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Volume 7 Issue 2&3 Annual `800
January–June 2019
DELHI ELECTRIC VEHICLE POLICY 2018
SUSTAINABILITY IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF
‘ENVIRONMENTAL DOOM’
VIEWPOINTCOVER STORYTIME TO SHINE: SOLAR ENERGY IN INDIA
Tel. 2468 2100
Fax: 2468 2144
India +91 • Delhi (0)11
Email: teripress@teri.res.in
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The Energy and Resources Institute
Attn: TERI Press
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IHC Complex, Lodhi Road
New Delhi – 110 003/India
To purchase the book, visit our online bookstore at http://bookstore.teri.res.in or send us your demand draft or cheque in favour of TERI, payable at New Delhi
(outstation cheques are not accepted).
Energy and Environment discusses various forms of energy. It
examines environmental impacts of energy generation and how non-
renewable sources of energy contributes significantly to environmental
pollution. In the book the role of renewable energy sources in
mitigating global problem of environmental pollution is also discussed
at length. It also elaborates on storage of energy, an important subject,
in the context of rising energy demands of the present world.
RENEWABLES: GLOBAL SOLUTION TO ENERGY AND POLLUTION
ISBN: 9789386536610 • Price: `195.00
Major topics covered
• Types of Alternative
Fuels
• Storage of Energy in
Chemicals
• Energy from Coal
• Geothermal Energy
• Greenhouse Gases
• Fuel Cells
• Nuclear Fusion
• Energy Sources
JustReleasedJustReleased
Chief Patron
Dr Ajay Mathur
Editor
Amit Kumar Radheyshayam Nigam
Editorial Board
Sumita Misra
Chief Electoral Officer-cum-Commissioner Election,
Government of Haryana
Rakesh Kakkar
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Dr A K Tripathi
Director General, National Institute of Solar
Energy (NISE)
Content Advisors
Dr Shantanu Ganguly
Dr P K Bhattacharya
Editorial & Design Team
Anupama Jauhry
Anushree Tiwari Sharma
Shashi Bhusan
Abhas Mukherjee
Rajiv Sharma
Production
Aman Sachdeva
Marketing and Sales
Gitesh Sinha
Sanjeev Sharma
Head Office
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Editor: Amit Kumar Radheyshayam Nigam
Printed and published by Dr Ajay Mathur for The Energy and Resources Institute,
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© The Energy and Resources Institute. All rights reserved.
In the recently held UN Climate Action Summit, Prime Minister Modi said that “…
if we have to overcome a serious challenge like climate change, then what we
are doing at the moment is just not enough….In India, we are going to increase
the share of non-fossil fuel, and by 2022 we plan to increase our renewable
energy capacity to much beyond 175 GW, and later till 450 GW.” In a short span
of time, India has already reached over 30 GW of solar power capacity. And as
this progression to clean energy gains further momentum, even more rapid
growth of solar energy can be expected. One of the key factors contributing to
this growth is going to be the energy storage technologies, particularly batteries,
which with a fast cost-reduction trajectory would make solar energy much more
viable and acceptable to the power utilities. On the other side of spectrum,
there are new usages whereby decentralized production and consumption of
electricity would become much more attractive, for instance, electric vehicle
charging. The very fact that electric vehicles become clean in a holistic sense only
if the electricity that they are charged with is also 100% clean makes case for solar
charging even stronger. But electricity generation through solar energy is only a
part of the big picture. Solar energy can as well be utilized for a variety of other
applications, such as heating, cooling, cooking, industrial process heating, etc.
to name a few. And the good news is that India already has a sound base for all
these. It is evident, therefore, to look beyond solar electricity and tap energy from
the Sun in every feasible manner. Supply side being only one part of unfolding
energy transformation story, equal importance is also required on reducing the
energy demand – whether in buildings or in municipal services or in industries.
India’s innovative instruments like PAT (Perform, Achieve, and Trade) have already
started paying dividends in this direction. Bringing together all the stakeholders,
particularly the concerned state governments and their agencies, ensures that
there is substantial ownership of such programmes among them, which in turn
paves way for early success. The future of energy appears to be incumbent upon
right kinds of partnerships.
From the editor’s desk...
Amit KumarSenior Director, Social Transformation, TERI
Thank you very much for
your encouragement. The
editorial team of Energy
Future will ensure that
the magazine caters to
your information and
knowledge needs. We
welcome your suggestions
and comments to further
improve our content and
presentation.
EditorEnergy Future
Email: teripress@teri.res.in
The article on electric vehicle mobility in India published in the latest issue of Energy Future is very informative as it analyses the growing importance of electric vehicles, their potential, and the challenges lying ahead, particularly for India. The article shows that for quicker adoption of e-vehicles, affordability can be ensured by incentives, such as subsidy and tax exemptions (for seller as well as the buyer). This coupled with availability of swappable batteries on the one hand will avoid long waiting queues for charging stations, and on the other hand, the e-vehicle ecosystem will lead to new livelihood opportunities. Therefore, robust supporting infrastructure with financial incentives can help India achieve the dream of cleaner vehicles faster.
Saroj Randhawa
Bhopal, MP
It was nice to read about the Annual GRIHA Summit 2018. The 2018 edition of the Summit marked the tenth year and was based on the theme of ‘Fostering Partnerships for Sustainable Habitats. As in the past, the Summit served as a platform to deliberate on interdependence between organizations, systemic sustainability management, and feedback loops for better resource efficiency. All the other article and sections published in the latest issue are also worth mentioning.
Mudit Bansal
NOIDA, Delhi-NCR
I congratulate the editorial and production team for bringing out Energy
Future, which serves as a comprehensive guide of industry-related articles,
news coverage, and other vital information. The feature article on ‘Energy
Transition Today’ discusses the perils of climate change and the ways in
which we could better tackle the current crisis. A safe and viable option
before us is to end the dominance of oil and coal and encourage energy
transition to safer and cleaner RE sector. A new awakening has taken place
and the global energy industry is under the threshold of energy transition
to cost-effective and carbon-free RE technologies.Shivani Dutt
Mumbai, Maharashtra
Letter to the Editor
teripress@teri.res.in
Energy Future magazine gives me a good glimpse into the world of energy and related topics. The cover story on energy transition published in the October-December 2018 issue of the magazine unravels the historical perspective of clean energy, the global scenario, in particular India’s current status, challenges,
investors globally would need to work actively towards universal energy access in the years to come. And, political ambition will be a major determinant for achieving this.
A K YadavDehradun, Uttarakhand
4 NEWS
COVER STORY
16 Time to Shine: Solar Energy in
India
FEATURES
26 Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy 2018
34 India Stepping Up Efforts to Add
Renewables and Lower Emissions
in the Wake of Paris Agreement
42 Dust free Solar Panel for Efficient
Electricity Production
ENERGY INSIGHTS
46 Insights on PAT Scheme: Perform
Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme
SOLAR QUARTERLY
52 Higher Integration of SPV
Systems: Issues and Challenges
56 Solar Rooftop Photovoltaic
Panel: A Case Study
SPECIAL EVENT
64 Transformation Strategies for
Built Environment
VIEWPOINT
66 Sustainability is the Exact
Opposite of ‘Environmental
Doom’
76 ABSTRACTS
80 PRODUCT UPDATE
84 BOOK ALERT
88 TECHNICAL CORNER
94 INDUSTRY REGISTRY
95 EVENTS
96 RE STATISTICS
4JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
EWSNIN
DIA
Solar DC Inverterless Technology,
pioneered by Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT) Madras Researchers,
is lighting up homes in remote parts
of the country where the terrain is so
foreboding that they are beyond the
reach of electricity grids. Cygni Energy
Pvt Ltd, an innovative Solar-DC solutions
start-up that was incubated by the
Rural Technology Business Incubator
(RTBI) of IIT Madras, is now installing
3026 units in villages located high up in
remote corners of Manipur and another
25,000 units solar inverters and lights
in the villages of Assam. “It is of great
importance that we have played major
role in taking power to remote villages in
Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya, and Jammu
and Kashmir. Solar-DC system makes
the equipment much smaller in size and
cost,” said Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala,
Institute Professor, IIT Madras, who led
the research on this technology, while
speaking about the importance of this
project.
The Manipur Project, taken up at a cost
of `11.5 crore, was funded by Manipur
Renewable Energy Development
Agency. Most beneficiaries are situated
in remote, inaccessible mountainous
regions of Manipur. Out of the 44,854
total installations planned, 30,828 have
been completed so far. With Solar-DC
solution, people are able to use power
for 8 h full load and close to 12–14 h in
reserve mode (only basic appliances like
bulbs and mobile chargers).
Source: ndtv.com
IIT MADRAS SOLAR TECHNOLOGY START-UP LIGHTS UP REMOTE VILLAGES
PIYUSH GOYAL RECEIVES CARNOT PRIZE FOR POLICY CONTRIBUTIONSUnion Finance and Railways Minister
Shri Piyush Goyal has been awarded the
4th Carnot Prize by Kleinman Center
for Energy Policy at the University of
Pennsylvania for his work in sustainable
energy solutions and was felicitated by a
team from University of Pennsylvania that
came to India. According to the Kleinman
Center for Energy Policy, the award is
in recognition of “the pathbreaking
transformations in India’s energy sector”
under the Modi government. Goyal
was earlier the power minister. He was
to be awarded the prize in October
2018; however, he had to skip the event
because of the Amritsar train tragedy
in which several people died. The
Kleinman Center for Energy Policy also
acknowledged India’s “solid footing to
reach a 40 per cent renewable mix by
2030”.
The Carnot Prize is considered as one
of the most prestigious awards in the
energy sector. The prize, which is given
annually, recognizes distinguished
contributions to energy policy through
scholarship or practice. Previously, the
award has named Dr Daniel Yergin, Vice
Chairman of HIS; Dr Fatih Birol, Director
of International Energy Agency; and
Gina McCarthy, a career public servant
in the fields of energy and environment
as winners. Accepting the award, Shri
Piyush Goyal stated that it was “both a
personal honour and a tribute to the
efforts of all involved in this great work
throughout India to be recognized with
the Carnot Prize by the University of
Pennsylvania”. Shri Goyal has decided that
the award money of $25,000 will be given
towards the International Solar Alliance
to constitute the Diwakar Award which
will every year recognize an outstanding
organization working for the betterment
of special children and expanding the
use of solar energy. The award money will
be utilized to create a perpetual corpus
and the interest income received on the
corpus will be used for providing the
award annually.
5ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
India is set to approach the World
Trade Organisation (WTO) to make
the certification from Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) mandatory for all the
liquefied petroleum gas stoves sold
in the country. This is after sale of LPG
stoves more than doubled to around
50 million a year for the last 3 years,
following the launch of Pradhan Mantri
Ujjwala Yojana. Having BIS certification
will ensure that all the gas stoves sold
in India have high thermal efficiency of
at least 68 per cent, compared to
60 per cent for non-BIS ones. Addressing
India’s flagship hydrocarbon event
Petrotech-2019, Petroleum Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan said that when the
current government took charge, India
had only around 130 million households
with cooking gas connections, which has
increased to 240 million now. “Today, our
LPG penetration has increased from 55
per cent to 90 per cent. India will soon
be connected to all houses with clean
cooking fuel,” he added. The minister
said his government was focused on
improving the ease of living of common
people by enhancing access to clean
cooking fuel. “We introduced Ujjwala
scheme, under which we targeted
to provide LPG connections to 80
million households, of which 64 million
households have already been provided
the LPG connections in just three years,”
he added. An official said clearance from
WTO is mandatory for this as it comes
under the international trade rules.
Based on reports, the rise in sales had a
multiplier effect on the manufacturers
of equipment such as cylinders, pressure
regulators, stoves and tubing too.
INDIA LOOKS TO WTO FOR BIS-CERTIFIED LPG STOVES
Gujarat has released its land policy for
renewable energy projects, which seeks
to set up wind parks and wind–solar
hybrid parks in the state, similar to solar
parks. It is a welcome development for
wind developers who want to set up
their projects in Gujarat. Land had lately
been a bone of contention between
project developers and the Gujarat
government, with the latter reluctant to
lease land for wind projects auctioned
by central agencies like the Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI), while
providing such land for similar projects
sanctioned by the state agency, Gujarat
Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL). A total
area that can accommodate 30,000 MW
of renewable energy will be sanctioned
for these parks, with each park large
enough to install a minimum of 1000 MW.
Of the 30,000 MW, 10,000 MW will be set
aside for projects initiated by state PSUs.
“We will decide the exact location of the
parks in consultation with developers,”
as conveyed by officials. “The idea is not
to have projects dispersed all over the
state, with wires running everywhere.
Evacuation will also be easier.” Wind
projects need around 0.75 acres per
megawatt, while solar projects require
5–6 acres. But sites with wind speeds high
enough to produce power are limited.
Gujarat, which already has a number of
solar parks, is keen that the new parks
come up mostly in the Kutch area.
GUJARAT FRAMES LAND POLICY FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS
6JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
INDIA GETS FIRST GRID-SCALE BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM
In what could be seen as yet another
attempt at making the exploration
business attractive, the government
is in the process of implementing the
recommendations of a high-level Inter-
Ministerial Committee. The Committee
headed by Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman,
NITI Aayog, has made several specific
recommendations to transform the
country’s oil and gas exploration sector.
It has submitted its report to the Prime
Minister’s Office. Asked if this will be an
all-new policy regime, sources said it
should be termed as further liberalizing
the exploration conditions with measures
to enhance domestic production of oil
and gas — putting on offer some existing
fields owned by PSUs and incentivizing
ONGC to improve enhanced oil recovery
from its existing fields. According to
sources, the focus of the committee has
been on how to increase production
and not make revenue maximization
an obstruction for production. Simply
put, primary weightage will be given
to exploration work programme and
not revenue sharing as the case is now.
The proposed measures will also help
attract more investments in exploration
in difficult areas by giving the contractors
necessary incentives, a source said adding
that for all new discoveries there will
be complete gas pricing and marketing
freedom. India’s exploration business has
gone through different regimes — blocks
given on nomination basis to public
sector explorers like ONGC and Oil India
Ltd, Production Sharing Contract under
New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP),
to Hydrocarbon Exploration Licensing
Policy (HELP).
IN YET ANOTHER ATTEMPT, GOVT TRIES TO MAKE HYDROCARBON HUNTING MORE ATTRACTIVE
The 10-MW grid-connected system,
owned by AES and Mitsubishi Corporation,
will pave the path for wider adoption of
grid-scale energy storage technology
across India. It uses the Advancion energy
storage platform from Fluence, a joint
venture formed by Siemens and AES.
Speaking at the launch, Praveer Sinha, CEO
and managing director of Tata Power, said:
“Grid-scale energy storage will pave the
way for ancillary market services, power
quality management, effective renewable
integration and peak load management
of Indian grids.” The project, at Tata Power
Delhi Distribution’s substation in Rohini
in Delhi, will provide grid stabilization
and protect critical facilities for 2 million
consumers served by the company.
Battery-based energy storage enables
electricity to be stored and delivered
within milliseconds, reducing grid
instability and enabling more energy to be
captured and delivered on demand.
Fast-ramping energy storage like the
Delhi system can be built within months
to provide critical flexibility wherever it
is needed on India’s grid. By comparison,
older technologies such as pumped
hydro storage can take years to build and
are highly dependent on geographical
locations. Battery-based energy storage
also uses no water and produces no
emissions from its operations. India has
the ambitious goal of installing 225 GW of
renewable energy by 2022. Battery-based
energy storage provides the flexibility
and agility to better integrate intermittent
solar and wind energy resources into
India’s electric grid and ensure high-
quality power for consumers.
EWSNIN
DIA
7ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
WEF said India is amongst the countries
with high pollution levels and has a
relatively high carbon dioxide (CO2)
intensity in its energy system. India has
moved up two places to rank 76th on
a global energy transition index, which
has ranked 115 economies on how
well they are able to balance energy
security and access with environmental
sustainability and affordability.
Sweden remains on the top on this
annual list compiled by Geneva-based
World Economic Forum (WEF) and is
followed by Switzerland and Norway
in the top three, as per its latest report.
The WEF said energy systems have
globally become less affordable and
less environmentally sustainable than
they were five years ago though access
to energy has improved with less than
1 billion now living without access
to electricity. “Despite this, India has
made significant strides to improve
energy access in recent years, and
currently scores well in the area of
regulation and political commitment
towards energy transition,” according
to the WEF. It suggested there was a
ground for optimism regarding India
despite the current outdated energy
system not being ready for transition
because an enabling environment is
being built to support future transition.
While India has scored low in terms of
system performance (ranking 97 and
86, respectively), it ranks considerably
higher when it comes to readiness (45
and 61, respectively). Overall, India has
moved up two places from 78th last year.
The WEF said its index considers both
the current state of the countries’ energy
system and their structural readiness
to adapt to future energy needs. Small
economies have achieved higher scores
on readiness, with the UK being the
only G7 economy in the top 10. The
biggest challenge facing attempts to
future proof global energy is the lack of
readiness amongst the world’s largest
emitters. The ‘transition readiness’
component of the index has taken
into account six individual indicators:
capital and investment, regulation and
political commitment, institutions and
governance, institutions and innovative
business environment, human capital
and consumer participation, and energy
system structure.
INDIA RANKS 76TH ON WEF’S ENERGY TRANSITION INDEX
China and India’s proposed
arrangement to form a buyers’ bloc to
bargain collectively for oil supplies has
acquired an institutional character with
the two strategic rivals moving ahead
to set up a joint working group (JWG)
on energy. As part of the emerging
playbook that will have a major bearing
on the global energy architecture, the
scope of the first such group on energy
between the Asian rivals will not only
be limited to crude oil but will also
extend to liquefied natural gas (LNG)
and will include cargo swap options.
The two nations wield enormous
buying power on the global energy
stage, with China and India being
the world’s second and fourth largest
importers of LNG. China and India are
the world’s second and third largest
oil importers as well, respectively. The
first such structured arrangement on
the key issue of energy comes in the
backdrop of tightening US sanctions
against Iran and Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
production curbs that have driven oil
prices. Higher oil prices stoke inflation
and hurt economic growth in India,
whose energy needs are primarily met
through imports. India imports more
than 80% of its oil requirements and
around 18% of the natural gas it needs.
“Some competitiveness is inherent
given that we have similar sources.
With supply becoming a little more
adequate generally, that dynamic is
shifting gradually. We have decided
to set up a joint working group on
the oil and gas sector. It will deal with
anything to do with the oil and gas
sector, be it upstream, midstream or
downstream. If both India and China
agree on something that we need to
discuss, then we will move forward. This
is the first time that a JWG has been set
up between the two nations on energy,”
said an Indian government official.
INDIA AND CHINA SET TO FORM A WORKING GROUP ON ENERGY
8JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
India emerged as the third largest solar
market in the world after China and the
United States. India’s solar installations
reached 8.3 GW, including large-scale
and rooftop solar units, according to
a report by Mercom Communications
India. The country’s cumulative solar
capacity is 28 GW as of 2018. Mergers
and acquisitions (M&A) globally were
steady in the space with 18 solar
transactions in Q1 2019 compared to
Q1 2018. In terms of corporate M&A, the
report noted that Reliance Industrial
Investments and Holdings Ltd (RIIHL),
a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance
Industries, acquired 88 per cent equity
stake in Kanoda Energy Systems Ltd
(KESL), a provider of engineering,
procurement and construction and
operation and maintenance for solar
PV projects. An earlier report, covering
market share and shipment rankings
across the domestic solar supply chain
between January and December 2018,
showed that the top 10 large-scale
developers accounted for 60 per cent
market share. In terms of cumulative
installations, Adani maintained its
position as the top project developer,
while Acme Solar was the developer
with the most large-scale solar
installations in 2018. Adani was the
second largest developer in 2018. “Much
has changed in the Indian solar industry
over the last year. There was some re-
shuffling when it came to suppliers after
the imposition of the safeguard duty,
while others have consolidated their
positions,” Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom
Capital Group, said in a statement.
Noting that there are approximately 80
large-scale project developers with a
pipeline of 5 MW or more in India, the
report states Acme Solar had the largest
project pipeline at the end of 2018,
closely followed by SB Energy (SoftBank)
and Azure Power.
Iraq for the second year in a row has
become India’s top crude oil supplier,
meeting more than a fifth of the country’s
oil needs in the 2018–19 fiscal. According
to data sourced from the Directorate
General of Commercial Intelligence and
Statistics, Iraq sold 46.61 million tonnes
of crude oil to India during April 2018 and
March 2019, 2 per cent more than 45.74
million tonnes it had supplied in 2017–18
fiscal. India provisionally imported 207.3
million tonnes of crude oil in 2018–19,
down from 220.4 MT in the previous
financial year.
Saudi Arabia has traditionally been
India’s top oil source, but it was for
the first time dethroned by Iraq in
2017–18 fiscal. In 2018–19, Saudi Arabia
exported 40.33 million tonnes of crude
oil, up from 36.16 MT of oil sold in the
previous year. Iran (23.9 MT) was the
third largest crude oil supplier to India,
followed by UAE (17.49 MT). The United
States, which began selling crude oil to
India in 2017, is fast becoming a major
source. Supplies from the United States
to India jumped more than fourfold to
6.4 million tonnes in the 2018–19 fiscal
year. In 2017–18, the first year of imports
from the United States, the supplies
were at 1.4 million tonnes. India is 80 per
cent dependent on imports to meet its
oil needs. Easing of Western sanctions
in 2015 had led to the Indian refiners
raising their purchase from Iran. Kuwait,
which was the third largest supplier
in 2013–14, has steadily slipped, with
supplies dropping by 16 per cent in
2018–19. It had supplied 17.9 million
tonne crude in 2014–15, which came
down to 11.00 MT in 2015-16 and 9.8 MT
in 2016–17.
INDIA 3RD LARGEST SOLAR MARKET GLOBALLY IN 2018
IRAQ REMAINS INDIA’S TOP CRUDE OIL SUPPLIER FOR 2ND SUCCESSIVE YEAR
EWSNIN
DIA
9ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
Moving a step closer towards becoming
an environmentally friendly network,
the Delhi Metro has now become the
first ever Metro project in the country
to receive power generated from a
waste-to-energy plant. The Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation (DMRC) has started
receiving 2 MW power from a 12-MW
capacity plant in Ghazipur. “This will
be the first-ever attempt by any metro
project in the country to procure and
utilize energy from waste-to-energy
plants and thus contribute towards
‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ and also
help in creating awareness about the
importance of waste management,”
says the statement issued by the
DMRC. The power generated from
the plant is at present being utilized
at the Vinod Nagar Receiving Sub-
station (RSS) of DMRC for meeting the
operation requirements of Pink Line
metro (connecting Majlis Park and Shiv
Vihar). Senior Metro officials said that
the DMRC will take approximately 17.5
million units per annum from this plant.
They, however, clarified that the energy
off-take will depend upon the actual
generation of the plant. The waste-to-
energy plant set up by East Delhi Waste
Processing Company Limited (EDWPCL)
is based on a public private partnership
(PPP) involving the Delhi government,
the East Delhi Municipal Corporation
(EDMC) and EDWPCL. “The state-of-the-
art facility can process over 1500 tonnes
per day (TPD) of waste and generate
12 MW of green power. The plant is
India’s first Euro norms compliant waste-
to-energy facility,” the Metro said. The
waste-to-energy plant will mitigate over
8 million tonnes of greenhouse gases
(GHG) over the life of the project, thus
combating global warming, the DMRC
said. At present, DMRC is getting more
than 100 MW of solar power, out of
which 77 MW is being generated from
Madhya Pradesh’s Ultra Mega Solar
Plant and the remaining 28 MW is being
drawn from rooftop solar plants.
The government is likely to soon
permit supermarkets to retail petrol
and diesel in its bid to ease fuel access
to end consumers. The Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas in this
regard may come up with a Cabinet
note to relax existing norms. It is likely
to suggest bringing down the minimum
requirement for companies trying to
get into the retail fuel segment. This
means that the government could lower
the basic infrastructure investment
of about `2000 crore in the domestic
market or provide bank guarantees
for 3 million tonnes (30 lakh tonnes)
or equivalent amount, the report said.
If the government goes ahead with
the changes, it could open the gates
for multi-brand retail majors such as
Future Group and Reliance Retail as well
as global majors of the likes of Saudi
Aramco to enter the lucrative Indian
fuel retail space. A committee led by
economist Kirit Parikh had proposed
relaxing norms in India. The other
members on the committee were former
petroleum secretary GC Chaturvedi,
former Indian Oil (IOC) Chairman
MA Pathan, and Ashutosh Jindal, joint
secretary in charge of marketing under
the petroleum ministry, the report
added. The conception of this idea to
allow supermarkets to retail fuel comes
from the successful model undertaken
by the United Kingdom (UK). As per
the evaluation of the Petrol Retailers
Association (PRA), a trade association
that represents the independent fuel
retailers in the UK, supermarket sites
comprise around 49% of the petrol and
43% of all diesel retailed in the country
in April 2019. The government is hoping
to replicate the same model in India
given the sheer size of the country’s fuel
consumption appetite.
DMRC IS INDIA’S FIRST METRO PROJECT TO RECEIVE POWER FROM WASTE-TO-ENERGY PLANT
BUY PETROL, DIESEL AT A SUPERMARKET SOON
10JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
GAS FIND IN NORTH SEA HAILED AS ‘BIGGEST IN A DECADE’A significant gas discovery in the
central North Sea is being described
as the biggest find in more than a
decade. Chinese state-owned company
CNOOC said it made the gas discovery –
equivalent to 250 million barrels of oil – in
its Glengorm project, east of Aberdeen.
Further appraisal work is planned, but it
is understood that it could be extracted
using existing infrastructure. Glengorm
sits 118 miles (190 km) east of Aberdeen,
close to Total’s Elgin-Franklin and Culzean
fields, and could be tied back to one of
their platforms. Kevin McLachlan, of
Total, said: “Glengorm is another great
success for Total in the North Sea, with
results at the top end of expectations
and a high condensate yield in addition
to the gas”. “Our strong position in the
region will enable us to leverage existing
infrastructures nearby and optimize the
development of this discovery. Glengorm
is an achievement that demonstrates
our capacity to create value in a mature
environment thanks to our in-depth
understanding of the basin,” he added.
Analysts Wood Mackenzie described
the find as the largest in the North Sea
since the Culzean field was discovered in
2008. Senior analyst Kevin Swann said:
“There is a lot of hype around frontier
areas like West of Shetland, where Total
discovered the Glendronach field last
year. But Glengorm is in the Central North
Sea and this find shows there is still life
in some of the more mature UK waters.”
Chief executive Andy Samuel said: “This
is very exciting news. Glengorm was
first mapped as a prospect around 20
years ago and it is great to see CNOOC
taking up the exploration opportunity
and completing a difficult high-pressure,
high-temperature exploration well.”
Source: BBC News
Jordan’s movement towards renewable
energy is gaining momentum. The
Kingdom, which is estimated to import
around 97 per cent of its energy, has
ambitious plans to switch 20 per cent
of its power consumption to green
energy by 2020. With more than 300
days of sunshine each year, solar energy
has fast become the focus of the state’s
energy investments. Established in 2008,
Jordanian project developer Kawar
Energy has approximately 200 solar
developments to its name. “We have
excellent (solar) radiation that helps
generate more energy and electricity out
of the plants,” says CEO Hanna Zaghloul,
“but what’s really more important is the
legal framework that we have developed
in Jordan which attracts investors and
the government’s actual commitment
to renewable energy.” Jordan officially
took its place on the renewable energy
map when it opened Shams Ma’an Power
Plant in 2016, the second largest solar
farm in the region. Costing an estimated
$170 million dollars to build, the farm
consists of 640,000 panels, spanning 2 sq
km of desert land in the southern city of
Ma’an. It generates one per cent of the
country’s total production of electricity.
The country has been setting green
benchmarks since last year, when it
implemented the world’s largest solar
project inside a refugee camp. The
12.9-megawatt plant at Za’atari Camp
provides eighty thousand Syrian refugees
with clean and free electricity. Carbon
dioxide emissions are also reduced by
13,000 metric tonnes per annum, which
amounts approximately to 30,000 barrels
of oil. The initiative saves the United
Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) around
5.5 million US dollars per year. Following
the completion of the solar project,
residents at the camp now have access
to energy for up to 12.5 hours a day,
allowing them to use basic appliances
such as refrigerators and televisions.
Source: Euronews
JORDAN’S SWITCH TO RENEWABLE ENERGY WITH SOLAR POWER
EWSN
11ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
A utility in company in Florida recently
announced a groundbreaking ‘30-by-30’
plan to install more than 30 million solar
panels by 2030 and make the state of
Florida a ‘world leader in the production
of solar energy’. Florida Power & Light
Company (FPL) and its sister company,
NextEra Energy Resources, are already
some of the world’s largest producers
of renewable energy from the wind and
sun and, when this plan is completed,
FPL expects to be the largest utility
owner and operator of solar in America.
FPL has secured solar sites throughout
the state, which will enable the
company to continue to cost effectively
build solar energy centres across Florida.
The scheme’s end result will be ‘the
largest installation of solar panels by
a regulated utility in the world’ and a
67% fleet-wide reduction in carbon
dioxide emissions rate as compared to
the national average. The company has
already begun pairing battery storage
technology at its solar power plants.
Today, the company operates 18 large
solar power plants and hundreds of
other universal solar installations across
Florida. In 2009, FPL became the first
company to build large universal scale
solar projects in Florida and since 2001,
their programme to phase out older,
oil-fired power plants and replace
them with highly efficient clean energy
centres has reduced the company’s
reliance on foreign oil by more than
99%, which reportedly saved consumers
more than $9.5 billion in fuel costs and
prevented 120 million tons of carbon
emissions from being produced.
Source: Good News Network
FLORIDA SET TO BECOME A WORLD LEADER IN RENEWABLE ENERGY WITH 30 MILLION NEW SOLAR PANELS
Microsoft has signed a power purchase
agreement with EDP Renewables for
125 MW of wind power capacity in Ohio.
The agreement includes two 15-year-
long power purchase agreements as well
as the construction of a new wind farm
in the state. The 125 MW wind farm in
Paulding County, Ohio, is expected to
be operational in 2019 and will produce
enough clean electricity to power the
equivalent of more than 36,000 homes
annually. Timber Road IV Wind Farm will
be EDP’s fourth operational wind farm
in Ohio and its third operational wind
farm in Paulding County. The four wind
farms total 392 MW, contributing to
more than 40% of the state’s installed
wind capacity. The companies say
that the new wind farm will also bring
employment opportunities with around
temporary 200 construction jobs
expected and seven full-time positions
during operations. In addition, the new
wind farm will generate approximately
$1.1 million each year in annual property
tax revenue for the local government
as well as land lease payments to area
farmers and landowners. “Bringing new
wind projects online, particularly in
states with relatively few projects but
strong potential for growth, delivers both
economic benefits and environmental
progress in the near term and well into
the future,” said Brian Janous, GM of
Microsoft Energy and Sustainability.
Dana Saucer, VP and head of economic
development for private non-profit
JobsOhio, said: “We applaud this
partnership between EDP Renewables
and Microsoft that will allow Microsoft to
power its operations on the larger PJM
grid with clean, homegrown wind energy
from Paulding County.”
MICROSOFT BUYS 125 MW OF RENEWABLE ENERGY FROM OHIO WIND FARMS
12JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
THESE 11 EU STATES ALREADY MEET THEIR 2020 RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETSAlmost half of the European Union’s (EU)
28 member states have already hit, or
are close to hitting, their 2020 renewable
energy targets. But despite this, there
has been a gradual slowdown in the rate
of renewable energy use across the EU,
and some member states have a lot of
ground to make up this year. Those that
are already top of the class are: Bulgaria,
Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Lithuania,
Romania, and Sweden. Hot on their heels
are Austria, Greece, and Latvia, who look
certain to hit their targets. It is unlikely
to come as a surprise to hear that the
Nordics are well represented among
the strongest performers; Sweden came
top, with 54.5% of its energy coming
from renewable sources. That was a
long way ahead of the second placed
country, Finland, with 41% – followed
by Latvia with 39% and Denmark with
35.8%. Despite its strong performance,
Latvia is yet to hit its target but is only
around 1% away. Bringing up the rear, the
Netherlands is the furthest away from its
goal – 7.4 percentage points (pp) away
from its 2020 objective. France is next
(6.7 pp), followed by Ireland (5.3 pp) and
the UK (4.8 pp). The first year in which the
share of renewable energy was measured
across the EU was 2004, when it made up
8.5% of the total. By 2016 that had risen
to 17% and 17.5% for 2017. But while the
overall share of renewables being used
to meet the energy needs of EU member
states has doubled since 2005, the rate
of adoption is slowing down. If that
trend continues, it could cause several
member states, and possibly the whole
EU, to miss its 2030 target of at least
32% renewable contribution to energy
consumption. The share of renewables
increased by an average of 5.5% per year
between 2005 and 2015. But that rate
of growth decreased by 0.2 percentage
points in 2016 and by 0.3 percentage
points in 2017 when compared with
the 2005–2015 pace of change. Global
energy demand is expected to grow in
the coming decades. The question is how
to produce the energy the world will
need while also protecting species and
habitats and curbing global warming.
Oil majors are readying themselves for
the energy transition by investing in shale
and waiting for renewable technology
to be economical, according to Rystad
Energy. A recent review of 2019 capital
budgets reveals that oil majors are the
only group to increase shale expenditure
from 2018 to 2019. Big companies such
as Chevron and ExxonMobil recently
announced plans to significantly ramp
up production in prolific shale basins,
such as the Permian Basin spanning
Texas and New Mexico. “Oil majors are
spending more dollars on shale in an
effort to evolve into renewables,” said
Rystad Energy Vice President Matthew
Fitzsimmons. He added: “Shale offers
the obvious benefits of being repetitive
in nature, having fast payback and high
return profiles. However, majors also
understand that peak oil demand might
not be far off. Once this point is reached,
majors with cash reserves will be in an
advantageous position to become first
movers in the new renewable energy
paradigm.” Rystad Energy forecasts
that oil demand will peak by 2037,
but increased technology efficiencies
could accelerate this peak to 2027 in
our low case forecast. If all discovered
shale, onshore and offshore fields, with
breakeven oil prices below $60 per barrel
are sanctioned per their current timelines,
global production will meet and exceed
Rystad Energy’s low case oil demand
through 2031.
OIL MAJORS SEE SHALE AS A BRIDGE TO RENEWABLE
EWSN
13ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
VENEZUELA IMPORTS CRUDE OIL FOR FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARSOil production in Venezuela has dipped
so low that the owner of the world’s
largest reserves is importing crude for
the first time in five years. The nation’s
output fell below 1 million barrels a day
to a 16-year low in March, amid rolling
blackouts and U.S. sanctions. As the
power disruption shut oil fields, pipelines
and ports, bringing oil infrastructure to a
halt, state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela
SA (PDVSA) bought a cargo of crude from
fellow OPEC member Nigeria, marking
the first oil import since 2014. Almost
1 million barrels of light, sweet Agbami
crude is discharging, after loading in
early April, and may help to offset falling
domestic production. PDVSA can also
use the lighter oil as a diluent to thin
Venezuela’s sludgy crude so that it can be
more easily extracted from underground
reservoirs. The streams that are blended
with light oil are marketed as Merey
16, the country’s top exported oil, and
a grade used to calculate the OPEC oil
basket price. The cargo of Agbami will
likely be used to make Merey as the
production of domestic light oils has
been falling over the years. According
to the latest official data available,
production fell by half between 2006 and
2016 to 313,000 barrels daily. The last
time Venezuela imported crude, in 2014,
it purchased Algerian crude to mix with
extra-heavy oil for a grade that became
known as Blend 16. PDVSA discontinued
the blend amid disagreements with
Algeria’s state oil company Sonatrach and
complaints from U.S. refiners, then the
company’s biggest buyers.
The global pace of new oil and gas
pipeline construction has tripled in less
than two decades, a multi-billion-dollar
boom in infrastructure that experts
warned Thursday could torpedo hopes
for limiting global warming. In the first
worldwide survey of its kind, the Global
Fossil Infrastructure Tracker identified a
potential investor bubble ready to burst
as renewable energy prices plummet
and climate regulations begin to bite. It
paints a picture of fossil fuel companies
rushing to complete projects in order
to lock countries and investors into oil
and gas use for decades, even as calls for
drastic cuts to greenhouse gas emissions
grow louder. “Everyone knows there’s
a drilling boom in North America, but
they don’t look at the infrastructure,” said
Ted Nace, executive director of Global
Energy Monitor, a network of fossil fuel
industry trackers. “When you drill a well
you have it for a year or two, but building
infrastructure is building things that are
going to be around for 40 or 50 years,” he
said. The analysis – which used open-
source data to map hundreds of new
delivery plans around the world – found
that fully a third of more than 180,000 km
(110,000 miles) of oil and gas pipelines in
development were in North America. By
the metric of overall number of projects,
51.5% were planned for the continent.
The accelerated rate of new pipeline
construction echoes the recent US coal-
mining crash, which saw investors left
on the hook after American coal prices
cratered due to a rapid increase in the
domestic production of coal in China,
once a major client. Nace said that the
changing costs of energy production
should make investors think twice
before putting their money in fossil fuel
infrastructure. “The idea is you will pick
up natural gas and oil in America, ship it
across the sea and they will (in Asia) be
using that in their power plants instead
of their own coal and instead of their
renewables,” he said. “That’s where it gets
a little questionable. Those economics are
changing really quickly.”
NORTH AMERICA DRIVING GLOBAL OIL AND GAS PIPELINE ‘BOOM’
14JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
Solar will soon be able to outcompete
gas-fired plants around the world on a
levelized cost basis. That doesn’t mean it
will be any easier to make a living in the
solar business. “By 2023, we think solar
is going to be cheaper than gas almost
everywhere around the world,” said Tom
Heggarty, senior solar analyst for Wood
Mackenzie Power & Renewables, at GTM
Solar Summit in Phoenix. New combined
cycle gas plants remain competitive with
new utility solar in many big markets
today, from China to the UK to South
Korea. But that will no longer be the
case by the early 2020s, as equipment
costs continue to fall and competitive
auctions proliferate, Heggarty said.
Yet for all that signifies, the news has
not all been good for the global solar
market recently. The annual market
failed to crack the 100-gigawatt mark
in 2018 as it was expected to do, due
chiefly to a policy-induced slowdown in
China. India, too, put up weaker-than-
expected growth last year as 14 GW of
auctions were canceled or postponed,
or awarded projects were annulled. 2018
was the first year without a record-
low price for a solar power-purchase
agreement, following a long string of
records in markets as diverse as South
Africa, the United States, Morocco and
Saudi Arabia. But setbacks in any one
market — even China — are becoming
less important as the industry takes root
around the world. China accounted for
35% of global solar installations through
2018, but that share will fall to 27% in
2019 to 2024 period, WoodMac predicts.
With a world of opportunity stretching
out before the solar industry, it’s still
a challenging place to make a profit,
and maybe increasingly so. Whereas
countries once tended to get a feel for
solar energy through a feed-in tariff
before later shifting to auctions, they
are now moving much more quickly to
auctions or tenders.
Hungary is planning to create a green-
powered town with jobs and housing
for thousands on a barren strip of
Danube floodplain. The 1 billion-euro
($1.1 billion) Hegyeshalom-Bezenye
project in northwest Hungary will be
the size of about 500 soccer pitches and
have full amenities such as schools and
shopping facilities, said co-developers
EON SE and German property company
FAKT AG. Vegetables will be grown
under glass where scrubland is today.
The carbon-neutral town will draw
mainly on solar and biogas power and
will create as many as 5000 permanent
jobs in the greenhouse venture,
according to Nikolai Ulrich, a board
member of FAKT. The property company
is partnering with EON, builder KESZ
Group and the Hungarian government
on the venture. The sweeping
infrastructure and horticultural project
underlines “how a scrap of land and
vision can create a green business and
community venture of scale,” said Ulrich.
FAKT and its partners say the project will
serve as a model for other conversion
sites across the continent, including
coal regions making the switch to clean
energy. When Hegyeshalom-Bezenye
is complete, it will include about 1000
homes, a restaurant, hotel, rail station,
shopping facilities as well as schools and
training units. “The project embeds a
sustainable water management policy
that aims to avoid lowering the area’s
water table,” said Ulrich. “Cooling will be
supplied via geothermal plants,” he said.
“As well as boosting Hungary’s supply
of tomatoes, peppers and aubergines,
the site will host Europe’s largest inland
fishery, cultivating salmon, bass and sea
bream,” he said.
WOODMAC: SOLAR PLANTS CHEAPER THAN NATURAL GAS ‘JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE’ BY 2023
HUNGARY TO BUILD $1 BILLION GREEN-POWERED TOWN FROM SCRATCH
EWSN
15ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
Solar will soon be able to outcompete
gaIn the northern Georgia, near the
Tennessee line, the city of Dalton made
its fame as the carpet capital of the world.
These days a more accurate title would be
floor covering capital of the world. It has
diversified into hardwood, tile, laminate
and other materials. And in a big move
last year, Dalton added a new industry to
its manufacturing mix: the largest solar
panel assembly plant in the western
hemisphere, a $150 million investment.
This is just one sign that in Georgia,
solar is booming. Like most states in
the southeast, Georgia doesn’t have the
kind of state-level mandates that have
propelled the growth of renewable
energy in other parts of the country. Nor
is it because of a groundswell of public
concern over climate change or the
need to curb greenhouse gases. Instead,
there are powerful market forces at work.
The United States is the second largest
market for solar in the world after China.
Ever cheaper and better solar technology,
available land and lots of sunshine are
driving demand for massive, utility-
scale solar projects across the American
southeast.
“Headquartered in Seoul, South Korea,
Hanwha showed up in Dalton in early
2018,” says Mayor Dennis Mock. “They
knew we were good for manufacturing
jobs and plenty of them,” he says.
Georgia’s then Governor Nathan Deal
announced the plant in May 2018, four
months after President Trump imposed
a 30% tariff on solar panel imports. The
plant began shipping panels in February
2019. Today, the Dalton plant runs 24/7,
employing 600 American workers who
operate the high-tech assembly lines
imported by Hanwha from Korea. The
solar cells — the parts that actually
convert sunlight into electricity — are
also manufactured in Korea. They are
not currently subject to tariffs, but they
could be next year, when a quota on cell
imports will likely be reached. Operating
at capacity, the factory is now assembling
10,000 panels a day. “Tariffs have made
it such that for the time being, this is
the most attractive place to assemble
panels for use in the U.S. market,” says
Moskowitz. “The vast majority of these
will end up in projects in the U.S.”
Source: NPR
The world is moving towards an era of
vastly improved energy choices. That
was one of the key messages of US
Energy Secretary Rick Perry, speaking
at CERAWeek 2019 in Houston, Texas.
“We’re approaching the dawn of what
I call the new American energy era,
an era of vastly improved choices for
the entire world where we embrace
new and smarter ways to reach our
energy and our environmental goals,”
Perry said. Speaking at the event
in Houston, which brings together
energy industry leaders and politicians
from across the globe, Perry defined
this new era as one characterized by
renewables such as wind power, digital
technologies like artificial intelligence
(AI) and, in particular, the expansion of
liquefied natural gas (LNG) around the
world. It was these three topics — gas,
renewables and digital technologies —
that speakers at CERAWeek 2019 kept
coming back to as the fundamental
forces shaping the future of energy.
By liquefying its vast shale gas
reserves, the United States has become
a net exporter of LNG and could become
a net energy exporter overall as soon
as 2020. This is having a global impact
on LNG supply, not only in terms of
quantities being made available by
the United States — which could soon
overtake Qatar and Australia as the
world’s biggest exporter of LNG —
but also by encouraging many other
countries to pursue their own export
plans. Low electricity prices are even
attracting oil-rich nations like Saudi
Arabia to invest in renewables. Paddy
Padmanathan, CEO and president of
Saudi Arabia-based developer ACWA
Power International, predicted that low
prices and a strategic goal to diversify its
electricity supply would see the kingdom
rapidly expand its renewables capacity.
The changes being wrought by
new digital technologies were on the
lips of everyone at CERAWeek 2019,
from Perry’s fascination with AI to Ford
Executive Chairman Bill Ford’s views on
autonomous and electric vehicles. In
the energy sector specifically, speakers
highlighted the use of blockchain to
enable direct or ‘peer-to-peer’ energy
trading and the use of AI to interpret
data from sensors and drones to improve
the operation and maintenance of
facilities. AI is even being used to control
power plants. Speaking at a session on
digital transformation and the future
of power, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power
Systems (MHPS) Americas President
and CEO Paul Browning highlighted his
company’s development of the world’s
first autonomous power plant.
Source: Forbes
GEORGIA BECOMES A SURPRISING BRIGHT SPOT IN THE US SOLAR INDUSTRY
THESE THREE FORCES ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL ENERGY
TIME TO SHINESOLAR ENERGY IN INDIA
17ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 201917171ENENENNENENNEENNE ERERERERREREERRRRREREEEE GGYGYGYGYGGGG FFFFFFFFUUTUTTTUUUUUU URUURURREEEEEEEE JAAJAAAAAAAAAANNNUNNUUUUNNUNUNUNNNNUUUAARARARRARAARRRRRRYYY––Y–Y–YY–Y––Y JUJUJUJUUUUUJJ NENNEEENEENEEEENNN 202000202000202019191191
A major change in the global energy landscape over the last few years has been the transition from fossil fuels and non-renewable sources of energy to renewable and cleaner sources of energy. Over the course of this transition, several considerations have been made to ensure that it happens as smoothly as possible. Aayush Dutta, through this article, focuses on the environment and scientific considerations by governments around the world towards ensuring this transition. The environmental impact of a particular form of energy is fairly self-explanatory, that is, the effect of using solar energy on the environment, be it positive or negative. However, scientific significance is something that is fairly complex. Scientific significance, as comprehended through this article, raises questions such as how the technologies employed in various solar projects around the country change the norm of usage of solar energy in the country and how a new technology and the various kinds of new technologies lend additional efficiency to the solar energy landscape in India.
18JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
Significance of Solar
Energy in India India is one of the most densely
populated countries in the world. With a
population of around 1.3 billion people,
fossil fuels continue to be insufficient to
satisfy the growing energy needs of
the country. There are also numerous
other factors that make India suitable
for the utilization of solar technologies.
India’s geographical location also works
to its benefit in this regard. India, lying
fairly close to the equator, has a high
exposure to the sun’s rays; therefore, it
can be said to have high solar insolation.
India receives solar radiation all
throughout the year, which roughly
amounts to 3000 h of sunshine that can
be used to generate wattage of up to
5000 trillion kWh. This amount would
be more than enough to satisfy all the
energy needs of the country.
Another factor is that solar energy
does not add to the already high
pollution levels in the nation since it
does not release carbon dioxide or
CO2 (a primary pollutant) when it is
transmitted. Projects such as the smart
grid in Haryana and solar rooftops in
Gujarat reveal that solar power is the
way forward for India to progress from a
developing country to a developed one.
The analysis of the various technologies,
materials, and scientific concepts used
in these projects in India forms the focus
areas of this article.
Manifestations of Solar Energy Over the years, there have been
numerous tangible manifestations of
solar energy, for example, household
appliances such as solar water heaters
and solar cookers. The development
of renewable energy in India has also
meant that the shift to renewables can
be made at the smallest possible levels.
For instance, companies such as the
Tinytech Plants in Rajkot, Gujarat are
making parabolic solar cookers that
are large enough to cook food for a
community comprising 40–60 people
at a time. These cookers also take up
very little area and are fairly lightweight
relative to the amount of food they
can cook at a time. Essentially, all the
components of the economy are doing
their bit in making this transition swiftly.
Companies like Tinytech and initiatives
such as the Bijli Bachao ensure that India
soon becomes a ‘green’ superpower.
Solar Cells and Their WorkingSolar energy is essentially light (radiant
energy) produced by the sun that
travels towards the Earth in the form
of electromagnetic waves. Usage of
solar technology enables the capture
of this radiant form of energy and
converts it into heat or electricity.
The capture of this radiant energy is
based on a phenomenon known as the
photoelectric effect, that is, the ability
of a substance (in most cases a metal)
to emit electrons when light strikes on
it. The solar cell is the main instrument
through which we are able to capture
19ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
energy radiated by the sun. The most
commonly used material in solar cells is
silicon. Silicon being a metalloid is able
to display properties of metals and non-
metals which make it a key ingredient in
solar cells today.
As sunlight, containing tiny particles
known as photons, strikes the silicon
atoms of the solar cell, the photons
transfer energy to loosen electrons and
knock them off the atoms. However, this
is only half of the work of the solar cell.
The cell then groups the electrons and
shapes them into a beam, thus forming
an electric current. This process involves
creating an electrical imbalance within
the cell due to a difference of positively
and negatively charged particles within
the cell. The imbalance provides what
can be described as a slope, down which
electrons flow in a particular guided
direction.
Solar Modules Owing to the growing energy needs, a
developing economy, and increasing
pollution levels in India, it is crucial to
first decide the kind of solar photovoltaic
cell to use. In India, according to the
website of India’s electricity conservation
initiative ‘Bijli Bachao’, the most readily
available solar cells in India are of the
crystalline variety, more specifically,
polycrystalline and multicrystalline due
to their reduced costs.
A polycrystalline solar panel is a
mid-range crystalline solar panel and
is made by pouring molten silicon
into a cast. Due to this construction
method, the crystal structure forms
imperfectly, creating boundaries where
the crystal formation breaks. This gives
the polycrystalline silicon its distinctive,
grainy appearance. This grainy structure
results in reduced efficiency as
compared to monocrystalline solar cells,
which are the most efficient. However,
due to the quality being slightly inferior,
less materials and less energy in the
manufacturing process are required to
construct polycrystalline solar panels.
Reduced cost means that solar panels of
these types are preferred by both buyers
and sellers (producers) in a developing
economy such as India.
The next important factor that needs
to be taken into consideration when
addressing the right solar panel for India
is the climate. In a research conducted in
Malaysia by Azhar Ghazali M and Abdul
Malek Abdul Rahman regarding which
solar cell performs best in Malaysian
climate, it was found that polycrystalline
solar cells have shown better
performance ratio and average module
efficiency compared to the other tested
PV cells under Malaysian climate.
Although the climate in Malaysia is more
humid as compared to India, the one
major similarity between the two is the
solar intensity, that is, the exposure to
the sun’s rays throughout the year. India,
like Malaysia, is a developing economy
and has high solar insolation, another
reason why polycrystalline solar panels
are favoured in India.
Temperature too affects solar output
to a great extent. As temperature
20JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
increases from 25°C, it is followed by
increase in current, decrease in voltage,
decrease in power, and vice versa.
Now the extent to which this increase/
decrease takes place is expressed in
terms of temperature co-efficient as
percentage change per degree of
temperature change (e.g., power change
= −0.04%/°C). Hence, if the temperature
is, say, 40°C, then the rise in temperature
from 25°C is 15°C. Hence, the power
will decrease by 15 x 0.04%, that is,
0.6% from its rated power. Lower the
value of this temperature co-efficient,
better stability the panel will give under
different operating conditions.
Support by the Government
of India The Government of India also has made
significant headway in the transition
from non-renewable to renewable forms
of energy. According to the Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy (MNRE),
Government of India, about 5000
trillion kWh per year energy is incident
over India’s land area, with most parts
receiving 4–7 kWh per m2 per day.
MNRE website states, “Under First
Phase of Jawaharlal Nehru National
Solar Mission (JNNSM) to be
implemented between 1st April 2010
and 31st March 2013, 200 MW capacity
equivalent off grid solar PV systems and
7 million m2 solar thermal collector area
to be installed in the country. During
first year of first phase (2010–11),
a target of 32 MW solar PV off grid
systems and 5 lakh m2 solar thermal
collector area was set. The targets are
to be achieved through various channel
partners mentioned in the scheme. As
on February 2011, the achievements
figures are 38.5 MW for off grid PV
systems and 1.2 lakh m2 solar thermal
collector area.”
Solar Technologies
Employed in Prominent
Solar Projects in India
Rooftop Mounted As the horrors of using fossil fuels
have begun to come to light in the
country, government officials have
begun to authorize the transition from
non-renewable to renewable forms of
energy. Companies like Azure Power are
at the forefront of this transition. They
installed the first solar rooftop in Gujarat
that has since become the largest solar
project in India in residential areas.
Considering the current trends in India,
rooftop projects tend to be not only
the most common but also the most
profitable and efficient. Almost all solar
rooftop projects are profitable because
they require only a structure to be
mounted which in most residential and
municipal areas is quite readily available.
A grid-connected rooftop solar
photovoltaic (PV) system generates
electricity from the sun using primarily
crystalline solar modules mounted on
top of roofs of residential, commercial,
institutional, or industrial buildings.
Depending upon the shadow-free area
available on the rooftop, a plant of size
1–500 kW may be installed as per central
government scheme.
Solar PV system comprises electrical
and electronic equipment, such as solar
modules, inverters, cables, and switch
21ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
gears. When all these components are
combined together and placed in open
space facing sunlight, the system begins
generating electricity. The electricity
thus generated can be stored in batteries
or used directly by the consumer. If the
consumer is not storing electricity and
unable to consume complete power
generated by the solar PV system, he can
also feed the excess power to the utility
grid. All components other than the PV
modules are termed as the balance of
system (BoS). The components included
in BoS are detailed as follows:
» Mounting structure: It is used to
support and hold the PV panels. The
structure is designed depending on
the roof type, structural strength, cost,
wind loads, etc.
» Wiring and cabling: DC cables are used
to connect solar panels and connect
the string with inverter.
» Safety equipment: Safety features
protect the solar system from being
damaged or harming people during
the events, such as lightning event,
power surge, and malfunctioning
equipment. The safety equipment
consists of safety disconnect,
grounding equipment, and surge
protection.
» Bi-directional meters: Bi-directional
meters are used to keep track of the
electricity produced by the solar
system and the electricity that is used
from the grid.
This is a brief overview of the
equipment used in the solar rooftop
project obtained from the website of
Surat’s municipal corporation.
Next, let’s also consider the Smart
Grid Project in Gurugram, Haryana.
Gurugram, being one of the most
prominent industrial and financial
hubs of the country, was in desperate
need of an efficient and green manner
of generation of electricity. Haryana
also has a large rural population and
the project has been highly helpful in
developing rural regions and supplying
electricity to villages so as to keep
the masses employed and boost the
economy. The per capita consumption
of electricity in Gurgaon is around
4000 kWh per annum, which is expected
to increase up to 6400 kWh by 2022. The
project was divided into three phases,
with each phase covering multiple of
the 57 sectors in Gurugram. The project
made efficient and innovative use of
the existing technology to deal with
the major problems of transmission and
distribution (T&D) in Gurugram. In fact,
Gurugram has witnessed power demand
growth in proportion to the district’s
population growth rate. Peak demand
requirement has risen exponentially in
the past one decade. In order to meet
the rising demand, a number of steps
have been taken up to strengthen its
T&D network.
The essence of the project is that
over 7000 power lines will be shifted
under all throughout the city after the
installation of solar panels across the city
in schools and other municipal areas.
The next project is the Indira
Paryavaran Bhawan. This project’s
outline involves a plot of 9565 m2 upon
which a multi-functional government
building will be built. The entire
building, including a fully automated
robotic parking lot, will be powered by a
rooftop solar plant. This is a project that
began in 2014 and has since become
one of the most innovative solar power
projects in India. The rooftop solar plant
will span 6000 m2 and will generate
wattage of 930 kW. This is India’s first
multi-storeyed building with 100%
on-site power generation. The project
has also used multiple energy saving
schemes to cut down on costs and
channel the funds into developing more
advanced technologies, such as the
aforementioned automated and robotic
parking lot. The energy saving schemes
include usage of specialized LED lights
and sensors to ensure that the energy
reserves are not depleted unnecessarily.
This is a diagram depicting the procedure of harnessing solar energy via crystalline (and maybe thin film) solar modules mounted on the roof of a house and rerouting it to the mains of the house to supply electricity.
22JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
Despite the fact that the project is on a
much smaller scale as compared to the
two mentioned earlier, the fact that it
was one of the first projects to use only
solar energy to power all the facilities,
including an automated parking lot,
makes it one of the most notable solar
projects in India.
Next, let’s learn about India’s first
MW rooftop solar plant which has been
installed at the Thyagaraj Stadium in
New Delhi. The Thyagaraj Stadium,
developed by the Government of
Delhi, is planned to be a model green
stadium. The power system will
be created using Suniva’s thin film
monocrystalline solar cells, which are
said to have an efficiency of up to 20%.
The project is expected to generate
around 1.4 million kWh of electricity per
year to fulfil the power requirements
of the stadium, with surplus electricity
being fed into the grid at 11 kV. Suniva
uses the ARTisun technology, which
involves screen printing for making
contact lines on the solar cells. Screen
printing is a way of texturing the
surface of the solar panel to reduce
reflection and increase absorbance.
The solar cells also use closely spaced
metal lines to reduce the power loss
due to resistance, a considerable factor
allowing it to generate electricity of
the magnitude as mentioned earlier.
The electricity generated by the plant
A bird’s eye view of the solar cells lined on the rooftop
23ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
has also been channelled into the city
grid, enabling the industries to keep up
with their ever-growing power needs.
The other major point regarding this
project is that it has been completely
certified as green; that is, the project
is 100% environment-friendly due to
the fact that the dyes used on the solar
cells and the material used for screen
printing and texturing are not harmful
when emitted out in open air.
Environmental Benefits
of Going Solar in India Although the processing of quartz
required to make the industry-grade
silicon used in solar panels involves a
large amount of carbon emissions, the
primary reason to make the switch to
solar is the fact that this panel will now
produce emission-free energy for the
next 15–20 years until its efficiency
reduces from its initial level.
Another very important reason is
the fact that the energy and the non-
renewable resources required to make
10 solar panels can be recovered by
one panel generating energy within
2 months. Even after considering the
manufacturing and processing stage
of solar, the emissions generated are
3–10 times less than generating the
same amount of energy from fossil
fuels. Also, the payback time period for
polycrystalline solar panels is from 2 to
3.5 years, which is great compared to the
non-existent payback time of fossil fuels.
Payback time is essentially the benefit
derived from a commodity in order to
produce more of the same commodity.
A recent discussion amongst experts
and researchers arose about the fact
that the dyes being used to manufacture
solar panels are not ‘green’. The term
‘green’ means a product or material
whose waste and by-products do not
cause harm to the environment while
being used to manufacture a different
commodity. While this argument was
true in the past, more recently there
has been a conscious effort by both
private companies and the government
to ensure that the dyes used in the
manufacturing process are acceptable
by the standards set by international
environmental and scientific
committees.
Conclusion Over the last few years, we have
witnessed, as a nation, the growth
of many sustainable initiatives. Even
24JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
students at the school level are initiating
projects wherein they are electrifying
schools for underprivileged children
completely free of cost. In every corner
of the country, efforts are being made to
contribute towards the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and the government has played a huge
role in facilitating a lot of the energy
work being conducted in India. This
shows that the usage of renewable
sources of energy, such as solar, marks a
shift in the mindset of the Government
of India and the population from an
environmental standpoint. This positive
shift signifies that people are now more
willing to accept sources of energy that
take time to establish, but once they
are established, they function on the
principle of sustainable development
wherein not only do they satisfy their
own needs in an environmentally
responsible manner but they also
use resources in order to maintain an
environment where the youth of India
can prosper.
Aayush Dutta is a Grade 12 student of
The Shri Ram School, Aravali and an avid
environmentalist.
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The Energy and Resources InstituteAttn: TERI Press, Darbari Seth Block, IHC Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110 003
Tel.: 24682100/41504900 Fax : 24682144, E-mail: teripress@teri.res.inVisit the TERI Bookstore at http://bookstore.teriin.org
Caring for Nature is a series of four titles. Each title revolves around a historical
An imprint of TERI
CARING FOR NATURE
Subhadra Sen GuptaIllustrations by Tapas Guha
AND THE SONG OF THE CRAZY WIND
Badal finds his new home Santiniketan really strange. His classroom is under a tree, mornings are spent listening to birds, and afternoons in gardening! But what he finds most fascinating is the gentle, grandfatherly, but elusive Gurudev, the famous poet. On a cloudy, windy day, they finally meet. And the beauty of nature inspires an equally beautiful creation.
Keshav and his sister Parvati work in a herb and spices garden at the Sanchi monastery. One day, while tending to the plants, they meet a mysterious stranger. He says he is a monk keen to learn the benefits of various herbs. But he looks more like a warrior! Will the brother-sister duo be able to unravel the secret of the stranger’s identity?
CARING FOR NATURE
CARING FOR NATURE
Subhadra Sen GuptaIllustrations by Tapas Guha
AND THE GARDEN OF HERBS
Little Rano and her friend Gokul spend a quiet, peaceful life at Gandhiji’s Sabarmati ashram. They make khadi, feed goats, water gardens, and learn from Bapu how to turn waste into wealth. But one day, a distressed Gandhiji tells them he has misplaced his pencil! And a desperate search begins. Will Rano and Gokul succeedin helping Bapu?
CARING FOR NATURE
Subhadra Sen GuptaIllustrations by Tapas Guha
AND THE MISSING BLUE PENCIL
In the dry, rocky, hilly land of Marwar, when an angry sadhu puts a curse on rains, the worried King Rao Jodha summons an old Gajdhar, a water expert. He and his young assistant Birju start locating suitable places for building water tanks. Even if water is stored and saved, how will it be moved uphill to the King’s new palace? Find out with Birju and Gajdhar.
CARING FOR NATURE
Subhadra Sen GuptaIllustrations by Tapas Guha
AND THE CURSE OF THE HERMIT
DELHI ELECTRIC VEHICLE POLICY
2018
27ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
The national capital of ‘Delhi’ has been already declared as a ‘Gas Chamber’ by the
Chief Minister of Delhi. Hence, to deal with the situation, the State Government of
Delhi released the draft of Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy on 27 November 2018. In this
article, Dr Atul Agarwal discusses the measures the policy takes to address major
issues, that are necessary for the growth of electric transport infrastructure in order
to combat air pollution in the city. The policy aims to bring down vehicular emissions
in order to improve Delhi’s air quality. For the same, the strategy seeks to drive quick
adoption of electric vehicles in such a manner that the share of registration of electric
vehicles will be 25% in the total registration of new vehicles by 2023.
28JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
Background When the State Government of Delhi
declared the city a gas chamber on
November 7, 2017, nobody knew that
it was also making efforts to address
the situation. With the Air Quality Index
of 1010 (on November 8, 2017, 8 PM),
United Airlines cancelled its flights to
Delhi; however, the city’s own residents
had no other option but to breath in
the air which was equal to smoking 50
cigarettes in a day and affected their
health.
The growing trajectory of population
in the national capital region is
contributing to the air pollution. The
purchase of conventional internal
combustion engine vehicles and their
use to commute have led to significant
increase in air pollution. The number of
registered vehicles crossed the mark of
1 crore in May 2017 in Delhi itself.
1 FAME (Faster Adoption and Manufacture of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles) Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public
Enterprises in 2015.
In addition, the city is accumulating
1400 vehicles daily in the above-
mentioned tally. Also, there are
numerous uncounted vehicles not
registered with Delhi’s regional traffic
office and running on road fearlessly.
Cross border traffic survey, conducted
by Centre for Science and Environment,
predicts that 5.7 lakh passenger and
personal vehicles enter the capital
on a daily basis. Though the State
Government of Delhi tried twice to limit
the traffic by using ‘Odd-Even Scheme’ in
2016, it could not take it forward due to
a number of constraints.
Policymakers thought of this
situation on the national level and
launched the ‘National Electric Mobility
Mission’ in 2013. Though this mission
was designed to aim fuel security and
was supported by FAME1 India Scheme
for manufacturing of hybrid and electric
vehicles in India, it also enabled citizens
to realize the importance of electric
vehicles in addressing air pollution and
other climate concerns.
Amidst the talks of Central
Government for launching a fresh
focused policy on electric vehicles at the
national level, it is the State Government
of Delhi that won the race on 27
November 2018. The Delhi Government
has notified a draft of ‘Delhi Electric
Vehicle Policy 2018’ for public comments
and feedback.
The policy aims to bring down
vehicular emissions in order to improve
Delhi’s air quality. For the same, the
strategy seeks to drive quick adoption
of electric vehicles in such a manner
that the share of registration of electric
vehicles will be 25% in the total
registration of new vehicles by 2023.
29ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
Delhi Electric Vehicle
Policy 2018Keeping in mind the popular
transportation segments in New Delhi,
it is evident that two-wheelers comprise
the two-thirds share in new vehicle
registration. In addition, public and
private shared transportation modes,
namely, buses, cabs, autos, rickshaws,
have a large fleet on Delhi roads. A push
for electrifying these segments will
definitely have positive consequences
on the environment. Hence, to coerce
the adoption of electric vehicles on
a large scale, the policy provides
incentives for purchasing and using
electric two-wheelers and also supports
electrification of public and shared
modes of transportation through its
different provisions.
Electric Two-WheelersThe existing conventional internal
combustion engine two-wheeler
does not fulfil the BS (IV) Standard;
on scrapping and deregistering it, the
owner will be incentivized with `15,000.
The incentive will be applicable for
2 years from the date of notification of
the policy. This incentive will be issued
in the form of a certificate that can
be redeemed on the purchase of an
electric vehicle in the same financial
year, provided that the electric vehicle is
listed under the FAME India scheme.
A customer can avail ‘Purchase
Incentive’ equivalent to 50% of the
demand incentive which is being
offered under the FAME India scheme.
Additionally, ‘Top-up Incentive’ of up
to 50% of the FAME India incentive will
be sanctioned to two-wheelers having
swappable battery specification for
3 years from the date of notification of
this scheme.
The State Government of Delhi will
notify the list of two-wheelers for the
purpose of granting Top-up Incentive.
Such electric vehicles will be exempted
from registration fee, road tax, and
parking fee. Also, these electric two-
wheelers can be used for commercial
purposes (taxi/rental services) after
obtaining necessary approvals.
Incentives as mentioned above will
be functional as per the FAME India
policy guidelines. In case incentive
provisions under FAME India are being
altered, the State Government of Delhi
will review the additional incentives
mentioned under this policy and
ensure price competitiveness of the
electric two-wheelers with conventional
vehicles.
Electric Three-Seater
Auto-Rickshaws The existing three-seater auto-rickshaws
(TSRs), that are more than 7 years old,
will be granted `15,000 as incentive
upon scrapping, deregistering the
vehicle, and surrendering the permits.
This incentive will be issued in the form
30JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
of a certificate which can be redeemed
on the purchase of an electric auto in
the same financial year provided that
the vehicle is listed under the FAME
India scheme. The issued incentive
certificates are transferrable. Moreover,
the permit for older conventional
vehicle can be exchanged with the
electric auto permit at no additional
cost. An open permit can be taken up for
electric autos, which means there will be
no limit on the number of permits for a
particular body or a person.
Electric autos, for the purpose of
this scheme, should be configured with
swappable advanced batteries, while
other specifications will be the same
as defined in the FAME India scheme.
However, a list of eligible electric autos
under this scheme will be prepared
and notified by the State Government
of Delhi. These electric autos will be
exempted from registration fee, road
tax, parking charges, and auto-rickshaw
permit charges. An individual with LMV
license and a PSV badge can apply for
permits although these permits are non-
transferrable. The State Government of
Delhi also seeks to drive wide ownership
to improve income of electric auto
owners. Hence, it will provide financial
support. The provisions of policy provide
that 5% of the purchasing price can be
taken up as a down payment subsidy.
Also, 5% interest subvention will be
supported by the government with the
capping of `12,500.
Electric Rickshaws The policy proposes replacement
of lead-acid battery driven electric
rickshaws with new generation
swappable battery driven electric
rickshaws. The State Government of
Delhi will provide a ‘Hire Purchase
Scheme’ under which an individual
with a valid license and PSV badge can
have an electric rickshaw by paying
5% of the purchase amount. The
remaining amount can be paid in the
next 36 months with 5% interest rate.
However, the list of approved electric
rickshaws will be notified by the State
Government of Delhi for this purpose.
The State Government of Delhi will also
provide financial support through DFC
empanelled banks for NBFC. Under the
scheme, 10% of the purchase price can
be taken up as a down payment subsidy
with the ceiling of `20,000. Also, 5%
interest subvention will be supported by
the government with the loan amount
capping of `180,000 and will be granted
for 3 years.
e-Cabs/AutosApp-based service and mobility solution
providers will be invited to join the
scheme christened as ‘App-based
e-cab/e-auto user incentive scheme’.
These app-based aggregators need to
have a fleet of electric cabs or electric
autos to offer green rides. The State
Government of Delhi will offer cashback
on such green rides which will be up to
20% of the trip cost with the capping of
`10 per ride.
31ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
e-BusesThe State Government of Delhi looks
forward to procure at least 50%
electricity buses out of the total number
of buses to be procured in the region
for the period of 2019–2023. The
government is going to purchase the
first consignment of 1000 pure electric
buses in 2019, which will be a significant
addition towards achieving the target
of having zero emission by 50% public
transport by 2023. The government
will also offer considerable incentives
to private bus operators in Delhi for
electrifying their fleet.
Charging InfrastructureCharging infrastructure is a key driver
to accelerate the growth of electric
vehicle emission. In line with the same,
the policy provides significant enabling
provision for public as well as private
charging infrastructure.
In the case of private charging
infrastructure, as most of the end
users park their vehicles at their
homes and offices, it is expected that
these electric vehicles will be battery
charged there. Keeping in mind the
same, all renovated and new non-
residential, commercial buildings,
having parking space for more than 10
equitant car spaces should be ‘EV ready’
by converting 20% of the available
parking space into e-parking zone, with
installed e-charging points/stations
to charge electric vehicles. Moreover,
all renovated and new residential
buildings, group housing societies,
co-operations, and colonies
administered by residents welfare
association, having parking space for
more than 10 equitant car spaces,
should be ‘EV ready’ by converting
100% of the available parking space
into e-parking zone, with installed
e-charging points/stations to charge
electric vehicles. The existing residential
societies and building owners will be
encouraged to install one charging
point/station for every three equivalent
car spaces. The State Government of
Delhi shall provide 100% purchase
grant, installation cost with the capping
of `30,000 per charging point/station
for the first 10,000 charging points/
stations, provided that the charging
point fulfils the specifications as
specified in BEVC- AC001 norms. The
existing market associations and
commercial building owners will be
encouraged to install one charging
point/station for every three equivalent
car spaces. The State Government of
Delhi shall provide 100% purchase
grant, installation cost with the capping
of `30,000 per charging station for the
first 10,000 charging points/stations,
provided that the charging point fulfils
the specifications as specified in BEVC-
AC001 norms. The Power Distribution
companies will be mandated to work
closely with the owners of the above
specified residential and commercial
buildings to ensure availability of
adequate supply infrastructure to
these charging stations. On the other
32JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
hand, provisions also provide support
for special tariff in order to ensure
competitiveness.
Public Charging
InfrastructureThe State Government of Delhi aims
to provide public charging facility
available within 3 km from any spot
in Delhi. This needs robust efforts.
The entire Union Territory will be
unbundled into 11 ‘travel districts’.
These travel districts will be mapped
with the existing ‘revenue districts’. The
State Government of Delhi will invite
bids from ‘Energy Operators’ to set
up charging stations in the specified
travel districts. Successful bidders
will be given the right to operate
public charging infrastructure in the
respective travel district for the period
of 10 years.
The State Government of Delhi will
provide capital subsidy to qualified
bidder towards the charger cost and
installation expenses. However, no
operational subsidy will be provided
to the bidder. The qualified bidder will
have the liberty to price the service
on their own. Technical specifications
of charging infrastructure will be
defined by the transport department
of the State Government of Delhi.
The department will lay down
these specifications in line with the
BEVC-AC001 and DC001 norms.
Any alternation on these norms by
the Central Government will lead
to subsequent changes. The State
Government of Delhi shall provide
concessional locations in every district
for setting up charging infrastructure.
These concessional locations will be
identified at existing metro stations,
bus depots, terminals, public parking
zones, and other recognized places
to ease out the entry and exit of
vehicles. Apart from these concessional
locations, the energy operators will
also be free to put their charging
infrastructure to other sites.
Battery Swapping
OperatorsThe State Government of Delhi also
looks forward to set up business for
battery swapping. Bids will be invited
from battery manufacturers and other
interested parties to identify three
qualified ‘Battery Swapping Operators’ to
operate across the Union Territory. The
bidding will be based on two factors: the
number of swapping stations a bidder
commits to place within 2 years and the
price they will charge for per unit kWh
power from users, including all fixed and
variable costs.
The qualified battery service
operators will be able to install and
operate the battery swapping stations
within existing metro stations, bus
depots, terminals, public parking zones,
and other recognized locations. The
space at these recognized locations
will be allocated by the government
on minimum lease rental. The battery
swapping operators can also operate
33ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
these stations in collaborations with
energy operators. They will also be free
to run the swapping kiosks through
franchisees or business associates.
Battery Recycling
EcosystemAn electric vehicle requires two batteries
in 10 years of its lifespan. Electric vehicle
batteries need replacement once they
get degraded 70–80% to their capacity.
In order to prevent high environmental
cost, the policy will drive reuse and
recycling of these batteries. The policy
also gives responsibility to ‘Energy
Operators’ and ‘Battery Swapping
Operators’ to act as ‘end of life battery
recycling agencies’.
Any electric vehicle user may deposit
the degraded batteries to any charging
station or battery swapping station. In
lieu of that, the user will be reimbursed
at a considerable price. A nodal agency
appointed by the government shall
purchase and aggregate such batteries
that have degraded to 70% of their
capacity. These batteries will be sold
out to renewable power generators for
using them as power banks for storing
renewable energy. On the other hand,
batteries that cannot be used further
and have reached their end of life will be
sent for recycling. During the recycling
process, high-value battery material
(cobalt and nickel) will be fetched out
and then these batteries will be sold
out to battery manufacturer for re-use.
In this regard, the government shall
also invite bids for establishing battery
recycle business in the city.
Special Support from
Power SectorThe Delhi Electricity Regulatory
Commission in Tariff Schedule 2018–19
identifies the tariff applicable for
energy operators and battery swapping
operators to run their respective stations.
It is mentioned that power be provided
on `5.50/kWh, whereas time of day
rebates will also be applicable. The State
Government of Delhi will endeavour to
maintain this special tariff identical for
the entire duration of the policy. The
Delhi Government also seeks to provide
the facility of open access without
conditioning the provision of a minimum
1 MW contract demand. The government
will also facilitate the Energy Operators
and Battery Swapping Operators with
‘Power Banking’ by means of which
the operators can establish the captive
renewable power generating plants and
can exchange power from second person
as and when needed.
Concept of ‘Feebate’The Transport Department, State
Government of Delhi will disseminate
real-time information about the public
charging infrastructure. The government
will use ‘feebate’ concept to provide an
additional support arm to this policy
by which vehicles with conventional
fuels will be charged ‘fee’ while electric
vehicles will receive ‘rebates’. A pollution
cess will be applicable from April 2019
on all petrol and diesel engine vehicles.
As diesel is pollutes more than petrol,
the pollution cess on diesel engine
vehicles will be on the higher side. On
the other hand, all internal combustion
engine vehicles will have to pay
additional air quality parking surcharge
on existing parking fare. These vehicles
will also need to pay additional road tax.
However, all these surcharges and taxes
will be reviewed and revised once every
year. The revenue collected from these
taxes and surcharges will be credited
into the State Electric Vehicle Fund.
Concluding RemarksIndia is a member country of a multi-
government policy forum ‘Electric
Vehicle Initiative (EVI)’, launched
by International Energy Agency in
2010. The nation is committed for
the development of EVI activities. At
present, India is suffering from high
degree of pollution. It is believed that by
going electric, one can have better air
to breath. The national capital of ‘Delhi’
has been already declared as a ‘Gas
Chamber’ by the Chief Minister of Delhi.
Hence, to deal with the situation, the
State Government of Delhi took initiative
and came up with Delhi Electric Vehicle
Policy 2018. Though the policy does not
support hybrid vehicles, it significantly
focuses on the transportation segments
which are being used by the citizens
for the last mile connectivity. The policy
tries to address various key hurdles
for the adoption of electric vehicles
by incentivizing the purchase and use
of electric vehicles and by providing
adequate e-infrastructure. The policy
also foresees the creation of significant
job and training opportunities.
Dr Atul Agrawal is a faculty member at NTPC
School of Business. His areas of interest are
Energy Management, Regulatory Framework
of Energy Sector, Sustainable Development,
Qualitative Research Design and Methodology.
He can be reached at atul.agrawal@nsb.ac.in.
34JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
Power Generation in
India TodayAlthough India depends on a wide
variety of power generation sources,
more than half of the country’s
India Stepping Up Efforts to Add Renewables and Lower Emissions in the Wake of Paris Agreement
India’s focus on renewable energy started more than 100 years ago with hydro
plants. However, the country accelerated its commitment after signing the Paris
Agreement, the landmark accord designed to combat climate change. Developed
during a United Nations convention in 2015 and ratified by 185 nations the
following year, the Agreement urges countries to fast-track the actions needed for
a sustainable, low-carbon future. With that goal in mind, the country is continuing
to target renewable energy solutions and, at the same time, lower emissions. In this
article, Suresh Nagarowth talks about India’s target of finding renewable energy
solutions and at the same time lowering emissions.
installed capacity comes from coal.
According to the Ministry of Power,
as of January 2019, the country’s total
installed capacity in the utilities sector
was nearly 350 GW, while the recent
India Infrastructure Research report
indicates that captive power plants
(CPPs) of more than 1 MW account for
approximately 67.8 GW of additional
capacity. Finally, less than 1 MW units
made up of mobile and static diesel
generator sets and rooftop solar
35ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
systems account for another 60 GW to
80 GW.
Much of that generated power is
being used in the industrial sector,
which consumes up to 50% of the
country’s power depending on
the season. Next the domestic and
agricultural sectors consume about
a fifth of the nation’s power each.
Agriculture is seasonal, however, and is
tilted more towards the country’s rural
areas.
Increasing Capacity in a
Changing LandscapeIndia currently stands at third position
in the world in terms of power
generation capacity. It has made strides
in this regard in recent years, achieving
year-on-year growth rates between 8%
and 12%. Still, it lags well behind the
United States—at second position—by
almost a factor of four. China leads
the world in terms of installed power
generation capacity, with 1646 GW
in 2016.1
India’s capacity needs will continue
to increase, and already the country is
unable to consistently produce enough
electricity to meet the existing demand.
At present, India buys approximately
1.5 GW of power from Bhutan, while the
remaining deficit is covered through
power shedding.
According to the Load Generation
Balance Report (LGBR) published by the
Ministry of Power, India had an overall
deficit of 0.7% and a peak requirement
deficit close to 2% in 2017–18. The
peak power deficit is the shortfall in
generation capacity during the time
that electricity consumption is at a
maximum. A significant deficit implies
there is not enough electricity to meet
the needs of the consumers.
1 Central Intelligence Agency, The World
Factbook, details available at https://www.
cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/rankorder/2236rank.html
Depending on the location, the lack of
power in India is likely to occur during a
specific period of time and for a specific
duration.
Although the LGBR predicts a
surplus of 4.6% overall and 2.5% for
peak requirements for 2018–19, reports
indicate that for the first four months
of the fiscal year, the overall deficit was
0.6% and the peak power deficit was
0.9%. India’s increasing power need
comes from a number of sources:
» Industry is increasingly connecting
its equipment, via robotics and
automation, and driving both the
quantity and the quality of power
requirements.
» As consumers’ disposable income
rises, so do their need for white
goods—large electrical items used
domestically, such as refrigerators and
washing machines, as well as other
devices such as smart mobiles.
» The agriculture sector is likely to
see a massive change, with farm
36JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
producer organizations (FPOs) and
consolidations becoming the norm.
In turn, this will drive mechanization
and the need for greater amounts of
electricity.
» The government has targeted 2030 as
the year it wants all cars in India to be
electric, which will drive an additional
demand for power.
Challenge to Lower
EmissionsAs India demands more electricity, the
country must deal with the high emission
levels that additional capacity could
create. While India lags well behind
China and the United States in total
carbon dioxide emissions,2 the World
Health Organization says 11 out of the
12 most polluted cities in the world are
2 Union of Concerned Scientists, details
available at https://www.ucsusa.org/
global-warming/science-and-impacts/
science/each-countrys-share-of-co2.html
in India. As part of the Paris Agreement,
India pledged—by 2030—to lower the
greenhouse gas emission intensity of its
gross domestic product (GDP) by 33% to
35% below its 2005 levels.
That goal seems attainable. According
to Biennial Update Report India 2018
(BUR-II),3 ‘the emission intensity of India’s
GDP came down by 21% below 2005
levels by 2014, recording slightly more
than 2% annual average improvement
in emission intensity. The rate of
improvement recorded during 2010–
2014 was higher than that recorded
during 2005–2010. At this recorded rate,
India could reach its Paris Agreement
commitment ahead of the 2030 deadline’.
To help reach it, and also as part
of the Paris Agreement, India plans to
realize 40% of its power capacity from
non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. Right
3 Biennial Update Report India 2018, details
available at https://unfccc.int/sites/default/
files/resource/INDIA%20SECOND%20
BUR%20High%20Res.pdf
now, however, renewable energy—
mainly wind and solar—accounts for
just one-fifth of the country’s installed
capacity. Another renewable source,
hydro power, accounts for a little over
one-eighth of the total capacity. Nuclear
energy makes up 2% of the country’s
power sources.
For most of the coming decade,
thermal power will continue to
contribute the largest portion of the
power generation pie in India, given the
current installed base of more than 250
GW between utilities and captive power
units. Still, as old plants close or begin
running at low plant load factors (PLFs),
and as larger diesel generator power
units are reduced, thermal power will
likely drop below 50%.
Rise of Wind and SolarWith that plausible drop will come an
increase in renewables, particularly
wind and solar. Although renewables
37ENERGY FUTURE JANUARY–JUNE 2019
currently make up only 20% of the
nation’s power generation capacity,
India aspires to reach 175 GW from
renewables by 2022, and the country is
moving in that direction. While growth
in 2018 was slower than expected due
to a change in the bidding process
that delayed approvals, the country
was still able to add 10.5 GW. Another
15 GW of additional capacity is likely
to be added this year. Although hydro
levels are expected to stay the same,
renewables will account for nearly half
of India’s power generation capacity
within a decade. Nuclear will move
from 2% to 5%.
A policy change could always halt the
various initiatives that are in work, but
there is little doubt that global emission
practices and norms are influencing
the Indian government. The nation’s
determination to comply with much
of the Paris Agreement’s goals requires
the following multiple efforts towards
increased efficiency and lower emission
levels:
» Created as an independent unit
outside of the Ministry of Power,
the Ministry of New and Renewable
Energy can drive bold initiatives, such
as setting up 2 GW of wind power
projects connected through Inter-
State Transmission Systems (ISTSs).
These previously would not have
been possible within the traditional
state-run power companies, but the
new ministry’s position has much
more influence than it did as part of
the Ministry of Power.
» The National Solar Mission was
launched in 2010 with a modest
target of 20 GW by 2022, but was
given a boost by the government
when the target was changed to
100 GW by 2022. To enable this
growth, the government announced
a plan to set up 34 solar parks, each
capable of producing 500 MW of
power, across 21 states. In addition,
the government established the Solar
Energy Corporation of India, with a
mission to promote large-scale solar
installations.
» The National Mission for Enhanced
Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) focuses on
improving efficiency for utilities in the
energy sector.
» Consumers also are becoming
increasingly aware of the need to
lower emissions. A social group called
#CleanAirWarriors recently launched
a campaign called ‘30 Days 30 Ways’
to tackle air pollution. The initiative
38JANUARY–JUNE 2019 ENERGY FUTURE
was designed to help consumers
understand the issue, learn about
available technology to address
the problem, and connect with the
government for policy change.
» The government’s Promote Achieve
and Trade (PAT) scheme focuses on
designated consumers, who can trade
Energy Saving Certificates (ESCerts) to
meet the efficiency targets assigned
to them. This move is designed to
change consumer patterns and
behaviour.
Alternatives to Wind
and SolarOne power source expected to
increase slightly in India over the next
decade is nuclear. Now, however, it
is only at 2% of installed capacity
with a total availability of 6.78 GW.
The government has announced 10
new 700 MW pressurized heavy water
reactors (PHWRs), while two large
plants in Jaitapur and Kovvada would
add another 15 GW. The World Nuclear
Association predicts the total nuclear
capacity for India at about 22.5 GWe
by 2031.4
Of course, India has access to
less traditional power generation
technologies. For instance, biomass
is well established and part of the
renewable energy strategy. While the
sector is expected to grow multi-fold,
biomass’ contributions is likely to be in
the low single digits. Plants probably will
be built, however, often piggybacking
on the solid waste management policies
of the smart cities.
Given its large coastline and their
gulfs, which have the correct tidal
levels, India has the potential to
achieve 10–15 GW of energy from tidal
4 Nuclear Power in India, World Nuclear
Association, February 2019, details
available at http://www.world-nuclear.
org/information-library/country-profiles/
countries-g-n/india.aspx
power. Although a demonstration
plant has been set up in India, the
economics of harnessing tidal energy is
not favourable. Given the small overall
potential, investment in this area is low,
and so tidal energy is expected to be a
non-starter for at least the next 5 years.
Another power source—geothermal
energy—is completely untapped
in India as there is only one small
demonstration plant in India and it is not
fully commercialized. While estimates
indicate a potential of 10–15 GW, the
technology has not been validated for
commercial power generation. Again,
geothermal is not expected to be used
as a significant energy source for many
years.
What Does the Future
Hold? India is well on its way to complying
with two out of three of its
commitments as part of the Paris
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