Low Carbon News in India in May 2014
Ministry of Environment and Forests renamed as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
In a move that signals changed priorities, the ministry of environment and forests has undergone a nomenclature change. It has been renamed as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The nomenclature change indicates the government’s acknowledgement of the serious challenge that climate change poses. Climate change is not an addition to the ministry’s portfolio, however the focus has largely been on international negotiations.
With climate change being made one of the three focus areas of the ministry, the government has made it clear that it considers climate change to be an issue with domestic implications as well.
The recognition of the clear and present danger that climate change poses to the government’s efforts to ensure a high growth path and alleviate poverty is in line with the recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. For civil society activists and experts who have long argued on the urgent need to address climate change as a domestic issue without jeopardising India’s position and stance in the global negotiations, the new government’s move is seen as a welcome first step.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-05-28/news/50149634_1_climate-change-navroz-dubash-climate-action-network
India’s new Prime Minister NarendraModi brings new hope for low carbon economy
With a strong history of support for clean energy as well as ambitious climate policy and renewables investment high up on his agenda, Modi’s leadership has the potential to accelerate a new era of low carbon growth and create a better future for all in the country.
Articulating his strategy for the energy sector, Modi has publicly supported solar and low carbon at large to bring about an “energy revolution” in the country.
In the past, together the Indian government and the private sector have undertaken a number of major efforts to promote a low carbon economy in India, by encouraging energy-efficient clean production as well as use of clean energy.
However, for continuous stimulation and monitoring of the changes needed to facilitate the transition to an environmentally sustainable low carbon economy, it is necessary to have an effective and strongly determined institutional set-up.
http://www.theclimategroup.org/what-we-do/news-and-blogs/indias-new-prime-minister-narendra-modi-brings-new-hope-for-low-carbon-economy/
India needs to invest $834 billion for lower carbon emissions by 2030
India will have to invest $834 billion in the two decades ending 2030 to reduce its emission intensity to gross domestic product by 42 per cent over 2007 levels, according to a Planning Commission expert group.
According to the final report of the expert group on low carbon strategies for inclusive growth, the massive change in the energy mix by 2030 will result in lower demand of coal at 1,278 million tonnes from estimated 1,568 million tonnes.
It has also said the measures would help in reducing demand for crude oil to 330 million tonnes from an estimated 406 million tonnes by 2030.
However, it says that the low carbon emission strategy would increase the consumption of gas in energy mix and its consumption would be increase from 187 bcm to 208 bcm.
Under the low carbon energy mix, the installed capacities of wind and solar power need to increase to 118 GW and 110 GW respectively by 2030.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-05-19/news/49948884_1_green-india-mission-carbon-expert-group
India, China need to take steps on climate change: US
The U.S. has said that it is willing to take steps to reduce its emissions but also wants countries like India and China to take responsibility to address the challenge of climate change.
“Any successful international climate agreement is going to depend on many nations, including the United States, making commitments to reduce their emissions,” said a senior administration official on Wednesday.
Noting that the domestic actions of nations should be a part of an international response, the official said, “everybody has to step up to the plate. Of course, one of the things we said is we’re willing to take steps to reduce our emissions, but we need countries like China and India that are emerging emitters to take steps as well”.
The official said steps like development of Climate Action Plan by the U.S. will enable it to meet the types of commitments it made in Copenhagen about fuel efficiency standards or coal-fired power plants.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/india-china-need-to-take-steps-on-climate-change-us/article6059862.ece
India set to add more industrial units under energy efficiency cap-and-trade scheme
The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) of India is planning to expand the Perform-Achieve-Trade (PAT) energy efficiency cap-and-trade scheme. The Bureau will add more designated consumers across four sectors – iron & steel, textile, cement and paper & pulp. The minimum threshold for inclusion of industrial units and baseline years have been modified slightly.
The threshold for inclusion of industrial units in the iron & steel and paper & pulp sectors would be reduced from 30,000 to 20,000 metric tonne of oil equivalent (MTOE) per year. The threshold for textile and cement sectors are expected to remain the same at 3,000 and 30,000 metric tonne of oil equivalent (MTOE) per year respectively.
http://www.climate-connect.co.uk/Home/?q=India%20set%20to%20add%20more%20industrial%20units%20under%20energy%20efficiency%20cap-and-trade%20scheme
SEAD Initiative Deploys Energy Efficient Street Lighting Projects in India
The Clean Energy Ministerial’s SEAD Initiative, with support from CLASP, is working with Indian city governments and local partners to train municipalities on the use of SEAD’s Street Lighting Tool to identify energy efficient and cost-effective options for upgrading street lights.
A large number of India’s Urban Local Bodies have either inadequate or poor street lighting and incur high maintenance costs, often amounting to 10-15% of a typical municipal budget. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) of India also reports that 1% of all electricity consumed in India – equal to 6.7 TWh in 2010-11 – goes to provide public lighting. However, retrofitting street lights can create 25-60% in energy savings by using efficient technologies and better design practices.
Accelerating energy efficiency in infrastructure development projects – specifically to help meet rapidly growing municipal energy demands at the national level – is a focus area in India’s 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017). India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), along with its state partners, is leading the advancement of municipal energy efficiency programs in the country. In support of this goal, SEAD convened an Energy Efficient Street Lighting Stakeholder Consultation Meeting in Chennai, Tamil Nadu on March 21, 2013. The one-day workshop was attended by 59 individuals, including municipal, state, and national government officials, lighting experts, project implementers, energy service companies, finance institutions, and members of standards bodies.
http://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/News/ArtMID/1406/ArticleID/425/SEAD-Initiative-Deploys-Energy-Efficient-Street-Lighting-Projects-in-India
GSEP Supports Cool Roof Pilot Project on Low-Income Housing in Jasdan, India
A new pilot project will use cool surfaces and other energy-efficient technologies in low-income housing in Jasdan, India, to help cool the homes and lower residents’ energy bills. The Clean Energy Ministerial’s Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership (GSEP) Cool Roofs and Pavements Working Group is supporting the pilot project in collaboration with the local nonprofit Sustainable Urban Climate Change & Energy Efficiency Development (SUCCEED).
The initial pilot is small in scale—just eight homes to start—but the thermal comfort benefits and energy savings demonstrated by the pilot could inform larger-scale projects and supportive policy measures. Under its Indira Awaas Yojana program, India’s central government builds several million rural and low-income houses per year, which provides an opportunity to scale up cool surface deployment and sustainable construction. The homes in the pilot will incorporate various construction methods and several other efficiency and renewable technologies.
http://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/News/ArtMID/1406/ArticleID/421/GSEP-Supports-Cool-Roof-Pilot-Project-on-Low-Income-Housing-in-Jasdan-India
Solar energy and full efficiency: H Naught house stands tall on IIT-B campus
A neat minimalistic 680sqft house with low seating, ethnic accessories and upholstery, just perfect for the Indian middle class, is standing on stilts on Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay’s Powai campus.
The net-zero energy, sustainable house includes a passive solar design, home automation system, hybrid AC-DC network and reed bed-based grey water recycling system among other eco-friendly features. The house, called Project H Naught and powered by a 5-kw solar panel photovoltaic array, has been built by Team Shunya, comprising students from IIT-B and Rachana Sansad Academy of Architecture.
H Naught is Team Shunya’s entry in the Solar Decathlon, an international competition in which 20 teams from across the world, design and construct a life-sized, fully functional, energy-efficient prefabricated home, completely powered by solar energy. The competition will take place in Versailles, France, in June-July. So, the team had to design their house in such a way that it can be shipped and reassembled in 10 days.
The project, which forced several minds to come together to innovate and develop equipment and draw up designs that use the least amount of energy, was inaugurated on Thursday. The house stands on a steel frame, strengthened and insulated by gypsum board and fibre cement boards, the floor is a thick thermcol cemented sheet sandwiched between two concrete slabs, the furniture is made of gecko boards and the windows are made of two glass frames separated by an air cavity which provides insulation. The house has a living room, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a dining room, all designed in beige and brown.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Solar-energy-and-full-efficiency-H-Naught-house-stands-tall-on-IIT-B-campus/articleshow/31975902.cms
EVI Research Highlights the Potential for Electric Vehicles in India
A new report by the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI) shows the substantial impact that electric vehicle (EV) deployment would have on India’s oil consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Assessing and Accelerating Vehicle Deployment in India finds that the benefits of EVs in India are greater than expected when real-world driving conditions are taken into account.
The analysis, supported by EVI and carried out by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), is helping to inform the Government of India’s National Mission on Electric Mobility, which sets deployment targets of 5 to 7 million hybrid and electric vehicles in the country by 2020.
Real-world use conditions amplify the benefits of EVs in India, primarily due to the superior ability of electric powertrains to maintain high efficiency in highly transient operation. According to the analysis, which focuses on passenger car EVs, India could save 4.8 billion barrels of oil and 270 million tons of CO2 emissions by 2030 if the passenger car EV adoption rates necessitated by the government targets continue into the decade beyond 2020.
http://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/News/ArtMID/1406/ArticleID/412/EVI-Research-Highlights-the-Potential-for-Electric-Vehicles-in-India
Swelect commissions solar park
Swelect Energy Systems (SWEES) is betting big on solar energy. The company has commissioned its 15MW solar energy park set up with an investment of 106 crore near Vellakoil in Karur district.
After setting up over 1,500 rooftop projects across the country, the company has established the modular energy park. Swelect, which makes solar PV (photovoltaic) modules and converters, owned 12MW of the plant and 3MW capacity of the installation is owned by two other companies— Yajur Energy Solutions and Amex Alloys, a leading steel foundry.
Stating that the project was one of the few truly modular energy parks, with the composition of 5 X 33 bays to feed three energy generating systems, R Chellappan, managing director, Swelect said that on an average 75,000 units of power being is generated, with 5,000 lesser units being produced during a very cloudy day.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Swelect-commissions-solar-park/articleshow/34500977.cms
Suzlon bags Rs 720-crore PowerWorks order for wind turbine generators
Suzlon Group has secured aRs 720-crore wind-turbine supply order from US-based PowerWorks, reviving its order book after scripting the country’s biggest convertible bond default in 2012.
People with knowledge of the matter said Suzlon’s US-based subsidiary, SuzlonWind Energy Corp (SWECO), has forged an agreement with PowerWorks to supply up to 98.7 MW of wind turbines.
As per the agreement, Suzlon will supply up to 47 wind turbine generators and will oversee the operations, maintenance and service of the wind turbines for a period of two years. This follows Suzlon’s recent move to do a cashless restructuring of its existing foreign currency convertible bonds worth $485 million for five years.PowerWorks and its affiliates own and operate five wind power projects totaling 117 Mw in California and Idaho.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-05-06/news/49661464_1_suzlon-group-suzlon-energy-wind-turbine
Renewable energy ministry opposes anti-dumping duties on imported solar modules
With the verdict on the anti-dumping duty on international solar modules round the corner, the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) and several state governments are siding with solar power project developers to say that the ministry of commerce should not impose an anti-dumping duty on international panels.
Over the last few months, a battle has been raging between Indian solar panel makers and power project developers on the imposition of anti-dumping duties on imported panels. Indian manufacturers say they are losing business as project developers are buying international panels at lower costs, while project developers argue that Indian panel makers don’t have sufficient manufacturing capacity and that the quality of panels are not good.
“We are concerned about the various solar projects that have been tendered by the different states and under the central solar mission. About 4000 MW of projects have been tendered. After long, solar prices have come down but bringing in anti-dumping duties will increase solar prices again and affect projects,” Tarun Kapoor, joint secretary, MNRE, Government of India, told TOI.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Renewable-energy-ministry-opposes-anti-dumping-duties-on-imported-solar-modules/articleshow/34783166.cms
New minster of state for power, coal and new and renewable energy bats for Gujarat Model for a turnaround in energy sector
New minister of state for power, coal and new and renewable energy PiyushGoyal will study the best practices of the Gujarat Model in order to turn around the energy sector. The power and coal ministries have been clubbed in a bold move to ensure better coordination and cut red tape, which was shackling the energy sector and proving to be a major bottleneck for the economy.
“There are a lot of challenges, synergies between various ministries. This has been recognised by this government, government, in transport, this ministry and several others. It reflects on the Prime Minister’s mind that he wants to debottleneck these sectors.” About plans to set things right in the scam- ridden coal ministry, Goyal said, ” What is important is that we set the processes right and we follow procedure and policies. If we are all able to get into a framework of working within the system which is laid down without discretionary exceptions being made to government working, I am fairly confident we can ensure transparency in the working of this ministry.”
http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/piyush-goyal-bats-for-gujarat-model-for-change-in-energy-sector/1/206664.html
Wind, solar energy to get big push under Modi-led govt
The NarendraModi government is likely to harness solar power and give a fillip to development of offshore wind energy so as to provide electricity to every household in the near future, industry officials said on Thursday.
Modi will be country’s first energy literate Prime Minister and expanding clean power generation will be his administration’s top energy-related priority, especially solar and wind energy, because it has the potential to create jobs and supply power to millions of scattered households not connected to the grid.
About 400 million people in India lack access to electricity, more than the combined population of the US and Canada.
Industry officials said the NDA government may come out with a separate offshore wind energy policy and allow companies to initially set up offshore wind farms up to 12 Nautical Miles from Coast as part of its overall plan to achieve energy security and bring down carbon emission.
The new government is also expected to reinstate accelerated depreciation for investments into wind energy projects and accord priority sector lending for the entire renewable energy segment to give a fillip to non-conventional energy resources.
http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/wind-solar-energy-to-get-big-push-under-modi-led-govt/1/206470.html
EESL in talks for $100 million ADB fund to boost energy conservation
Power PSUs promoted Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is negotiating with the Asian Development Bank for a $100 million long-term loan to boost implementation of energy conservation projects.
“We are in early stage of talks with ADB for a line of credit of USD 100 million. We received development funds for clean and conservation of energy from other development agencies like KfW of Germany and AfD (French Agency for Development),” EESL Managing Director Saurabh Kumar told PTI.
KfW had given 50 million euros and an agreement has been signed for another 50 million for AfD.
EESL, which facilitates implementation of energy efficiency projects, has projects worth Rs 1,000 crore to be rolled out over the next two to three years.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/eesl-in-talks-for-100-million-adb-fund-to-boost-energy-conservation/articleshow/34637731.cms
Road, Power Ministries differ on new fuel efficiency norms
DELHI: The ministry of road transport and highways has objected to the power ministry’s recently-notified fuel efficiency norms for passenger vehicles, reflecting the concerns of India’s automobile industry that new emission levels are being stipulated a year ahead of the deadline that had been agreed.
The road transport ministry has asked the power ministry to re-examine and rectify the notification for the norms to be implemented and issued under the Central Motor Vehicles Rules with the industry taking exception to various provisions. The differences between the ministries could delay the implementation of the norms that are aimed at regulating emissions and hence, the carbon footprint.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/road-power-ministries-differ-on-new-fuel-efficiency-norms/articleshow/34659285.cms
LEDs light up Rajarhat’s solar-city dream
Taking the ‘solar city’ dream of Rajarhat New Town a step ahead, the New Town Development Authority (NKDA) is working on installing LED streetlights on a 30-km stretch in Action Area I and II. The LED lights have already been installed along the Rajarhat main arterial road.
Not only on roads, LED lights are also being set up at different places like in Eco Park and in some parks and playgrounds. The LED drive comes in the wake of a discussion held on the merits of having LED streetlights. Authorities have found that the lifecycle cost of these lights is less than traditional sodium vapours that are used for lighting up the streets. While the vapours emit a golden yellow light, LED light is white that gives a day-like feeling.
More importantly, the heat that LED lights generate is much less than other light sources. While sodium vapour lamps produce 100 lumens of light for every watt of electricity consumed, LEDs produce 125 lumens. Also, the system efficiency of LEDs is 85% as against 50% for sodium vapour lamps. Besides, LEDs are more environment friendly in terms of components. Another important benefit of LEDs is that they gradually gets dimmer instead of going blank at the end of the lifecycle.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/LEDs-light-up-Rajarhats-solar-city-dream/articleshow/34343457.cms
India registers over 20% growth in wind, solar power capacity addition in FY2013-14
Solar energy and wind energy sectors propelled India’s renewable energy capacity addition in FY2013-14 even as the country failed to meet the capacity addition target once again. Against a capacity addition target of 4,325 MW about 3,640 MW was added. Still, the capacity addition was 15% higher than that in FY2012-13.
http://www.climate-connect.co.uk/Home/?q=India%20registers%20over%2020%25%20growth%20in%20wind%2C%20solar%20power%20capacity%20addition%20in%20FY2013-14