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| Renewable Energy Newsletter |
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Dear Reader,
The sixth edition of the newsletter, the Renewable Energy Team (RE) brings to you our findings and analysis especially on the wind power sector and the lesser popular small hydro sector. We also continue to follow the solar sector, and document the happenings in the Down To Earth magazine. Our findings and travels are published in the Renewable Energy portal, which can be accessed from the links provided
In February this year, the US pressed charges against the National Solar Mission saying that the policy is discriminating against foreign solar companies. As a reaction, the RE team, concluded that, it is in fact the US industry that has gained most from the Indian government financed National Solar Mission. The campaigning has also led to US environmental NGO's putting pressure on their own government to withdraw the WTO threats.
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| Conference on ‘Green Norms for Green Energy’ |
Though renewable energy has lower environmental impacts compared to fossil fuels, they do have high ecological impacts if installed in ecologically sensitive areas without proper planning. For this reason CSE's Renewable Energy team are organising a one day conference on ‘Green Norms for Green Energy.’
The meeting will discuss the need for continued increase of Renewable Energy in the country while creating safeguards to avoid negative environmental and social impacts. We are inviting academics, state and central government agencies, private entrepreneurs and NGOs from across the country for the conference to initiate this very important discussion. The meeting will be held on the 9th of May in Gul Mohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.
Further details on the conference will be available soon. Please contact kanchan@cseindia.org
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| Solar power plants output high, but varying widely |
| The article discusses the document released by the MNRE on power generation of solar under the first phase of JNNSM. Larger projects seem to be doing much better than the smaller ones. |
| January 2, 2012 |
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| Wind loses power |
| Wind energy majors, which were investing full throttle in Tamil Nadu, are moving to Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The article discusses the problems being faced by wind power developers in the state of Tamil Nadu. |
| January 15, 2013 |
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| Solar mission phase II may reign in import of thinfilms |
| An article on the domestic content requirement scenario for the second phase of the JNNSM. The MNRE may mandate domestic purchase of both crystalline silicon and thinfilm technologies used in making solar panels in the second phase. The article explores the consequences of such a situation. |
| January 19, 2012 |
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| Risk of corruption clouds Andhra Pradesh solar bids |
| Few loopholes in the Andhra solar policy is affecting the bidding process in the form of corruption. The article discusses the possible threats to the bidding process and identifies the loopholes. |
| February 6, 2013 |
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| Look at the sun |
| The article shows the ground realities of the solar water pump scheme which is being handled by the MNRE. The government needs to make solar pumps successful in agriculture and for doing this, it needs to clearly define better policy. |
| February 15, 2013 |
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| Power utilities oppose hike in wind tariff |
| State electricity regulatory commissions use indexing formula to calculate the capital cost of wind turbines each year by accounting for inflation in steel and cement. However, such indexing formula does not take into account technology and wind resource improvements which are significant. |
| February 21, 2013 |
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| Energy pill for the renewable energy sector |
| The World Bank is coming up with funds to give a push for the mini-grid sector. The projects are planned to be set up in the two states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, to begin with. The article looks into the financial model that would be employed to attract investment. |
| February 28, 2013 |
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| RENEWABLE ENERGY PORTAL |
| Clouds over solar |
| The price of solar energy has come crashing down in the past two-three years. Yet, there is no money to pay for the second phase of solar power development. The writer identifies three significant issues that need to be addressed in the next phase of solar power development. |
| January 15, 2013 |
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| Keralaites, get your rooftop solar and save a bundle! |
| Kerala’s 10,000 solar rooftop programme is in full swing with almost half (4,700) the target signed up by mid-January. For two groups of people a solar rooftop could be an enormous boon - those who use more than 300 units a month and those who otherwise rely on Diesel Generators (DG sets). The blogger discusses why solar would be cheaper in the long-run over conventional electricity. |
| January 25, 2013 |
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| For a place in the sun |
| How can solar be made to work in India? The writer identifies possible solutions for sustainable solar power development |
| January 31, 2013 |
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| Small hydro power: A tradeoff between local economic development and environmental impact |
| Small hydro power project opens up immense opportunities for social and economic upliftment of the village communities. The writer discusses the possibilities on least ecological impact and further socio-economic development in a small hydro power project. |
| February 18, 2013 |
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| Are off-grid solutions really more expensive for the poor? |
| The debate on solar off-grid solutions actually being cheaper than the kerosene and diesel has been on and off. But this time, the blogger challenges the conventional grid power charges to be more expensive than the off-grid solutions. |
| March 11, 2013 |
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| Kerala overlooks environmental aspects of proposed small hydropower plants |
| Analysis of Kerala Small hydro power policy is done. Policy lacks clarity on proposed location of projects and whether they are planned in ecological sensitive Western Ghats. If they are, then what initiatives needs to be taken to safeguard ecological aspects. Further, it discusses other components which should have formed par of the policy for successful implementation of projects. |
| March 11, 2013 |
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| Thank you for taking your time for reading our newsletter |
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Renewable Energy Team
Centre for Science & Environment
New Delhi |
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Centre for Science and Environment,
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi. India - 110062
Tel: +91-11 29955124, 29956110, 40616000 | Fax: +91-11 29955879 | |
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