Low Carbon News in India in October 2013
Solar Energy
Cumulative Solar capacity in India reached 2.1 GW
Solar power in India crossed 2 GW according to the latest updated by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. This includes both grid connected and off-grid systems. As of 31 August 2013, the total solar installed capacity stood at 2100 MW, out of which grid-connected solar capacity was 1969 MW and off-grid systems was 131 MW.
Delhi Metro to take up solar power projects
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in order to carry out projects for the production of renewable solar power in the Delhi Metro premises. The production of solar power through this MOU will help DMRC partially fulfill its energy requirements as well as reduce carbon footprints. Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is a not-for-profit company under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, with the objective of developing Solar Technologies and solar power plants in India.
As per the MoU, both the organizations will collaborate for the development of Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Projects (ground mounted, rooftop and other possible modes) at identified DMRC Sites for the production of solar energy.
After signing of this MoU, a pilot project, of 500 kWp rooftop grid connected Solar PV Project will be installed at one of the identified rooftops of the Delhi Metro Stations. The two organizations will also explore the possibility of developing of another site (s) where Solar PV Plant can be set – up.
http://www.delhimetrorail.com/whatnew_details.aspx?id=sisI5EWPIBDhQlld
Solar Street to be installed in 28 villages
As many as 28 villages in Coimbatore region will soon get 15 street lights each that will be powered by solar energy.
The Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA) officials had discussions with the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) in this regard here on Wednesday. Solar street lights have been installed under the Tamil Nadu Village Habitations Improvement (THAI) scheme in 42 locations in 2011-2012. Each village received about 10 solar street lights.
The basic infrastructure for these is provided by the Tangedco. For 2012-2013, the number of locations has been reduced to 28. Another 420 lights will be installed in these places under the THAI scheme.
An official of TEDA told The Hindu that each street light would have a 20 watt LED lamp. By reducing the number of locations and increasing the solar street lights for each village, it will be possible to cover the entire village under the solar project.
Link: http://indiasolarmarket.com/2013/10/solar-street-lights-installed-28-villages-coimbatore-thai-scheme/
Philips installing Solar Street Light in The state of Tamil Nadu
Consumer electronics firm Philips will export solar LED street lights, which it has developed in India, to neighbouring nations within next one year. The company’s Indian arm, Philips Electronics India, is currently executing a project for installing 19,000 solar LED street lights in Tamil Nadu in association with Tata Power Solar and Su-kam. “Solar is a very efficient mode of energy. The technology for solar LED street lights were developed in India and for India,” Philips Electronics India President (Lighting India) Nirupam Sahay told PTI. The company has designed and developed the technology at its R&D centre at Noida keeping in mind the rural market, which has a big potential as electrification has not yet touched large number of villages across the country, he added. “We are just executing about 19,000 such street lights in Tamil Nadu and we are talking to more state governments on this front. These lights have big scope in cities also,” he said without sharing details.
Link: http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/philips-to-export-solar-led-street-lightsindia_764186.html
Solar Rooftop Energy in Chandigarh city
The ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) of the Government of India has given approval to equip solar energy plants atop private houses but curtailed their number from 300 to 230. Solar plants of three categories, 1 kilowatt, 2 kilowatt and 3 kilowatt, would be provided to residents as per space of houses. One kilowatt plant requires 100 square feet area and would be able to generate 1,300 to 1,400 units of electricity in a year.
“The cost of the 1KW plant will be roughly around Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.40 lakh with battery. A resident will get 30% subsidy,” said Kumar, adding tenders would be advertised within a week for selecting competent companies and later impanel them from where people could buy the equipment.
HFCs
No Phasing out refrigerant gases
Sticking to its stance of not allowing phase-out of climate changing refrigerant gases under the Montreal Protocol at this juncture, India continued to block the move at the ongoing meeting of the multilateral agreement in Bangkok. India has opposed bringing control of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — a family of greenhouse gases used as refrigerants — under the Montreal Protocol, which is meant to deal only with ozone-depleting gases.
Recently India came in for diplomatic arm-twisting by the U.S. to let that happen in the run-up to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with President Barack Obama. Having softened its stance on the issue at the G20 talks, the Indian government had to take a step back later in bilateral meetings with the U.S. The U.S. demanded that India agree to set up a ‘contact group’ on HFCs in the Montreal Protocol, which would effectively kick-start the process of dealing with the gases out of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where the gases are currently handled and developed countries are required in principle to pay full costs for technology transitions. With the bilateral task force yet to decide on the way forward, the Indian government has decided to stick to its original stance that HFCs be dealt within UNFCCC negotiations and not be exported to the Montreal Protocol.
Link: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-phasing-out-refrigerant-gases-india/article5266096.ece
Energy Efficiency
Smart and Efficient Air Conditioning and Space Cooling for India
At a recent India US meeting, US President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh agreed to focus on improving the energy efficiency of air-conditioning in India. This has the potential to avoid around 120 large power plants of 500 MW each, and to avoid power cuts. It will also help improve energy security by reducing fuel imports.
Air conditioners could add as much as 140 GW to peak load by 2030. The new India-US Collaboration on Smart and Efficient Air Conditioning and Space Cooling is intended to advance policies and innovation to drive mass deployment and rapid uptake of high-efficiency cooling equipment and technologies to capture significant energy savings.
Link: http://news.yahoo.com/improved-air-conditioners-save-india-60-000-mw-053409690.html
Utility companies spread awareness on energy efficiency
Reliance Infra, a company which supplies power to 2.9 million households in Mumbai’s suburbs, will educate nearly 0.1 million students from 200 schools by the year end on energy conservation. By educating the students, it will also be able to spread awareness among their families — thereby sensitizing 0.7 million consumers in the city.
Another power company -the Tata Power Company (TPC) too has similar programmes on energy conservation for school children across the metropolis, through its Club Enerji initiative.
Sources said that Rinfra was achieving this target through its Young Energy Savers (YES) programme by spreading awareness on energy conservation since last four years. In 2012, it became the first utility in India to enter Guinness book of world records, where 300 YESschool children gathered at one place dressed like trees to spread the message of energy conservation.
Waste to Energy
India getting into gear with waste-to-energy initiative
India is all set to convert its trash to treasure as it gears up, albeit a bit slowly, to strengthen its waste-to-energy sector and boost recycling and reuse, with one expert estimating the annual earnings from biofuel alone at INR50,000 crore (USD11 billion). Although the Indian government has recognized the waste-to-energy sector as a renewable technology and has allocated nearly INR200 crore (USD44.5 million), it’s still in the nascent stage but things are slowly picking up, Amiya Kumar Sahu, president of the National Solid Waste Association of India, told IANS.
Link: http://www.cleanbiz.asia/news/india-getting-gear-waste-energy-initiative#.Un6OvPmnp1c
Conference on Climate Change
Events on Low Carbon Theme
Expert Workshop to finalize the Methodology for Development of Comprehensive Mobility Plans (CMPs) for Cities
An expert workshop to revise the methodology for development of Comprehensive Mobility Plans (CMPs) took place on 17-18 October 2013, in New Delhi, India. The two day workshop was organised jointly by the Institute of Urban Transport (IUT) and UNEP Risoe Centre (URC). IUT has been mandated by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) to undertake a revision of the existing toolkit for Comprehensive Mobility Plans (CMPs), whereas URC and project partners in India are in the process of finalizing the toolkit for Low-Carbon Comprehensive Mobility Plans (LCMPs) as a part of the UNEP project on “Promoting Low Carbon Transport (LCT) in India”.
The revision is being undertaken based on a review of CMP exercises in Indian cities and experiences of LCT in India project participants, in preparation of LCMPs in the cities of Vishakhapatnam, Rajkot and Udaipur. The workshop featured presentations from lead authors developing the methodology, followed by feedback and inputs provided by co-authors and external transport experts during the first day. This were be followed by a writing retreat for the authors during the second day, where they incorporated comments and inputs generated from day one discussions.
Link: http://www.unep.org/transport/lowcarbon/
Conference on Cities and Sustainability
Conference on Cities and Sustainability was hosted by the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research on October 29-30, 2013. Such integration should focus on developing response strategies aiming at climate change control, building more resilient and ecologically sound habitats, provision of quality services that are equitable and improving the urban governance. Key themes of the conference included :
- Planning Cities for Sustainability
- Climate Change, Cities and Governance
- Provision of Services in Metropolitan Cities
- Planning and Securing Cities for Energy
- Transportation and Greening Infrastructure
- EIPs and SEZs as a Means to Sustainability of Cities