Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Centre's green panel gives nod to Rs 4,641-crore J&K power project

The Centre's green panel has given approval to the Rs 4,640.88-crore Kiru hydroelectric power project to be developed on Chenab river in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Last month in a meeting, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Environment Ministry had examined the proposal. Based on its recommendations, the ministry will soon take a call on giving the final green nod.... Read more..

Date : Mar 2

Source: The Economic Times

Indian State Of Himachal Pradesh Sets 700 MW Solar Power Target

The north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh has set an ambitious target to enhance its solar power power infrastructure.

The state of Himachal Pradesh is not the most sought-after location to set up solar power projects yet, but the government has set a target to install 700 MW of solar power capacity under its revised policy.

Date : Mar 1

Source: Clean Technica

Senvion To Launch Wind Energy Operations In India

Just over a year after it was sold to an equity investment firm, Senvion is set to enter the wind energy market in India.

Europe-based Senvion has announced plans to start operations in India soon. According to a statement released by the company, it will offer “high-quality wind energy solutions for Indian wind sites.” While Senvion is largely known for its services in the offshore wind energy sector, the... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: Clean Technica

SkyPower Becomes Climate Bonds Partner

One of the leading global solar power projects developer, SkyPower, announced that it has joined the Climate Bonds Initiative as a partner.

SkyPower has become a Climate Bonds Partner by joining the Climate Bonds Initiative, an agency that helps mobilize the rapidly growing green bonds market. The move may allow SkyPower a boost in its endeavor to get cheap finance for the renewable energy projects it plans... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: Clean Technica

BioMason Makes Bricks From Bacteria Without Heat Or Clay

BioMason is a North Carolina startup company that manufactures bricks without heat or clay. About 8% of global carbon emissions come from making bricks, according to the company’s co-founder, Ginger Krieg Dosier, citing information from the EPA. The BioMason process not only creates no carbon emissions, it even re-uses the water needed to make its bricks.

Founded in 2012 by Dosier and her husband, Michael,... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: Ecopreneurist

‘Waste management scheme being implemented in 532 villages’

A Solid Waste Management programme is being implemented in 532 panchayats in Tiruvannamalai district, District Collector A. Gnanasekaran said.

Speaking at a Mass Contact Programme (MCP) held at Chunnambumedu village in Vandvasi taluk on Wednesday, District Collector A. Gnanasekaran said that panchayat level Solid Waste Management (SWM) facilities were created in 86 panchayats in the district in the first... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: The Hindu

Indian state Odisha plans PV projects in 198 villages

The Indian state of Odisha plans to set up solar energy projects in 198 villages as part of India’s rural electrification programme.

The Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) has invited tenders from PV system suppliers and manufacturers to install, supply, commission or maintain solar PV power plants in the 198 selected villages in Odisha.

Date : Mar 1

Source: PV-Tech

1st BRICS bank loan to India likely for solar project: Kamath

The New Development Bank set up by BRICS countries aims to lend up to USD 2 billion this year starting in about two months and the multilateral lender’s first loan to India could be for a green solar energy project, its president K V Kamath said.

“For this year, if we can approve one-and-a-half to two billion dollars I will be happy. We are six months into setting up the bank. We do not want to take steps... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: Desh Gujarat

J&K to launch Smart LED Lighting Programme from March

Jammu & Kashmir governor N N Vohra chaired a high-level meeting regarding implementation of "Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP)" aimed at energy saving by using efficient LED lamps.

The Governor was informed that distribution of 80 lakh LED bulbs to about 15 lakh registered consumers in the state will save energy consumption by 260 m KWh translating into an annual saving of about Rs 130 crore... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: Times of India

Industries told to go in for rooftop solar power generation

Industries, especially small and medium enterprises here, are being wooed to harness solar energy and become self-sufficient in their energy needs.

With the demand for energy going up substantially, tapping solar power seems to be the way out. One such option is rooftop solar power generation. The unutilised terrace space of the industrial buildings can be used to install photovoltaic units for producing... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: The Hindu

Sustainable purchasing leaders prepare best practice guides

During the first three years of its existence, the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council (SPLC) focused largely on gathering knowledge from a growing network of corporate procurement professionals.

Over the next 12 months, the organization will start sharing more of that practical insight with its members, which now number close to 150 companies, hospitals, and government agencies.

Date : Mar 1

Source: GreenBiz

SunPower smashes installation time record for commercial solar

SunPower announced that its SunPower Helix Roof product has smashed the installation time record offering at least two and a half times faster than competing commercial rooftop solar power systems currently available in the market.

Helix Roof is a fully integrated rooftop solar solution for commercial customers.

Date : Mar 1

Source: Greentech Lead

IoT Lighting From Cree, Cisco Automatically Saves Energy By Connecting Ceilings to the Cloud

A new collaboration between Cree Inc. and Cisco Technology, Inc. enables light-emitting diode (LED) lighting to be connected through the internet and customized for each building to create more productive spaces while saving energy and money. Cree’s SmartCast Power over Ethernet (PoE) is the first lighting platform to enable mass deployment and adoption of Cisco’s Digital Ceiling framework.

The lighting... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: Sustainable Brands

No hike in power tariff due to doubling of coal cess: Piyush Goyal

The budgetary proposal to double the cess on coal to Rs 400 per tonne will not lead to hike in power tariffs as discoms will benefit a lot from UDAY scheme, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said.

"I don't see any power tariff going up. The impact of additional coal cess is barely 12 paisa per unit and in the whole context may be Rs 6,000-7,000 crore in a year but saving of UDAY scheme of Rs 1.8 lakh crore is far... Read more..

Date : Mar 1

Source: The Economic Times

Cess on coal from Rs 200 to Rs 400 per tonne welcomed by solar power developers

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's budget announcement of an increase in the cess on coal from Rs 200 to Rs 400 per tonne has been welcomed by solar power developers as it is likely to drive up the price of coal and thereby that of power from coal fired plants, making solar power a still more competitive alternative. "Coal power costs will increase by about 6-7% or 20 paise per unit," said Vinay Rustagi, managing director of solar consultancy Bridge to India.

Date : Mar 1

Source: The Economic Times

Gamesa reports €170 million net profit (+85%) and steps up and brings forward its Business Plan targets for 2017; Gamesa increases its WTG sales in India, becoming the largest contributor at 29%

Revenues increased by 23% to €3.504 billion, boosted by growing activity.
Order intake reached 3,883 MW, in line with the high end of the Business Plan's target range for 2017.
The company maintains its focus on profitable growth: underlying EBIT[1] was €294 million (+54%) and the EBIT... Read more..
Date : Mar 1
Source: Gamesa Corp

India’s SECI retendering 50MW in local content category in Maharashtra

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is re-tendering 50MW of grid-connected solar projects under its Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) category in the state of Maharashtra.

SECI issued a request for selection (RfS) today for the 50MW as part of the Jawarhalal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) Phase II, Batch III.

Date : Feb 29

Source: PV-Tech

BHEL goes green to cut Energy Bills

Public sector undertaking (PSU) giant Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) which is grappling with depleting order book and increasing overheads, have decided to embark on green project to reduce energy dependence and cut energy bills. Company has chosen BHEL's Bhopal and Haridwar units to take up the project forward and promote use of non-conventional source of energy.

"BHEL, Bhopal has been working in the... Read more..

Date : Feb 29

Source: The Times of India

IGBC targets 10 bn sft green space by 2022

Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) of CII, promoting the construction of green buildings with a view to reduce carbon footprint by optimising energy utilisation, environmental-friendly designs, using locally available materials and recycling has set for itself a target of creating 10 billion sft of certified green space by 202

IGBC Chairman Prem C Jain who was here recently for launching student chapters... Read more..

Date : Feb 29

Source: The Hindu

SBI to sponsor 47 solar pumps for Tadoba core

Considering the drinking water crisis in forest and its effect on wildlife, 47 solar water pumps will be installed in the core area of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The discharge rate of the pumps will be 2,800 — 4,000 litres per day.

The novel initiative is being taken by 'Water is Life Society', which had installed seven similar pumps in the buffer area of TATR three years back. The State Bank of India has... Read more..

Date : Feb 29

Source: The Times of India

Ujaas to install 1.8-MWp PV array at Indian airport

Indian electrical equipment maker Ujaas Energy Ltd (BOM:533644) has been contracted to deploy a 1.8-MWp ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) plant for the Airport Authority of India (AAI).

The total value of the project amounts to INR 108.2 million (USD 1.6m/EUR 1.4m), the company calculates. The grid-connected solar system will be located at the Jaipur Airport in the state of Rajasthan, a statement on Saturday... Read more..

Date : Feb 29

Source: SeeNews

Hartek Power connects 28-MW solar projects to grid in Punjab

Hartek Power Pvt Ltd has announced that it has successfully connected two solar power projects of 28 MW to the grid for a leading solar developer in Muktsar district of Punjab. With this, Hartek Power has become the first company to accomplish the task under Phase 2 of the state’s renewable energy policy.

Known for setting new benchmarks in quality and timely delivery over the years, Hartek Power... Read more..

Date : Feb 29

Source: Energetica - India

Flexible solar cells as light as soap bubbles developed

MIT scientists have developed the thinnest, lightest flexible solar cells ever produced that could be placed on almost any material or surface, including clothes, smartphones or even a soap bubble.

The laboratory proof-of-concept shows a new approach to making solar cells that could help power the next generation of portable electronic devices, researchers said.

Date : Feb 29

Source: The Economic Times

Powering Fuel Cells with Wastewater

As companies and facility managers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of monetizing wastewater, two Virginia Tech researchers say they have found a way to maximize the amount of electricity that can be generated from the wastewater that would otherwise be flushed down the toilet.

In an article published in Scientific Reports, Xueyang Feng and Jason He traced bacteria, which led them to discover that... Read more..

Date : Feb 29

Source: Environmental Leader

Tamil Nadu's debt ridden power discom, with a debt of Rs 80,000 crore, needs to be put on the recovery path

There was a promise of a fierce summer in March 2012 when Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa decided to meet activists and fishermen protesting even more fiercely against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in southern Tamil Nadu. Jayalalithaa, at that time, declared her support for the agitation against the opening of the nuclear plant. "I am with you," she said in Tirunelveli, ahead of the Sankarankoil bypolls in March 2012. "Your sister will not let you down." That did not last.

Date : Feb 29

Source: The Economic Times