Sustainability Outlook Headlines

Greenko to foray into solar power generation, looks for global partners

Renewable energy independent power producer Greenko Group is all set to foray into solar power generation and plans to develop 500 MW within 12-18 months, by co-locating solar and wind farms. It has initiated the process of identifying global strategic partners for this sunrise sector.

Listed on the AIM of London Stock Exchange, Greenko, the Hyderabad-based company, has recently initiated a process to diversify into solar power generation, with a holding company. The company’s current portfolio with assets of about 800 MW spans wind, hydel, gas and thermal. It is on course to nearly... Read more..

Date : May 5

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Pollution affecting lungs of 35 per cent kids: survey

Around 35 per cent of school children in Indian cities are suffering from poor lung health, according to a survey. Released today by 'Breathe Blue' and Heal Foundation, the survey, carried out in four cities, revealed that the kids in Delhi were the worst-affected with 40 per cent of them falling under the category of poor and bad health.

In Kolkata, the figure is 35 per cent, Bangalore 36 per cent while in Mumbai, 27 per cent kids are victims.

The survey, released on the eve of World Asthma Day, is a part of Clean Air India Movement and included 2,000... Read more..

Date : May 5

Source: Economic Times

Priority status for solar power will aid smaller players

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently revised its priority sector lending (PSL) guidelines. Now medium enterprises, social infrastructure and renewable energy (RE) will form part of priority sector, in addition to the existing categories. This has brought excitement to the stake-holders.

The central bank’s move basically means that banks are now mandated to provide a percentage of their annual adjusted net bank credit (ANBC) or the credit equivalent amount of off-balance sheet exposure, whichever is higher, to RE project developers seeking finance.

Bank... Read more..

Date : May 5

Source: Green Tech Lead

GE develops system to optimise wind project efficiency

General Electric (GE) has developed a system that promises savings for wind project developers both in planning and installation costs and time. It also ensures greater efficiency, according to a statement issued by the company.

GE claims its new system — Wind Collector Optimisation Service (WCOS) — can save 20 percent of design cost and reduce design cycle times by 60 percent. The system has been developed by GE’s digital energy business.

WCOS helps utilities, developers and contractors to create better projections of grids and to find the optimal layout... Read more..

Date : May 5

Source: Green Tech Lead

Is Tesla's Powerwall battery a utility killer?

Luxury electric car manufacturer Tesla Motors has unveiled a series of batteries that will allow homeowners and businesses to better store renewable energy — an attempt to solve a major challenge facing the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Elon Musk, Tesla's founder and chief executive, made the much anticipated announcement last week, confirming the new modular Powerwall system would sell at $3,000 for a 7kWh battery, rising to $3,500 for a 10kWh unit. Deliveries are expected to start in late summer in the U.S.

Musk said the new Tesla Energy division... Read more..

Date : May 5

Source: Green Biz

India Issues 2 GW Solar EPC Services Tender

The Solar Energy Corporation of India has finally issued the first of a very long list of tenders to increase the country’s solar power capacity. The New Delhi-based government body has issued a 2 GW tender for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services. The tenders are aimed at the development of large-scale utility solar PV power projects across various states in the country.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has signed agreements with the governments of several states to set up ultra mega solar power projects. Agreements with 7 state governments... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Clean Technica

‘E-waste in India increasing at alarming rate’

Noting that the volume of e-waste in the country was increasing at an alarming rate, a parliamentary panel has recommended the creation of a legislative and enforcement mechanism to prevent India from becoming a dumping ground of e-waste for developed nations. Stating that e-waste management is a huge global problem, the committee said there were numerous reports indicating that e-wastes are being shipped to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America from developed nations under the garb of “used goods” to pass on the hazards associated with it and to “avoid” the cost of... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Live Mint

New solar power capacity could treble this fiscal, to top 3,000 MW

Going by the number of power purchase agreements signed by solar power developers, new solar power capacity that could be added from April to March next will be almost three times as much as the achievement in the corresponding period of the last fiscal.

Purchase agreements
In the 2014-15 fiscal, 1,112 MW of grid connected solar power capacity were added in the country, compared with 948 MW in the previous fiscal.

Going by the number of power purchase agreements signed by solar power developers, solar installations in the current year will... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Tackling detergents in water bodies

It seemed like a Bollywood movie-set but was a main road next to the Varthur lake. Foam was billowing and floating around and the landscape seemed surreal. Immediately it has made news all across India as citizens are agitated by what they see as the utter destruction of their lakes.

What causes the foaming? In our homes and apartments detergents have made a rapid entry as shampoos, soaps, clothes wash powders, utensil wash soaps and liquids and even toilet cleaners.

Now these detergents need to do many things in a sequence. They have to first remove the dirt,... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: The Hindu

In New Delhi, skepticism over Paris climate treaty 'wish list'

India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions to a Paris climate treaty will be “fairly simple” and conservative, with an emissions reduction target of between 20 and 40 percent, if members of the government’s climate advisory team and other stakeholders could have their way.

Countries that have committed to creating a new climate agreement in Paris, France, agreed to prepare their INDCs — which would publicly outline their planned post-2020 climate actions — ahead of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties in December 2015.
... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Devex

AP govt to make state a renewable energy hub

Andhra Pradesh government has decided to implement a comprehensive action plan to maked the state a renewable energy hub in the next four years. As part of this plan, the government has contemplated to achieve 5,000 MW solar power and 4,000 MW wind power by 2019 to meet the twin objectives of energy security and clean energy considerations, an official release issued here said.

Impressed with the new solar and wind policy, KFW, a German Bank, has agreed to sanction Rs 515 crores at concessional rate of interest towards green energy corridor.

The AP government... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Business Standard

NGT extends stay order on old diesel vehicles plying in Delhi

The National Green Tribunal today extended till May 18 a stay on its order banning plying of diesel vehicles which are over 10 years old in Delhi—NCR, bringing relief to public utility services and private owners. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar extended the stay after Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, appearing for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, requested the Tribunal to grant more time to file Centre’s suggestion on methods to reduce vehicular pollution.

“ASG submits that she would advise the Ministry to hold meeting of ministries... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

Tesla Energy Set to Revolutionize Solar Storage for Homes, Businesses, Utilities

Tesla Energy, the latest from Tesla Motors visionary Elon Musk, was introduced last night onstage at the company's design studio in Hawthorne, California, just south of LA. A statement from the company describes the new development as "a suite of batteries for homes, businesses, and utilities fostering a clean energy ecosystem and helping wean the world off fossil fuels."

"We have this handy fusion reactor in the sky, called the Sun," said Musk, who’s long been a proponent of solar energy, and in March announced an electric car charger that could also power homes.
... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Sustainable Brands

Gujarat tops in roof-top solar power generation

Once again, Gujarat has led from the front when it comes to promoting roof-top solar power generation projects. The state leads in the country with 9.75 MW roof-top solar power generation.

Gujarat accounted for 23.64 per cent of the total 41.24 MW roof-top solar power generated in the country by the end of financial year 2014-15. The other state that comes close to Gujarat is Punjab with 7.52 MW roof-top solar power.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his stint as chief minister of the state, had launched the Solar Rooftop Solar PV project in 2010-11 in state... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Economic Times

Floating solar panel more ‘powerful’ than land avatar

It has been found out that floating solar panels generate more power than land-based solar installations under the same condition. "Normally, a solar panel with a capacity of 10KW installed anywhere on land generates a maximum 45 units of power per hour. A similar solar panel set up on a water body has been found to generate 50 units per hour and above," said solar power expert S P Gon Chaudhuri, who heads the Arka Ignou Community College of Renewable Energy.

The country's first floating solar panel that has been installed on a 2-acre-wide water body in Rajarhat, close to... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Times of India

New Tool For Renewable Energy Developers From IRENA

The International Renewable Energy Agency has just released an exciting tool for renewable energy entrepreneurs, urban planners, and researchers: Project Navigator. It should greatly increase the number of successful renewable power projects. The program should also decrease the number of confidence-busting failures, although these have become fewer and fewer as renewable industries have continued to mature. Known for a comprehensive approach to renewable energy worldwide, IRENA has now gathered the knowledge, tools, case studies, best practices, and other resources to create a nimble... Read more..

Date : May 4

Source: Clean Technica

All states to get at least one smart city: 10 things to know about Modi's pet project

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet projects — 100 smart cities spread across the country — and a new urban renewal mission named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, replacing the existing one named after Jawaharlal Nehru, with a total outlay of Rs 98,000 crore for the next five years.

The move is expected to recast the urban landscape of the country to make them more livable and inclusive. The smart cities project was announced in July 2014 in the Union Budget. Countries such as Singapore, Japan, France and the United States have shown interest... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: First Post

Gurgaon to become a model for 100 smart cities project

Gurgaon is all set to become a smart city. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod to NDA government's flagship 100 smart cities project and the new urban renewal mission with a total outlay of about rupees one lakh crore. The plan was announced by Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar at an event in Gurgaon. A time period of one year has been set for completing the project.

Goyal said Gurgaon has been chosen as a model for the '100 smart city project' which was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We have... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: India Today

Global body gives India poor rating on nuclear safety, may stall entry into Nuclear Supplier Group

Ahead of the annual plenary session of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which is expected to discuss the case of India's membership to the coveted global body, the country has questioned Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) for rating the security arrangements at its nuclear installations as poor and below mark. India has said that it follows some of the best practices of many advanced countries.

NTI - a Washington-based non-profit body which aims to strengthen global security by reducing the risk of use and preventing the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons - makes the... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: Economic Times

Land acquisition woes may stall nuclear power blitz

Seeking to move aggressively on a low-carbon growth path, India has set a target to nearly double its nuclear power capacity in next four years and increase it by almost eleven times by 2031-32 provided it doesn't face hurdles like land acquisition.

At present, the country - which ranks 13th in terms of electricity generation from nuclear source and seventh in terms of having operational nuclear reactors - has installed capacity of 5,780 MW.

Sharing basic details of the government's future plan on nuclear power in Parliament, the minister of state in Prime... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: Economic Times

‘Solid waste along railway tracks being properly disposed’

Even as the Railways on Wednesday claimed that it has successfully managed disposal of its municipal solid waste (MSW), it continues to reel under pressure of trash from illegal jhuggis along its tracks which the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Boards has failed to relocate.

The Railways informed the National Green Tribunal that all its MSW is being sent to waste management plants at Ghazipur or at designated municipal sites by its contractors. Major stations like New Delhi, Anand Vihar and Nizammuddin are also disposing their garbage at the nearest MCD dumping sites, it said... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: The Hindu

Ballard Receives Initial 100 Unit Order From Reliance Jio Infocomm For Backup Power Systems In India

Ballard Power Systems (NASDAQ: BLDP; TSX: BLD) today announced that it has received a purchase order from Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) for 100 ElectraGen™-ME fuel cell backup power systems to be deployed in its wireless telecom network in India. Shipment of these initial 100 systems is expected to be completed in 2015.

The purchase order follows successful completion of an extensive 12-month trial by RJIL of fuel cell systems from various vendors, with Ballard’s ElectraGen™-ME methanol-fueled system ultimately having been selected for use in backup power applications... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: Cantech Letter

Lohia Auto to expand electric portfolio

Diversified Lohia Group is expanding its electric vehicle portfolio with plans to launch two new two-wheelers and a three-wheeler to cash in on the government’s FAME India scheme.

Bullish on the segment, the group is eyeing a turnover of Rs. 300 crore from the automotive division — Lohia Auto Industries in the next three years.

The group, which has a turnover of around Rs. 600 crore, has already lined up an investment of around Rs. 120 crore to spruce up its manufacturing facility in Uttarakhand.

“We want the auto division turnover to be around Rs... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: Business Line- The Hindu

New India renewable targets put country on path to 69GW of PV by 2019

State Electricity Regulatory Commissions in India could be obliged to purchase 8% of their power generation from solar sources by March 2019, up from the original target of 3% by 2022, under a proposed policy amendment by India’s ministry of power.

A Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) mechanism is in place to drive demand for solar power in India until parity in terms of landed cost of power between renewables and other energy sources is widely reached.

To comply with RPOs, electricity distributors or ‘discoms’ can either generate a minimum amount of renewable... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: PV Tech

Doomsday water cycle threatens nations around the globe

California is not unique in experiencing a destructive feedback loop in which declining water resources are devoted to energy production, and energy is required to transport water where it is increasingly scarce. Throughout much of the U.S. and the world, we manage water and energy as if they were unrelated. In reality, they are Siamese twins.

Utility executives in Washington state are concerned that low snowpack threatens reservoirs that generate much of the state’s power. Legislators in Texas, who are normally reluctant to acknowledge the existence of climate change or to... Read more..

Date : May 1

Source: The News Tribune