Energate Brings Energy Solutions to India

Posted : Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:01:10 GMT Author : Energate Inc. Category : Press Release News Alerts by Email ( click here ) News | Home

OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- 12/10/09 -- Energate (www.energateinc.com) today said it will collaborate with a number of India's large energy utilities with its Consumer Connected Demand Response(TM) (CCDR) solution, to help close the widening gap between supply and demand of energy resources. Energate CEO Niraj Bhargava is part of the clean technology trade delegation currently in India, being led by Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. India energy industry is characterized by a large and growing unmet demand. In 2007-08 demand outstripped supply by 16.6 percent and the gap continues to widen. Rolling blackouts and hours of power outages on many days are necessitating the use of backup diesel generators, which introduces another set of environmental issues. "India recently introduced a national plan to fight climate change, focusing on clean, renewable energy sources and increased energy efficiency," said Premier Dalton McGuinty. "Ontario's leading Cleantech companies like Energate have the knowhow to implement sustainable solutions in North America, and in fast-growing regions like India." Energate is widely regarded as a leading provider of demand response and home energy management solutions for utilities and their consumers. Its products are being used in several smart grid and energy management programs throughout North America. "India's economy is one of the fastest growing in the world. But with its growth comes a widening deficit of energy," said Bhargava. "In North America, Energate is helping utilities and consumers find a balance between demand and supply. Now through this trade mission we are able to extend our reach. India's challenges are significant and our technology can assist on their goals of energy accessibility and environmental responsibility." About Energate Energate is a leading provider of home energy management solutions including communicating smart thermostats, switches and consumer energy displays. The Consumer Connected Demand Response (CCDR) solution allows utilities to immediately address home energy demand challenges and empowers consumers to more effectively manage their energy use. Energate products seamlessly connect to smart grids to deal with supply and demand challenges, the increased use of renewables and dynamic rate structures. Founded in 2004, Energate's offices are in Ottawa, New York and California. Visit www.energateinc.com Contacts: Energate Inc. Karen McNaughton Director of Marketing 613-482-7928 x232 kmcnaughton@energateinc.com

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Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services, Bangalore
http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
http://nrgcs.blogspot.com/
+91 99161 29728

India Offer to Curb Emission Intensity May Help Climate Talks

India Offer to Curb Emission Intensity May Help Climate Talks

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By Gaurav Singh

Dec. 4 (Bloomberg) -- India's offer to voluntarily reduce the amount of carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product after numerical pledges from the U.S. and China may move the climate-change talks ahead.

Asia's third-biggest energy consumer can reduce its emissions intensity by as much as 25 percent from 2005 to 2020 through forestry measures and by becoming more energy efficient, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said last night.

Three days ahead of the opening of the United Nations- sponsored climate summit in Copenhagen, the offer "will certainly help the negotiations process and is something India should be doing for external and, more importantly, for internal reasons," said Rajendra K. Pachauri, chairman of the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

"It takes the wind out of the sails of developed countries who were trying to push India," Pachauri said. India continues to oppose binding emission-reduction goals and a date for when its emissions would peak, saying its 2008 plan to increase solar power, energy efficiency and forestation will reduce emissions of the greenhouse gases mainly blamed for global warming.

Negotiations for a new global climate treaty in Copenhagen to replace or extend the 1997 Kyoto Protocol beyond 2012 are deadlocked as rich and poor nations failed to agree on issues ranging from emission targets to financial aid for developing countries to help them cope with the effects of climate change.

Environmental organizations welcomed India's proposal. "These targets are a good, positive step toward quantification of India's action on climate change on the eve of the crucial Copenhagen conference," said Vinuta Gopal, climate campaign manager for Greenpeace India.

Low-Carbon Model

"We hope that this will be a strong step in moving toward a low-carbon sustainable model of development since the targets will be met through the use of better and more efficient technology," said Ravi Singh, head of WWF-India.

Together with the Chinese announcement, India's move "puts enormous pressure on the developed countries, in particular the U.S. to get their act together," Prodipto Ghosh, a climate expert at The Energy and Resources Institute, said from New Delhi. Ghosh called for developed countries to come up with ambitious targets that "are clearly understood by science."

China, the world's biggest polluter, last month offered to cut output of carbon dioxide per unit of gross domestic product by 40 percent to 45 percent over 2005 levels by 2020. The U.S. proposed to reduce emissions by about 17 percent for the same period provided that dovetails with a new domestic climate law.

Scientists describe carbon intensity as the amount of carbon dioxide emitted for each unit of GDP.

India and China have said their emissions need to rise because otherwise they won't produce the economic growth to lift millions of their people out of poverty.
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Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services, Bangalore
http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
http://nrgcs.blogspot.com/
+91 99161 29728

Advancing Change: Energy for India's Poor!

The majority of India's poor population has no access to affordable, let alone clean energy. Help us find in India and around the world proven, for-profit solutions that can meet some of the critical energy needs of India's poor.

Geographic Focus

Solution can be from anywhere, but must be suitable for India!

Focus Sector

Renewable Energy

Solutions valuable to poor people in India earning around USD 3.-

Challenge Details

Submission Deadline
- 31 Jan 2010 -

0

5

9

  days left

Language: English

Timeline

• 16 Nov 2009
• 31 Jan 2010
• 31 Mar 2010
• 15 Apr 2010

• Challenge Launch
• Submission Deadline
• Application Evaluation
• Winners Announced

Challenge Reward

SOLVER: USD 500,000
ennovent will invest up to
USD 500,000 to launch or 
scale the innovation in India

Submit Your Solution!

CONNECTOR: USD 3,000
ennovent will pay USD 3,000
in cash for connecting us to
the winning Solver

Spot a Solver!

Challenge Brief

Inadequate access to energy is part of the poverty trap for the majority of India's poor. Like anyone else, they need energy for example for cooking, lighting, domestic heating, or power for appliances. Dirty and unsafe energy sources such as kerosene and firewood lead to health hazards and take time away from productive livelihood activities. Earning around USD 3.- or less a day (local PPP), poor people in most cases cannot afford clean and safe sources of energy.

Despite massive investment by the Government of India in expanding access to electricity, many communities are still in need of services, especially those in remote areas. The private sector is already playing a key role in helping the government meet its goal to ensure energy for all. Investments into innovations - products, services, processes, and business models - are needed to bring clean, safe and affordable energy services to the Indian BoP market.

Evaluation Criteria

We will select and reward the winning enterprise based on the following evaluation criteria. The winning solution:

• Provides affordable renewable energy to poor people earning around USD 3.- a day
• Is relatively cheap, simple and convenient to use
• Can be launched or scaled on a for-profit basis generating financial returns
• Has already been tested and sold to first customers in India or another country
• Will potentially have a positive social impact on a large number of poor people in India
• Has no or minimal negative impact on the natural environment
• Can easily be scaled up and replicated in India and other countries
  
  

Participant Requirements

Solver:

• Solver should be the sole owner of the Solution and related Intellectual Property Rights
• Solver should be a for-profit enterprise (not NGOs or universities)
• Enterprise can be from India or anywhere worldwide
• Enterprise should be interested to launch or scale the innovation in India
• Enterprise owner should be open to an investment by the Seeker (ennovent's Sustainable Enterprise Fund)

Connector:

• Any individual or legal entity worldwide
• Connector requests Solver to submit its solution online
• Provides a reason why this specific Solver should win this challenge
  
  

Evaluation Process

A multi-disciplinary team from ennovent Austria and India with support of local advisors will select 10 finalists. A panel of external judges representing our Indian and international partners, ennovent staff and the challenge sponsor (ennovent's Sustainable Enterprise Fund or SEF), will choose one winning solver among the 10 finalists. The Investment Committee of the SEF will have the right to reject a finalist, which does not meet the investment criteria of the SEF. The winning solver and connector will be celebrated and publicized.

--
Gopinath S
Chief Executive
nRG Consulting Services, Bangalore
http://business.vsnl.com/gopinath
http://nrgcs.blogspot.com/
+91 99161 29728