Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Zimbabwe-India venture to build 30 MW hydro-power plant

Zimbabwe's state-owned power producer has picked a local company and two Indian firms to build a $128 million hydro-power plant to generate 30 megawatts of electricity, an official said on Tuesday.

The Southern African nation last year experienced crippling power cuts but supplies have since improved from January after Zimbabwe resorted to imports from South Africa and Mozambique.

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SolarWorld’s New Mono-PERC Bifacial Mulodes

SolarWorld announced that the first North American installation of  New Mono-PERC Bifacial Mulodes, will be as part of a 205-kilowatt system at the University of Richmond, Virginia. This will be the first American commercial system using Bisun solar panels. Bisun technology generates electricity both from direct exposure to solar radiation on the front side as well as reflected sunlight on the backside. The modules were manufactured in less than day and allegedly generate up to 25% more energy than standard... Read more..

'Happening Haryana' sees Rs 80,000 crore worth of proposals from renewables sector

The renewable energy sector has made business commitments worth Rs 80,000 crore at the ongoing 'Happening Haryana' investment summit. The proposals include investments in solar, biomass, micro hydroelectricity and waste-to-energy projects.

"The investment proposals (from the sector) have far exceeded expectations and even surpassed those in industrial investments," a top source from the Haryana government... Read more..

Hero, ReNew big winners in Karnataka solar power tender

Hero Future Energies and ReNew Power emerged big winners in a mega tender for 1,200 MW of solar power capacity floated by the Karnataka government, with both bagging 180 MW each of projects.

"This win will establish Hero Future Energies as one of the major players in the solar segment with a pipeline of around 400MW of projects under various stages of execution," said Sunil Jain, its CEO and executive... Read more..

BK Modi’s Smart Group inks tech tie-up with BYD to make electric buses

Singapore-based entrepreneur Bhupendra Kumar Modi of the Smart Group is all set to enter the pure electric vehicle segment in India under his brand Smart Dreams.

The company has tied up with the Hong Kong-based BYD Auto Industry Company which is engaged in electric vehicle manufacturing and is an investee company of investment guru Warren Buffet.

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Electric Autorickshaws launched in Bengaluru

If auto rickshaws in the city are blamed for polluting, here's a simple solution to replace the diesel/gas consuming autos. ElecRic, as the name goes runs on solar power, emits nothing and cost Rs 2 laksh only.

RJMS-EV, a private company that is into manufacturing of electric vehicle and components in Bengaluru has a patent in their name for their innovation in switching a typical auto that runs on gas to a... Read more..

Soon, solar energy to light up DND Flyway

Soon, lighting facilty at the DND flyway will be powered by solar energy. The flyway operator, Noida Toll Bridge Company Ltd (NTBCL), has decided to shift to renewable energy source to curb use of conventional power and cut down maintenance costs.

Officials said they will soon start installing solar grid. Once the project is complete, it will power the lighting facility and also the electronic machineries at... Read more..

6,000 unelectrified villages provided with power: Government

Electrification has been done in 6,000 of the 18,500 unelectrified villages and the renewable energy capacity has reached 39.5 Giga Watts, a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was told.

At the two-and-a-half hour meeting to review the progress of key infrastructure sectors here yesterday, Modi also took stock of the progress in 'Housing-for-All' programme and directed officials concerned to... Read more..

India to add 3 gigawatts wind power in 2016

With the Central government setting in place a target of generation of 60,000 MW wind energy by 2022, many independent power producers and other wind energy players are awaiting the new policy guidelines by the ministry of renewable energy, which are to be finalised soon.

They feel that if the policy is in the right direction and it will provide a major growth impetus to the wind energy sector, which is... Read more..

Sweden Could Be Carbon Neutral By 2045

A parliamentary committee in Sweden has created a proposal outlining how the nation could be carbon neutral by 2045. Mainly, it would achieve this huge goal by eliminating domestic emissions by 85% from 1990 levels. The last 15% could be offset by making investments in international projects which cut carbon emissions.

If this plan sounds overly ambitious, Sweden has already set similar environmental goals.... Read more..

Remote Kodaikanal village gets solar lighting facility

For the first time in the State, a mini-grid solar power station was commissioned at Moongilpallam, one of most remote villages in Dindigul district, to provide lighting facility to all houses, fulfilling their decades-old-dream.

Commissioned at a cost of Rs. 3.78 lakh by Selco India, the solar station has sufficient capacity to ensure supply to them for the next five years. Two LED lamps – one inside and another outside the house – and a mobile charger facility have been fitted to each house. Initially, 23 houses have been provided lighting and remaining five houses will be hooked... Read more..

One in three off-grid households will use solar products by 2020

One in three off-grid households worldwide will use solar products by 2020, according to a new report from the World Bank and Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).

The ‘Off-grid Solar Market Trends Report 2016’ found that there are 1.2 billion people without access to the power grid, who spend $27 billion annually on lighting and mobile-phone charging technologies using kerosene, candles, battery torches and other fossil-fuel technologies.

The report claims that solar-powered portable lights and home kits offer a better service at a lower cost and such products are facing... Read more..