Varied interests in the energy and power sector viz., CDM, carbon rating, Monitoring & Evaluation, Energy Management, Rural Development; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy related matters; Demand Side Management (DSM), Energy Audits, Distributed Power Generation (Biomass, Wind,Solar and Small Hydro), Participatory Management.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Google

For an LED-led rural lighting

Solid state lighting is the future of illumination. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) offer enormous saving in power, last many times as long as conventional lamps and are robust, unlike fragile bulbs and tubes. If the government undertakes to buy enough LED arrays to light up the 83 million homes that still use kerosene for lighting, it would create an LED industry in India with scale economies that would bring down the cost of LEDs for the entire world.

Most of us have seen LEDs. Each individual dot in the newer traffic signals and car brake lights that consist of a cluster of bright dots is an LED. LEDs produce upwards of 100 lumens per watt (lm/W). Some companies have produced LEDs that produce up to 150 lm/W. An ordinary incandescent lamp produces 15-16 lm/W. Compact fluorescent lamps produce around 65 lm/W (some fluorescent tubes also produce up to 100 lm/W).

LEDs can burn for 100,000 hours — twice as long as fluorescent tubes and seven times as long as incandescent lamps. Clearly, a lighting source that produces more light per unit of power consumed and lasts at least twice as long as the next best alternative has a lot going for it. But right now, LEDs are very expensive, more expensive than compact fluorescent lamps.

Roughly 7% of the power consumed in the country goes for lighting. Universal adoption of LEDs could cut that power consumption by half. The power that is saved would reduce its widespread shortage. If the 83 million households that still depend on kerosene for lighting start using LEDs, the saving in greenhouse gas emissions would be significant.

The saving in power used for lighting and the avoided GHG emissions would qualify for funding under the Kyoto Protocol's clean-development mechanism for reducing emissions of climate-change-inducing gases. Once Kerosene ceases to be used for lighting, all justification for putting a fuel called subsidised kerosene on the market would disappear and so would massive diversion of subsidised kerosene for adulteration of auto-fuels. The saving in kerosene subsidy and carbon credits earned could be ploughed into the rural electrification scheme to make LEDs affordable through scale economies.

Some companies import LEDs from China to use in their flashlights. A massive scheme to universalise LEDs for lighting could result in India emerging a major exporter of LEDs, instead of remaining an importer. There is a strong case for the budget to announce a scheme that would generate assured demand for billions of LEDs, leading to massive scale economies in their production. The benefits reaped would include low-energy, long-lasting lighting and additional employment in a new segment of Indian industry.
 
Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services
Bangalore, India
Ph: 9180 26698211
Mob: 91 98455 11648
Website: http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
Weblog: http://nrgcs.blogspot.com
 
 

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Google

Reliance to sell biofuel

NEW DELHI, Feb. 1 India's private energy major Reliance Industries Ltd. says it will start selling biofuel through its retail network next year.

Reliance Life Sciences will develop the jatropha-based fuel. Our biofuel is aimed at contributing to the country's energy security target and also giving purchasing power to farmers, said Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of RIL. He said the company also has plans to begin the production of ethanol from bagasse. The concept trials for bio-diesel and bio-ethanol would start soon and the company would begin selling the product by 2008, said K V Subramanium, chairman of RLS. He said the company has purchased 200 acres of land to cultivate jatropha in southern Andhra Pradesh province. The cultivation area could also be widened after the project is launched successfully, Subramanium said. The Britain-based D1 Oil, Godrej Agrovet and Emami Group are the other private companies in this field. May smaller Indian firms have entered into deal with the U.K.-based company to produce jatropha, the Economic Times reported Thursday.

RLS is also planning to enter into the fields of bio-pharmaceuticals, clinical research services and pharmaceuticals and is providing clinical services to some global pharma companies.

Reliance is first among India's private-sector energy giants to enter into the fields of biofuel.

Copyright 2007 by UPI
 
Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services
Bangalore, India
Ph: 9180 26698211
Mob: 91 98455 11648
Website: http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
Weblog: http://nrgcs.blogspot.com
 
 

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Google

Gates Funding to Support SIMI Work

Winrock is partnering with IDE to implement a four-year Gates Foundation agricultural value-chain grant. The Gates grant will be integrated with the USAID supported and Winrock implemented Smallholder Irrigation Market Initiative (SIMI). SIMI has facilitated the adoption of micro irrigation for high-value vegetable production by over 40,000 households, benefiting over 250,000 people and increasing annual incomes by nearly 100 percent. The project has developed supply chains for micro irrigation equipment smallholders in 11 of Nepal's 75 districts and facilitated the construction of 40 multi use water systems. A network of 70 democratically elected marketing and planning committees have established vegetable collection centers, offered technical services, and provided representation for smallholders on policy and development issues. Working closely with government agencies, donors, NGOs, and community organizations SIMI has played an influential role in promoting practical value-chain approaches to reach poor smallholders.
Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services
Bangalore, India
Ph: 9180 26698211
Mob: 91 98455 11648
Website: http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
Weblog: http://nrgcs.blogspot.com