Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Google’s new wind turbine

Google X's Makani is working to accelerate the shift to clean, renewable energy by developing energy kites, a new type of wind turbine that uses lightweight electronics, advanced materials, and smart software to generate more energy with less materials – all at lower cost.

Clean energy is more commercially available than ever, but only 5% of the world’s power comes from the wind. While wind turbines have reduced wind energy costs, they don’t make economic sense in many places. We need new technologies to make wind power cheaper, more efficient, and more accessible to all.... Read more..

Date : Jan 22

Source: Online TES

Wind energy mission addition awaits nod

The government is to introduce a ‘wind energy mission’ in the National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPPC). Officials said formal induction awaited consent from the prime minister.

The proposed National Wind Energy Mission, drafted by ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) in April 2014, aims to create a conducive investment environment for investors in the wind energy sector. It has been waiting for the cabinet’s nod. After being inducted in NAPPC, the mission would be India’s focal point to invite investment from the world over in the sector.

Launched... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: Business Standard

Installed solar capacity crosses 3 GW

New capacity addition in the clean energy sector was up nine per cent during the first 9-month of this fiscal. The total installed capacity of solar power in the country crossed 3,000 MW during the 3rd quarter.

Renewable energy sector added 2,104 MW of new capacity during first three quarters of this fiscal when compared with 1,922 MW a year-ago.

This year’s new capacity target has been fixed at 3,770 MW when compared with the previous year’s target of 4,325 MW. So, the clean energy sector has achieved only 56 per cent of the capacity addition target during the... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: The Hindu

Kanpur's 700 tanneries major source of pollution in Ganga: NGT

The National Green Tribunal Tuesday warned of complete closure of 700 tanneries located on the banks of river Ganga at Kanpur, terming them as one of the "highest sources of pollution".

The tribunal also observed that if effective steps to curb the pollution level was not taken then the tanneries would be closed as "life of millions cannot be put at stake."

A bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, directed inspection of the entire tannery industrial cluster by a team comprising representatives of Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB),... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: Zee News

Centre mulls using industrial waste for laying roads

The Centre has initiated a move under which contractors have to use locally-available alternative materials, such as industrial waste, as substitute to bitumen for laying one in every 10-km roads.

"It would be mandatory for them to use materials such as blast furnace slag, rubble and municipal solid waste in road construction to reduce dependence on scarce natural resources. The cost has to be same as that of bitumen," said S N Das, director general (road development) and special secretary, ministry of road transport and highways, here on Monday. He was interacting with... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: Times of India

‘Green rating’ system for buildings likely in Pune

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is all set to launch a 'green rating' system for new constructions in the city. PMC commissioner Kunal Kumar has incorporated the plan in the annual civic draft budget for 2015-16 fiscal. Delhi-based TERI has developed GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment), which was adopted as the national rating system for green buildings by the Government of India in 2007. The system has been developed to help 'design and evaluate' new buildings (buildings that are still at the inception stages). A building is assessed based on its predicted... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: Times of India

UN climate chief: Carbon bubble is now a reality

The idea that investors may lose money sunk into fossil fuel projects is no longer just a theory—according to to UN climate chief Christiana Figueres, it is now a reality.

Green groups have warned that huge reserves of oil, gas and coal are overvalued and could lead to a “carbon bubble”. This is because increasingly stringent climate policies will require around half of known fossil fuels to stay in the ground, instead of returning a profit to investors.

Many, including oil giant Exxon Mobil, have shrugged off the threat. But Figueres, who leads the UN’s climate... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: RTCC

Rs 1.2 lakh crore solar plan in the works for jobless tech grads, MBAs

The government is working on a Rs 1.2 lakh crore scheme to set up 20,000 mw solar power projects, or a fifth of the total solar power capacity envisaged by 2021-22, through qualified unemployed or under-employed youth in the next five years.

Government sources told TOI the scheme is part of the government's design to ramp up solar power capacity to 100,000 mw by 2021-22. The Centre is to extend an assistance of Rs 16,050 crore to help keep power tariff from solar plants set up under this scheme affordable for state utilities.

Those who have a B.Tech, MBA or M.... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: Times of India

First round-the-world solar plane to take off next month

A Swiss-made, solar-powered plane is set to attempt an unprecedented flight around the world next month, the project's founders said, seeking to prove that flying is possible without using fossil fuel.

The lightweight Solar Impulse 2, a larger version of a single-seat prototype that first flew five years ago, is aiming to become the first plane ever to circumnavigate the globe using only the power of the sun to drive its four propellers.

Project founders and pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg plan to start and finish their round-the-world bid from Abu... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: Al Jazeera

CSP Solar-Biomass Model In India

The solar-biomass model may prove to be optimal solutions when it comes to developing renewable solar energy power plants that can dependably distribute power on an ongoing basis.

This might be especially true in India, where coal power, a leading emitter of CO2, remains a leader in providing electricity.

This hybrid CSP project looks interesting and, if successful, will elevate the fortunes of renewable energy and CSP in India. Called SCOPEBIG (Scalable CSP Optimised Power Plant Engineered with Biomass Integrated Gasification), the hybrid project is being set... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: Clean Technica

Smart cities to investment treaties: What you should expect from Obama's India visit

With US President Barack Obama scheduled to visit India on 25 January, preparations for the high-profile visit are entering final stages. India-US ties are set to move to a transformative level, with talks on a range of issues, including defence, energy, education and economic cooperation.

The two leaders have met thrice already in the recent past - in Washington during a bilateral meet in September last year, in Myanmar during the East Asia Summit and in Brisbane during the G20 in November. But the latest visit will be an "important summit" meeting in that it will seek to... Read more..

Date : Jan 21

Source: First Post

US may sign pact to build smart cities in Allahabad, Ajmer & Vishakhapatnam

NEW DELHI: India and USA are expected to sign a landmark agreement to build three smart cities in Allahabad, Ajmer and Vishakhapatnam during President Barack Obama's visit later this week as part of an initiative to boost bilateral cooperation, and take concrete steps towards US participation in India's infrastructure sector.

The two sides had decided in principle to build smart cities in these three states with American assistance when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Washington last September. Last week's Vibrant Gujarat Summit saw this pledge being renewed, and the... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Economic Times

Climate change: Government to focus on solar & other green sources of energy, says PM Narendra Modi

At the first meeting of the reconstituted Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change held on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated his government's intent to focus on solar and other "green" sources of energy. The prime minister suggested that the idea of creating a consortium of nations with the greatest solar energy potential. Additionally, the meeting also laid the ground work for a mission mode for harnessing wind energy and aggressively moving forward on waste to energy ..

Prime Minister Modi's stress on green energy was clear, when he suggested that the focus... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Economic Times

Sanghi to inject Rs. 250 cr in green initiatives, port facilities in Gujarat

Cement maker Sanghi Industries Ltd will invest Rs. 250 crore over the next couple of years with a focus on sustainable development, innovation and conservation of energy.

The company will invest Rs. 150 crore on developing a 15 mega-watts (MW) Waste Heat Recovery System (WHRS) and another Rs. 100 crore to further develop its facilities at Navlakhi Port in Gujarat, Alok Sanghi, Director, said here on Monday.

Sanghi Industries has signed a contract for installation of a WHRC at its cement plant in Kutch district of Gujarat whereby 15 MW power will be generated... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Focus on climate change must shift to 'green credit': PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday called for greater emphasis on generating and conserving clean energy as opposed to staying focused on cutting down carbon emissions alone.

Chairing the first meeting of a reconstituted high-level climate panel, attended by union ministers Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Venkaiah Naidu, Uma Bharti and Prakash Javadekar among others, Modi asked for "a paradigm shift in global attitudes towards climate change, from 'carbon credit', towards 'green credit'".

"Instead of focusing on emissions and cuts alone, focus should shift on what... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Zee News

Government to slash transmission charges by half for solar sector

Rajasthan government has decided to reduce transmission charges levied on solar power producer to boost the sector fulfilling the long-standing demand of the industry and attracting power developers.

Speaking at the CII Partnership Summit, the state's chief secretary C S Rajan said the government has directed the state electricity regulator RREC to issue notifications that would slash the charges by 50%.

The reduction is expected to give a headstart to the state's goal of generating 25,000 megawatt of solar energy in the next four years which would attract an... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Times of India

Infy to add new features to make Mysuru campus model 'Smart City'

Following the announcement by Infosys CEO and MD Vishal Sikka to convert its Mysuru (old name Mysore) campus as a model Smart City, the company is introducing some 250-300 new additional features in the campus which it hopes to complete by April this year.

Te Bengaluru-based company has already used the latest technologies in infrastructure management as well as building construction for the sprawling 340 acre campus which has got 12 million square feet built up area including the largest classical monolithic building in post independent India measuring around one million... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Business Standard

India Installs 2.1 Gigawatts of Renewables From April-December

India installed 2.1 gigawatts of grid-connected renewable power from April to December last year, according to the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.

The nation added 1.3 gigawatts of wind power, 430 megawatts of solar power and 340 megawatts of hydro, biomass and bagasse co-generation, the ministry said on its website.

India has a target to add 3.7 gigawatts of grid-connected renewable power by the end of its financial year in March. The nation added 105 megawatts of non-grid connected renewable power until December.

Date : Jan 20

Source: Bloomberg

Surat to get its own plastic disposal plant

The Diamond City is set to have its own plastic treatment plant to dispose of over 200 metric tons of daily plastic waste. This comes at a time when the city already boasts of a tertiary plant that treats 40 million litres of water per day(MLD).

The plant is part of a public private partnership model wherein the private partner will set up the treatment plant and produce diesel from the non-recyclable plastic waste.

The project is the result of a memorandum of understanding that was signed between the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and En-vision, a private... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Times of India

Only Chennai, Mumbai have system for biomedical waste management, finds study

Chennai and Mumbai are the only big Indian cities with an effective system to manage biomedical waste, whereas Delhi and other north Indian state capitals have a poor record, a study has found.

The survey by the International Clinical Epidemiology Network (INCLEN), published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, covered 400 hospitals, both government and private, in 20 states. It found that around 82% of primary, 60% of secondary and 54% of tertiary health care facilities have no credible biomedical waste management system in place.

Of the 10 cities it... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Times of India

Plant-e Dutch Startup Produces Electricity from Green Plants

Plants have once again made it to the green news, and surprisingly, the main reason this time is not their ability to absorb carbon dioxide. Dutch start-up Plant-e is currently harvesting the energy from plants and using it to power street lights, Wi-Fi spots and charge cell phones.

Protecting world’s vegetation cover is unquestionably one of the most important actions we can take to slow down climate change. But while plants are considered precious mainly because of their ability to take up CO2, other properties that they have might make them just as important.
... Read more..

Date : Jan 20

Source: Green Optimistic

PM-led climate panel to pick issues for Obama talks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led council on climate change, which was reconstituted last year, will hold its first meeting on Monday and brainstorm on fine tuning renewable energy issues which are to be taken up with US President Barack Obama during his India visit.

The high-level panel, comprising senior ministers and experts from within and outside the government, will also review all national plans to fight climate change and suggest additional measures which may be taken up through policy and budgetary interventions.

Since India wants to proceed on its low... Read more..

Date : Jan 19

Source: Times of India

Wind power producers may get 10-yr tax holiday

After solar energy, the government is planning major financial initiatives for the wind energy sector in order to promote renewable energy.

A 10-year tax holiday for wind power producers, concessions in customs duty and exemption in excise duty for procurement of technology and equipment may be on the cards in the Budget for 2015-16 next month. Besides, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is also expected to enhance allocation substantially for clean energy to promote renewable energy initiatives and fund research.

The government plans to have 60,000 megawatt (mW)... Read more..

Date : Jan 19

Source: Deccan Herald

Electric Vehicles in India: Government earmarks INR 1,000 crore to boost electric vehicle sales

In a move to boost electric vehicles sales in the country, the government has earmarked INR 1,000 crore for the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan for the next two financial years, a top government official said today. The amount would be utilised to set up charging infrastructure, technology development, incentives and pilot projects, Ministry of Heavy Industries Additional Secretary Ambuj Sharma said at the Bus and Special Vehicle Show in Noida.

"We have a road map till 2020 where we expect around 6-7 million electric and hybrid vehicles in the country. The government... Read more..

Date : Jan 19

Source: On Cars

Ashok Leyland introduces new electric bus in India

Commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland today unveiled the Versa EV from its UK arm Optare plc, at the Bus & Special Vehicles Show organised by SIAM in Greater Noida, Delhi NCR.

The bus is targeted for feeder, airport tarmac and intra-city applications. Versa EV, the low-floor electric bus, minimises environmental impact, including zero emissions and zero noise; whilst matching the performance of a diesel vehicle. With its low-weight integral structure, according to company's release.

The bus can accommodate up to 44 seats, optimising seating and it is... Read more..

Date : Jan 19

Source: Business Standard