RENEWABLE ENERGY SCENARIO IN INDIA

A generalised overview...
ENERGY SCENE IN INDIA
Anything tangible or intangible, that costs money is evaluated very carefully and used equally carefully in India. This means expenses are controlled and kept as low as possible. The scenario in energy consumption in India is no different. It is not surprising that the per capita energy consumption figures are very low inspite of high rate of development now taking place. The per capita consumption in India is in the region of 400 KWH per annum. In the ninth five year plan (1997-2002) energy strategy is divided into short term strategy, medium strategy and long term strategy.

SHORT TERM STRATEGY

Administered pricing mechanism Institutional reforms to be consolidated for deregulation Optimum utilization of existing assets Production systems to be made efficient, transmission and distribution losses to be reduced R&D transfer of technologies to be promoted Energy efficiency improvement in accordance with national and socio-economic and environmental priorities Energy efficiency and emission standards to be promoted Labelling programmes for products Adoption of energy efficient technologies in giant industries

MEDIUM AND LONG TERM STRATEGIES

Demand management through greater conservation of energy, optimum fuel mix, increasing reliance on rail for movement of goods and passengers and shift to emphasis on utilizing mass movement and transport systems for public rather than private transports Better urban planning to reduce need for energy in transport sector Shift and emphasis to solar, wind, biomass energy sources Emphasis on research and development, transfer and use of energy efficient

technologies and practices in the supply and end-use sectors.

RENEWABLE ENERGY SCENARIO IN INDIA

India is blessed with an abundance of sunlight, water and biomass. Vigorous efforts during the past two decades are now bearing fruit as people in all walks of life are more aware of the benefits of renewable energy, especially decentralized energy where required in villages and in urban or semi-urban centers. India has the worlds largest programme for renewable energy. Government created the Department of Non-conventional Energy Sources (DNES) in 1982. In 1992 a full fledged Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources was established under the overall charge of the Prime Minister. The range of its activities cover promotion of renewable energy technologies, create an environement conducive to promote renewable energy technologies, create an environment conducive for their commercialization, renewable energy resource assessment, research and development, demonstration, extension, production of biogas units, solar thermal devices, solar photovoltaics, cookstoves, wind energy and small hydropower units.

Wind Power
India now ranks as a "wind superpower" with an installed wind power capacity of 1167 MW and about 5 billion units of electricity have been fed to the national grid so far. In progress are wind resource assessment programme, wind monitoring, wind mapping, covering 800 stations in 24 states with 193 wind monitoring stations in operations. Altogether 13 states of India have a net potential of about 45000 MW.

Solar Energy
Solar water heaters have proved the most popular so far and solar photovoltaics for decentralized power supply are fast becoming popular in rural and remote areas. More than 700000 PV systems generating 44 MW have been installed all over India. Under the water pumping programme more than 3000 systems have been installed so far and the market for solar lighting and solar pumping is far from saturated. Solar drying is one area which offers very good prospects in food, agricultural and chemical products drying applications.

SPV Systems
More than 700000 PV systems of capacity over 44MW for different applications are installed all over India. The market segment and usage is mainly for home lighting, street lighting, solar lanterns and water pumping for irrigation. Over 17 grid interactive solar photovoltaic generating more than 1400 KW are in operation in 8 states of India. As the demand for power grows exponentially and conventional fuel based power generating capacity grows arithmetically, SPV based power generation can be a source to meet the expected shortfall. Especially in rural, far-flung where the likelihood of conventional electric lines is remote, SPV power generation is the best alternative.

Solar Cookers
Government has been promoting box type solar cookers with subsidies since a long time in the hope of saving fuel and meeting the needs of the rural and urban populace. There are community cookers and large parabolic reflector based systems in operation in some places but solar cookers, as a whole, have not found the widespread acceptance and popularity as hoped for. A lot of educating and pushing will have to be put in before solar cookers are made an indispensable part of each household (at least in rural and semiurban areas). Solar cookers using parabolic reflectors or multiple mirrors which result in faster cooking of food would be more welcome than the single reflector box design is what some observers and users of the box cookers feel. Solar Water Heaters

A conservative estimate of solar water heating systems installed in the country is estimated at over 475000 sq. mtrs of the conventional flat plate collectors. Noticeable beneficiaries of the programme of installation of solar water heaters so far have been cooperative dairies, guest houses, hotels, charitable institutions, chemical and process units, hostels, hospitals, textile mills, process houses and individuals. In fact in India solar water heaters are the most popular of all renewable energy devices.

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There are many reasons we are looking towards alternative energy sources. With many countries, and US cities, signing the Kyoto Treaty, efforts to reduce pollutants and greenhouse gases are a primary focus in today's culture. Alternative, or renewable energy, sources show significant promise in helping to reduce the amount of toxins that are byproducts of energy use. Not only do they protect against harmful by-products, but using alternative energy helps to preserve many of the natural resources that we currently use as sources of energy. To understand how alternative energy use can help preserve the delicate ecological balance of the planet, and help us conserve the non-renewable energy sources like fossil fuels, it is important to know what types of alternative energy is out there. Wind Power Wind energy harnesses the power of the wind to propel the blades of wind turbines. The rotation of turbine blades is converted into electrical current by means of an electrical generator. In the older windmills, wind energy was used to turn mechanical machinery to do physical work, like crushing grain or pumping water. Wind towers are usually built together on wind farms. Now, electrical currents are harnessed by large scale wind farms that are used by national electrical grids as well as small individual turbines used for providing electricity to isolated locations or individual homes. In 2010, worldwide capacity of wind-powered generators was 58,982 megawatts, their production making up less than 1 of world-wide electricity use. Pros

Wind power produces no pollution that can contaminate the environment, since no chemical processes take place, like in the burning of fossil fuels, in wind power generation, there are no harmful by-products left over. Since wind generation is a renewable source of energy, we will never run out of it. Farming and grazing can still take place on land occupied by wind turbines which can help in the production of bio fuels. Wind farms can be built off-shore.

Cons

Wind power is intermittent. Consistent wind is needed for continuous power generation. If wind speed decreases, the turbine lingers and less electricity is generated. Large wind farms can have a negative effect on the scenery.

Solar Power Solar energy is used commonly for heating, cooking, the production of electricity, and even in the desalination of seawater. solar power works by trapping the sun's rays into solar cells

where this sunlight is then converted into electricity. Additionally, solar power uses sunlight that hits solar thermal panels to convert sunlight to heat water or air. Other methods include using sunlight that hits parabolic mirrors to heat water (producing steam), or simply opening a rooms blinds or window shades to allow entering sunlight to passively heat a room. Pros

Solar power is a renewable resource. As long as the Sun exists, its energy will reach Earth. Solar power generation releases no water or air pollution, because there is no chemical reaction from the combustion of fuels. Solar energy can be used very efficiently for practical uses such as heating and lighting. The benefits of solar power are seen frequently to heat pools, spas, and water tanks all over.

Cons

Solar power does not produce energy if the sun is not shining. Nighttime and cloudy days seriously limit the amount of energy produced. Solar power stations can be very expensive to build.

Geothermal Energy Literally, geothermal means, "earth heat." Geothermal energy harnesses the heat energy present underneath the Earth. Hot rocks under the ground heat water to produce steam. When holes are drilled in the region, the steam that shoots up is purified and is used to drive turbines, which power electric generators. Pros

If done correctly, geothermal energy produces no harmful by-products. Once a geothermal plant is build, it is generally self-sufficient energy wise. Geothermal power plants are generally small and have little effect on the natural landscape.

Cons

If done incorrectly, geothermal energy can produce pollutants. Improper drilling into the earth can release hazardous minerals and gases. Geothermal sites are prone to running out of steam.

Hydroelectric Energy Hydroelectric power comes from the potential energy of dammed water driving a water turbine and generator. Another variation is to make use of water's kinetic energy or

undammed sources such as tidal power. Hydro power works by harnessing the gravitational descent of a river that is compressed from a long run to a single location with a dam or a flume. This creates a location where concentrated pressure and flow of water can be used to turn turbines or water wheels. These can then drive an electric generator. This can be compared to past days when a water wheel would drive a mill. Electric generators powered by hydro power can be run backwards as a motor to pump water back up for later use. Pros

Water can be accumulated above the dam and released to coincide with peaks in demand. So, unlike other types of power stations, hydroelectric power stations can promptly increase to full capacity. Electricity can be generated constantly, because there are no outside forces, unlike other forms of alternative energy, which affect the availability of water. Hydroelectric power produces no waste or pollution since there is no chemical reaction to produce power. Water used for hydro power can be reused.

Cons

Dams can be very expensive to build. There needs to be a sufficient, and powerful enough, supply of water in the area to produce energy.