Low Carbon News in India in January 2014
India almost doubles solar energy, with big plans for more
New data from the Government of India reveals that the country almost doubled its cumulative solar energy capacity last year, boosting progress towards its ambitious solar targets.
India added over 1 gigawatt of solar power to its electricity grid in 2013, a landmark figure which sees the country’s total solar capacity almost double to 2.18 gigawatts, according to the Government of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
The growth, which was partially driven by India’s National Solar Mission and state-level policies, shows that India is on track to hit its solar target of 10 gigawatts by 2017, and 20 gigawatts by 2022.
In the last ten years, India’s renewable energy total rose from under 4 gigawatts to more than 27 gigawatts, of which wind power contributes around two-thirds.
India and UAE join forces on renewable energy
India and UAE have agreed to work together to promote and advance renewable energy, specifically solar and wind power.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Minister of New and Renewable Energy for India and Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State for UAE at the weekend, around cooperation to promote clean enery in the two countries through a Joint Working Group.
The Group will see the countries work together to exchange and train scientific and technical experts, and share best practice and data around renewables. The Ministers also agreed to organize a series of workshops and seminars about different clean technologies, with a focus on solar and wind.
The Climate Group partners with SELCO India to provide clean energy solutions for rural communities in Maharashtra, India
SELCO India in partnership with Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF) and Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan (BNGVN), have joined The Climate Group’s Bijli – Clean Energy for All program to install Solar Home-Lighting Systems in 700 households within the next six months. The new partnership will provide decentralized clean energy solutions to 3,500 new customers in the hilly tribal villages in Nandurbar district, Maharashtra.
Rural communities in the villages of Nandurbar district who are not connected to the national grid, typically use kerosene lanterns to light their households. These inefficient kerosene lamps are not only environmentally damaging but also pose significant health hazards and are often expensive to the rural villagers.
The Climate Group’s Access to Rural Energy in India programme, Bijli – Clean Energy for All, principally funded by the Dutch Postcode Lottery, aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the lives of rural inhabitants in India by deploying renewable energy technologies and improving infrastructure quality.
Research paper on Electric vehicle scenarios for India: Implications for development and mitigation
Electric vehicles are not a mitigation option unless electricity is cleaned up and these together with smart grids & renewables can provide a solution for this says P R Shukla in this paper presented at the Development and Mitigation forum held at Cape Town from 27-29 January 2014.
Link: http://devmitforum.ercresources.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Shukla-Dhar-Bhaskar.pdf
Himachal records reduction in greenhouse gas emission
Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to record reduction in GHGs emission from 10.083 million tonnes (m in 2009 to 9.197 million tonnes (m) in 2013. This has been inferred from two greenhouse inventories prepared following an exhaustive survey of key sectors responsible for emission of GHGs.
The GHG emissions in 2009 and 2013 have been worked out for sectors and sub-sectors including transport, buildings, industry, waste, agriculture and forestry, energy and change in land use in respect of predominant GHGs like carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide.
The studies carried out by the HP State Council for Science Technology and Environment, State Pollution Control Board, Electricity Board and key departments like Transport and Economics & Statistics revealed that the maximum reduction had come about in energy and allied sector and quantum of GHG emissions reduced from 6.066 million tonnes to 5.147 million tonnes.
Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140123/himachal.htm#5
India’s First Monorail Opens in Mumbai
India’s first monorail opens for the public, five years after construction began and two years later than its scheduled launch. Nevertheless, the monorail promises residents in Mumbai’s crowded eastern neighborhoods and suburbs improved connectivity to key railway stations which, in turn, are a passage to the city’s business center in the south.
Mumbai’s commuters are accustomed to snail-paced traffic and trains typically packed to three times their capacity. The monorail here is six meters high and whisks over some of the financial capital’s narrowest lanes. It crosses creeks, bridges and railway lines.
The 8.9 kilometer monorail that opens this weekend connects Wadala, a neighborhood along the eastern side of the island city, to Chembur, an eastern suburb. The remaining 10.2 kilometer stretch is expected to open next year, and connects Wadala to Mahalaxmi, a south Mumbai neighborhood close to the city’s financial center.
A ticket to hop onto the monorail, which cost 30 billion rupees or $480 million to build, is priced between 5 rupees (8 cents) to 20 rupees (32 cents.)
Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/01/31/indias-first-monorail-opens-in-mumbai/
New net-metering policy to make residential rooftop solar more attractive in Gujarat
In order to provide the necessary fillip roof-top solar power projects sector in Gujarat, the state government will be introducing a new “net-metering policy” in 2-3 weeks, that will provide better financial incentives to solar-power generating households.
Under this new policy, Gujarat government proposes to introduce “Net-Metering” for power consumers in the state. Net metering is an electricity policy — similar to the ones introduced by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh or Uttarakhand — for utility customers who operate their own “self-generation” photovoltaic systems at their residences.
The net-metering system is expected to make solar rooftop projects more attractive to individual households, especially in the new towns and cities in Gujarat where the project is yet to pick up.
Link: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/new-netmetering-policy-to-power-gujarats-solarrooftops/1220714/1
Solar Power Developers’ Association meets Dr. Farooq Abdullah, discusses issues
Associates from the newly organized Solar Power Developers’ Association (SPDA) met the Minister of New and Renewable Energy, for the first time to discuss and examine critical issues from the perspective of the project development and investment community in India. For this meeting, SPDA was represented by associates from Welspun, Azure Power, Green Infra and BRIDGE TO INDIA.
– Developers raise the issues of incoherence in state level allocations and targets vis-à-vis the national policy
– Unrealistically low capital cost projections for solar PV by CERC for the FY2014-15
– The need for green corridors to protect the interest of new and already installed projects
– Impact of possible anti-dumping duties on the on-going NSM bids
SPDA put forth a host of issues that required attention from the ministry in a hope that their resolution will provide a significant impetus to the emerging solar sector in India.
India’s first climate change theatre opens at science city Kapurthala, Punjab
India’s first climate change theatre was opened at Pushpa Gujral Science City, Kapurthala, to educate people on one of the most pressing developmental issue in the world. According to Science City authorities while this theatre is India’s first it is second in the world as only Canada has one such theatre.
The 18 meter diameter theatre, inaugurated by Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral, has been set up in a dome shaped building with the seating capacity of 125 persons. “It will provide the visitors an unforgettable experience aiming to sensitize the audience about the currently debated subject of Climate Change and Global Warming. Visitors will be made aware of and have a better understanding and appreciation for the latest climate science and the issues surrounding the human role in climate change,” said a Science City spokesperso