Low Carbon News in India in September 2014
JICA to provide monetary aid to IREDA, SIDBI
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Monday inked agreements with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) with an aim to enhance energy availability in India.
Under the agreement, JICA will provide official development assistance (ODA) of 30 billion Japanese Yen (Rs 1,750 crore) each to the two institutions. Meanwhile, ODA, which is a development assistance programme run by Japan, aims at providing financial assistance, help in the development of infrastructure, emergency assistance, and public facilities to the developing nations.
The monetary assistance will help in financial savings by making optimum use of efficient energy and increase the usage of renewable energy. The objective is to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. It is observed that the energy supply and demand gap in India was responsible for frequent power outages and it is considered as one of causes that obstruct India’s economic growth.
In a statement issued by JICA, it stated that they have been supporting India’s efforts towards mitigating energy shortage by focusing on developing infrastructure such as more efficient technology for power plants, transmission systems and distribution networks, and increasing efficient use of energy, especially in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
JICA’s assistance will enable medium-to-long term funding to private and public companies engaged in energy saving and renewable energy development. It is for the second time that JICA is providing monetary assistance to IREDA. In 2011, JICA had extended assistance worth 30 billion Japanese Yen.
http://www.energynext.in/jica-provide-monetary-aid-ireda-sidbi/
Delhi announces net-metering regulations
The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has announced the regulations for net metering of renewable energy units. This enables the residents of the national capital to set up renewable power units and connect it with the grid and bring down their electricity bills.
The regulations are applicable for all the RE sources. However, in Delhi power generation from solar energy is the only feasible option. Now, the citizens can install solar panels on their rooftop and building premises and reduce their electricity bills.
Two meters will be installed at the consumers building. One will be renewable energy meter to measure the renewable power generated at the site. The other will be the net meter to measure the export and import of energy to and from the grid.
The total amount of power supplied and drawn back from the grid will be metered. The consumers can either avail energy credits for the power fed into the grid or adjust it against their electricity bills.
As per the regulations, the charges for the renewable energy meter will be borne by the distribution licensees. The consumers will have to bear the cost of testing and installation of net meters.
There are several building in the city which have already installed solar power units, some generating surplus power than the actual requirement. Now they will be able to supply the surplus power to the grid. The discoms also stand to benefit, as the renewable power fed into the grid will help them in fulfilling their renewable purchase obligation (RPO) targets.
http://www.energynext.in/delhi-announces-net-metering-regulations/
Three IITs develop cement low on carbon content
Buildings in the city may soon be able to reduce their carbon footprint, though by a slim margin, thanks to low-carbon cement or ‘LC 3’. Scientist at IIT Delhi, along with IIT Bombay, IIT Madras and an environmental NGO called Development Alternatives (DA), have developed a type of cement that% is not just low-cost, but can emit 20% to 30% less carbon than regular cement. For every tonne of cement produced, about 0.82 tonnes of CO2 is emitted.
The most energy-intensive part of cement production is making clinker-grey balls of ground limestone and clay made by heating them at very high temperatures. These are then ground into a fine powder to make cement. CO2 is a byproduct of this process, which is why cement production is a contributor of global warming. Cement usually contains about 70% of clinker and 30% fly ash.
IIT scientists have developed a variety of cement using just 40%-50% clinker and have supplemented it with low-grade calcined clay and low-grade limestone, which researchers say are being wasted. “Calcined clay is essentially China clay waste that is burnt. There are no takers for low-grade limestone in mines.
Govt building roof tops in NDMC to generate 12-Mw solar power
Roof top of government building in NDMC area will be utilised to generate up to 12 MW of solar power in the next three years, area MP Meenakshi Lekhi said.
“Total target is to generate 12 MW of power (through roof top solar panels). It may take three years. We will be able finish 1 MW power generation by October-November. This will be transferred to main grid,” Lekhi told PTI.
“All the government buildings, NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) and other will have solar panels on their roof top. Its under new model where aggregator is going to bear cost of installing solar panels. There will be smartgrids through which solar power generated will go in to main grid,” Lekhi said.
The New Delhi MP said that she is also working on ‘Waste to Energy’ to utilise it for biogas power, compost and even in talks with a Indian company to make tiles out of it.
“For treatment of waste to generate biogas, we are in talks with the Netherlands-based company that can work on biogas but they need good quantity of waste. One Indian company has said that they can make tiles out of it but someone needs to purchase it. We are working on all these aspects,” Lekhi said.
Tata completes five PV projects for Chennai Silks
India’s Tata Power Solar has announced the completion of five solar power projects for the Chennai Silks group.
The five solar projects totalling 5.2MW join another Chennai Silk 2MW solar power plant commissioned by Tata last year, bringing the total solar generation capacity to 7.2MW.
The projects are located in Kangeyam of the Tirupur district in the state of Tamil Nadu and were completed in 12 weeks.
The projects were installed for different group companies of The Chennai Silks group, including 1MW arrays for Naachas Wind Energy, Space Textiles, and KTM Jewellery, and installations of 1.1MW for both SCM International Impex and Sathy Silks.
Tamil Nadu suffers from frequent blackouts currently, with many manufacturers relying on diesel generators. The new solar arrays will aid clean energy access in the state.
“The use of solar power in our retail showrooms has helped us reduce our energy costs while also enabling us to reduce our carbon emissions,” said N. K. Nandhagopal, managing director of the Chennai Silks group.
The projects also generated local jobs; Tata Power Solar intends to maintain local employment opportunities for the operation and maintenance of the plants.
Government enterprise NTPC publishes invitation for EOI for solar PV manufacturing in India
The Government of India is in the process of developing a far-reaching strategy to boost the share of solar power in the nation’s power sector by massive capacity addition through development of “Ultra Mega” solar photovoltaic (PV) power parks across the country in near future.
In pursuance of the Government of India’s initiative, NTPC Limited, a Government of India Enterprise and India’s largest Power Company with current generating capacity of more than 43,000 MW plans to make a significant foray into the field of Solar PV projects in coming years, NTPC announces.
In line with Government’s “Make in India” initiative, NTPC invites Expression of Interest (EOI) from agencies willing to set up and develop manufacturing facilities in India for manufacturing of crystalline silicon solar PV cells, wafers, ingots and polysilicon either by itself or through its subsidiaries or Joint Ventures (JV) in India.
Coal India Said to Plan Building $1.2 Billion of Solar Projects
Coal India Ltd. (COAL), the biggest producer of the fuel, is considering building 70 billion rupees ($1.2 billion) of solar projects to compensate for carbon pollution, said people familiar with the plan.
The company is in talks with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for a combined capacity of 1,000-megawatts, said the people, who asked not to be identified before an announcement. Earlier this month, coal and power minister Piyush Goyal described Coal India and power producer NTPC Ltd. as “massive polluters” and said they “must give back to the society.”
The solar initiative is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to provide round-the-clock electricity to homes and factories, crucial to accelerating economic growth. Modi expects more than $100 billion investment in renewable energy, including wind farms and solar parks, as coal shortages lead to blackouts and thermal power plants hurt the environment.
“Investing in such projects will help Coal India fulfill its corporate social responsibility obligations ahead of a share sale program,” said Bharat Bhushan Agrawal, a New Delhi-based analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “The company has the resources, such as land and money, and can inspire other large state companies to take similar initiatives.”
The federal government plans to sell 10 percent in Kolkata-based Coal India to trim its budget deficit. The company had cash reserves of 527 billion rupees as of March 31, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Toshiba Lighting Bets on Solar-Powered Indian Border Plan
Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corp., a unit of Toshiba Corp. (6502), will seek to win defense contracts in India where Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to light up national borders with solar energy.
Toshiba Lighting, along with its local unit, GreenStar Research and Development India Pvt., has been shortlisted in a border-lighting project, Toshiba Lighting Chief Executive Officer Yoichi Ibi said in an interview in New Delhi, without giving details of the contract. The Japanese company also expects municipalities and industries to drive its business in India, Ibi said.
Modi has called for building a solar-powered corridor along India’s western border with Pakistan as the country prepares to raise its solar target to 15 gigawatts by 2019, more than five times current capacity. He also has pledged to spend $25 billion on roads, airports, ports and smart cities to unclog Asia’s third-largest economy.
SunEdison Accelerates Mission of Bringing Power to Remote Areas with Latest India Projects
241 kW of Photovoltaic (PV) Micro-grids will Transform Nearly 8,000 Lives in 54 Remote Villages- Separate Grant for Farmers to Purchase Solar Water Pumps will Help Approximately 200 Families
SunEdison, Inc. a leading global solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar energy services, today announced a new project that will install 241 kilowatts (kW) of solar PV micro-grids with battery storage in 54 remote Indian villages, bringing cost effective electricity access to 7,800 off-grid individuals. Under the Indian government’s decentralized distribution generation scheme administered by the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL), SunEdison will build, operate and then transfer the facilities to the public within five years, putting the power of energy generation into the hands of the people.
“Rough terrain and limited road access make this project the most difficult rural installation SunEdison has attempted to date, but it isn’t just about logistics or economics for us; it’s about creating positive, long term social and environmental impact as well,” said Pashupathy Gopalan, president of SunEdison Asia Pacific. “More and more businesses and organizations are understanding that this triple bottom line approach is working, and they are joining us in bringing clean energy to those who need it most.”
Energy dept flags free land to green power developers
BHOPAL: State energy department strongly objected to ‘free land policy’ floated by new and renewable energy department to attract mega investment in the field of solar, wind, and bio mass energy in the state.
Senior IAS officer S R Mohanty-led new and renewable energy department had circulated a copy of a draft of land agreement to HoDs of all departments seeking their opinion before it was signed between government and investors.
Then principal secretary of energy department Mohammad Suleman had objected to provisions of providing land at ‘Re 1’ to power developers, said insiders in government. As per existing policy to set up a solar project, developer has just to submit a resource assessment report of any site in the state. It applies to wind, bio mass, where selected site is government land; the developer gets it for life of project –25 years as per proposed land agreement.
DERC sets rules for users supplying green power
NEW DELHI: Power regulator DERC has formulated guidelines for the minimum transformer-level capacity that must be offered by consumers for connectivity to the renewable energy system and other procedural requirements. This comes a month after Delhi electricity Regulatory Commission started the process for letting power consumers become generators of renewable energy. The commission also declared tariffs for solar power generation which will be the average power purchase costs for the whole year.
Not less than 20% of the rated capacity should be offered so that the discom can connect the renewable energy system for net metering by the respective distribution transformer. This means that the transformer must have at least 20% connectivity. The commission said it would assess the DT level capacity through an independent agency to protect the consumers’ interest. “Solar power connectivity will be decided on the basis of the transformer’s capacity,” said an official.
The solar tariffs will be the average cost of power for the whole year that is procured from several sources, including thermal and gas. For FY 2014-15, the tariffs will be Rs 4.75-Rs 5 per unit. ‘The average power purchase costs are always declared at the beginning of the financial year and then trued up towards the year-end,” said chairman P D Sudhakar. Chances of consumers Delhi selling solar power to the grid, are not that high as solar generation will be possible only during very sunny days. “Most renewable energy generators will use the solar power for their own consumption. If they still export any power to the grid, the discom will pay the consumer on the basis of the tariff set as the annual average cost of power. The consumer will get due energy credits in their next power bill. At the end of the financial year, any pending energy credits will be paid to the consumer,” added Sudhakar.
Solar panels to be made mandatory for new buildings in Hyderabad
The Telangana government is planning to make installation of roof-top solar panels mandatory for new buildings in Hyderabad, to provide for b etter and efficient energy needs.
Speaking at a workshop organised by the Administrative Staff College of India and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on “Transforming Indian Cities to Smart Cities”, a prelude to the 11th Metropolis World Congress 2014 scheduled to be held from October six to ten here, Telangana Minister for Information Technology and Panchayat Raj, K T Rama Rao said Hyderabad already has such a mandate and directed the GHMC to enforce it strictly.
The Minister admitted that not many are aware of such a law. “GHMC (The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation) should enforce this law with lot of force,” he said.
http://www.firstpost.com/india/solar-panels-made-mandatory-new-buildings-hyderabad-1720851.html