Give solar thermal a chance, industry urges DECC

Falling returns for solar PV under the feed-in tariff offers solar thermal a fighting chance, says Solar Trade Association, but only if Ministers retain some support for technology

The recent cuts to solar Feed-in Tariff (FiT) incentives may spell good news for solar thermal installers - but only if the industry can convince the government to keep supporting the technology under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).

The solar industry is urging the government to abandon its plans to remove support for solar thermal under the Renewable Heat Incentive, arguing that it now has a fighting chance to thrive following the cuts to support for PV.

The reforms come as the government battles to improve its sluggish performance on renewable heat in time to meet its legally binding 2020 renewables targets. Ministers have admitted the UK is currently on track to miss the target, primarily becasue of slower than expected progress with renewable heat and renewable transport fuel technologies.

Key changes proposed for the Domestic RHI include the introduction of "heat demand limits" to prevent larger homes claiming too much of the budget from the scheme, new rules allowing households to reassign their right to RHI payments to companies that have installed low-carbon technology, and higher tariff rates for heat pumps. Notably, under both the domestic and non-domestic systems, support for solar thermal would be removed altogether from 2017.

It is perhaps unsurprising that solar thermal is in the crosshairs for DECC. Data released earlier this year suggested solar thermal systems accounted for just two per cent of total non-domestic applications under the RHI and 12 per cent of domestic applications as of December 2015. Applications for biomass and heat pumps, the two other main technologies supported under the scheme, far outstrip interest in solar thermal, the data revealed.

Industry body the Solar Trade Association (STA) admits that to date solar thermal has not been a runaway success under the RHI. "Clearly, solar thermal has suffered in recent years in terms of its deployment," Mike Landy, head of policy at the STA, told BusinessGreen. "One of the main reasons that it has suffered is the boom in PV deployment that has taken place under the Feed-in Tariff... Not only that, but in the years soon after the launch of the FiTs there was huge uncertainty about whether the domestic RHI would happen at all."

But that picture is beginning to change, he argued, as a result of the recent upheaval to the FiTs scheme that has seen support for solar PV deployment slashed. In January the government substantially cut the subsidy rates available to PV installations and introduced a quarterly cap on deployment - and early data suggests installation rates are falling sharply as a result.

Earlier this year, the STA conducted a poll of its members asking them to compare the level of enquiries into solar thermal for the first two months of 2015 compared to the first two months of this year. Members reported an 88 per cent jump in interest, which Landy suggests is a sign that solar thermal may be poised to benefit from the cuts to the FiTs as households keen to cut their carbon emissions and energy bills look at alternatives to solar PV panels.

In light of this increase in customer interest, the STA is urging the government not to halt its support for solar thermal under the RHI. "Our number one ask to DECC is to just leave it for the time being," said Landy. "We're not asking for an increase in tariff, we're simply saying do not remove it and allow the market to recover."

Meanwhile, other renewable heat providers are also concerned about how the proposed changes to the RHI will affect the deployment of their chosen technology.

The Renewable Energy Association (REA) warns DECC's plans to move all non-domestic biomass systems to a single tariff will cause a "collapse" in the deployment of biomass boilers. The REA has said it has responded to the consultation by warning the proposed move would result in job losses and a slower rate of decarbonisation at odds with the country's 2020 renewable targets.

"We need a range of technologies to decarbonise a range of properties," said Frank Aaskov, policy analyst at the REA, in a statement. "Rural locations for example with no access to a gas network cannot be left behind. Biomass boilers are low cost, provide significant carbon savings compared to oil boilers, and support the growth of healthy British forests. It is distressing that the government's proposals would shutter this growing industry and would have us rely instead on largely untested technologies."

DECC has claimed the planned reforms will deliver a "reformed and refocused" scheme for renewable heat technologies, predicting the revamped scheme would support 23TWh of renewable heat generation by 2020/21 and deliver between 27 and 40 megatonnes of CO2 abatement under the fourth carbon budget, which runs through the mid 2020s.

However, some industry bodies have voiced concerns the proposed changes do not go far enough. A new report published today by the Energy and Utilites Alliance suggests the proposed RHI policy changes are unlikely to drive significant progress towards the 2020 renewables target or major change in the UK heating market.

Isaac Occhipinti, head of external affairs at EUA, called the plans "fundamentally flawed". "We advocate that the RHI should be used in a much more targeted way," he said in a statement. "For each sector of the housing market the most appropriate heating solution should be identified, this would deliver the most effective result both in terms of cost and carbon savings."

Similarly, the Heating and Hotwater Industry Council (HHIC) is calling on DECC to make the RHI more focused by targeting funding at homes that can accommodate a renewable heating system and those where the current heating system is especially carbon intensive.

DECC will now consider all the consultation responses put forward by the renewable heat industry, with a final decision expected in July. It is clear that bolder action is needed on renewable heat for the UK to get back on track to meeting its renewables targets and provide the foundations for the full decarbonisation of the energy sector. But only time will tell whether DECC agrees with the industry over what form that action takes.

Original Post: Madeleine Cuff

India bright spot for global renewable energy investments in Q1

India was one of the bright spots in clean energy investments in the first quarter of calendar year 2016, amid a fall in markets such as China and Brazil, according to data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. As per the data, India’s clean energy investments reached $1.9 billion in the January-March quarter, up 6 per cent from the comparable period in 2015.

The Narendra Modi-led BJP government has set an ambitious target of increasing renewable power capacity to 175 gigawatts by 2022 as part of its plan to supply electricity to every household.

Ashish Sethia, head of India and Southeast Asia, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said in an email response: “While a rise in investments is a positive sign, they have to almost double from here to meet PM Modi’s ambitious 175GW target.”

Global investments in renewable energy fell 12 per cent during the first three months of 2016, due to the slowdown in emerging economies, according to data released Tuesday by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The decline in overall investment comes after a record year for clean energy investments in 2015, when the spending reached $328.9 billion.

Spending on renewables fell to $53.1 billion in the first-quarter this year when compared to $60.5 billion in the first quarter of 2015, it said. The first quarter is often the weakest of the year for global investment, and totals may be revised up if more deals come to light, BNEF said.

In the first quarter of 2016, spending on clean energy fell 37 per cent to $11.8 billion in China and investments in Brazil fell 27 per cent to $1 billion from the comparable period last year. Other key markets also saw a slow start. South Africa recorded almost no deals in Q1 2016, when compared to $3.7 billion in the same quarter of 2015.

Japan’s investment was down 19 per cent to $6.8 billion, while Chile, Mexico and Uruguay, all significant centres for investment in 2015, had quiet starts to 2016, it said.

Europe recorded the strongest growth, where spending rose 70 per cent to $17 billion, driven by three big billion-dollar wind project investments. In the US, spending rose 9 per cent to $9.7 billion.

Michael Liebreich, chairman of the advisory board at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said: “Based on Q1 figures, 2016 is going to be hard-pressed to beat last year’s record investment total.

“The fundamentals behind global clean energy investment remain strong, with our latest research showing solar PV and wind again reducing their costs and competing strongly despite lower coal, oil and gas prices. But China accounted for more than one third of all new financings last year, so what happens there in 2016 will be crucial.”

Original Post: The Hindu

Graphene breakthrough produces solar energy in the rain

Much like making hay, the best time to produce solar energy is when the sun shines. Researchers in China have discovered that by using graphene; energy from solar panels is possible even when it's raining. 

Graphene is essentially a one-atom thick layer of carbon, arranged in a honeycomb like structure. It is essentially graphite that is only one atom thick. Graphite, being able to conduct electricity, lends graphene the ability to do the same.

Researchers at Ocean University of Qingdao in China used a modified dye-sensitised solar cell, a thin, film-type solar panel, with a layer of graphene on top. When they simulated rain using salty water, they were able to generate electricity. What happened was that when the salty water hit the surface of the solar panels, the ionised salt particles in the water (ammonium, sodium and calcium, which are positively charged) were separated from the water to produce electricity.

The tests resulted in a 6.53 percent energy conversion — dye-sensitised solar cells, which were used in this experiment, have an efficiency of about 14.1 percent. While this isn't much, it is still very promising as the technology is merely a proof of concept and still has a long way to go in terms of development. Meanwhile, the researchers believe this will definitely help in the evolution of solar panels.

As rainwater isn't inherently salty and comes mixed with a variety of other ions, the future course of action for this technology is to figure out how to generate electricity in situations closer to what we experience in real life.

 Original Post: NR

Intersolar Istanbul Turkey Summit 2016

Original Post: Devvrat 

First Solar reached 1 GW of sales in India

1 GW of PV capacity shipped to India makes First Solar the first thin film manufacturer to achieve this milestone in the country.

India’s ambitious solar goals have begun to look more achievable as First Solar announces its 1 GW milestone of PV capacity supplied for the country.

In its fourth quarter and full year 2015 results, the U.S.-based solar producer and developer had mentioned 20.03 GW of “booking opportunities”, with a substantial part of them in India, Latin America and the Middle East.

In February 2015, at India's first renewable energy global investment conference and expo RE-INVEST 2015 in New Delhi, First Solar made a “Green Energy Commitment” to develop 5 GW of solar capacity in the country by 2019. Four months later, the company has successfully powered a 20 MW PV plant in the southern Indian state of Telangana.

To date, 200 MW of utility-scale solar projects, wholly owned by First Solar, are under construction in India. This year, India is expected to add a total of 4.8 GW of utility-scale PV plants.

Original Post: PV Magazine  

Give renewable energy a chance

Canada faces some difficult choices when it comes to energy. We are engaged in debates about two approaches to energy:

1) expanding fossil fuel exploration, mining and drilling, and the construction of new power plants, or

2) more energy efficiency, conservation, decentralized renewable energy technologies (RETs), and regulations on energy use.

Opinions reflect sharp divides based on our geo-political positioning. In mid-February, CBC commissioned an online poll on what Canadians think of the energy sector. About 80 per cent thought that we should do more to support the development of clean energy and the associated technology industry.

On attitudes toward energy, the economy, and the environment, the poll showed that 92 per cent were concerned about the economy, 70 per cent recognized that energy plays a key role in the economy, 84 per cent were concerned about protecting the environment and 56 per cent were more worried about the economy than the environment.

A 2007 Thunder Bay Citizen Survey found that 86 per cent of respondents agreed that environmentally-friendly energy projects should be a priority for capital projects.

While people agree that the economy and energy are important for development, the majority acknowledges that we can no longer ignore environmental issues and climate change issues.

De-carbonization efforts are changing Canada’s energy landscape. Low-carbon electricity generation from renewable sources — large hydroelectric dams (72 per cent) and run-of-the-river small hydroelectric (4 per cent), biomass (15 per cent), wind (8 per cent), and solar photovoltaic (1 per cent) — is carving a sustainable energy path.

However, Canada’s development of low-impact RET is falling behind most industrialized nations due to a lack of market support and the absence of appropriate government policies and initiatives.

Current technologies can make a significant contribution to Canada’s carbon emission reduction commitments, help tackle climate change, bring about economic spin-offs like job creation and lower health-care costs. The recent federal budget made allowances for reducing carbon emissions, but it is not yet clear how these will roll out.

We are on the cusp of entering the third generations of RETs. The first generation technologies of hydropower, biomass combustion, geothermal are mature and economically competitive.

The second generation of RET is market-ready and includes solar heating, photovoltaics, onshore and offshore wind power and modern bioenergy. These RETs make up less than 1 per cent of the total primary energy consumption.

The Canadian Industrial Energy End-Use Data and Analysis Centre (CIEEDAC) at Simon Fraser University lists over 1,300 individual renewable energy facilities in Canada. David Ryczko, Solar Logix Inc., Thunder Bay has stressed that solar panels and photovoltaic technology are beginning to find niche applications.

The third generation of RETs include biomass gasification, biorefineries, solar thermal, hot-dry-rock geothermal, and ocean energy. These technologies are heavily dependent on second generation technologies proving their commercial viability.

Ontario’s renewable energy mix is at crossroads too. A centralized power system — a grid that transmits power from large, state-funded power generation units, such as nuclear (57 per cent), hydroelectricity (25 per cent), and natural gas (11 per cent) — is powering our households. Further, Ontario took a smart and ambitious step in shutting down the last of its coal-fired power plants.

While Ontarians get a taste of clean air, there is now a need to eliminate all the other forms of fossil pollution that still dominate.

One such debatable energy source is nuclear, an expensive (and controversial) choice. Though it produces large amounts of electricity with low carbon emissions, mining and enriching uranium is very energy intensive.

As well there is the reality that waste from nuclear fission remains highly toxic for thousands of years; storage and disposal of this waste remains a serious concern.

Ontario's Green Energy Act, 2009 (GEA) and the Renewable Energy Approval (REA) are strengthening the province’s commitment to conservation. These measures reflect Ontario’s leadership in harvesting benefits for the economy, public health and the environment that renewable energy projects create. Specifically, the act created a Feed-in Tariff that guarantees specific rates for energy generated from renewable sources. The choices Ontario makes are critical to a sustainable future.

Renewable energy development is not a silver bullet, nor is it universally supported. There are not only technical challenges, but also social, environmental, economic and political issues that are equally pressing. However, with the improvement of renewables’ storage, efficiency, availability, and declining costs, a shift has started.

With possible government green investments, now is the time for more dialogue about renewable sources, existing RETs, infrastructure and storage requirements and cost-benefit optimums.

Individuals are contributing to the dialogue. Jane Oldale and Frank Ilczyszyn, who reside in the Municipality of Neebing (southwest of Thunder Bay), have made a conscious lifestyle choice to remain off-grid for decades and rely on solar and wind power. They emphasize that energy literacy and conservation at the household level are important for making informed choices.

Julie Rosenthal, a faculty member at Lakehead University, has chosen renewable options to meet her power needs. She found that the lifestyle changes haven't been as difficult as she first expected. The Nolalu Eco Centre in Thunder Bay, supported by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., offers tours showing ecology-centred living.

Community-based and decentralized renewable energy projects, with high levels of public participation, are finding more acceptance than top-down development of large-scale schemes. As consumers, we have choices about how we would like to power and heat our homes and businesses. It is time for energy transition dialogues that consider renewable energy technologies as sustainable options.

Original Post: ROOPA RAKSHIT

Sustainable Energy

Original Post : Devvrat

Renewable Energy Standard

Original Post: Devvrat

Solar Farms In India

Original Post: Devvrat

Solar Frontier Achieves World Record Thin-Film Solar Cell Efficiency

In joint research with the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) of Japan, Solar Frontier has achieved 22.3% conversion efficiency on a 0.5cm² cell using its CIS technology. 

This is an increase of 0.6 percentage points over the industry’s previous thin-film record of 21.7%. The Fraunhofer Institute, Europe’s largest organization for applied research, has independently verified this result according to Solar Frontier.

“This is a proud achievement for Solar Frontier and a significant advancement for our CIS technology. This is the first time that CIS has crossed the 22% efficiency boundary – a level not yet surpassed by any other thin-film or multi-crystalline silicon technology,” said Satoru Kuriyagawa, Chief Technology Officer of Solar Frontier. “This latest achievement brings us a step closer toward realizing Solar Frontier’s long-term goal of exceeding 30% efficiency using CIS.”

Solar Frontier has created the cell using the same sputtering-selenization process that it uses in mass production. This enables it to apply its latest advancements in all of its production plants in the future. For example, part of the technology used to achieve Solar Frontier’s previous record 20.9% cell, achieved in April 2014, is already being implemented at the upcoming Tohoku Plant in Miyagi, Japan. The new production plant will harness Solar Frontier’s most advanced lines to produce modules of 14.7% efficiency once it begins commercial production.

In addition to conversion efficiency, there are several factors that determine how much energy a solar module will ultimately generate in real-world conditions and, subsequently, its lifetime cost. Solar Frontier claims that their CIS modules generate more energy (kilowatt-hours per kilowatt-peak) compared to crystalline silicon in real-world conditions. 

Original Post: REF

Think Green

Original Post: Devvrat

WTO rules against India in solar power dispute

India on Wednesday lost a case at the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the global trade body said power purchase agreements signed by the government with solar firms for the ambitious National Solar Mission did not meet international norms.

India might appeal against the WTO's panel ruling, a PTI report said later.

The US had filed a complaint before the WTO on this issue in 2014, alleging foreign firms would not be able to take part in India’s electrification programmes and the lucrative government contracts that came with it. It said a clause relating to domestic content requirement (DCR) for the procurement of solar cells and modules under Phase-I and Phase-II of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission were discriminatory and “nullified” the benefits accruing to American solar power developers.

After looking into the matter, the WTO’s dispute settlement panel had also ruled that “the DCR measures are inconsistent” with relevant provisions of the Trade Related Investment Measures (TRIMs) Agreement and with the articles of the erstwhile General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs (GATT). The panel also found that the DCR measures accorded “less favourable treatment” to American companies and were “not justified” under the general exceptions in GATT rules.

Earlier on Wednesday, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had informed the Rajya Sabha that India and the US have engaged multiple times to settle the long-running solar power trade dispute through mutually agreed solution at WTO.

The panel found that DCR measures were not distinguishable in any relevant respect from the domestic content requirements previously examined under this provision by the Appellate Body in Canada — Renewable Energy / Feed-In Tariff Programme.

“In particular, the panel found that the electricity purchased by the government is not in a ‘competitive relationship’ with the solar cells and modules subject to discrimination under the DCR measures,” the findings said. Government officials could not be reached for a comment.

India has an ambitious target of generating 20,000 Mw of solar power by 2022.

Original Post: BS Reporter

Preparing Renewable Energy Projects for El Niño

Even though many climate models hint that the coming El Niño may rival or even surpass the El Niño of 1997-98, the forecasted rainfall may still be unpredictable. However, what remains true is that the past decade of catastrophic wildfires and drought have left a parched landscape ill prepared for torrential rainfall, which can quickly create significant problems for solar and wind projects across the globe. This means site assessments and maintenance practices are a crucial aspect of El Niño preparation.

In order to minimize the damage from these sudden torrential rains, we need to think ahead and consider how heavy rain might impact the land. Even though El Niño is already upon us, during the last two El Niños on record, the heaviest rainfall did not come until February and March. Are we ready for it? While this winter could bring major drought relief, predicted torrential downpours and heavy rainstorms can also have an adverse effect if we are not prepared.

Following years of drought, as El Niño begins, many facilities are already facing drainage plans that are not fully equipped to accommodate the storm water moving through. Solar and wind facility owners, operators and contractors need to prepare now for the upcoming El Niño season. During El Niño of 1997-98, seven inches of rain fell in a single day, overflowing rivers and costing more than $400 million in damage in California.

Water always behaves the same way. It seeks its own level. What does change is the topography and elevation in the settling points. As soil is deposited, it diminishes the volume of a drainage route or a retention basin. Therefore, drainage routes and basins must be cleared of obstructions, dirt and debris that may have accumulated. Flow channels, swales, riprap beds and culverts need to be cleaned out to allow unrestricted water passage. In addition to removing debris, trash and silt buildup, contractors in operations and maintenance should make any repairs necessary to drain grates, catch basins, inlets, channels and roadways, to ensure storm water flows freely. Pay close attention to culverts under roadways using adequate lighting to inspect and ensure unobstructed water passage can occur. Maintain a channel cleaning and maintenance program that addresses vegetation trimming, debris, sediment, and trash in those flood channels.

On a smaller scale, blockage in culverts can lead to similar damage, causing water to flow over roadways and also erode or destroy site access infrastructure. To help prevent this, swales or drainages leading into basins must be intact and capable of carrying storm water at a controlled rate. A breach in a drainage route or flow path negates the design capabilities to move water across the property or into an appropriate catch basin.

A good rule of thumb to follow is “inspect what you expect” by looking at the “story marks” on the property from the last wet weather event. Many utility-scale solar and wind fields are constructed on or around dry lakebeds where land is inherently flat and where soil peculation is minimal. Typically, this means that even a minimal amount of rain can create storm water movement as designed by the grading plan.

For wind projects, mudslides are a looming danger that can come with heavy rains especially after a severe drought, as we have experienced in California. Since water flows and ends at the lowest point by diverting around or destroying any mitigation measures, operators need to ensure that Best Management Practices are in place and allowing water to flow. One way to protect a wind substation in a low-lying area is by placing a diversion (dirt berm) that will train the water to flow around the area rather than through it. This approach can help to minimize the extensive work and cost involved with cleaning a substation damaged by a mudslide.

Another great tool to minimize damage to renewable energy projects is a Tiger Dam — a quick, versatile and reusable system for extreme conditions that helps provide added flood protection to projects in areas where storm water can rise rapidly during rain events. A Tiger Dam section spanning 50-feet can be installed in only a few minutes and can perform the same function as 500 sandbags. The system involves 50-foot sections of water-filled bladders that can be used individually or linked together to form a continuous protective barrier over longer distances.

Tiger Dams can be re-used from year to year and storm to storm to provide added efficiency, and can be installed within very quick timeframes to provide added flood protection where storm water levels may rise. This additional tool can be used at projects that experienced “over-topping” during rain events in 2010 where storm water rose slightly above the flood channel walls and onto adjacent roadways and property. 

In addition to facility preparation steps, it is just as essential to develop an equipment and materials checklist for the wet weather season. This checklist should include materials on hand, such as sand bags, shovels, plastic five gallon buckets, plastic sheeting and tarps. Equipment needs include portable water pumps with the appropriate suction hoses/strainer and discharge hoses, a generator, lights and extension cords with GFCI protection.

Here are some additional preparation steps to include in your plan:

• Slopes are best stabilized with riprap, vegetation or by other means, such as mulch, straw waddle or applied soil stabilizers. Hopefully, hydro seeding has already been completed, but it’s never too late. El Niño usually starts around Christmas and finishes by the end of March.          
• Roadways that provide critical sight access should be constructed above grade and of a road base type material. To maintain or prepare non-paved roads for wet conditions, soil stabilizers can be added periodically to bind the base material preventing wet weather deterioration, which also helps to minimize dust in the dryer months.
• Fencing can restrict water flow as floating debris builds up, creating a beaver dam effect. Look for areas where water flow passes under fencing and remove any accumulated debris.
• Develop a checklist to inspect all electrical equipment enclosures to ensure cabinets and doors are not only closed but also secured with a good weather seal.
• Inspect conduit openings to ensure they are weather tight. In some applications high quality expanding foam or UV resistant RTV can aid in filling gaps or addressing areas of concern. 
• Pay close attention to the position of solar panels during significant rains to capitalize on the cleaning effect. If the panels are stowed in a position to allow rain run off they will be more efficient when the storm clouds clear.

Last but certainly not least, facilities must review the regulatory requirements as dictated by their site specific Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) to gain a detailed understanding of expectations for water retention and pass-through, sampling frequencies, testing and record retention. With this knowledge, the next step is to create a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for wet weather events, and develop personnel training so that adherence to the SOP becomes procedure driven companywide. Implementing this plan allows contractors in operations and maintenance time to set up vendor support agreements to assist if the water intrusion is more evasive than the site and staff can effectively manage.

We may not be able to predict exactly how much rain El Niño will bring, nor how it will affect us, but what we do know beyond a doubt is preparation now will reduce potential damage. At the very least El Niño will bring more vegetation this spring so long term vegetation management plans should also be in the works.

Original Post: Harvey Stephens 

Clearing the air about India’s pollution problem

India needs to place the welfare of society above the quick gains of unfettered industrial expansion, write Asit K Biswas and Kris Hartley.

The perils of rapid industrialisation in developing countries are well documented. Traffic congestion, agricultural land conversion, and unsafe working conditions are hotly debated topics. As a by-product of unregulated industrial activity, pollution is perhaps the most visible and publicised issue. It may also be the deadliest. Pollution is not a new problem in India, but its recent intensity is a clarion call for policy action. India’s leaders can no longer afford to look away.

In the global media, China’s pollution is the cautionary tale of choice, illustrated by photos of Dickensian cities choked with smoke. Earlier this year, a shocking study revealed that over 4,000 Chinese people die each day from health complications related to air pollution. Even by conservative estimates (half that rate), three-quarters of a million people die each year from pollution in China – roughly equal to the population of San Francisco or Amsterdam.

India faces a crisis of equal proportion. In June 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Delhi’s air quality the worst in the world. By some estimates, India’s pollution accounts for 1.3 million deaths per year – nearly one third of the global total. Cases of respiratory disease have spiked 30 per cent since 2010, and Delhi may soon lead the world in premature deaths from air pollution.

Poor air quality has also been linked with rapidly declining crop yields. In 2013, the impact of pollution on India’s economy was an estimated US$80billion, 5.7 per cent of GDP. That number has likely risen since then. Pollution is a problem that spans policy arenas. In addition to industrial activity, evolving consumer preferences are a contributing factor. In Delhi, vehicle sales are robust and 1,400 new vehicles crowd the streets each day, adding to a current estimate of nearly 9 million in total. Not even night time offers a chance for the air to clear. Delhi residents awake to a fog of exhaust produced by 80,000 trucks flooding the streets between midnight and dawn for local and regional deliveries; these trucks are often unchecked by police or drivers for emissions controls and load limits. The benefits of cleaner fuel types, according to one analyst, are almost completely neutralised by the sheer number of vehicles on Delhi’s congested streets. People who live near major thoroughfares (often the poor) are at heightened health risk.

Pollution sources go beyond industry and congestion. For example, agricultural burning has reached crisis levels in parts of Southeast Asia. “Haze,” or smoke (perhaps it should be called what it is), originates in Sumatra during crop clearing season and quickly shrouds neighbours like Singapore. This transboundary problem is testing political patience in the region, with Indonesia offering more apologies than results. There is no reason to believe that the burning will ever stop.

As in Indonesia, burning is cheap and easy for Indian farmers who lack the means to adopt cleaner methods. The by-products of agricultural harvests, called stubble, are being burnt in Punjab and Haryana – near Delhi – at an estimated rate of 500 million tons each winter. Anti-burning laws are weakly enforced, and State Pollution Control Boards appear to be negligent on the issue. According to one article, “farmers seem to be in no mood to oblige the authorities in stopping the bi-annual exercise of burning crop residue.”

Fighting air pollution, as with any vexing policy challenge, takes unwavering political will and committed implementation. There are signs that the Indian government is willing to address the issue. For example, in 1998 India’s Supreme Court forced the city of Delhi to exclusively use LPG for three-wheelers, buses, and other automobiles. The initiative improved Delhi’s air quality, but this marked the end of the progress. Since then, Delhi’s administration has developed few meaningful policies to address air pollution.

There is ample evidence to support government intervention. A recent “car-free” day, during which air pollution dropped by 60 per cent, grabbed headlines and illustrated the impact of vehicle emissions. The recent launch of an air quality index should, at the very least, provide better understanding about conditions and trends for citizens and policymakers alike. The United States Embassy in Delhi already publishes air pollution data, and this may ultimately be an impetus for more transparency (as it has been in China).

Despite worsening pollution and indisputable evidence about its causes, manufacturers continue to push back against regulations. The Modi government must decide whose interests to serve, wealthy industrialists or dying citizens. Based on the above evidence, the case for stricter controls is not difficult to make.

A recent Guardian article paints a vivid image of Delhi’s polluted environment: “Just beyond the city limits, thousands of primitive brick-making factories send plumes of black smoke into the air, while coal-burning power plants lack even the most basic filtration systems.” There are social, environmental, and economic arguments that support more aggressive pollution management. By-pass roads are not enough, least of all when they are planned but unbuilt.

For Modi’s Make in India initiative to succeed, there must be an enabling and evidence-based policy environment that places the broader welfare of society above the expedient gains of unfettered industrial expansion. Growth provides jobs and improves livelihoods, but must be achieved in a way that does not visit irreparable damage to the environment and public health. Further, having the worst air pollution in the world is not the type of reputation that attracts Foreign Direct Investment. The Modi government now has an opportunity to exhibit leadership and set a global example.

Original Post: kris hartley

India Seeks Soft Bank Push for Modi'sSolar Goal

India has closed bids for a third of its target of tendering 15,000 megawatts (MW) of solar projects this fiscal year, a government official said, and is expecting interest from investors such as SoftBank to lift the industry.

The tenders are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious plans to raise solar capacity five fold to 100,000 MW by 2022 to meet India's growing power needs, create jobs and fight climate change without committing to an emission target.

"We are creating the base for big companies like SoftBank and Foxconn to participate," Upendra Tripathy, new and renewable energy secretary, told Reuters on Monday. "We want big players to come in, costs to come down and targets to be met."

Japan's SoftBank this month announced plans to set up a company to invest $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1,32,512 crores) in India's renewable energy industry, with Taiwanese iPhone maker Foxconn and India's Bharti Enterprise as minority partners. SoftBank's executives have met both Modi and Tripathy.

Indian resources conglomerate Adani Group has all but ended a deal with U.S. company SunEdison for a solar equipment plant, only to start talks with Softbank and Foxconn for investments, sources said.

So far this fiscal year India has closed tenders for about 5,000 MW of solar power and is seeking bids for 5,000 MW more, Tripathy said.

Government-controlled companies Solar Energy Corp of India and NTPC Ltd have issued most of the tenders, along with states such as Madhya Pradesh in central India. SkyPower, Acme Solar, Suzlon Energy and SunEdison have been among the winners.

Tripathy said though companies were keen to invest and solar power was already competing with fossil-fuel derived electricity, central and state governments would have to make it easier for businesses to buy land.

Source: NDTV.com

NTPC Eyes Dollar Bidding To Make SolarPower Cheap

State-run generation utility is considering dollar-denominated tariff to bring down cost of power from its solar projects to less than Rs 5 per unit, the lowest that promoters have bid for a project being set up by the Madhya Pradesh government."NTPC is selling solar power at Rs 3.50 a unit, which is currently the lowest in the market. There could be dollar-denominated bidding and the price may come down to Rs 4.50 or so," company chairman Arup Roychoudhury said on Monday before handing over charge to director A K Jha, the senior-most member on the board.Roychoudhury's five-year term ended on Monday after the government denied extension till his superannuation age, first reported by TOI on August 7. Jha will be in charge for three months, or till a new chairman is appointed, whichever is earlier. A search committee under power secretary P K Pujari has been tasked to select Roychoudhury's successor.

NTPC is selling solar power after bundling it with output from its traditional thermal plants. Mauritius-based SkyPower Southeast Asia Holdings has recently offered a tariff of Rs 5.05 a unit to MP Power Management Company, a state government utility. Solar power price has come down to an average of Rs 5.50 a unit due to the government's viability gap funding scheme and other subsidies.The dollar-denominated tariff bidding, first reported by TOI on march 25, is brainchild of coal and power minister Piyush Goyal, and being considered by several entities setting up solar power projects. Under this arrangement, discoms would quote their price in dollars while tying up solar power for 25-year contractsbut charge consumers in rupee."By all indications, we see a tariff in the region of 6 cents, or Rs 3.60 at an average exchange rate of Rs 60 to a dollar, with a normal rate of depreciation. Under accelerated depreciation, this would come down to 5 cents, or Rs 3," one key official involved in the discussions had told TOI.

A 'hedging cost' of 1.5 cents, or 90 paise or so, would then be added to the tariff. This money would be put into an escrow account used to cover depreciation in value of rupee. The final tariff thus would work out to be 7.5 cents Rs 4.50 a unit, which would make it easy for discoms to sell directly or bundle with supplies from traditional sources.The renewable energy ministry expects to generate a 'hedge fund' of Rs 6,000 crore. Sources said the 'hedge fund' would be enough to cover 3% depreciation in value of rupee over the 25-year contract. But, if the rupee devalues by 5% against the dollar, then the money would be good for 15 years.

Source: TOI