacity of all the four proposed projects was 320 MW.

Speaking at the sidelines of the inaugural session of a workshop on the final action plan for the renewable energy policy in Karnataka, organised by the WISE here, Mr. Pillai said two of the projects were coming up in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The one in Uttar Pradesh, with a capacity of 25 MW, would be the biggest ever solar project in the country, he said.

Earlier addressing the workshop, Mr. Pillai stressed the need for having sustainable energy development since fossil fuels were bound to become extinct in the course of time.

Hailing the Karnataka renewable energy policy, he pointed out that a renewable energy project with a capacity of one MW can create about 20 jobs.

Meanwhile, the State Government is likely to hold a meeting with renewable energy project developers in the wake of the developers expressing dissatisfaction over some of the clauses in the recently brought out renewable energy policy.

According to sources, the meeting may be held either in the last week of this month or the beginning of next month. Even as experts have welcomed the renewable energy policy of Karnataka, developers have taken exception to some clauses.

Opposition

They have opposed the mandatory clause for providing 5 per cent equity in the projects to farmers who will lose their land to projects, though farmers’ leaders and social science experts have welcomed the equity provision as a move that would provide some kind of regular income to farmers. The developers are also opposed to the provision which stipulates they hand over the project to the government after a period of 30 years and the “high fee” being charged for granting various clearances.


Source: The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2010/02/16/stories/2010021659710400.htm)

Hong Kong-based CLP Group company CLP Power India Pvt Ltd will invest $800 million (over Rs 3,700 crore)to augment its power generation capacity from renewable resources to 650 Mw by the end of this year.

Out of the total target, 346 Mw is under construction, while 104 Mw is operational. The company has also identified locations for building the remaining capacity.

“We hope to take this capacity to 650 Mw by the end of this year,” CLP Power India Vice-President Renewables Mahesh Makhija said, adding that the company would pump in $800 million for the same (about Rs 3,700 crore).

CLP Power has identified locations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for setting up these renewable energy projects.

The projects would be funded through a debt and equity ratio of 70:30. The company is in talks with various banks and financial institutions such as HSBC, IDBI, Power Finance Corp, Asian Development Bank, Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank for loans.

CLP Power is in talks with various international companies too for sourcing equipment for the power projects.

“We are talking with two German companies for buying equipment for 200 Mw capacity,” he said.

Out of the 650 Mw, equipment for 350 Mw have been sourced from Germany-based Enercon and from Danish company Vestas for another 100 Mw.

Apart from the company’s renewable energy portfolio, it is also developing a 2x660 Mw thermal power project at Jhajjar in Haryana at an investment of Rs 6,000 crore. The first unit of this project would be commissioned by the end of next year (2011).

“The first 660-Mw unit of Jhajjar project would come up in the second half of 2011,” Makhija said.


Source: BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/clp-power-to-invest-800-mn-in-renewable-energy-by-december/385745/)

Centre for feasibilty study on offshore windmills in TN (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Centre-for-feasibilty-study-on-offshore-windmills-in-TN/articleshow/5622091.cms)
Vivek Narayanan, TNN, Feb 27, 2010, 04.14am IST

CHENNAI: The Union government's Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET) will tie up with international research organisations to study the feasibility of setting up offshore windmills in the country, Tamil Nadu in particular.

Now, a search is on for international organisations with experience in setting up and running offshore windmills successfully. Once the tie-up is complete, different spots will be tested to see how much wind can be generated from each place.

India, with an installed capacity of 10,891 MW (as on October 31, 2009), ranks number 5 in the world in the wind energy sector. Tamil Nadu, with a generation capacity of 4,000 MW, ranks first in the country and its gross potential is said to be somewhere around 5,530 MW.

"The generation capacity from offshore windmills will be 30% more and Tamil Nadu is ideal for setting up windmills along its coast," said a senior official from the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency.

He said the three main spots of onshore wind generation Aralvaymozhi, Sengottai and Palaghat had already been exhausted. "It is time to look at offshore wind energy generation. Though it is costly than the on shore wind generation, the investment is lesser than in solar generation," said the official.

Wind-generation industry representatives feel that as of now there is little need for offshore windmills in the state. "Offshore windmills are three times costlier than onshore ones. Moreover, we have enough locations on the shore to generate wind energy," said a Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) member

On the sidelines of the three-day ZAK windpower 2010 exhibition that began here on Friday, Ramesh Kymal, chairman of GAMESA windturbines private limited, said wind energy evacuation facilities had to be strengthened.

NEW DELHI: The Government will be able to mop up Rs 2,000 crore by levying a clean energy cess on coal to support research in clean energy technology.

The proceeds from cess on coal, a polluting fossil fuel, would be used to promote renewable energy sources to combat global warming.

The Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, in his Budget speech on Friday proposed to set up a National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF) for supporting research and innovative projects in this technology.

The Government would levy a clean energy cess on coal produced in the country at a rate of Rs 50 per tonne to build the corpus fund for NCEF. This cess will also apply to imported coal, he said in his Budget speech.

The Revenue Secretary, Mr Sunil Mitra, on Saturday said the cess would contribute Rs 2,000 crore to the exchequer.

The Finance Minister said pollution levels have reached alarming proportions in many areas of the country. To encourage the use of bio-degradable materials, he proposed to exempt the import of compostable polymer from basic customs duty. — PTI


Source: Business Line (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blnus/40271503.htm)

* Allocation for renewable energy has been increased to Rs 1,000 crore

NEW DELHI, INDIA: During the Union Budget presentation today, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee proposed to establish a national clean energy fund and is targeting the setting up of 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022.

Allocation for renewable energy has been increased to Rs 1,000 crore. A separate sum of Rs 500 crore has been allotted for the setting up of solar and small hydro power units. The government also proposed a concessional duty of 4 per cent for solar power rickshaw developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

The move to boost colar power is likely to help light up around 300-400 million Indian households which still have no access to power. India's per capita consumption is 700 units per annum as against the world average of around 1,000 units per month.

Under the national solar mission, solar power generating units rates are to be reduced by 5 per cent.

The government proposed to provide a concessional customs duty of 5 per cent to machinery, instruments, equipment and appliances etc. required for the initial setting up of photovoltaic and solar thermal power generating units. These are also proposed to be exempted from Central Excise duty. Similarly, ground source heat pumps used to tap geo-thermal energy would be exempted from basic customs duty and special additional duty.

The Finance Minister said that LED lights were staging a debut as a highly energy-efficient source of lighting for streets, homes and offices. “Central Excise duty on these is being reduced from 8 per cent to 4 per cent at par with Compact Fluorescent Lamps,” he added.

The government has also proposed a concessional customs duty of 5 per cent for cable TV operators for importing equipment.


©CyberMedia News (http://www.ciol.com/News/News/News-Reports/FM-pushes-for-solar-power-to-light-up-India/132284/0/)

Punjab is going to have two more biomass power projects of 10 MW and 14.5 MW in Hoshiarpur and Muktsar districts respectively. Laying the foundation stone for the projects in the state, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, union minister for New and Renewable Energy, said the Punjab has got estimated potential to generate about 1000 MW biomass power which can offer employment to rural population and help ensure improvement in socio-economic conditions of rural India.

To be set up by Green Planet Energy Pvt Ltd, the Hoshiarpur project is going to use two different technologies — stream turbine route and biomethanation/engine route.

The Muktsar project will be developed by Universal Biomass Energy Pvt Ltd and will feed about 100 million units of electricity to the grid annually.

Punjab already has three operational biomass power projects of 28 MW capacities and about 36 projects of aggregate 275 MW capacities in pipeline.

Source: ConstructionWeekOnline.in (http://www.constructionweekonline.in/article-6046-punjab_launches_two_biomass_power_projects/)

L&T plans big play in wind, hydro power generation
Suzlon receives 8.7MW order from L&T group (http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Suzlon-receives-8.7MW-order-from-LandT-group/4778849845)
India's Suryachakra Power plans 50MW wind farm (http://www.newenergymatters.com/?p=list&t=newsitems&id=36943)
Bharat Forge to go green invest in field like solar energy and biomass energy (http://www.topnews.in/bharat-forge-go-green-2254333)

The company is planning to start the production with 20-30 MW as capacity and later on move over to 100 MW.

CLP Power to invest $800 mn in renewable energy by December (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/clp-power-to-invest-800-mn-in-renewable-energy-by-december/385745/)

Hong Kong-based CLP Group company CLP Power India Pvt Ltd will invest $800 million (over Rs 3,700 crore)to augment its power generation capacity from renewable resources to 650 Mw by the end of this year.

Biomass Gasifier Systems being promoted in rice mills to substitute diesel (http://netindian.in/news/2010/02/16/0005368/biomass-gasifier-systems-being-promoted-rice-mills-substitute-diesel)

Bangalore, March 10, 2010: SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment Materials International) / PV Group, one of the leading industry associations that serve the photovoltaic supply chain, in association with REAF (Renewable Energy Action Forum), TERI (The Energy Resource Institute) and Tata BP Solar organized a Round Table here today, with MNRE, Government of India, Energy Department, Government of Karnataka and representatives (CXOs) of leading companies in the Solar/PV industry across India. They discussed various strategies on accelerating the implementation of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JN-NSM).

The members of the Round Table included, Mr Deepak Gupta, Secretary, MNRE, Government of India, Dr B Bhargava, Director, MNRE, Mr K Jairaj, Principal Secretary, Energy Department, Government of Karnataka, Mr Sathya Prasad, President, SEMI India, Dr A Ramachandran, Chairman, REAF, Mr Shivananda Murthy, KREDL, Mr V Hiremath, KERC, Mr V.P. Ramachandran, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam among other senior solar industry executives. The NSM sets ambitious targets that will put India in the league of leading nations in the deployment and use of renewable energy. SEMI PV Group with other industry and association partners is continuously facilitating the interaction of the industry with both Central and State Governments in achieving the common goals set forth by NSM, with the immediate one being the successful implementation of Phase I (1000 MW by 2012).

Mr Deepak Gupta, Secretary, MNRE, Government of India, addressed the gathering ‘There is highest commitment from the Central Government for the implementation of the National Solar Mission. The fundamental objective of the NSM is to reduce cost through large scale deployment, indigenous manufacturing, use of better technology enabled through R&D, in every stage of deployment’

Agreeing with Mr Gupta on cost per megawatt and tariff, Mr K Jairaj, Chairman of KREDL and Additional Chief Secretary Energy Department of Karnataka said ‘We are committed to the Solar Mission Framework given by the Central Government. Karnataka is the first in India to launch grid connected solar projects and has sanctioned 115 MW of solar generation capacity in the state and recommended that this should be migrated to the grid’. Mr Jairaj also spoke about the new Renewable Energy policy of the state released in February and the aim of making Karnataka the number 1 RE state in the Country by 2014.

Dr B Bhargava, Director, MNRE, said ‘The key feature of Phase I is its industry focus, on capacity expansion and research activities, so that cost reduction can take place. The strategy includes, supporting utility scale power generation, expanding off-grid applications, accelerating Research and Development and enhancing the domestic manufacturing base.’ He added, ‘There may be a requirement of 1000 young scientists and engineers to get trained on different solar energy technologies to fuel R & D. A total of 100,000 engineers, scientists and technicians would be required by 2022 to fuel India’s solar/PV expansion. A significant number of Centres of Excellence across the country will also be set up for building and grooming top flight talent.’

SEMI/PV Group recently published a white paper on the Principles and Recommended Best Practices for Solar Feed-in-Tariffs. The President of the Group in India, Sathya Prasad said ’The design of the Jawaharlal Nehru – National Solar Mission (JN-NSM) matches the outlined policy principles published by us. The success of the Mission’s implementation lies also in market making, customer awareness, technology progress and innovative business models’


More on PRLog (http://www.prlog.org/10570003-national-solar-mission-target-of-1000-mw-in-phase-is-achievable.html)

An unlikely reason why solar energy conversion makes sense, the people of Belgaum, Karnataka installed solar to beat the power cuts from K Govt Power Supply. Now, if only the rest of the nation can follow this path (Solar Energy) and avoid Govt supplied unreliable power...

Solar energy powers remote branches of Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/03/13/stories/2010031352230600.htm)

Ingali, a remote village in Belgaum district of Karnataka, is financially included and connected to the grid power supply. But the problem is the lack of quality power, thus affecting the day-to-day activities of the villagers, including their banking operations.

Till two months ago, erratic power supply often caused trouble for customers of Karnataka Vikas Grameen Bank (KVGB) — a regional rural bank sponsored by Syndicate Bank — in the village. They were at the mercy of grid power.

But now, the sun has come to their rescue. The branch is running its day-to-day operations with the help of solar power units. Operations at nearly 10 per cent of the branch network of the Dharwad-headquartered bank are now being done with the help of solar energy. Mr K.P. Muralidharan, Chairman of KVGB, told Business Line that the bank, which has 424 branches, has implemented solar power packs in 44 remote branches in rural areas.

Erratic supply

Several rural branches were facing acute power problem due to erratic grid supply. Even if the power supply was present, the batteries of the back-up system were not getting the required voltage for charging. Under such circumstances it was difficult to run the branch operations, especially computers. Last fiscal, the bank had installed solar power packs in 10 branches. After seeing its success, the packs were installed in 34 more branches during the current fiscal.

KVGB, which has jurisdiction over nine districts in Karnataka, has implemented solar power units in 20 branches in Belgaum, 17 in Bijapur, six in Dharwad and one in Haveri district. The power shortage was severe in the remote villages of these areas.

He said that Rs 4.5 lakh has been spent on implementing solar power packs in each branch. The Chairman said the bank has not faced any problem with the solar power packs during rainy season. The photo-voltaic cells in the unit can absorb sunlight and the battery can be charged.

Mr Ullas Gunuga, an official in the bank, said that each of these branches has saved around 200 units of grid power a month after installation of the solar power units. This amounts to savings of almost 9,000 units a month by the bank.

Terming it as a successful project, Mr Muralidharan said the bank has proposed to cover nearly 60 branches during the next financial year.

Mr B.G. Patole, Ingali branch manager of KVGB, said his branch has been able to give better quality service to the customers now. The erratic power supply was causing great inconvenience to customers, as the backup power was not sufficient during peak hours. Now the entire branch operations are being run on solar power, he added.

Pune-based energy and environment solutions’ provider Thermax is gearing up to tap incentives offered in the Union Budget for renewable energy, water and wastewater treatment.

The company is planning strong foray into solar, biomass and geothermal sources of energy, said M S Unnikrishnan, managing director and chief executive.

He said the company had initiated a solar project at a village in Chakan near Pune, in association with the Department of Science and Technology. The Rs 13 crore investment is to electrify the village using an indigenously developed solar-cum-biomass fuelled technology, by which the village will get electricity round the clock, even during the rainy season when sunlight is scarce.

“This has huge commercial opportunity and there are many villages in India where electricity transmission lines have not reached. Incentives offered by the government can act as a booster to implement the project on a large scale,” he said.

The Union finance minister, in his Budget speech on Friday, had announced an increase in the plan outlay for the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy by 61 per cent, from Rs 620 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 1,000 crore in 2010-11. He also provided a concessional customs duty of 5 per cent to machinery, instruments, equipment and appliances required for the initial setting up of photo-voltaic and solar thermal power generating units, and exempted all those items from central excise duty.

At the moment, setting up a unit to generate one megawatt (Mw) of solar energy costs more than double that for each Mw of a coal-based thermal power unit.

The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, unveiled a few months earlier, envisages establishing India as a global leader in solar energy, with an ambitious target of 20,000-Mw of solar power by the year 2022.

Unnikrishnan said the Rs 3,500-crore company was also seriously exploring a foray into geothermal energy. The Union Budget for 2010-11 had exempted ground-source heat pumps used to tap geo-thermal energy from basic customs duty and special additional duty. The incentives will substantially reduce the cost for initiating a project, as geothermal energy is relatively new to India, he said.

Unnikrishnan said Thermax was also looking forward to big business from water, wastewater and sewage treatment, as the Government had earmarked higher allocation for infrastructure projects and for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

The company had revenues of Rs 300 crore last year from the water and waste water business. A few months earlier, it had teamed with GE Water of USA to bring GE’s ultra-filtration and membrane bio-reactor technology for wastewater treatment, reuse and processing of water in India’s commercial and institutional sectors. The company also has licensing technology from Germany-based Wehrle-Werk AG to purify industrial wastewater.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/thermax-sees-openings-in-renewable-energy/387479/)

India asks S. Korea to invest more in its energy sector (http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/tpwff_india-asks-s-korea-to-invest-more-in-its-energy-sector-825320.html)
India prepares draft guidelines for rooftop PV projects (http://www.newenergymatters.com/?p=list&t=newsitems&id=37347)
IIT Kharagpur plays leadership role in advancing renewable energy in rural India (http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/education/2010031245561.htm)

FALTA: Vikram Solar Pvt Ltd, a part of the Vikram group of industries, would invest Rs 500 crore to manufacture wafer and photovoltaic cell (PV) at
its plant in Falta SEZ in West Bengal.

Chairman of Vikram group H K Chaudhury said to start with, the company had already invested Rs 100 crore to produce PV modules with a generation capacity of 25 MW.

"The capacity will be expanded to 50 MW by the middle of the next financial year," Chaudhury told reporters at the inauguration of the plant here.

He said that Vikram Solar GmBH in Germany had been supplying 1 MW of solar power to the grid in that country. The company is also in talks for setting up solar power projects in countries like Italy, Bulgaria and France.

Currently, the plant employs around 100 persons and the number would go up to 800 once the expansion process is complete.

Inaugurating the plant last night, West Bengal's Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said generation of energy from green sources like solar cells have to be increased.

IT minister Debesh Das said that the government was planning to set up a solar valley on 100 acre to promote green industries.

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/Vikram-Solar-to-invest-Rs-500-cr-in-West-Bengal/articleshow/5671313.cms)

The Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission’s plan for the deployment of 20,000 Mw of solar power by 2022 needs an investment of Rs 3 lakh crore, based on a capex of Rs 15 crore per Mega watt (Mw).

Of the total amount, an initial investment of Rs 16,500 crore is required for 1,100-Mw grid connected to solar plants and 200-Mw capacity equivalent off-grid solar applications till 2012-13.

Farooq Abdullah, minister for new and renewable energy, told Business Standard that the proposed capacity addition would be funded through multiple instruments, including long-term loans from banks and financial institutions, and funds from various infrastructure institutions like Indian Infrastructure Finance Corporation and Power Finance Corporation. Besides, the developers could access funds from International Finance Corporation and Asian Development Bank. For the development of off grid solar generation projects, the state-run Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency would provide finances at 5% rate of interest.

Abdullah, who was speaking on the sidelines of a solar energy conference here, said that banks would be asked to provide loan for 25 years. “In fact, various funds from international market are quite keen to provide funds for the proposed solar capacity addition. The budget has already offered financial incentives which will help bring down the cost.”

The minister said the objective of the solar mission is to promote Indian manufacturing units, bring down costs, create grid parity. Abdullah advised Indian companies not to procure “cheap” Chinese equipment, but produce quality equipment which should last at least for 25 years.

Abdullah said the Centre has revised its decision to create 1,300 Mw in three years. “Instead of an original plan of a combination of 60% through solar thermal and 40% through photovoltaic (PV), it has been decided to create 60% based on PV and 40% through solar thermal. This is necessitated in view of lack of availability of adequate manufacturing capacity for solar thermal generation. However, the government wants India to become a leader in the solar thermal generation,” he added.

Moreover, the minister informed that Clinton Foundation has proposed the development of solar projects of 3,000 Mw each in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Abdullah said the focal point, for the next 3 years, would be NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), which is the power trading arm of NTPC. The government has designated NVVN for the purchase of solar power generated by independent solar power producers, at rates fixed by the Central Regulatory Electricity Commission and for a period specified by the latter. The Centre will provide equivalent Mw of power from the unallocated quota of NTPC for bundling with solar power.

Meanwhile, Abdullah said that his ministry wants that mobile towers, which currently operate on diesel, should be solar driven. “Very soon, a decision in this regard will be taken,” he added. He informed such a decision was necessary as crores of rupees are needed for diesel use for the operations of mobile towers and it could be saved simply by shifting to solar energy.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/solar-mission-needs-rs-3-lakh-crore-investment/388093/)

Kareena Kapoor brings solar power plant in Chanderi (http://movies.indiainfo.com/article/100309181228_kareena_kapoor_brings_solar_power_plant_in_chanderi/925554.html)
Gail India Commissions Its First Wind Farm in Gujarat of capacity 4.5 MW (http://www.azocleantech.com/Details.asp?newsID=9008)

The government today said Rs 4,437 crore have been approved for setting up 1,100 MW grid-connected solar power plants under the first phase of the National Solar Mission.

"(There is) a target to set up 1,100 MW grid-connected solar plants, including 100 MW capacity plants as rooftop (plants) and other smaller solar power plants for the first phase of the mission till March 2013," New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.

Under the three-phase National Solar Mission, the government is planning to generate 20,000 MW solar power by 2022.

During this period, 2000 MW capacity equivalent off-grid solar applications, including 20 million solar lights, are also planned to be installed.

"In addition, 200 MW capacity equivalent off-grid solar applications and 7 million square metre solar thermal collector area are to be installed," he added.

Replying to another query, the Minister said around 15,789 MW grid-interactive power generation capacities have been installed through various renewable energy sources in the country, of which 10,949 MW has been produced from wind energy.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/rs-4437-cr-nod-for-grid-connected-solar-plants/87758/on)

BIMSTEC agrees to set up energy center in India (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/business/2010-03/05/c_13198620.htm)

New Delhi, March 15 (PTI) Aiming to produce 25 per cent power from green sources by 2017, Tata Power plans to increase its wind and solar energy generation capacity to 2,000 MW and 250 MW respectively, which could entail an investment of over Rs 13,000 crore.

"The company is looking for viable locations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. By 2017, it expects to generate 2,000 MW of wind energy," Tata Power Executive Director Banmali Agrawala said in Tata Review, an in-house magazine.

Tata Power has two wind power generation projects each in Maharashtra and Gujarat and one in Karnataka with a cumulative capacity of 195 MW. An additional 100-MW plant is under construction in Gujarat.

The company, the largest private sector thermal power generator in the country, also plans to its increase solar energy capacity to 250 MW by 2017.

PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/563818_Tatas-may-invest-Rs-13-000-cr-on-wind--solar-power)

Haryana is the first state in the country to introduce solar education kits in senior secondary schools of the state.

Financial commissioner and principal secretary for renewable energy S.S. Prasad said Sunday that the kits have been introduced in the state to educate students about the application of renewable energy.

"This kit would be a very informative tool and would consist of mini-fan, LED lamps, solar radio, solar toy car, door bell, house name plate, traffic light signals, road stud, solar pump, thermometer, solar panel and other things," Prasad said.

Director of renewable energy department Sumita Misra said there were about 3,000 high and secondary schools in the state. "In the first phase, the solar education kits had been provided in 2,000 schools of 13 districts at a cost of Rs.80 lakh. These districts included Bhiwani, Sirsa, Panipat, Karnal, Kaithal, Rewari, Rohtak, Jind, Jhajjar, Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Ambala and Panchkula. The cost of this project was borne by the state and the central government on a 50:50 basis," Misra said.

She said the department was also taking up the matter with the central government to provide the central grant of Rs.20 lakh to provide solar education kits in the remaining 1,000 senior secondary schools of seven districts including Hisar, Kurukshetra, Palwal, Faridabad, Narnaul, Sonipat and Yamunanagar which would be covered in the next three months.

DHNS (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/58170/haryana-introduces-solar-education-kits.html)

STFI to promote solar thermal applications beyond water heating and also offer training.

Thursday, March 18, 2010: The Indian 3.5 million m2 installed solar thermal industry today has a new voice and a platform. In a landmark development, players who control over 75% of the market have come together to float Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI) a pan-Indian not-for-profit body to not only to expand solar water heating usage but promote applications beyond that as well. STFI was formally launched today in the presence of key representatives of Delhi media by key functionaries of the newly floated association. The association will be headquartered out of Delhi comprising of leading Solar Thermal Manufacturers. K Subramanya, CEO, TATA-BP Solar would be the Chairman and Hemant Revankar, Managing Director, Bipin Engineers would be the Vice-Chairman and Jaideep Malaviya, an industry veteran with two decades of experience will steer the federation as its full time President. Senior executives of major players in the industry will play an active role in STFI in various capacities.


Read more on EFYTimes (http://www.efytimes.com/e1/fullnews.asp?edid=42612).

Schneider Electric enters renewable energy market (http://www.constructionweekonline.in/article-6115-schneider_electric_enters_renewable_energy_market/)

New Delhi: The armed forces have taken a major initiative towards adopting energy efficiency and conservation in operations and cantonment complexes.

The armed forces now need not carry the heavy batteries, instead the Army is planning to replace dry and wet batteries with solar power packs, said air marshal D Kukreja, deputy chief of Integrated Defence Staff, DCIDS (operations).

Addressing a day-long seminar on ‘Renewable Energy for Defence Services’ here on Thursday, Kukreja said the three services have completed an energy audit of few major installations.


Reaad more on FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Now--armed-forces-take-to-green-energy--conservation/592688/).

The army has always done these kind of things. They are very well known for planting trees as well :)

National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC) plans to undertake renewable energy power projects having capacity of more than 1000 Mw.

Taking a first step forward in this direction, the public sector giant has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state government-run Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (GPCL) for putting up solar and wind power plants to the tune of 500 Mw in Gujarat.

"NTPC aims to have 1000 Mw renewable power generation capacity. The company intends to set up solar, wind and geothermal power projects," said RS Sharma, CMD, NTPC after MoU signing ceremony in Gandhinagar. This capacity is likely to be added by 2014.

Apart from Gujarat, NTPC is currently exploring possibilities in Karnataka and Rajasthan for these types of projects. "We may even increase our renewable power project capacity to more than 1000 Mw," he added.

As per the MoU inked with the Gujarat government, NTPC will execute 100 Mw solar and 400 Mw wind power projects in the state. "Initially, the company will establish 50 Mw solar power project at Morwada in Banaskantha district with an investment of Rs 500 crore. For entire 500 Mw power plants, NTPC will pump in Rs 4000 crore," said Bharatsingh Solanki, minister of state for power, Government of India.

The first 50 Mw solar power plant is slated to be commissioned within 30 months. In addition to Sabarkantha, NTPC is also scouting suitable land in Banaskantha, Patan and Kutch districts of the state. "GPCL will help NTPC acquire land for the projects in Gujarat, get clearance from the government and enter into power purchase agreement. Currently, we are assisting NTPC in site selection for its wind power project," said Saurabh Patel, minister of state for energy and petrochemicals, Gujarat government.

NTPC already has power projects at Kawas and Gandhar in Gujarat. Now the company is keen to set up a greenfied coal-based power project of 1000 Mw at Khambhat in the state and it is talks with the state government.

"We accept NTPC's proposal but it would be beneficial to the state if the company decides to use domestic coal instead of imported coal," Saurabh Patel.

It may be mentioned here that NTPC is also eying acquisition of coal mines in overseas countries such as Australia and Indonesia. "The established capacity of NTPC stands at 31,134 Mw and we plan to enhance it to 75,000 Mw by 2017," added RK Sikri, general manager, NTPC.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ntpc-eyes-1000-mw-renewable-power-project/389253/)

Indian power equipment maker Birla Power plans to invest INR50bn (USD1.1bn) over the next three years to develop thermal and solar energy projects, according to Indian newspaper The Economic Times. The firm is creating a company called Birla Urja, in which it will own a 51% stake, to conduct its energy operations. Birla reportedly hopes to develop 600MW of thermal power generating capacity and 125MW of solar energy capacity. The projects are likely to be located in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Haryana, and will be financed using a combination of equity and debt.

Last week, Indowind Energy secured two USD11m loans to help fund the acquisition of eight wind farms. The wind farms are located in the southern states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and have a combined capacity of 71.9MW.

StrategyEye (http://cleantech.strategyeye.com/article/WKC0SyldNOU/2010/03/23/birla_invests_usd11bn_in_thermal_and_solar_power/)

Power-starved Maharashtra banks on renewable energy

PTISaturday, March 27, 2010 11:07 IST

Pune: Focused on grid connected renewable power projects, the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) is gearing itself to achieve 10 per cent of the gross electricity generation in the state through non-conventional alternative sources by 2015.

"As renewable energy generation in the state attained 3.95% mark in 2009, the endeavour now will be to achieve 6% in 2010-11. This will be scaled up by one per cent each year to attain 10 per cent mark by 2014-15," according to Anand Limaye, director general of MEDA.

MEDA is the state nodal agency under the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

In an interview, Limaye said the MEDA strategy on the renewable energy front in Maharashtra was in consonance with the guidelines envisaged in the National Action Plan to Climate Change (NAPCC).

"MEDA is trying to focus on grid connected renewable energy projects to exploit the full potential of renewable sources in Maharashtra which is at second position in the country in terms of the installed capacity of power generation from renewables at 2,571 MW," he added.

Spelling out future projections of MEDA, Limaye said "At present 2,571 MW capacity renewable energy projects are installed in the state."

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_power-starved-maharashtra-banks-on-renewable-energy_1363970

New Delhi: India’s largest oil refiner, the state-owned Indian Oil Corp. Ltd, or IOC, will invest around Rs2,000 crore to develop a wind power generation capacity of 200MW and a solar power generation capacity of 50 MW, said a top company official.

“Renewables will be a major area of focus for us. We are looking at a 10-year horizon,” said IOC chairman B.M. Bansal. “The reason why we are looking at renewables, petro chemicals or biodiesel is because we do not know for how long the subsidy issue will take to be resolved. Renewable is the way forward.”


“While an investment of Rs1,000 crore will go towards setting up the wind power capacity, another Rs1,000 crore will be for setting up the solar power capacity,” Bansal said.

India has a power generation capacity of 157,000MW, of which 15,427MW is generated through renewable sources. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission aims at achieving 20,000MW of grid solar power and 2,000MW of off-grid solar applications.

Setting up wind power generation capacity will also help IOC claim tax breaks for up to 10 years and get depreciation benefits of up to 80% on investment in the first year of a project’s operation, besides earning carbon credits.

“The fuel subsidy issue has discouraged investment into the sector, which has a dampening effect on the national oil companies,” said Gokul Chaudhri, partner at consultancy firm BMR Advisors. “Oil companies such as IOC are recalibrating where they will be investing and (are) now looking at sectors which are not regulated in the (same) manner as fuel prices.”

IOC has been looking at a diversified energy sourcing. The company plans a partnership with Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd (NPCIL) for atomic energy projects at Kakrapar in Gujarat (1,400MW), Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu (2,000MW) and Jaitapur in Maharashtra (3,300MW).

livemint (http://www.livemint.com/2010/03/25215234/IndianOil-to-invest-Rs2000-cr.html)

Azure Power Secures $10 Million to Fund Expansion in India (http://www.ventureloop.com/ventureloop/startup_news_article.php?natId=1162&p=1)

Azure Power, India’s first private sector company to implement a megawatt scale grid connected solar photo-voltaic power plant, has reportedly raised $10 million in funding from Helion, Foundation Capital, and the International Finance Corporation. Azure plans to use the funds for expansion.


Indian government eyes solar power for cellphone towers to cut emissions (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/indian-government-eyes-solar-power-for-cellphone-towers-to-cut-emissions/)
Suzlon presents order book for almost 1500 MW for 2010 (http://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/paginas/Contenidosecciones.asp?ID=9&Cod=5136&Tipo=&Nombre=Wind%20Power%20News)
Suniva to provide solar cells to 3gw Indian solar energy field (http://solar.coolerplanet.com/News/19687768-suniva-to-provide-solar-cells-to-3gw-indian-solar-energy-field.aspx)

Ascent Solar Technologies, a flexible thin-film solar module developer, has signed a multi-phase agreement with an Indian company, Kirloskar Integrated Technologies Limited. As per the terms of the agreement, both the companies will start the integration of flexible CIGS photovoltaic modules from Ascent Solar into products that are designed for various markets in India.
The products, which will be distributed and marketed by the companies, will cater to different markets including consumer portable power, defense, hybrid solar, power systems backed by diesel generators, and off-grid rural power solutions. A complete module assembly plant is to be established in India under phase two of the multi-phase agreement. The final phase of the agreement envisages the establishment of a manufacturing facility in the country to produce solar modules in India. A memorandum of understanding signed by the companies in 2009 September has resulted in this multi-phase agreement.

CEO of Kirloskar, Mr. L.A. Joshi, said the vision of the company is to supply sustainable solutions that is decentralized and based on renewable energy resources. The company was on the lookout for an ideal partner for solar photovoltaic to enhance its strength as a leading distributed power generation provider. It has already established successfully in other renewable energy solutions such as biodiesel, non-edible vegetable oil, and anaerobic digestion of organic waste. Kirloskar is pleased to partner with Ascent in its efforts to harness the huge solar potential in the country for on-grid as well as off-grid applications by making use of the Indian government’s favorable policies, Joshi said.

azocleantech (http://www.azocleantech.com/Details.asp?newsID=9321)

Bangalore: It’s rare that scientists in India develop new technologies and see them reach the marketplace, at least during their active career. The barriers are both cultural and scientific. For A.K. Barua, professor emeritus at the 130-year-old Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science in Kolkata, commercialization took long—32 years— but eventually it helped his industry partner HHV Solar Technologies Pvt. Ltd break into the international league where a handful of companies sell turnkey production lines for thin film solar cells.

With the setting up of a 10MW demonstration production facility in Dabaspet, 50km from Bangalore, that will become operational in about three weeks, HHV Solar becomes the first Indian company to have developed the technology as well as the equipment for setting up a production facility for thin film solar photovoltaic (SPV) modules. At $12 million (around Rs54.7 crore) for the plant, HHV says it has cut the hardware cost from the prevailing rate for setting up such a unit of about $30 million.

“That’s very competitive. High capital cost is a major factor in the adoption of thin film technology,” said Amol Kotwal, deputy director, energy and power system, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Frost and Sullivan (F&S). Only a few equipment suppliers operate in this space, led by Applied Materials Inc., headquartered in California, and Oerlikon Solar of Swiss industrial group Oerlikon. If domestic users take to HHV’s technology, the competition could get very tough for existing vendors, said Kotwal.

HHV has signed a deal with Solar Source Corp., a Canadian renewable energy holding company, to establish Canada’s first thin film amorphous silicon solar panel manufacturing plant.

“We are in serious negotiations with some Indian companies and intend to close at least four deals very soon,” said Prasanth Sakhamuri, managing director of HHV Solar, a holding company of Hind High Vacuum Co. Pvt. Ltd.

Solar technology is entering the third generation, but first-generation crystalline silicon solar cells dominate the market, accounting for 87.3% of the global 6.3 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic installations, according to F&S estimates for 2009.

Thin solar cells constitute the second generation, where amorphous silicon leads the pack. The latter, though cheaper, lighter and flexible, is less efficient than crystalline cells.

A global race is on to increase the efficiency of thin cells, from the present 6.75-7% to 10% and beyond. From its research stable, supported by the ministry of new and renewable energy, HHV plans to roll out modules with 8% efficiency within a year. Efficiency refers to the rate at which solar power is converted into usable energy.

Thin SPVs are just trickling into India. In February 2009, Moser Baer India Ltd started the first such line of 40MW capacity, set up by Applied Materials Inc.

In October, KSK Surya Photovoltaic Venture signed up Applied Materials for a 150MW capacity thin film line in Hyderabad.

“So far there was no market in India. Companies exported most of their modules. The solar mission has created the critical local demand,” said Madhu Atre, president of Applied Materials India. The feed-in tariff of Rs18.44/kWh under the National Solar Mission (NSM) is a definitive step forward, he adds. The feed-in tariff is a premium, cost-based compensation rate offered to producers of renewable energy.

India’s SPV market had a capacity of 972MW in 2008, which is estimated to increase to 2,575MW in 2015, according to F&S. But this falls short of the NSM target of 20 gigawatts by 2020.

Barua, who is also chairman of research and development in NSM, says the targets are aggressive and difficult to achieve. “But that doesn’t mean we will not work towards it.”

For a long time, India didn’t pay attention to solar technology, Barua said. His own lab, despite being an early starter, faced intermittent funding shortages. Crystalline silicon, with about 15% efficiency, has gained some market share but since temperatures in many parts of the country go very high, thin film is more suitable in those regions, he said. “Beyond a point, a one degree rise in temperature leads to half a percent drop in crystalline cell efficiency.”

At the core of Barua’s team’s work lies the “plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition” technology, which is a method of depositing silicon on glass to turn it into an electricity-generating module. “It’s a proud moment for us to have completely indigenized the technology development as well as the equipment,” said C.S. Solanki, professor of energy science and engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. He says it comes at the right time as this is the focus of the NSM. However, “unless the cost difference (between crystalline and thin film) is substantial, say $1 per watt, thin film adoption will be low,” he cautioned.

The actual cost-benefit ratio, Sakhamuri said, is not efficiency dependent. “Thin film is 35% cheaper than crystalline. For a given 100W module, thin cells produce more power than crystalline as they react to a wider spectrum of sunlight.”

The sleek shop floor, designed by the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, has been built to attract customers, said Sakhamuri. It’s working—from rice mill owners to jewellery exporters, everyone seems to be interested in solar power now, he said.

livemint (http://www.livemint.com/2010/03/24221015/India-makes-thin-film-solar-ce.html?h=B)

Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited, a flag bearer company in Chlor-Alkali industry, has already put up 62.75 MW Wind Mill Farm in Kachchh district as a part of commitment for protection of environment and for promoting Green Energy using renewable resources.

Ahmedabad, gujarat, March 23, 2010 /India PRwire/ -- Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Limited, a flag bearer company in Chlor-Alkali industry, has already put up 62.75 MW Wind Mill Farm in Kachchh district as a part of commitment for protection of environment and for promoting Green Energy using renewable resources.

In continuance to GACL's commitment towards promoting Green Energy, the company has installed 3rd Phase Wind Mill Project of 21 MW capacity at site Maliya Miyana, Dist. Rajkot.

M/s. Suzlon Energy Ltd. has developed all the 3 Wind Energy Farms.

GACL MD Shri Guruprasad Mohapatra, IAS, commissioned the 1st WTG of the new 21 MW Wind Energy Project on 22nd March, 2010 at Maliya, Dist. Rajkot.

After commissioning the project, the total capacity of GACL Wind Mills shall thus go up to 83.75 MW.

GACL is the only State PSU to install such large capacity Wind Energy Projects in the Gujarat State.

indiaPRwire (http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/chemical/2010032346366.htm)

India gears up for investments in bio-fuel sector (http://www.commodityonline.com/news/India-gears-up-for-investments-in-bio-fuel-sector-26719-3-1.html)
NTPC, GPCL tie up for 500 MW power projects in Gujarat (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ntpc-gpcl-tiefor-500-mw-power-projects-in-gujarat/89075/on)
JK govt to set up 56 micro-hydel projects, 3000 biogas plants (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/59606/jk-govt-set-up-56.html)
Samsung Introduces the World's First Solar Powered Mobile Phone (http://www.brandstoday.in/2009/06/19/samsung-introduces-the-worlds-first-solar-powered-mobile-phone/comment-page-1/)
STRAIGHT FROM THE SUN - Assessing the practicality of the national solar mission (http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100322/jsp/opinion/story_12226756.jsp)

* Centre proposes to install solar projects worth Rs. 900 cr. under the national solar mission
* Administration in districts asked to forward details on land to KSREL

GULBARGA: In a step to harness solar energy in the Hyderabad Karnataka region and utilise the assistance proposed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, official agencies in the six districts of the region have prepared a list of possible locations where solar power generation projects can be installed.

Official sources told The Hindu here on Sunday that the Hyderabad Karnataka Development Board (HKDB) with the help of the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) remote sensing satellites had identified 87,784 acres of wasteland and rocky land in this regard. The Union Government proposes to install solar power generation projects worth Rs. 900 crore under this programme. The programme was launched in January this year with the target of generating 20,000 MW of power from solar energy by 2022.

The sources said that information, including ownership details of government and private lands with survey numbers, had been provided to all the district administrations with a request that they forward the same to the Karnataka State Renewable Energy Development Ltd. (KSREDL). The sources said that this was the first time that wasteland, both government and privately owned, had been identified in the Hyderabad Karnataka region. According to the officials, at least 100 acres of land is required to establish a solar energy plant with the capacity to produce 5 MW of power.

Wasteland

As per the survey report, Bellary district has 32,221.84 acres of wasteland, followed by 29,298.56 acres each in Gulbarga and Yadgir districts, 11,940. 28 acres in Koppal, 11,242.10 acres in Raichur and 3081.32 acres in Bidar district.

The Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/05/stories/2010040556700300.htm)

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), the state owned power generator, has evinced interest to set up solar and wind projects in Orissa with aggregate generation capacity of 500 Mw.

The company has sent a draft MoU (memorandum of understanding) for approval of the Orissa government in this regard.

Before approaching Orissa, the utility major has signed similar MoUs with Karnataka Power Corporation, Gujarat Power Corporation, Government of Rajasthan and Andaman & Nicober administration for developing renewable energy projects,

“We have received the draft MoU from NTPC and the government is examining the matter”, a senior official of the state science and technology department told Business Standard.

The latest proposal of NTPC comes as a boost to the state government which has initiated some pro-active steps to attract investors in the renewable energy sector.

According to sources, a senior official of NTPC recently visited the state and held discussion with senior officials of the state science and technology department and Orissa Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) on the proposed projects.

As part of its business plan, NTPC aimss to become a company of 75,000 Mw plus company by 2017. Since the public sector company plans to add 1000 Mw through renewable energy sources, it is keen to develop some renewable energy based projects in the state.

Orissa, which has untapped potential in wind and solar energy sectors at locations like Chandipur, Gopalpur and Paradeep, is considered as an attractive investment destination. In the recent meeting with NTPC, it was decided that OREDA would select land for these projects either in the identified locations or any other potential locations. NTPC team would finalise the pre-feasibility study of wind and solar based projects at potential sites selected by OREDA. Subsequently, the techno-economic viable projects will be implemented by NTPC. However, these projects would be taken up for implementation after obtaining the approval of the State Technical Committee (STC) for renewable projects. “Though NTPC is keen to develop renewable energy projects with aggregate generation capacity of 500 Mw in the state, we are pressing the company to enhance this to 1000 Mw”, the official added.

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for these projects is expected to be finalised in six months from the date of allotment of land by the state government and obtaining the statutory clearances.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ntpc-to-develop-500-mw-renewable-energy-projects/389717/)

As a major thrust on promotion of renewable energy and fight climate change impact, the Orissa government hopes to complete the Remote Village Electrification Programme (RVEP) in 944 villages by December 2010.

While the electrification work has been completed in 223 villages by the middle of March, the work is in progress in 419 more villages.

Similarly, out of the 944 villages identified for electrification under the scheme, the survey work has been completed in 691 villages. The process is continuing in the remaining villages, sources said.

RVEP, launched by the Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), aims to connect the remote villages which can’t be served by the conventional grid.

The identified villages are being provided minimum illumination services using the locally relevant renewable sources of energy, predominantly solar energy. However, unlike Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), the programme ensures 100 percent access to the illumination services by all households right from the first day.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/electrification944-villages-under-rvep/390488/)

Solar power to illuminate 3,000 villages in Orissa (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/solar-power-to-illuminate-3000-villages-in-orissa/391024/)

To combat power shortage in the residential sector, the Haryana government would provide subsidised LED (light emitting diode)-based SPV (solar photovoltic) lamps. Disclosing this today, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Mahender Partap Singh said the state government had released an amount of Rs 109.28 lakh for installation of 4,371 LED-based SPV Home Lighting Systems.

The cost of a system would be Rs 3,900 and the state government would provide subsidy at the rate of Rs 2,500 per system, he added.

He said that 100 each such Home Lighting Systems would be installed in Ambala, Mewat, Panchkula and Yamunanagar districts, 294 each in Bhiwani, Faridabad and Jhajjar districts, 208 each in Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Hisar, Jind, Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Palwal, Rewari, Sirsa and Sonipat districts. As many as 295 systems would be installed in Rohtak and 298 in Mahendragarh districts.

The systems would be given on first-come-first-serve basis for which an official of the Integrated Rural Energy Programme (IREP) would maintain the register of the concerned district by giving wide publicity through local newspaper and also through public notice board of the ADC office, he added.

It would be ensured that out of the allocated targets at least 20 per cent of the systems be distributed among the SC/ST beneficiaries under General Programme, said Mahender Partap Singh, adding while distributing the systems, preference would be given to the women-headed households and those households which are having school going girl children. Priority would be given to the physically challenged applicants.

Spelling out the functioning of the system, director of Hareda Sumita Misra said the LED-based SPV Home Lighting Systems consisted of PV module of 8 watt, sealed maintenance battery of capacity 12 volt 7 Ah at C/20 and light output of minimum 15 lux when measured from a height of 2.5 metres and illuminated over an area of at least 2.5 metre diameter. The average duty cycle of this system would be 4 hours a day and autonomy would be minimum of 3 days (maximum 14 operating hours per permissible discharge).

The PV module would be warranted for a period of minimum 15 years from the date of supply and the white LEDs solar home system (excluding the battery) would be warranted for a period of 5 years from the date of supply. The battery would be warranted at least for a period of 2 years. This system was less costly for lighting purposes, she added.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/subsidised-solar-lamps-for-haryana-households/390434/)

Like any other electronics manufacturing sector, manufacturers of solar products also depend on countries like China and Taiwan for imports. The products are cheap as well as meet the user requirements. As Tripathi shares, "Unfortunately, India specialises in services or labour oriented jobs. As manufacturing requires huge capital, it is tough to start manufacturing in India considering high capital cost of around 18-24 per cent per annum and end number of taxes and permissions required to set up a manufacturing unit, marketing and providing after sales service."


Praveen Kumar Sood, managing director, Regnant Energy Solutions, shares, "We started with solar geyser, but today China has solar geyser in every home, but we don't. In a city like Delhi, one cannot find a store which only sells solar appliances or help users to choose the applications best suited for their needs. In order to penetrate and achieve a market share, we need to understand the problem areas first and then devise strategies and develop a team work to get equally competitive in this space like our neighbouring nation."

Read more on EFYTimes (http://www.efytimes.com/e1/creativenews.asp?edid=43066).

IOC, Honeywell in pact for bio-fuel research in India (http://www.commodityonline.com/commodity-stocks/IOC-Honeywell-in-pact-for-bio-fuel-research-in-India-2010-03-31-27036-3-1.html)
Tata Power draws plans for geothermal foray (http://www.mydigitalfc.com/news/tata-power-draws-plans-geothermal-foray-784)

Chandigarh: To tap optimum potential of solar energy, the Punjab government has decided to set up solar power plants in collaboration with the US-based SunPower Corporation and Enterprise Business Solutions (EBS) for generating nearly 1000 MW power over the next two years.

The chief minister directed the secretary science and technology Viswajeet Khanna to prepare a comprehensive plan for establishing a network of solar power plants in the state through Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA).

Badal also stated that he would soon call on the Union renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah to get some projects of solar power allotted for the state under the various schemes of the ministry of renewable energy.

Gurmeet Naroola Incharge of SunPower business development India said that EBS-SunPower would invest Rs500 crore on bringing the latest solar technology in Punjab.

Badal also gave an in-principle approval to the proposal mooted by the SunPower-EBS group to set up a center for training the youth in solar technologies here at PEDA complex to bring new job opportunities.

He also asked the representatives of the group to set up a demo projects at the rooftops of the government buildings for tapping solar energy, which could be later on replicated in other government buildings like district administrative complexes.

DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_punjab-to-set-up-1000-mw-solar-power-plants_1367073)

Relocation and Expansion for Intersolar India (http://pr-canada.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=181558&Itemid=59) - Will Take Place at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai on December 14, 2010.
World: Cleantech venture investments soar to $1.9 bn in Q1 2010 (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/cleantech-venture-investments-soar-to-19-bn-in-q1-2010/90151/on)

The Rs 232 crore project aimed at removing arsenic and fluoride from ground water will be executed by Punj Lloyd Group on turnkey basis

New Delhi: Bihar will soon have 850 solar powered water treatment plants to resolve the severe groundwater contamination and removal of arsenic and fluoride from the water in the affected districts of the state.

The Rs 232 crore project to carry out this on turnkey basis has been bagged by Punj Lloyd Group— the global engineering, procurement and construction conglomerate.

“It will be India’s largest solar-based EPC contract of combined value of Rs 232 crore from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of the Government of Bihar,” a company statement said.

The solar water treatment plants, designed and constructed by Punj Lloyd, will resolve the severe groundwater contamination, resulting in many types of diseases including skin and lung cancer, it further said.

The scope of work includes design, construction and commissioning of 850 water treatment plants across the state of Bihar, completely solar powered.

The contract will be executed by Punj Lloyd Group’s renewable energy arm — Punj Lloyd Delta Renewables.

“This project will help improve the socio-economic-health problems in the villages by providing a clean water drinking supply across these districts.”

Speaking on the contract Punj Lloyd Delta Renewables Chief Executive Officer Tariq Alam, said, “We are extremely proud of this development having only recently launched into the solar utility space. This, being the first mega project of this scale for solar water treatment in the country, is a major breakthrough for the company".

The combined solar power generation for these plants will be greater than 1.3 MW. With the government’s commitment to the National Solar Mission, this project provides the foundation to establish Punj Lloyd as a leading solar company in this space, he further added.

iGovernance (http://www.igovernment.in/site/bihar-plans-850-solar-water-treatment-plants-37306)

Low-carbon economy can create 10.5 million jobs in India (http://business.rediff.com/report/2010/apr/07/low-carbon-economy-can-create-10-point-5-million-jobs-in-india.htm)
Reliance Solar to power the Common Wealth Games (http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/oil-energy/2010040747564.htm)
PTC India diversifies into Carbon Financing biz (http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/PTC-India-diversifies-into-Carbon-Financing-biz/4809436786)

Maharashtra has tremendous potential for developing renewable energy source, especially wind energy, and in the coming years the state could definitely become the powerhouse of Western India, said G M Pillai, director general of the World Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE) on Sunday.

Pillai was speaking at the policy workshop on ‘Clean Energy Technology Action Plan for Climate Mitigation for Maharashtra’. The workshop was organised by the city-based WISE in association with the British High Commission in India. The chief guest for the inaugural session was Anand Limaye, director general, Maharashtra Electricity Development Authority (MEDA).

The preparation of the action plan, which has taken around 22 months also incorporates suggestions and recommendations of officials and personnel from key departments and public sector utilities of the Government of Maharashtra.

IE (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/State-has-high-renewable-energy-potential--expert/603648)

ACC Commissions Wind Energy Farm near Satara in Maharashtra (http://www.equitybulls.com/admin/news2006/news_det.asp?id=71202)
Moser Baer commissions first of its kind 1 MW Thin film solar farm in Maharashtra (http://www.equitybulls.com/admin/news2006/news_det.asp?id=71191)

Solar power scheme draws Rs 2.29-lakh cr proposals (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041556760100.htm)

India's Special Incentive Package Scheme (SIPS), aimed at galvanising investments in semiconductor fabs, ecosystem units and solar PV projects, has attracted 26 proposals, together worth more than Rs 2,29,000 crore.

The ambitious scheme — the Government's endeavour to position India in the league of global hi-tech manufacturing destinations — closed on March 31, 2010, three years after it was flagged off by the Centre. With the SIPS counter now closed, no new applications will be accepted by the Department of IT (DIT) under the scheme, although the processing of existing applications will continue.

This assumes significance considering that India expects to rely on renewable energy to reduce its emission intensity by 2020. The Government recently launched a National Solar Mission that aims to feed 20,000 MW to the national grid by 2022.

* Olympus Capital, other firms bet on clean tech; environment concerns expected to become a mainstream trend

Mumbai: Middle-market private equity firm Olympus Capital Holdings Asia is betting big on the clean technology space in India, a market with seemingly insatiable energy demand.

The firm led the $55 million (Rs243.65 crore) round of funding for Orient Green Power Co. Ltd, a renewable energy firm that filed for regulatory approval last week to raise Rs900 crore in an initial share sale. Olympus has a $250 million regional environment fund. “About 40-50% of this fund would be invested in India,” said Frederick J. Long, founding managing director of Olympus Capital. That would mean four-five investments in India over the life of the fund.

Long, who is based in Hong Kong and travels to India at least once a month, is betting that because countries such as India face greater environmental challenge, they offer attractive investment opportunities in the clean-tech space, including waste management, water treatment, energy efficiency and renewable energy such as wind, solar, biomass and hydel power. Clean-tech firms also derive benefits from government incentives.

Like Olympus, several other specialist or pure-play clean-tech funds are also targeting the potentially vast and lucrative opportunity in the Indian alternative energy space as India struggles with a chronic power deficit and environmental worries.

Climate Change Capital Ltd, a UK-based investment group that manages funds with $1.5 billion of commitments, according to its website, wants to put money in carbon-embedded assets and buy carbon credits in projects. Investor interest is increasing in clean development projects that have the potential to generate carbon credits, or the value assigned to a cut in greenhouse gas emissions by a company or a project. The range of investments will vary depending upon the value of “embedded carbon” in the projects.

Another firm eyeing the low-carbon economy is FE Clean Energy Group Inc., a private equity firm focusing on investment in energy efficiency services. The firm has invested in a hydel power project in Karnataka that will provide electricity to industrial gas supplier Praxair India Ltd and in energy services firm Elpro Energy Dimensions Pvt. Ltd.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank, committed an investment in Azure Power India Pvt. Ltd, a provider of solar energy. IFC invested $25 million in Bhilwara Energy Ltd and up to $10 million in Auro Mira Energy Co. Pvt. Ltd, a renewable energy-focused firm.

While all the specialized clean energy funds aiming to invest in clean energy solutions are global offshoots, they are targeting India as their key area for investment. “India will see maximum allocations owing to its high growth,” says Nakul Zaveri, senior investment officer, Climate Change Capital. Also, as Chaitanya Kale, partner, Ernst and Young, says, “This space is hugely policy driven and some of the incentives by the government are encouraging for investors and companies pursuing this as new lines of businesses.”

In its annual budget, the Union government said it plans to levy a tax on the use of coal and use the money to start a national clean energy fund to back renewable energy projects. Besides, there are wind energy incentives, including a provision for 80% accelerated depreciation in the first year, a 10-year tax holiday, an income-tax waiver on power sold to utilities and favourable tariffs.

India offers several subsidies for solar power systems, such as solar lanterns and home lighting systems, and generation-based incentives of up to Rs12 per kilowatt-hour for power plants. For small hydropower projects, there are concessions on customs duty, a 10-year tax holiday and other state-level incentives, including sales and electricity tax exemptions and preferential tariffs. Even general domestic private equity funds have been drawn to clean energy.

For instance, BTS Investment Advisors Ltd is planning to raise a new fund focused on clean energy. It will look at proven business models in wind energy, biomass, hydropower, energy efficiency, etc., and is targeting a corpus of $100-125 million.

Aloe Private Equity is looking to make two deals per year and invest between $5 million and $25 million in areas such as waste management, water and recycling, according to co-founder Vivek Tandon, who is betting on environmental concerns becoming a mainstream trend. “All investments will need to take into account the impact a company has on the environment. The trend of investing in environmentally aware and sound businesses will become mainstream,” says Tandon.

livemint (http://www.livemint.com/2010/04/27000126/India-emerges-as-key-investmen.html)

Here is a great idea for a backyard wind powered energy generator...

http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site6/2010/0427/20100427__CSSF6A11~6_GALLERY.jpg
clicky (http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_14968955)
BONNY DOON — Inventor JoeBen Bevirt made millions off his Gorillapod, a bubbly, bendable camera tripod that began as a Stanford University class project.

But it was his trips to the Chinese factory where Gorillapods are made — and witnessing the gray haze made by China's coal-fired power plants — that inspired Bevirt's latest ambition: find a way to make cheap, clean energy that can be reproduced around the world.

"Gorillapod was really successful and I thought, 'Wow, what do I do to give back?'" said Bevirt, 36, who will be a speaker at Wednesday's What's Next Lecture, "Innovations in Energy: New Sources, Crucial Savings, and How We'll Finance It."

So on his 40-acre ranch in the hills of Bonny Doon, Bevirt and his Joby Energy Inc. employ about 30 Stanford and Massachusetts Institute of Technology engineers to design, craft and fly "airborne wind turbines" that harness the power of high-elevation breezes and turn them into power.

"These are just big kites," Bevirt said. Ultimately they will collect energy to send down their tethers and onto the power grid.

Under the redwoods and along the edge of the 2008 Martin Fire, workers with Joby Energy Inc. are creating 40-foot carbon and fiberglass planks to be connected in a 240-foot series of rectangles. At each corner will be a carbon fiber propeller 12 feet in diameter, and the entire contraption will be attached to a power-transferring tether as long as 2,000 feet.

Once the turbines are in the air, a computer system in the center will relay wind information coming in to the propellers and move the contraption to its optimum wind-harnessing path. Ideally, each turbine will produce enough electricity to power 2,000 to 3,000 homes.

In a field across from Joby Energy's main office, staffers test the center console on a remote-controlled mini turbine named Mercury 7. About 10 times a day, it circles the tree tops with a buzzing sound.

Meanwhile, an organic garden and house chef keep employees well-fed as they put in long hours. Cases of Sierra Nevada and Pyramid beer rest on the main office floor, and employees' dogs mingle among the desks.

Bevirt, who was born and raised in Swanton, is no stranger to creativity. His father, Ronald Bevirt, was a member of the Merry Pranksters, known for their acid-dropping experiments, communal residence at author Ken Kesey's La Honda home and Magic Bus drive across the country in the 1960s. The older Bevirt also owned the former Hip Pocket bookstore on Pacific Avenue, where he was arrested in 1965 on obscenity charges after hanging artsy photographs of male genitalia in store windows.

Bevirt was named after a character in Kesey's 1964 novel "Sometimes a Great Notion."

The first airborne turbines should produce power for the grid in 2012 or 2013, Bevirt said, in a pilot project possibly in the Midwest. The flat land and brisk breezes there create prime test conditions, he said.

These kinds of simple innovative ideas should be feasible for Indian Entrepreneurs. Carbon-carbon materials are used in the LCA aircraft project. IITs, NITs and other colleges can come up with simple stuff like the above and create a wind generator for powering 2000-3000 homes. Each village in India could use one of these contraptions. Power for everyone at renewable energy terms.

Big investments by industry stuck due to lack of work on jatropha seeds, support

It was supposed to replace a fifth of India’s diesel consumption by 2011 – a projection that led the government to identify 4,00,000 square kms (98 million acres) of land where it could be grown.

‘It’ here being jatropha, a genus of around 175 succulent plants, shrubs and trees, touted as one of nature’s answers to the global energy crisis. The seed produces an oil substitute for diesel — each seed containing 30-35 per cent oil and 65-70 per cent oil cake. A single hectare can yield 1,500-1,755 litres of jatropha oil, equivalent to 1,668 litres of biodiesel.

And so, many private companies, from Reliance Industries to many small and non-household names, plus public sector majors Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL), made huge investments in jatropha and solvent extraction plants to produce bio-diesel.

But, nothing’s so easy in nature. Initially, the industry thought jatropha could be grown on wasteland, without irrigation. They got it wrong, as good care is required for at least three years of the total plant life of 40-45 years, in which moderate irrigation is also required, says Preeti Kaur, an analyst with the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA).

And so, investments worth over $5 billion across the country are stuck due to failure of jatropha plantations. The companies in question are now putting money in research and development to introduce high-quality drought-tolerant seeds in a bid to save their investments.

“The plans have almost failed and our investments are stuck due to the poor quality of jatropha seeds. Other than this, small land holdings is a major reason for failure of jatropha plantations,” said Kaur.

It’s not that jatropha is an unknown commodity. The oil from jatropha curcas seeds is used to make biodiesel fuel in the Philippines and Brazil. Jatropha oil is also being promoted as an easily-grown biofuel crop in hundreds of projects across the globe. In India, too, jatropha has been planted along the railway line between Mumbai and Delhi. The train fuel itself has 15-20 per cent biodiesel.

According to a study by Mumbai-based Jatropha Agro, one tree yields up to two-three kg jatropha seeds per year under normal conditions without drip irrigation. One hectare can have 2,500 plants, constituting a total yield of 5,000 kg, or five tonnes. That is not enough. At present, 76 leading research institutes are working overtime to introduce a new genotype of a higher yield.

The national biofuel policy had mooted that jatropha be grown on a big enough scale to produce ‘green’ fuel, enough to replace as much as 20 per cent of petrol and diesel consumption by 2017. This would require bio-energy plantations over between 30 million and 40 million hectares, more than the total area under wheat today. The Centre has allocated Rs 5,000 crore to spur the cultivation of the plant.

For instance, petroleum ministry sources say BPCL has planted jatropha trees on vacant land at various depots is to launch a project to set up a biodiesel value chain in UP. The project envisages planting biofuel on land belonging to panchayats, covering a million acres of wasteland over a period of time. The UP government has accorded its approval and the process to identify the wasteland is on.

IOC has entered into a deal with the railways to study what can be done. It has taken up plantation on 62 hectares railway land at Surendranagar in Gujarat. About 1,50,000 saplings have been planted at the site.

IOC has also formed a venture with the Chhattisgarh government to produce 30,000 tonnes biodiesel per annum by planting jatropha over 30,000 hectares of revenue wasteland. However, progress has been tardy: Of the 30,000 hectares, plantation has been done only on 626 hectares.

Similar plans were prepared for Madhya Pradesh, where the state government made an offer of 2,000 hectares of wasteland in Jhabua district. However, IOC could get only 241 hectares during 2009. In Rajasthan, in 2008, the state government asked IOC to undertake plantation on 20,000 hectares of degraded forest land in Dungarpur. A feasibility study is underway.

“We are aware of the problems and are working with research institutes to develop high-yield seeds to make the project viable,” said Dinesh Shahra, managing director of Ruchi Soya Industries, which plans to become India’s largest biodiesel producer by 2020. The company is looking at one-million-tonne biodiesel production by the end of the decade, of which about 600,000 tonnes will be jatropha oil.

Ruchi Soya has entered into a 50:50 partnership with IOC for planting jatropha in Uttar Pradesh. The project will cost Rs 437 crore, a part of which will be funded by the UP government under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) scheme. This will also enable the company claim carbon credits. However, the feasibility report is still being prepared.

Companies will succeed only if they invest on research and development, work in close relationship with farmers and provide for the latter’s livelihood during the three gestation years. Without such backing the effort will die, says Souparna Lahiri of the National Forum of Forest People and Forest Workers.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/govt%5Cs-biofuel-dream-fails-to-take-off/393063/)

Kerala slowing India’s biomass advancements (http://www.bioenergy-news.com/index.php?/Industry-News?item_id=2036)
Clenergen Corporation signed a 49 year lease agreement with the Jeer Mutt Religious Institution for 5000 acres of land suitable for cultivation of its two species of tree and grass for the supply of fuel (wood chips) for a new construction of a 32MW/h Combustion Steam Biomass Power plant, to be located in land leased near Tuticorin, Tamilnadu. (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/clenergen-corporation-otcbb-crge-signs-49-year-lease-for-5000-acres-of-land-in-tamilnadu-india-for-supply-of-wood-chips-for-32mwh-new-biomass-power-plant-2010-05-05?reflink=MW_news_stmp)

Several states have responded well to the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) initiative to introduce a renewable electricity certificate (REC) mechanism.

While Gujarat has notified the final regulations on REC mechanism, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are waiting for the approval of regulations drafted by the state commissions.

Sources at CERC told Business Standard, “The state electricity regulatory commissions have been asked to provide an update on REC regulations from time to time. This, we believe, would facilitate implementation of the REC mechanism.”

“The ministry of new and renewable energy has already agreed to provide financial assistance of Rs 9 crore over the next 3 years towards implementation of the mechanism. This financial support would be provided for developing relevant software and hardware and for providing manpower to both central and state agencies.”

RECs are a type of environmental commodity intended to provide an economic incentive for electricity generation from renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power.

This mechanism aims to achieve both environmental and a country’s energy security objectives.

The regulations were put in place to issue transferable and saleable credit certificates to power generation projects from non conventional energy sources.

According to the CERC regulations, two types of certificates would be issued — solar and non-solar. The solar certificates will be given to those who would generate solar power, while the non-solar certificates are meant for companies generating electricity from other renewable energy sources.

However, the ministry has said the sale of solar power under the National Solar Mission initiative would have a special tariff and the companies would not be eligible for the REC mechanism.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/states-gearfor-renewable-energy-certificates/393850/)

NHPC is seeking approval for 10,000 mw projects: Chairman (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/interviews/NHPC-is-seeking-approval-for-10000-mw-projects-Chairman/articleshow/5786032.cms)
NTPC to pump Rs 45k cr in 500 MW clean energy projects (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/ntpc-to-pump-rs-45k-cr-in-500-mw-clean-energy-projects/93456/on)

India has a number of states which can potentially generate power using geothermal resources. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing a research, development and demonstration programme to explore source of geothermal energy in various states.

The government is conducting magneto-telluric (MT) investigations through the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) to do geothermal resource assessment studies. Such studies covered potential sites in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

The government said that the states such as Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand have initiated efforts for confirmation of the geothermal potential and setting up of geothermal power projects at some of the potential sites. However, the government said that it has so far not received any proposal from the states for approval for setting up of geothermal energy projects.

constructionweekonline (http://www.constructionweekonline.in/article-6267-india_studies_geothermal_source_to_generate_power/)

India will add about 9000 MW of wind power generation capacity during XIth Five Year Plan ending March 31, 2012, lower than previously targeted 11,000 MW.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said the target was lowered because of global economic slowdown in 2008-09. "We will be able to make up this deficit in the next Plan period (2012-17)," he said.

The country today has an installed capacity of 4,907 MW and a survey has identified 650 locations with potential of setting up wind farms in the country. Of this 216 have been found suitable, he said.

This fiscal, 2,760 MW of wind power installations are expected to be set up, he said. The highest 715 MW would come up in Karnataka, followed by 645 MW in Tamil Nadu. Gujarat will see 500 MW more wind power generation capacity and units of 300 MW each would come up in Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

"The Gujarat government has planned to reach a target of 4,000 MW of wind power capacity in the state in the coming years," he said. "The state has a potential of around 10,600 MW of wind power. As on March 31, 2010, wind power capacity of 1,860 MW has been set up," he said.

Asked about the generation cost, he said power generated from wind costs about Rs 3.56 per unit while the same from solar energy was several times more expensive at Rs 17-18 per unit.

Abdullah said the government was giving two sets of incentives to companies wanting to set up wind farms.

Under depreciation-linked incentives, 80 per cent accelerated depreciation on equipments, 10-year tax holiday, concessional customs duty on select equipment imported and excise duty exemption are given. The second set of incentive is generation linked.

Once generation linked incentive was introduced recently, companies were given an option to continue with their present depreciation-linked scheme or migrate to the new incentive scheme, he added.

BS (http://www.business-standard.com/india/storypage.php?autono=91641&tp=on)

Fersa builds 50MW Indian wind farm in Karnataka (http://cleantech.strategyeye.com/article/4ixeRH2e7DY/2010/04/14/fersa_builds_50mw_indian_wind_farm/)
Suzlon Green to set up 50 Mw wind farms in AP (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/suzlon-green-to-set50-mw-wind-farms-in-ap/393769/)

HYDERABAD: Wind energy sector in India is all set to add over 5,000 MW generation capacity per annum by 2015, a top official of the Indian Wind
Turbine Manufacturers Association has said.

"India has potential of generating about 48,000 mw power through wind energy. With the availability of new technology through powerful and taller masts, the total potential can be pegged at about 1.2 lakh mw," said D V Giri, Chairman of the IWTMA here.

He said the cost of production of a MW power would be Rs 5 to 6.5 crore which is much cheaper than the solar energy.

According to the data supplied by the association, the country today has about 11,000 MW of installed wind energy capacity and the utilisation (plant load factor) is between 15 to 20 per cent.

The association with 13 wind turbine and related equipment manufacturers has also been lobbying for policy reforms in expanding the wind energy generation.

According to Giri, 1,485 MW capacity was added to the sector in 2008-09, and in 2009-10, it was about 1,576 MW.

During the current year, the industry hopes to see an addition of about 2,000-2,200 MW capacity in this year.

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/Wind-energy-sector-to-add-over-5k-MW-gen-capacity-by-2015/articleshow/5892849.cms)

MUMBAI: It’s the latest and among the fastest growing sectors within global energy today, and has already made its presence felt in India.

A long coastline, low installation costs and ready local availability of key raw materials have all made India a favourite destination for offshore wind power, with global majors such as Areva, Siemens and GE queuing up to explore opportunities in the country.

High-profile investors such as Vinod Sethi, private equity major Blackstone and new clean technology funds have already invested in offshore wind energy companies planning for India, as this sector is expected to offer electricity tariffs at 40% less cost than that from traditional sources. “Offshore wind is the new growth area and has immense opportunities in India due to cheaper costs,” Areva Renewables global CEO Anil Srivastava told ET.

“Faster project building time and lower costs will make it an attractive option in India,” he said, adding that his company was currently studying the possibilities for such a venture in India.

Areva, the world’s largest nuclear plant builder, has already built 600 megawatts of offshore wind projects in Europe and has estimated that installation costs in India could be 30-40% less than that in Europe, where it is about $2.2 for every megawatt of offshore wind built. Like Areva, other majors such as Siemens and GE have been exploring similar opportunities in the country.

Cheaper tariffs will be the driving force for building offshore wind projects as prices of electricity are expected to grow due to tight coal supplies and surging demand. Spot rates for electricity have more than doubled to about Rs 10 per kilowatt hour, compared to Rs 4, last year.

“Such projects will also not have the tricky issue of acquiring land and if the cost parameters work out, then it’s a great option,” said Kuljit Singh, a partner with Ernst & Young.

Typically, in offshore wind projects, a large part of the offshore area will be offered to developers, who will build a minimum of 200-400 mw of wind power projects. Each such project will have a height of over 80 metres using about 600-900 tonnes of high-grade steel. This steel can be sourced locally.

Since offshore wind projects can be built close to big consumption centres that are typically located in coastal areas, the long western coastline will suit such a model as most large industries are situated along the country’s western coast.

In 2008, offshore wind power contributed 0.8 gigawatts of the total 28 gw of wind power capacity constructed in Europe. One gigawatt can power close to 650,000 homes in Europe. By 2009, 26 offshore wind farms had been constructed with an average rated capacity of 76 mw per farm.

“Offshore wind has a great investment theme,” said Vinod Sethi, a partner with investment firm Sethi Capital, and an major investor who earlier headed Morgan Stanley. “We have invested in an Austrian firm that will bring this technology to India.”

The growth potential also prompted Tulsi Tanti-promoted Suzlon to borrow heavily to acquire Germany’s REpower, mainly because of its expertise in offshore wind energy.

Barely two years into implementation, the UK has already emerged as one of the major users, with the country’s offshore wind power capacity now reaching 1 gigawatt of generating capacity. Also, compared to traditional power projects in thermal and other areas, it takes about 42 months, or just above three years to complete a wind farm.

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/Indias-wind-power-draws-global-majors/articleshow/5857628.cms)

New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved a project worth Rs473 crore to promote use of renewable energy in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

"The implementation of the project will start from June, 2010 and will be completed by December, 2013. The renewable energy projects are expected to result in a saving of about 200 lakh litres of diesel per year," officials said.

With the region rich in solar and hydro resources, it was felt that they can be effectively used for minimising the use of diesel, kerosene and fuel-wood, they said.

Detailed studies were undertaken in Leh and Kargil districts and after consultations with defence officials, Ladakh councils in Leh and Kargil and districts office ministry prepared the plan for large scale use of renewable energy with a total financial requirement of Rs473 crore.

Under the plan, 30 small or micro hydel projects aggregating to 23.5 MW capacity, 300 SPV power plants of 5-100 KW capacity, 2000 SPV home lighting systems and about 40,000 solar thermal systems such as water heating, solar cookers, solar passive buildings, solar green house are envisaged to be
set up, officials said.

In the project, solar greenhouses are also proposed to be set up, which would help in increasing the production of green vegetables in winters for the region, which are other wise procured from far off places.

New and renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah will visit Jammu and Kashmir next month to hold discussions with the chief minister Omar Abdullah, who is also his son, for speedy implementation of the plan, officials said.

The Ladakh region faces enormous energy adversities throughout the year, which become even more acute during the winter months with the population facing acute problem of fuel for cooking and space heating.

DNA/PTI (http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_project-to-promote-renewable-energy-use-in-ladakh-approved_1374785)

“Give us a policy that will drive growth”. This is the prayer of K. Kasthurirangaian, National Chairman of the Indian Wind power Association (IWPA).

“Though Prime Minister keeps on speaking in support of green energy, who is going to help him translate his dreams into reality ?”, he asks.

He is considered the “Pithamahan” in the green energy circles here for his unflagging zeal in promoting clean energy and his indomitable will and perseverance to bring about a change in the attitude of the Government and also the industries that will prove beneficial to the society at large.

There is nothing that he does not know regarding wind energy industry.

He has the unique distinction of being invited by the Energy Fair at Hanover, Germany, in April 2003, to talk on Indian wind power industry.

Born in an agricultural family at Mettupalayam in 1932, he graduated in Mechanical Engineering from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore. He was an Assistant Professor at Coimbatore Institute of Technology for a decade.

“Foundry industry in Coimbatore is more than a century old. However, I also started a small foundry in 1963. But I didn't want to make pump motors as others did as I wanted to do something differently”, he says.

In a chat with G. Satyamurty, Mr. Kasthurirangaian talks about his voyage in the industrial world , his association with industrial bodies , his love for clean energy and his current endeavour to contribute something substantial for wind energy sector.

“I was the first to do automobile castings here including brake and engine components”.

Now they are used in more than 35 countries apart from the domestic market.

His company was the first in India to get ISI certification marking for its castings as early as 1975. Now his unit is ISO 9001:2000 certified.

One who has led several industrial associations, he is now the Chairman of the 1000-investor member strong IWPA. He is also a member of the National Council of the CII.

Despite nearing 80, his brain is razor sharp and he comes out with a coherent argument why both the Central and State Governments should chisel their policy towards promoting green energy.

“”I have been a green enthusiast from the beginning and also an organic farmer. I didn't like to use energy that comes out of burning coal”.

Then began his quest for wind energy, which is clean, in abundance and renewable.

His company was one among the early birds to enter the wind energy sector in 1994.

He recalls the assurance of former TNEB Chairman Appadurai in 1980s which triggered the enthusiasm of the entrepreneurs who were bent upon generating clean energy.

“He promised us: put up wind mill in any part of Tamil Nadu. Our Department will deliver it at the door step of your factory located in any part of the State”.

He remembers with gratitude that the Electricity Department then collected just two per cent of the electricity generated as its service charge.

As wind mills generate 85 per cent of their total production in just six months of a year (May –October), “we were allowed to bank that energy (deposit) for the rest of the year”.

“These are the two major policy initiatives which will support the industry that every State should undertake”, he pleads.

“Now my foundry uses only the power from the renewable energy wind farms put up in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka”.

But most of the States, where wind energy could be tapped, are unwilling to come out with anything concrete in terms of policy support.

While Gujarat wants to use gas which it has in abundance, Andhra Pradesh wants to tap both hydel and KG gas potential it has. Rajasthan wants to go in for solar power.

Only Karnataka is prepared to put up wind mills for generating 1,000 MW every year.

Tamil Nadu has all along been in the forefront.

In Tamil Nadu, the contribution of hydel is just seven per cent of the total energy production. Wind power comes next with 13 per cent. The production cost of wind energy is just about Rs. 5 crores for one MW.

“While India can produce 48,000 MW of wind energy, so far we have installed wind mills that could generate only 10,500 MW.”

It is estimated that Tamil Nadu could produce 5,500 MW in the wind energy sector. Of that we have installations for producing 4,582 MW at present. Of the 200 places recommended in the country for installing wind mills, 60 are in Tamil Nadu. “Thus 40 per cent of the total wind energy installations in the country are in our State”.

But, Mr .Kasthurirangaian is not satisfied.

He points out the phenomenal progress that Chinas has made in this sector. “Three years ago, China put up wind mills to generate 3,000 MW. Next year it added wind farms for 6,000 MW more. Last year, it augmented its capacity by 10,000 MW more. Now it has plans to install wind mills for another 25,000 MW. There is every possibility it will reach the No. 1 spot from the current No. 3 at the world level next year”.

He is categorical that the commitment of the Central Government with regard to energy leaves much to be desired.”

For example, it is squabbling over making some extra payment for buying ethanol from the sugar mills which could be mixed with petrol. This could save substantial precious foreign exchange, and after all, it is our own farmers who would benefit.”

Similarly, give the electric vehicle manufacturers considerable tax breaks or tax holiday to promote them, he says.

“The Centre is talking of National Solar Mission. When is it going to think of National Wind Mission?”

He is thoroughly unhappy with TNEB for delaying payments to the wind farm companies to the tune of Rs. 150 crores for the past six months saying it has no money.” This amount is a pittance for such a big organisation”.

He also wonders why it pays three types of tariff for the wind farms depending upon the period in which they were installed.

“Can't this be uniform? Why are you penalising those who installed them well ahead of others?”

He doesn't want any subsidy at all.” What we want is a good policy frame work that will drive growth, support and sustain this industry which will benefit the world at large,” he concludes.

The Hindu (http://beta.thehindu.com/life-and-style/article394818.ece)

Chennai, Apr 29 (PTI) The government today said it would come out with guidelines for Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission by May 15.

"We have listened to all the people and now the guidelines are being worked out. By May 15 the guidelines will be out," New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah told reporters here.

The objective of the mission, under the brand 'Solar India', is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy by creating policy conditions for diffusion across the country, he said.

The mission stipulates the target under three phases for various solar application segments including Utility Grid Solar power.

Earlier, speaking at a seminar on 'Green Energy' organised by industry body ASSOCHAM and Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Abdullah urged the industry to look for more indigenisation of products for manufacturing of solar energy in order to reduce costs.

PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/631422_Guidelines-for-Solar-Mission-to-be-ready-by-May-15)

New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) Only 18.7 million sq m of solar thermal collector area is possible against the National Solar Mission target of 20 million sq m by 2022, Government said today.

"As per reports, the Solar Thermal Federation of India (STFI) has indicated that achievement of about 18.7 million square metre of solar thermal collector area is possible as against the NSM target of 20 million square metre by 2022," New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said in reply to a Rajya Sabha query.

STFI is a body of 14 solar thermal manufacturers including new energy majors- - TATA-BP Solar, Emmvee Solar, Nuetech Solar, Solchrome, BoroSolar, Photon Solar, V-Guard, Electrotherm, Kotak Urja and Akson Solar.

The Minister added that STFI has not yet submitted its memorandum to the Ministry in this regard.

PTI (http://www.ptinews.com/news/627384_Solar-thermal-collector-area-to-be-below-NSM-target)

"We are discussing it with at least 9 serious developers in India. We hope to close few Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the coming weeks," Anil Srivastava told Reuters in an interview.

Most of the Indian power developers are discussing setting up 50 megawatts (mw) solar-thermal power stations and Areva would be able to offer these projects at a cost of USD 3 million-USD 3.3 million per mw, the US-educated CEO said.

It is also planning to use solar generated steam technology to bring down the capex for coal-fired power plants - the mainstay of Indian power sector - as it has done for Macquarie Generation's coal-fired station in Australia, the India-born CEO added.
Areva Renewble will invest USD 15-20 million per mobile assembly units used for setting up the solar-thermal projects depending on the number of project wins and would double the headcount for the firm in next 6-18 months from 165 now, he said.
It has been involved in India's renewable energy sector since 2004, supplying turnkey biomass based power plants from a South Indian city centre of Chennai and completed 5 such power projects, a company handout showed.

moneycontrol (http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/areva-close-to-india-solar-deals_453462.html)

CLP charges up India push (http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=1&art_id=97504&sid=27880063&con_type=1)
Honeywell plans to raise India headcount to meet growing demand for aeroplanes and green fuel (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/jobs/Honeywell-plans-to-raise-India-headcount/articleshow/5798930.cms)

Cheaper solar power in pipeline (http://www.pfie.com/cheaper-solar-power-in-pipeline/588643.article)
Bharat Book Bureau: Solar Power India (http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/press-release/sopwe_bharat-book-bureau-solar-power-india-939941.html)
Haryana Raj Bhawan buildings to get solar power plants (http://www.deccanherald.com/content/67500/haryana-raj-bhawan-buildings-get.html)

Chennai: With the diesel gensets powering 3 lakh telecom towers guzzling Rs 6,400 crore fossil fuel every year, the time has come to think about solar power replacing diesel gensets, said Farooq Abdullah, minister of new and renewable energy (MNRE). “While the need for tower powering is around 3 kw the companies install gensets with larger 15 kw capacity and there is a huge market in solar by replacing the fossil fuel usage,” he said.

Speaking at the seminar on mainstreaming green energy organized by Assocham, Abdullah said government would extend the entire required fillip like capital subsidy, interest subsidy and accelerated depreciation of equipment to those wishing to make investments in this area. When 85% crude oil imports go for power production in the country, solar technology could come handy in replacing 30,000 mw of power produced by diesel and 6,000 mw of power by furnace oil.

Underscoring the incidence of maximum transmission losses of the current Indian grid system, the MNRE minister said the investors should explore the option of bringing micro hydel and solar to 40% of villages that are off the electricity map of India. “I am throwing bait to industry to invest and grow, but with a word of caution of not dumping cheap technology in the Indian market. Our government would encourage indigenization of operational technology at every level”, he said.

Stressing on the Indianisation of technology, he appealed to the industry stakeholders to give a serious thought as they await abundant opportunities once if their technology is proved successful in the Indian market. “Indianisation would not only help India, but

also countries like Africa where our renewable energy entrepreneurs have a huge opportunity in exporting tested local

technology from Indian soil”, he said.

Abdullah expressed concern over the power production cost being around Rs 18 a unit from solar technology and said that expansion in scale and volume would drastically bring the production cost down to the affordable level. The proposed 20 million square meter coverage by 2022 under the national solar mission(NSM) titled Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission is possible with solar industries achieving around 3.2 million square meter coverage at now, he said.

FE (http://www.financialexpress.com/news/-Use-solar-energy-for-telecom-towers-/613605/)

Integrated Energy Policy Report of the Planning Commission has projected that with a concerted push, the alternative/renewable energy sources may account for 5 to 6 per cent of India’s energy mix by 2031-32. As such, in the medium term these sources can only supplement the energy needs in the country to a certain extent and cannot in themselves overcome the shortage of power. Grid-connected renewable power has received a major boost and its total installed capacity has increased from 4,742 MW as on 31.3.2004 to 16,817 MW as on 31.03.2010.

This information was given by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

PIB (http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=61323)

"It makes China more secure by reducing growth in its consumption of fossil fuels and forcing consumers to respond when markets tighten. It also helps China reduce its rate of increase of greenhouse gas emissions and enables it to invest in renewable energy and other sustainable development projects,"

ET (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/Indias-fuel-subsidies-dont-help-poor-says-expert/articleshow/5848769.cms)

Indian leaders want energy development streamlined (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ghUuoVQph06gsLtkGhzx2MhVhgegD9F8DFFO3)

* Special Incentive Package Scheme closed.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/04/15/images/2010041556760101.jpg

India's Special Incentive Package Scheme (SIPS), aimed at galvanising investments in semiconductor fabs, ecosystem units and solar PV projects, has attracted 26 proposals, together worth more than Rs 2,29,000 crore.

The ambitious scheme — the Government's endeavour to position India in the league of global hi-tech manufacturing destinations — closed on March 31, 2010, three years after it was flagged off by the Centre. With the SIPS counter now closed, no new applications will be accepted by the Department of IT (DIT) under the scheme, although the processing of existing applications will continue.

Big names

A source said that the last few months preceding the deadline saw a spurt of applications, including big names such as BHEL, Birla Surya, and Sterlite Technologies. The DIT had also received an investment proposal from Moser Baer for semiconductor packaging (ATMP), the source added.

While BHEL's Rs 1,566-crore investment proposal pertains to solar cells and modules, Sterlite's application covers LCD panels and glass substrate (Rs 9,600 crore). Other companies that submitted applications recently include Jain Solar Energy Pvt Ltd, Enfield Solar Energy Ltd and Cosmic Photovoltaic Pvt Ltd.

The rush to apply for incentives under SIPS ahead of the deadline is evident from the fact that as many as seven formal proposals were received by the DIT last month alone. While only a few applications are in the areas of wafer-fab or other eco-system units, a majority of the overall proposals received till date are to do with production of solar PV cells and modules.

This assumes significance considering that India expects to rely on renewable energy to reduce its emission intensity by 2020. The Government recently launched a National Solar Mission that aims to feed 20,000 MW to the national grid by 2022.

Green signal

The sources further said that till early December 2009, the DIT had received 18 applications under SIPS. Of these, 13 were granted in-principle clearance by the Government, implying prima facie that the proposals met the basic technical criteria. Those given the green signal were Titan Energy Systems, Reliance Industries, Tata BP Solar Power, PV Technologies India (a subsidiary of Moser Baer), KSK Surya PV Ventures, Signet Solar, Indo-Solar Ltd, Solar Semiconductors, TF SolarPower, Lanco Solar Pvt Ltd, EPV Solar and Bhaskar Silicon. Subsequently, these applicants were asked to complete the financial closure.

Although the response to the scheme has been overwhelming, going by the sheer number of applications filed, the global downturn may have played a bit of a spoiler prolonging the process of financial closure. At last count, only six applicants were either close to achieving financial closure or had tied-up commitments higher than the threshold value stipulated in the scheme (Rs 2,500 crore for fab units and Rs 1,000 crore for eco-system units, including PV).

Financial support

In the next stage, the appraisal committee will recommend whether or not the Government can approve financial support to a particular project.

The semiconductor scheme stipulates that the Central Government will provide incentives of 20 per cent of capital expenditure — land, building, plant, machinery and technology — during the first 10 years, for units in Special Economic Zones. For non-SEZ units, incentives are capped at 25 per cent of capital expenditure. Any unit, approved under the scheme, can claim incentives in the form of capital subsidy or equity participation. This can be a mix of equity in the project (up to 26 per cent) and capital subsidy in the form of investment grant and interest subsidy.

On the face of it, while capital subsidy may appear to be the logical choice for any investor, there is a small catch. Incentive, in the form of capital subsidy, can be availed only after an applicant pumps in investments matching the threshold value (for the project), whereas investors who opt for equity as part of the incentive package can be given such equity after financial closure for the project. This will be released on proportionate basis as promoters bring in their own equity into the SIPS project.

Business Line (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2010/04/15/stories/2010041556760100.htm)

Solar power: India Inc lines up Rs 100,000-crore plans (http://business.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/apr/15/slide-show-1-india-inc-readies-rs-100000-crore-solar-power-plans.htm)

NTPC, Tata Power, JSW Energy and Sterlite Energy are among over 200 have sent in proposals to set up solar power projects in Rajasthan. Ta ken together, the capacity proposed by all the companies adds up to 7,000 mw.

The interest shown is despite the fact that the government is yet to call for bids for 1,000 mw grid connected projects under the national solar mission.

Moser Baer, Photon Solar and Lanco Solar are among companies that have sent proposals to the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC), its chairman and managing director, Naresh Pal Gangwar, told Financial Chronicle over the phone.

The corporation is the nodal agency for promoting and developing nonconventional energy sou rces in Rajasthan. Most of the companies want to set up solar photovoltaic technologybased projects; a few have indicated they want to set up solar thermal power plants.

Senior officials of Tata Power and NTPC independently confirmed that they had put in their proposals, but declined to say anything more.

Gangwar said a number of foreign companies in collaboration with Indian players were also interested.

“Rajasthan offers the best solar potential in India.

Being a desert state, land is available in abundance and cheap rates,” a Lanco Infratech official said.

A senior official in the ministry of new and renewable energy confirmed the development but said the it might be difficult to find buyers of costly solar electricity. “Rajasthan has immense potential for solar power. There is a lot of enthusiasm among developers about the solar mission.

The question, however, is which state distribution company will buy costly solar power."

The cost of generating a unit solar power is about Rs 15, while the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has fixed the normative tariff at Rs 17.91.

Power from coal-based projects is sold at Rs 4 a unit though generation costs Rs 5 per 1,000 units.

The national solar mission aims at creation of 20,000 mw of solar power capacity by 2022. In the first phase ending 2013, the government proposes grid-connected solar power generation of 1,000 mw.

The solar power would be bundled with conventional power to bring down the cost and sold to states by NTPC's wholly-owned subsidiary * NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam. The bundling proposal is limited to the first 1,000-mw generated under the national scheme.

The nigam will enter into long-term power purchase agreements with solar power developers. The power ministry will allocate an equivalent capacity to the nigam from the central unallocated quota for bundling with solar power.

mydigitalfc (mydigitalfc.com)

Gujarat: Thriving to become a Power-hub (http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Gujarat-Thriving-to-become-a-Power-hub-28004-3-1.html)