Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Waaree Completes Ground-Mounted Solar Power Project in Gujarat, India

An Indian solar PV module manufacturer and an EPC contractor, Waaree, has completed the designing, procurement, construction and commissioning of a 10 MW ground-mounted solar project in Gujarat, India.

The company has received the project from M/s Monosteel India. The project includes 40,000 units of multi-crystalline solar modules from Waaree that will help in converting sunlight into clean electricity. The project also features the seasonal tilt technology that improves the performance of the plant.

The Gujarat PV facility has been constructed as per the 25-year power... Read more..

Intersolar India 2012: Preparations Begin

The international solar industry will meet again at the exhibition for Intersolar India 2012 on 6-8 November 2012 in hall 1 of the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) in Mumbai, India. This year, the exhibition will once again be accompanied by the Intersolar India conference on 5-7 November 2012 at the BEC and the Leela Kempinski Hotel in Mumbai.

The Intersolar India exhibition enters its fourth year in 2012. Here, 350 exhibitors are expected to present their latest products and services from photovoltaics (PV) and solar-thermal technologies to trade visitors across an exhibition space... Read more..

India and Basque Country to Enhance Cooperation in Renewable Energy

President of the Basque Country “Communidad Autonoma del Pais Vasco”, Spain Mr. Patxi Lopez met Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah in New Delhi. Both the leaders were accompanied by high level delegations. During the meeting the two sides discussed possibilities of enhancing cooperation between the two sides in Renewable Energy.

The visiting dignitary briefed Dr. Abdullah about the emphasis being laid by Basque Country “Communidad Autonoma del Pais Vasco”, Spain on Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy. He made a specific mention of Smart Grid,... Read more..

OPIC to Consider $250 Million Loan for India Renewable Projects

The U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corp. will meet next week to consider a $250 million loan to Infrastructure Development Finance Co. (IDFC), India’s second- largest lender to power plants and roads, to finance clean- energy projects.

OPIC’s board plans to meet on March 29 to make a decision on the loan, Timothy Harwood, spokesman for the Washington-based government investment agency, said in an e-mail to Bloomberg News.

The loan would allow IDFC to finance more renewable-energy and energy-efficiency projects that are suffering from a “large gap” in private funding because... Read more..

Climate change in Western Ghats to hit water supply

It’s bad news for all – from farmers to policymakers. Yields of tea, coffee and cardamom from high altitude plantations in the Western Ghats are falling because of the changing regional climate. Worse, the region is likely to see a 1.7-1.8 degrees C rise in temperature by 2030. Rainfall may increase in most parts, but the number of rainy days will go down. If that is not all, sediment yield is on the rise with the increasing intensity of rainfall.

The warning comes in a hardhitting report ‘Water Section Options for India in a Changing Climate’, published on the eve of World Water... Read more..

Corporates may face stiff penalties for violating green norms

Corporates violating environmental norms may have to shell out a stiff penalty.

The existing penalty of Rs 1 lakh for violation of environmental norms by corporates was “pathetic”, the Environment and Forests Minister, Ms Jayanthi Natarajan, said at a convention on ‘Corporate Perspective on Sustainable Development: Rio+20 and Beyond' here.

“We are reviewing it (the maximum penalty imposed on the corporates)… I would like to really make it a very stiff penalty, but I would not quantify now,” Ms Natarajan told newspersons on the sidelines of the convention on Wednesday.

... Read more..

Clean energy fund swells to Rs 3,864 cr

Even as the government’s annual Economic Survey outlines the importance of climate change and global warming, the Union Budget 2012-13 made no announcement towards climate financing. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee made no specific announcement about how the Rs 3,864-crore National Clean Energy Fund is going to be utilised in 2012-13.

The government had set up the Fund in 2010 by imposing a cess on coal at an effective rate of Rs 50 a tonne. At present, going by the government estimates, the budgeted clean energy fund for the coming financial year is Rs 3,864 crore. In 2011-12,... Read more..

Lack of awareness about plastic waste disposal hits industry

Even though plastic bags constitute a minuscule portion of total plastic consumption, environmental hazards caused by littering of the waste has brought the industry into negative light, a top government official said today.

"Plastics or synthetic polymers have earned a bad image in the last few years due to littering by consumers and lack of awareness among them about its disposal," Chemical Secretary K Jose Cyriac said at a workshop on plastic waste management organised by Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology here.

Even as plastic bags constitute only 2-... Read more..

Bangaloreans, get ready for 'Rock the Sun' concert

After grooving to DJ David Guetta’s music, Bangalore is now gearing up to ‘rock the sun’ all thanks to Swizz designer Cédric Carles’ innovation. The city will witness a music concert that is powered by solar energy and we get Cédric to tell you about the show… “3S, a mobile sound unit that I have put together will be used to support the concert. The unit can be operated without using the electric grid as it is completely dependent on solar energy.”

The battery that needs to be charged for three-four hours comes with a 10-hour back up. “What’s more is that we can use it even as it is... Read more..

Delhi Rickshaws to go green with Soleckshaws: Solar powered vehicle options in India

Solar powered auto rickshaws will now be seen on the streets of Delhi.  After solar and electric cars grabbing the limelight it is now the turn of solar powered auto rickshaws appropriately nicknamed 'Soleckshaws'.  These have been designed and developed by Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute in conjuncture with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.

Designs are in final stages of approval and rickshaw powered by solar power will be available in three variants of maximum speed limits of 25 km per hour.  The variants will cost Rs.85, 000 for plastic frame with... Read more..

PTC India to retain only 5% stake in IEX

PTC India Ltd, one of the promoters of the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), plans to sell part of its stake in the bourse, retaining a minority 5%, in line with regulations.

As part of the exit plan, Renuka Ramnath’s Multiples Alternate Asset Management (MAAM) will buy PTC’s 14.5% stake in IEX. PTC, which originally held 26% in IEX through PTC India Financial Services Ltd, has already obtained Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance for the transaction valued at around Rs.54 crore. PTC had earlier sold a 5% stake to Bessemer Venture Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners—... Read more..

Kudankulam nuclear plant gets Jaya go-ahead

With Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa giving the nod for the Kudankulam nuclear power plants, Russia said that it was going to send its scientists to the site on Tuesday to start commissioning work for the first unit of the reactors. Russian officials in India said that Moscow stood vindicated by Jayalalithaa's decision to back the reactors that couldn't be commissioned last year because of sudden protests by locals.

"If local authorities guarantee security, a team of Russian scientists will be sent to the plant on Tuesday itself to start the commissioning work," Russian embassy senior... Read more..