INDEX

YOJANA MAY 2019

1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS THE KEY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ...... 3

2. TAPPING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY ALTERNATIVES ......................................... 5

3. STEPS TO ACHIEVE INDIA'S SOLAR POTENTIAL ............................................ 7

4. GEOTHERMAL AND OCEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES ................................. 9

5. BIOGAS - A STORY UNTOLD .............................................................................. 11

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 YOJANA MAY 2019

1. ENERGY EFFICIENCY IS THE • With an aim of energy efficiency

KEY FOR SUSTAINABLE improvement, Bureau of Energy
Efficiency (BEE) is implementing Perform,
DEVELOPMENT
Achieve and Trade (PAT) scheme under
What is the need for energy efficiency? the National Mission for Enhanced
• There is a direct relation between energy, Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).
environment and sustainable
• Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) : It is
development.
a regulatory instrument to reduce specific
• A country seeking sustainable energy consumption in energy intensive
development ideally must utilize only industries, with an associated market
those energy resources which have based mechanism to enhance the cost
minimal environmental impact. effectiveness through certification of
excess energy saving which can be
• Some of the concerns regarding the traded.
limitations imposed on sustainable
development by environmental emissions • PAT cycle - I had 478 DC's covering total
and their negative impacts can in part be 8 sectors including Aluminum, Cement,
overcome through increased energy ChlorAlkali, Fertilizer, Iron & Steel, Paper
efficiency. & Pulp, Thermal Power Plant, Textile,
which were mandated to reduce their
• As the conventional sources of energy are specific energy consumption (SEC) i.e.
reducing and the renewable sources are energy used per unit of production.
under developing phase, improving
energy efficiency at all levels of the energy • Overall, the SEC reduction targets
spectrum is the cost-effective and quick envisaged to secure an energy saving of
solution to address this problem. 6.686 million tonnes of oil equivalent
(MTOE).
What are the measures taken to achieve
energy efficiency in Industrial sector? • The implementation of PAT in designated
industries has led to energy saving of
• Industrial sector continues to be the
8.67 MTOE in year 2015 which is about
highest energy consuming domain where
7.25 per cent of total primary energy
energy conservation would play a vital
supply to the country in the "first cycle".
role.
• This energy saving also translates into
• There is also huge potential for energy
mitigating about 31 million tonne of CO2
conservation and technology
emission.
enhancement for efficiency in key
intensive industries. • The "second cycle" of PAT was notified in
March, 2016 covering 621 DCs from 1l

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 sectors which include eight existing • The code has been developed with special
sectors and three new sectors, viz. consideration for its adoption by the
Railways, Refineries and DISCOMs. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) into building
bylaws.
• PAT in its second cycle seeks to achieve
an overall energy consumption target of • This strategy enables most of the new
8.869 MTOE. urban housing stock to be brought into
the net for capturing the opportunities
What are the measures taken to achieve
and the benefits of energy efficiency in
energy efficiency in Real Estate sector?
residential buildings.
• The real estate sector consumes over 30
• Labeling Programme for Energy
per cent of the total electricity
Efficient Homes: To enable consumers
consumption in India annually and is
to compare building performances from a
second only to the industrial sector as
sustainable energy point of view, a
the largest emitter of greenhouse gases;
comprehensive labeling scheme is
of which around 75 per cent is used in
important.
residential spaces.
• Energy labels help consumers to make
• The building envelope thus will impact
efficient decisions through the provision
both the thermal comfort as well as
of direct, reliable and cost less
electricity used for space conditioning.
information.
• In this context, BEE has two programs (l)
• This is expected to save substantial
Eco Samhita, Energy Conservation
energy through improving energy
Building Code for Residential Buildings,
efficiency to houses nationwide.
and (2) Labeling for Energy Efficient
Homes. • The estimated energy saving potential
through proposed labeling program is
• Eco Samhita (Energy Conservation
around 388 BU by the year 2030.
Building Code for Residential
Buildings): The Eco-Niwas Samhita (Part What are the measures taken to achieve
I: Building Envelope) aims to set energy efficiency in Consumer Appliances
minimum building envelope performance
sector?
standards to limit heat gains (for cooling
dominated climates) and to limit heat loss • Consumer appliances are one of the
(for heating dominated climate) as well as important areas of energy consumption.
for ensuring adequate natural ventilation Daily household electronic appliances
and day lighting. like AC, Microwave, Washing Machine
etc. are included in this sector.
• The code is applicable to all residential
use building projects built on plot area > • Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has
500 m2. been promoting energy conservation
through optimum temperature settings

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 for Air Conditioners. sustenance of approximately 330 million
people and take the country on a
• According to the study of BEE, one
development trajectory.
degree increase in the AC temperature
setting results in saving of 6 per cent of • Until the 1970s, sustainable development
electricity consumed. had never attracted the imagination of
the global community. At the 1972 UN
• 24-26 degree Celsius default setting has
Conference in Stockholm, the world body
been recommended by BEE for energy
raised concerns for preserving and
savings and also to reduce greenhouse
enhancing the environment and its
gas emission.
biodiversity to ensure human rights for a
• Measures to promote advancement of healthy and productive world.
technology and energy efficiency in
• The developing countries including India,
Microwave Ovens which is becoming a
argued that their priority was
popular household gadget, are also being
development, whereas the developed
taken.
countries made a case to bring
• Savings of over 3.0 Billion units of environmental protection and
electricity are estimated at consumer-end conservation in the forefront of global
through adoption of Star Rated agenda.
Microwave Ovens and Washing Machines What is the need for finding sustainable
by 2030.
sources of energy?
• This would be equivalent to Green House • Globally, there is a realization on the
Gases (GHG) reduction of 2.4 Million-ton need to move fast to find solutions to
of CO2 by the year 2030 through these arrest climate change, which would
recent initiatives. trigger more intense storms, dangerous
heat waves, more frequent and longer-
2. TAPPING SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
lasting droughts and rising seas.
ALTERNATIVES
• It also has a direct effect on food
What is sustainable development?
production, livelihood, health and
• Sustainable development is "development environment. According to World Health
that meets the needs of the Present Organisation, climate change affects the
without compromising the ability of social and environmental determinants of
future generations," which otherwise health clean and safe drinking water,
means "economic development that is food security and shelter.
conducted without depletion of natural
resources." • Between 2030 and 2050, climate change
is expected to cause approximately
• India, which became a sovereign nation, 2,50,000 additional deaths every year
had to develop its agricultural resources from malnutrition, diseases like malaria,
and national infrastructure to meet

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 diarrhea and heat stress. currently 49 billion dollars or 1.9 per cent
of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
• Its cost to health is estimated to be
between 2-4 billion US dollars a year by • The increasing CAD is a cause of concern
2030. for the country and if it crosses the
threshold of 3 per cent of the GDP it
• Since climate change is the defining issue
would badly affect the economic stability.
of the present times, the world body has
taken the initiative to reduce emissions of • Road transport sector accounts for 6.1
greenhouse gases through better per cent of India's Gross Domestic
transport, food and energy-use to bring in Product (GDP).
improved health, particularly reduced air
• Currently, diesel alone meets an
pollution.
estimated 72 per cent of transportation
What is the status of energy scenario in fuel demand followed by petrol at 23 per
India? cent and balance by other fuels such as
CNG. LPG etc. for which the demand has
• Emissions in India were estimated to
been steadily rising.
have grown by 6.3 per cent in 2018,
pushed by strong annual economic What are the measures taken by India in
growth of around 8 per cent. this regard?

• According to recent projections by the • India has now embarked on a mission to

Global Carbon Project. India was among bring down the share of fossil fuel in its
the four major emitters in 2011 (1 per energy basket, by tapping non-
cent) along with China (27 per cent), the conventional sources.
US ( 15 per cent) and the European
• India being the founding nation of
Union ( 10 per cent) and the rest of the
International Solar Alliance, has the
world contributed 40 per cent.
leverage to switch over to cleaner energies
• Coal is still the mainstay of Indian and clean-up its smog-choked cities.
economy.
• The National Solar Mission promotes
• Though global coal use is lower than its ecologically sustainable growth, while
historical high, it is expected to grow in addressing the country's energy security
India, driven by growth in energy challenge and contribute to global effort
consumption. to meet climate change.

• Its GDP and industrial production would
continue to drive electricity demand and
the expected electricity generation.
• Crude import is a key factor in India's
current account deficit (CAD), which is
• India has set an ambitious renewable
capacity expansion programme, with a
projected growth of achieving 40 per cent
ol its total power generation from non-
fossil fuel sources by 2030, to meet NDC
target.

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• A sewage treatment plant (STP) launched • By setting up solar parks, providing
in Delhi would convert 10 lakh liters of viability gap funding support and
sewage into three tonnes of bio fuel per introducing schemes like KUSUM (aiming
day. to harness solar power for agriculture)
and SRISTI (catalyzing adoption of
• A strategy for gradual reduction of import
rooftop solar solutions), the Government
dependency has been initiated, as the
has shown its keenness to fast track
country would continue to retain
growth of solar industry.
vulnerable to international situations.
• However, there is room for more strategic
• The strategy targets to reduce import
interventions to fully realize India's solar
dependency by 10 per cent by 2022.
potential and plenty of groundwork is
• India's National Mission for Electric needed to help us move closer to the
Mobility seeks to mitigate the adverse ambitious target of 100 GW solar power
impact of economic development, by capacity by 2022.
completely switching over to electric What are the areas that need attention?
vehicles by 2030.
• Technology: While solar is becoming an
3. STEPS TO ACHIEVE INDIA'S important contributor to energy needs in
SOLAR POTENTIAL India, there is still a huge gap to be filled.

What is the status of Solar Power in • Rooftop solar solutions, for example, can
India? add large capacities but certainly need a
push from respective state governments.
• The Indian Government has set the
renewable capacity target at 175 GW, to • Newer advancements in the field like
be achieved by the Year 2022, with the floating solar (solar panels mounted on
highest percentage, 100 GW to be structures that float on water bodies),
contributed by solar power. and BIPV (wherein the conventional
materials used for facades and roofs of
• The Government has accorded prime
buildings are replaced by photovoltaic
focus to this sector, with several
systems) can play a vital role in
initiatives and incentives to attract more
increasing capacity.
players and ramp up capacity.
• Considering the huge potential in the
• As a result, in the past years, we have
sector, both the Government and private
already added 28 GW solar capacity while
entities must emphasize and support
the compound annual growth rate has
R&D and adoption of latest technology
reached as high as 55 per cent.
and innovations in this area.
• Launch of the International Solar
• This will not only help shape the future
Alliance, was also a significant step to
course but also yield benefits in the form
strengthen the sector.
of reduced costs - in turn facilitating

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 adoption. • Steps should be taken to strengthen the
discoms such that they are able to
• Policy Push: Thanks to technology
support higher tariffs, honour RPOs and
evolution and government policy.
settle power producer's dues on time.
• Solar power tariffs have decreased over
• Financial reforms: Reforms in the
the past few years making solar energy
banking sector will go a long way in
more accessible to the common man.
assisting the renewable energy sector.
• However, tariff margins discovered in
• Deeper and diverse bond markets will
reverse auctions have been pushed lower
help in securing the affordable finance for
in recent years leading to a squeeze in
cleaner energy projects in the future.
Profit margins.
• The government should continue its
• Considering that tariffs are now
mission of cleansing the banking system
significantly lower than other sources of
and help them regularize bad loans while
energy, we need to move towards
also reviewing lending norms so they are
healthier tariffs to help private players
less stringent.
work with sustainable business models.
and attract a higher capital inflow. • A healthy banking system will be able to
provide more funds at a competitive cost
• This will eventually lead to augmented
to propel the Renewable sector.
supply and further lowering of prices for
the common people. • Ease of doing Business: The
Government's pursuit of reforms has
• Respective state governments should also
created a more conducive environment
accentuate the rate of solar power
for investments in India, reflected in our
generation with regular capacity addition.
steady rise in the rankings of World
• Discom Health: Despite the Bank's Ease of Doing Business rankings.
government's initiatives to reinvigorate
• However faster processing of approvals
power distributing companies, the health
for project implementation across the
of state discoms has not improved much
value chain, especially the conversion
over the years.
approvals of land in different states
• These distribution companies form a would be of great help to the renewable
crucial link in the cycle of energy sector.
generation and have an impact on the
• It has been seen that lack of proper
overall process.
power evacuation has resulted in investor
• Hence, maintaining discoms in good disinterest in the past.
shape forms an extremely important link
• Considering this, the Government should
on the road to 2022.
work upon building more robust
transmission systems.

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• This will not only invest investor faith in What is the potential of Ocean energy?
the overall process but will also ensure
• Total identified potential of Tidal Energy
no MW loss / leakage during power
is about 12455 MW, with potential
distribution.
locations identified at Khambat & Kutch
4. GEOTHERMAL AND OCEAN regions, and large backwaters, where
barrage technology could be used.
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
What is Ocean Energy? • The total theoretical potential of wave
energy in India along the country’s coast
• Oceans cover 70 percent of the earth’s
is estimated to be about 40,000 MW –
surface and represent an enormous
these are preliminary estimates. This
amount of energy in the form of wave,
energy is however less intensive than
tidal, marine current and thermal
what is available in more northern and
gradient.
southern latitudes.
• A variety of different technologies are
• OTEC has a theoretical potential of
currently under development throughout
180,000 MW in India subject to suitable
the world to harness this energy in all its
technological evolution.
forms.
What are the technologies of Ocean
• Deployment is currently limited but the
Energy?
sector has the potential to grow, fuelling
economic growth, reduction of carbon • Tidal Energy: The tidal cycle occurs
footprint and creating jobs not only along every 12 hours due to the gravitational
the coasts but also inland along its force of the moon.
supply chains.
• The difference in water height from low
• As Government of India steps up its effort tide and high tide is potential energy.
to reach the objectives to contemplate its
• Similar to traditional hydropower
Renewable Energy and climate change
generated from dams, tidal water can be
objectives post 2022, it is opportune to
captured in a barrage across an estuary
explore all possible avenues to stimulate
during high tide and forced through a
innovation, create economic growth and
hydro-turbine during low tide.
new jobs as well as to reduce our carbon
footprint. • The Gulf of Cambay and the Gulf of
Kutch in Gujarat on the west coast have
• India has a long coastline with the
the locations in the country where
estuaries and gulfs.
potential exists.
• MNRE looks over the horizon at
• Wave Energy: Wave energy is generated
development of new technology and
by the movement of a device either
considers the various options available to
floating on the surface of the ocean or
support its deployment.
moored to the ocean floor.

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• Wave conversion devices that float on the
surface have joints hinged together that
bend with the waves.
• This kinetic energy pumps fluid through
turbines and creates electric power.
• Stationary wave energy
devices use pressure
produced in long tubes from the waves
swelling up and down.
• This bobbing motion drives a turbine
when critical pressure is reached. Other
stationary platforms capture water from
waves on their platforms.
• This water is allowed to runoff through
narrow pipes that flow through a typical
hydraulic turbine.
• Current Energy: Marine current is ocean
water moving in one direction.
• This ocean current is known as the Gulf
Stream.
• Tides also create currents that flow in two
directions.
to depths lower than 1,000 meters, to
extract energy.
• A temperature difference of only 20°C can
yield usable energy.
• Research focuses on two types of OTEC
conversion technologies to extract thermal energy
fluctuations and convert it to electric power: closed
cycle and open cycle.
• In the closed cycle method, a working
fluid, such as ammonia, is pumped
through a heat exchanger and vaporized.
This vaporized steam runs a turbine.
• The cold water found at the depths of the
ocean condenses the vapor back to a fluid
where it returns to the heat exchanger.
• In the open cycle system, the warm
surface water is pressurized in a vacuum
chamber and converted to steam to run
the turbine.
• The steam is then condensed using cold
ocean water from lower depths.
What is Geothermal Energy?

• Kinetic energy can be captured from the • Geothermal Energy is heat stored in

Gulf Stream and other tidal currents with earth crust and being used for electric

submerged turbines that are very similar generation and also for direct heat

in appearance to miniature wind application worldwide since beginning of

turbines. last century.

• Similar to wind turbines, the movement • USA, Philippines, Indonesia, Turkey, and
of the marine current moves the rotor New Zealand are leading countries
blades to generate electric power. availing commercial exploitation with
worldwide installation of 12800 MW at
• Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion end of 2017.
(OTEC): Ocean thermal energy
conversion, or OTEC, uses ocean • Geothermal electricity generation is site

temperature differences from the surface and technology specific and India is in
Low Geothermal Potential Region with

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 low/medium heat enthalpy. organic compound with a low boiling
point.
• Government is planning to encourage the
industry lead demonstration projects at • The working fluid is vaporized in a heat
the first stage to assess the technical exchanger and used to turn a turbine.
viability of the project before going to the
• The water is then injected back into the
commercial models.
ground to be reheated.
What are the different technologies in
• The water and the working fluid are kept
Geothermal Energy?
separated during the whole process, so
• Dry Steam Power Plants: They draw there are little or no air emissions.
from underground resources of steam.
5. BIOGAS - A STORY UNTOLD
• The steam is piped directly from
What is Biogas?
underground wells to the power plant,
where it is directed into a • Bio-gas is produced naturally through a
turbine/generator unit. process of anaerobic decomposition from
waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture
• Flash Steam Power Plants: They use
residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press
geothermal reservoirs of water with
mud, municipal solid waste, sewage
temperatures greater than 360°F (182°C).
treatment plant waste, etc.
• This very hot water flows up through
• After purification, it is compressed and
wells in the ground under its own
called CBG, which has pure methane
pressure.
content of over 95%.
• As it flows upward, the pressure
• Compressed Bio-Gas is exactly similar to
decreases and some of the hot water boils
the commercially available natural gas in
into steam.
its composition and energy potential.
• The steam is then separated from the
• With calorific value (~52,000 KJ/kg) and
water and used to power a
other properties similar to CNG,
turbine/generator.
Compressed Bio-Gas can be used as an
• Any leftover water and condensed steam alternative, renewable automotive fuel.
are injected back into the reservoir,
• Given the abundance of biomass in the
making this a sustainable resource.
country, Compressed Bio-Gas has the
• Binary Cycle Power Plants: They potential to replace CNG in automotive,
operate on water at lower temperatures of industrial and commercial uses in the
about 225°-360°F (107°-182°C). coming years.

• These plants use the heat from the hot • The potential for Compressed Bio-Gas
water to boil a working fluid, usually an production from various sources in India
is estimated at about 62 million tonnes

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 per annum. • The National Policy on Biofuels 2018
emphasises active promotion of advanced
• The 1,500-strong CNG stations network
bio-fuels, including CBG.
in the country currently serves about 32
lakh gas-based vehicles. • The Government of India had launched
the GOBAR-DHAN (Galvanising Organic
What are the benefits of turning
Bio-Agro Resources) scheme earlier this
agricultural wastes in CBG ?
year to convert cattle dung and solid
• Responsible waste management, waste in farms to CBG and compost.
reduction in carbon emissions and
• The scheme proposes to cover 700
pollution.
projects across the country in 2018-19.
• Additional revenue source for farmers.
• The programme will be funded under
• Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy Solid and Liquid Waste Management
and employment. (SLWM) component of Swachh Bharat
Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) to benefit
• Support to national commitments in
households in identified villages through
achieving climate change goals. Gram Panchayats.

• Reduction in import of natural gas and

• The Ministry of New and Renewable
crude oil. Energy has notified Central Financial

• Buffer against crude oil/gas price Assistance (CFA) of Rs. 4 crore per 4,800
fluctuations. kg of CBG per day generated from 12,000
cubic metres of biogas per day, with a
What are the measures taken by GOI to maximum of Rs.10 crore per project.
promote this sector?
• SATAT is an initiative aimed at providing
• It is planned to roll out 5,000 a Sustainable Alternative Towards
Compressed Bio-Gas plants across India Affordable Transportation as a
in a phased manner, with 250 plants by developmental effort that would benefit
the year 2020, 1,000 plants by 2022 and both vehicle-users as well as farmers and
5,000 plants by 2025. entrepreneurs.

• These plants are expected to produce 15 • SATAT was launched with a four-pronged
million tonnes of CBG per annum, which agenda of utilizing more than 62 million
is about 40% of current CNG metric tonnes of waste generated every
consumption of 44 million tonnes per year in India, cutting down import
annum in the country. dependence, supplementing job creation
in the country and reducing vehicular
• At an investment of approx. Rs. 1.7 lakh
emissions and pollution from burning of
crore, this initiative is expected to
agricultural / organic waste.
generate direct employment for 75,000
people and produce 50 million tonnes of
bio-manure for crops.
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