Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signs solar deal
16 November 2015
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi has signed £10 billion worth of trade deals including pacts on aircrafts and telecoms.
The deals included £2 billion of investment in India by Solar Trade Association member Lightsource Renewable Energy. The deal will mean Lightsource will design, install and manage around 3GW of solar power infrastructure in India over the next five years.
The company sees the investment as an illustration of the booming international opportunities available if the UK Government retains a strong domestic solar industry. Modi’s visit coincides with the British solar industry reeling from Government plans to implement drastic cuts to the sector. However, the Lightsource deal will create an expected 300 jobs and £42 million of revenue in the UK, as well as benefiting hundreds of families in India.
Nick Boyle, the CEO of Lightsource Renewable Energy, said: “We are delighted to be announcing this investment in India. The Government in India has ambitious plans to electrify India and Lightsource will contribute significantly to that goal. India will be a key market for Lightsource in the future. We are excited to be working with Srei, our first partner, who will be helping us towards achieving our solar PV deployment goals in India.”
The PM’s visit precedes the UN Paris climate conference where Modi will launch his International Agency for Solar Policy and Application initiative. Modi has invited 110 nations to join the initiative which is expected to attract $100 billion of solar business by 2020. India is aiming to install 100GW of solar power by 2022.
According to Solar Trade Association, only a handful of the largest British solar companies are in a position to take advantage of the international opportunities opening up in solar. Giles Frampton, Business Development Director at British Solar Renewables commented: “It is a great shame that the UK Government has turned its back on renewable energy in general and solar PV in particular whilst most other governments around the world recognise the huge contribution that solar PV can make as a rapidly deployable and cost effective solution to the world’s growing energy needs.”
Leonie Greene, Head of External Affairs at the Solar Trade Association said: "We are delighted for members who are large enough to be able to seize business opportunities overseas. This visit by the Indian Prime Minister, probably the world's greatest solar advocate, should make British politicians stop and think about what is at stake economically and technologically. While Modi is lining up an anticipated $100bn of global solar business, the UK is pushing most of its solar industry backwards, leaving us at an international disadvantage. It is not too late for our Government to get fully behind the British solar industry and ensure we take full advantage of global solar markets estimates to be worth trillions of pounds over the coming decades. "
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ANUMAKONDA JAGADEESH said
18 November 2015
Excellent. Solar energy installations are 4011 MW (June 2015) compared to 23447 MW Wind Energy.
How about Wind Energy(Offshore Wind farms),Wind Farm co-operatives, solar/wind hybrid systems, Energy conservation in Agricultural pumpsets and Lighting, Bioenergy etc.
Wind Energy in India
State Capacity (MW), as of March 31, 2015[
Tamil Nadu
7455.2
Gujarat
3645.4
Maharashtra
4450.8
Rajasthan
3307.2
Karnataka
2638.4
Andhra Pradesh
1031.4
Madhya Pradesh
879.7
Kerala
35.1
Others 4.3
Total 23447.5
Though India occupies 5th position in Wind in the world,no offshore wind farms. Infact way back in 1994 itself I suggested Offshore Wind Farms(Refer my Letter to the Editor,THE HINDU).
US,China,Republic of Korea,Taiwan and France have ambitious plants to set up offshore wind farms.
Following are the official figures sourced from union governments latest documents:
The total length of coastline along each of the coastal State/UT in the country is as follows:
Sl. No. State / UT Length of
coastline (in km)
(i) Gujarat 1214.7
(ii) Maharashtra 652.6
(iii) Goa, Daman and Diu 160.5
(iv) Karnataka 280.0
(v) Kerala 569.7
(vi) Tamil Nadu 906.9
(vii) Pudducherry 30.6
(viii) Andhra Pradesh 973.7
(ix) Odisha 476.4
(x) West Bengal 157.5
(xi) Lakshadweep Islands 132.0
(xii) Andaman & Nicobar Islands 1962.0
Total Coastline 7516.6
Once Wind energy was expensive but with advances and mass production the cost per MW has come down so is the case for Solar PV. The same trend is seen in offshore wind also.
BIOENERGY
India is basically an agrarian Country. There is vast waste landin the country. There are care free growth,regenerative CAM plants like Agave and Opuntia which can be grown in these waste lands and from which Biofuel/biogaspower/biochar can be obtained. Mexico is pioneer in it.
The Government can allot waste land to unemployed youth (about 10 acres) each and 10 such people can set up a co-operative to go in for Biogaspower production by raising Agave and Opuntia plants.This will provide employment besides bringinging waste land under cultivation.
WASTE LAND UTILISATION IN THE COUNTRY TO ACT AS CARBON SINK AND TO PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT
"The simplest way to Carbon Sequestration is to plant Care-free Growth,regenerative CAM plants in vast waste lands on a massive scale like Agave and Opuntia. Biofuel/biogaspower/biochar can be obtained. These plants act as Carbon Sink.Agave is a CAM Plant. Crassulacean acid metabolism, also known as CAM photosynthesis, is a carbon fixation pathway that evolved in some plants as an adaptation to arid conditions in a plant using full CAM, the stomata in the leaves remains shut during the day to reduce evapotranspiration, but open at night to collect carbon dioxide (CO2). The CO2 is stored as the four-carbon acidmalate, and then used during photosynthesis during the day. The pre-collected CO2 is concentrated around the enzyme RuBisCO, increasing photosynthetic efficiency. Agave and Opuntia are the best CAM Plants. Agave Competitive Advantages * Thrives on dry land/marginal land. Most efficient use of soil, water and light * Massive production. Year-around harvesting * Very high yields with very low or no inputs * Very high quality biomass and sugars * Very low cost of production. Not a commodity, so prices are not volatile * Very versatile: biofuels, byproducts, chemicals, * World-wide geographical distribution * Enhanced varieties are ready.
Agave:
Biofuel/biogaspower/biochar
Fibre: For making Fabrics to which water won't stick
Dried and cut pieces use in concrete since these fibres are having binding energy
Isolation of Hecogenin - A Steroid
Opuntia:
Biofuel/biogaspower/Biochar
Isolation of pigment from Opuntia Pods for use in Paints
Fruits,Fruit Juice in Tins, Pod
Juice in Packed form
SAP after extraction of juice
From pods as Mosquito repeller in water logged ponds.
Medical Uses as Diabetics cure.
Waste lands can be allotted of about 10 acres each to unemployed youth. 10 of them can form a co-operative and can raise Multiple use plants like Agave,opuntia. This way power can be generated cat local level and solving unemployment problem.
ENERGY CONSERVATION IN ELECTRIC PUMPSETS FORIRRIGATION
Energy Conservation in Agricultural Pumpsets:
India`s Agriculture sector consumes about 140 billion units a year which is equivalent to around 18% of total National electricity consumption of India. As per CEA, there are about 19 million pump sets installed in agriculture sector. Also, annual addition of 0.25 – 0.5 million new pump sets is realized in agriculture sector. The average efficiency level of in-efficient non-star rated pump sets are in the range of 25%-30% and efficiency level of star rated energy efficient pump sets is 40%-45%. Therefore energy saving potential of 25% is estimated by mere replacement of in-efficient pump sets with star rated pump sets.
Agricultural sector is characterized by the supply of electricity to the farmers at highly subsidized rates. In some of the states electricity is supplied to the farmers at free of cost. This subsidized tariff structure has not only increased the subsidy burden on the states but has also resulted in inefficient use of energy in the agricultural sector. The agricultural pump sets in India have a baseline efficiency of 20-25% as which is well below the international average, as well the efficiency of many pump set models are available in India (40-45%).
In order to accelerate DSM measures in agricultural sector, BEE initiated Agricultural Demand Side Management Program (Ag-DSM) for upgrading the efficiency of the pump sets. The efficiency up gradation was carried out through Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
In order to develop the effective policy initiative, BEE is assisting DISCOMs & State Energy Departments to introduce the regulatory mechanism to mandate the use of BEE star labelled pump sets for every new agriculture electricity connections released, so that the energy efficiency potential on new connections can be tapped by introducing this policy initiative. This has already been done in Haryana & Punjab. In these states more than 40000 star rated EEPS pumps have been installed under mandatory regulations reflecting energy savings of 530 MU.
Apart from mandatory regulation initiated by Punjab and Haryana, Rajasthan government has also issued a notification for providing financial assistance @ Rs. 750/HP to farmers opting for installation of energy efficient pumpsets.There are 2.6 million agricultural pumpsets in the country.. The tariff for agriculture power is nil or low in mny states. Next to Industry Agricultural sector consumes power. Electricity is a high grade energy which is used in Industry,lighting,computers etc.
A scheme can be chalked out to replace the Existing Electric pumpsets with Efficient ones)BEE Certified). The BEE Certified Efficient Agricultural pumpsets can be supplied by charging the Farmer about Rs 3000. The old motor can be sold for about Rs 3000. As such the Farmer has to invest nothing. In our fields we replaced 5 of our existing Agricultural pumpsets with amazing results.
Each KWH saved is each KWH generated.
When I was young I was scared of the dark. Now when I see my electricity bill I am scared of the lights.
TODAY’S WASTAGE IS TOMORROW’S SHORTAGE
Do the Earth a favor, be a power saver.
DO RIGHT SAVE LIGHT
Give the earth a hug, pull the plug.
It has to be everybody’s fight to save many dark nights.
please save the power for the next hour!
save electricity get good publicity
If we don’t change, Tomorrow we will be literally ‘power’less
“No Power is Costlier than No Power” – Dr.H.J.Bhabha
ENERGY CONSERVATION IN LIGHTING
Government of India/State Governments will do well to consider Dual powered Solar reading lights which will save enormous power.
Generally people have Fluorescent/CFL lights in houses/hostels where students read. A Fluorescent light consumes about 40 Watts of power. There are solar and electricity charged(Dual Power) lights with LED which consumes just 0.2 Watts. The lighting lasts for 8 hours. Moreover by focused lighting on the material there will be concentration of reading. These costs around Rs 250(1 US$= about Rs 65) when mass produced and saves enormous power. A subsidy can be given to hostel students who use these lights and they will act as promoters of this concept.
Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP)
Renewable Energy Expert
E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com
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