India ranks 125th in addressing pollution control

India ranks a lowly 125th in addressing pollution control and natural resource management challenges with Switzerland taking the top spot, according to the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

China ranks 116th in the Index produced by researchers at Yale and Columbia Universities in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, reflecting the strain rapid economic growth imposes on the environment in emerging economies.Brazil ranks 30th, however, suggesting that a concerted focus on sustainability as a policy priority will pay dividends - and that the level and pace of development is just one of many factors affecting environmental performance, according to the index released in Davos.

"India's low rank on the 2012 Environmental Performance Index should be a wake-up call to Indian political leaders at all levels," said Daniel Esty, Director of the Yale Centre for Environmental Law and Policy and one of the lead authors of the report.

"India faces significant pollution control and natural resource management challenges and its lagging results suggest the need for redoubled policy efforts across the board," he said.

The United States places 49th in the 2012 EPI significantly behind other industrialised nations, including France (6th), the United Kingdom (9th), Germany (11th), and Japan (23rd).

In addition, the US places 77th in the Trend EPI rankings, a Pilot Index that shows which countries are improving and by how much on an issue-by-issue basis over the period 2000-2010, suggesting that little progress has been made on environmental challenges over the last ten years, a Yale release said.

Latvia, Norway, Luxembourg, and Costa Rica round out the top five positions in the 2012 EPI, which ranks 132 countries based on 22 indicators across ten major policy categories including air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity, and forest management.

Occupying the bottom five positions in the EPI ranking are South Africa, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iraq - all countries grappling with deteriorating environmental circumstances in the context of significant economic development pressures and other challenges.

Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply And Sewerage Board to get 5cr to cut CO2 emissions

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) will soon receive 5 crore from the United Nations for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in four of its sewage treatment plants. Metrowater officials said SGS India, a consultant, had registered with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to obtain emission reduction certificate for the plants.

Metrowater managing director K Gopal said the UN had expressed satisfaction with Metrowater's efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. "We submitted a proposal to the UN and expect to receive 5 crore in three months. Instead of letting out gases into the atmosphere, we are using them to meet our needs. So we are going to receive carbon credits for it," he said.

Officials said SGS India had prepared an assessment certificate after evaluating the level of greenhouse gas emissions and the efforts of generating power from sewage. About 70% of sewage generated is methane . However, methane has high energy content which is purified and imported to gas engines.

The CMWSSB has nine sewage treatment plants (STPs) where about 400 million litres a day (MLD) of sewage are treated. Four of these plants have the capacity to produce bio-gas energy. An official said they fed raw sewage sludge into equipment making bio-gas. It is then run into a gas engine to generate electricity.

About 32MW of electricity is generated from 264 million litres of sewage received in the STPs daily, meeting 85% of the plants' power requirement. Every year, about 61,200 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions are said to be reduced through this initiative. Metrowater saved electricity worth 25.61 crore since December 2011, officials said.

24th Kerala Science Congress to discuss climate change

Curtains will go up on the 24th Kerala Science Congress (KSC) at the Rubber Research Institute of India, Kottayam, on January 29 with a technical presentation on the special theme ‘‘Climate change: Plantation crops and spices of Kerala.''

The congress will be a forum for productive exchange of state-of-the-art scientific research across different disciplines leading to wider understanding of new concepts and collaborations, said V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, executive vice-president, Kerala State Council for Science, Technology, and Environment (KSCSTE) and president, 24th Kerala Science Congress.

The presentations on the special theme will be held during the forenoon session on the opening day. Experts will lead discussions on host of issues related to how spices and plantation crops can be adapted to the projected changes in weather patterns, temperature, and rainfall driven by climate change.

Technical sessions

Technical sessions have been scheduled across the three-day event, organised by the KSCSTE in association with the Rubber Board.

Researchers, policy-makers, industry leaders, teachers, and students from across the State are expected to hold deliberations on cutting edge areas in science and technology.

K.M. Chandrasekhar, Vice-Chairman, State Planning Board, Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, and science commentator S. Sivadas are scheduled to deliver memorial lectures at the Congress.

Renowned agriculture scientist M.S. Swaminathan will be among a host of eminent scientists who will address the delegates.

The congress is co-sponsored by the Science and Technology Department, Government of Kerala, the Department of Science and Technology and Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

While climate change forms a special theme at the KSC, there will be a wide range of subjects discussed at various technical sessions. Researchers will present scientific papers on a dozen different subject areas, including agriculture, biotechnology, chemical, physical and life sciences, environment, engineering, geo-informatics, and information technology.

A Science Expo, organised as part of the congress, began on Saturday afternoon at the Mammen Mappillai Hall.

Leading figures from the media and the scientific community will join a panel discussion on Science Communication and Journalism on the opening day of the KSC. The KSC will also provide a platform for young researchers to interact with experienced scientists. State-level winners of the National Children's Science Congress will be felicitated and given a forum to present their scientific papers.

The organisers have also instituted Young Scientist Awards for the best papers in various subject areas presented at the KSC. About 800 delegates are expected to participate in the event.

Chennai sits on a growing e-waste pile

A Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) recommendation to set up e-waste collection centres is gathering dust. Corporation sources say many people refuse to leave their products for free at such centres. The city annually generates more than 30,000 tonnes of e-waste, and it is growing. By 2030, this is projected to touch two lakh tonnes.

Environmentalists and social activists fear that free distribution of television and laptops will add to the e-waste heap. Lead and other toxic substances in e-waste pose health hazards. Most of the e-waste from smaller computer firms ends up in landfills. With the share of e-waste in dump sites like Kodungaiyur and Perungudi growing over the years, environmentalists thought the proposed collection centers in 15 zones would reduce the burden of the dump sites, but the idea doesn't seem viable.

"It looks tough because people don't part with e-waste for free," said a senior corporation official. The e-waste inventory prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board in 2005 put the annual e-waste generation across the country at 1.46 lakh tones. In Chennai, personal computers, televisions and mobile phones contribute 26,183 tonnes to the e-waste heap. Chennai does not have government-run recycling plants or collection centres for e-waste, but a private recycling plant at Urappakkam handles e-waste from the Madras Export Promotion Zone (MEPZ).

"Ideally there should be one collection centre per zone," said a senior official of TNCB. Corporation commissioner P W C Davidar said the civic body is focusing on solid waste segregation. "After thorough discussions with other officials, the decision of e-waste collection centers would be finalized," he said.

Arun Senthilram of Toxics Link, who is also a member of the state e-waste policy drafting committee, said the panel is involved in a detailed study of e-waste in the city. "Maybe paying a nominal amount would encourage people to deposit e-waste at the collection centres," he said.

Infrastructure Management and Advisory Services, a consultant appointed by the corporation in 2008 has recommended a ban on dumping e-waste in landfills. According to its report, e-waste treatment in the city was being carried out in an unregulated environment with no control on emissions- generation of mixed e-waste fractions along with hazardous waste after dismantling, generation of effluents during metal extraction, emissions due to burning of printed circuit board and resultant air pollution.

Welspun Energy plans 500 MW wind energy farms in AP

Welspun Energy Ltd (WEL), part of the diversified $3-billion Welspun Group, has inked an agreement with New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP)), with a proposal to install 500 MW of wind energy capacity in the State.

Apart from Welspun, Suzlon Energy and Mytrah Energy have entered into agreements independently expressing their interest for setting up of wind power projects in the State.

WEL has a portfolio of 500 MW of renewable energy under different stages of development. The company was awarded a 50-MW solar plant stated to be the single largest location project under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).

INVESTMENT

According to the memorandum of understanding signed with NREDCAP, the nodal agency for renewable energy, it is proposed to complete the projects by the end of 2014, entailing an investment of Rs 3,000 crore. The State Government will be facilitate necessary permissions, approvals and clearances for the development of wind farms.

Mr Vineet Mittal, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Welspun Energy, in a statement said: “Welspun Energy is setting up grid-connected solar and wind power projects across India. Short gestation periods for installing wind turbines, and the increasing reliability and performance has made wind power a favoured choice in India.”

NREDCAP has taken up several wind mapping and wind monitoring projects with the support of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and C-WET, Chennai, to identify windy sites. The State is looking to boost capacity to bridge the demand supply mismatch.

According to the Ministry's report, the installed capacity of grid interactive wind energy in India by September 2011 was 14,989 MW. The gross potential of wind power is estimated to be 48,561 MW.

Gamesa working with DOE on wind energy development

The agreement calls for Gamesa, which is based in Spain but has its North American headquarters in Langhorne, Pa., to work with the NREL on three programs: developing new components and rotors for the U.S. wind farm market; researching and testing the performance of new wind turbine control systems; and developing methods for predicting the behavior of offshore wind turbines to speed development of wind farms in U.S. coastal waters.

The tests will be conducted using a G97 Class IIIA 2 megawatt test wind turbines that Gamesa has installed at the NREL’s National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado. That model wind turbine is designed for low-wind sites, which Gamesa expects will comprise more than half the locations of wind turbines built on land in the future. Gamesa and the NREL will begin full testing on all three programs this month.


"Wind energy is going to continue to play a key role in creating a stronger and more sustainable American economy," Miguel Angel Gonzalez-Posada, vice president of technology for Gamesa North America, said in a statement. "This partnership is an exciting venture that showcases Gamesa's commitment to enhanced clean energy development, as well as our drive to deliver the most reliable, efficient and cost-effective wind turbine technologies to the U.S. marketplace."

Tata Capital to set up PE fund for clean energy

After floating a joint venture (JV) with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to lend Rs 5,000 crore for renewable energy projects, Tata Capital is planning to launch a PE fund with the international body to provide equity support for such projects.
“Any project requires both equity and loan support. Our JV with IFC will provide loan support for renewable energy projects in solar and wind energy segments, while the PE fund will provide equity support. We will work with IFC for the PE fund too,” Tata Capital MD and CEO Praveen P Kadle said.
Refusing to disclose the size of the fund since it was too early, Kadle said it will be of a ‘reasonably good size’ and a large part of the finance for the PE fund will come from international markets.
Tata Capital, an NBFC with about Rs 20,000 crore asset under management, is a 100 per cent subsidiary of Tata Sons. About 65 per cent of the company’s business comes from lending to mid-sized companies for working capital requirement and capital expenditure needs. The rest comes from retail lending in the home loan and car loan segments.
Tata Capital’s 80:20 joint venture with IFC, called TataCleantech Capital, aims to disburse loans worth about Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years to finance projects in solar energy, wind mills, water management and waste management sectors, among others.
The JV will raise fund through borrowing from international markets, special lines of credit from multi-lateral agencies as well as domestic borrowing. Tata Capital’s presence in the renewable energy space is very small at about Rs 100 crore, he said.

Koodankulam a national shame, says Binayak Sen

Even as the anti-nuclear stir on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) continues, noted human rights activist and public health specialist Dr Binayak Sen slammed the project calling it a “national shame”.

Speaking to Express after attending the TANKER awards function in the city, Sen said plainly, “It is obviously a huge risk and the fact that they are going ahead with it is shameful.”

When informed that a special emissary from Prime Minister’s Office, Minister Narayanaswamy, had just then confirmed that the plant would be commissioned as planned, he pinpointed the risks the project posed to the people and environment. “If not for anything else, see what happened in Fukushima. Do we (dare) risk a repeat?” he asked.

The national vice-president of People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Sen was appreciative of the way the people had risen as a community and opposed the nuclear plant. “It is heartening to see the way they have acted for their rights,” he said.

On the ongoing trial in his alleged links with Maoists in Chhattisgarh, the paediatrician who worked for over three decades in community health seemed surprisingly at ease. “The trial is on, but I am not really sure when the next hearing is,” he said. “I am not too worried as I have not done anything wrong.”

On the health front, Sen accused the government of projecting a “fictional” figure of Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR). “Several governmental agencies have published MMR figures that ranged between 200 and 300 deaths per one lakh live births. But in reality that number is between 400 and 500,” he said. A recipient of the prestigious Jonathan Mann Award for Health and Human Rights, Sen’s love for his alma mater — Christian Medical College in Vellore — remains strong. He cut short his visit to Chennai to drive down to the Fort City on Wednesday.

Tap alternative sources to achieve energy security: G. Bhavanarayana

G. Bhavanarayana, Scientist-G of the National Physical Laboratory at New Delhi, on Friday underlined the need for the country to attain energy security by way of exploiting energy through alternative renewable resources with the help of technologies.

Delivering the key-note address at a seminar on “Recent trends in advanced materials” held here under the joint auspices of the departments of Physics and Chemistry of Sir. C.R. Reddy College, he said the country required to generate energy in adequate quantities to put the technologies to use to the hilt. 


“Our conventional energies resources such as petrol, diesel, coal etc are going to be exhausted soon”, he observed. The impending energy crisis has necessitated the need to shift to the non-conventional energy resources like hydel energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy and bio-energy, he added. “Production of hydrogen through water and its storage in a solid form could be another possible alternative”, he said.

“Estimates say in another 20 years, we will be in a need of 400 TW energy. Therefore, there is a great need of establishing technologies to generate energy by renewable resources,” he said.

He pointed out that the use of solar energy was yet to gain momentum in the country since its conversion into electrical power involved costly materials and costly preparation process.

Mr. Bhavanarayana expressed serious anguish over the alarming levels of energy wastage in the country.

He called for effective measures to check the wastage of energy, in the form of unwanted heat while using it for lighting, theft and transmission losses. Batting for harnessing of single crystals in application of technologies, he said no country could become self-reliant in the area of modern technology without making any progress in the crystal growth.

Material science

V. Veeraiah, Principal of the College of Science and Technology, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, has said three technologies —information technology, biotechnology and nanotechnology were dominating the world in 21st century.

Interestingly, the materials held the key to all these technologies which spoke of the importance and relevance of the material sciences, he observed. Saying that the mad rush for engineering and medical courses by students and parents had pushed the basic sciences to the background all these days, he said it was time for them to have a re-look at the science streams like the material sciences in the backdrop of the patronage extended by the government at present.

GERC dismisses 'control period' extension plea of solar developers

In a major set back for solar power developers in Gujarat, the state power regulator, Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) on Friday dismissed all petitions filed for extension of the control period. The regulator, in its order announced on Friday, rejected the petitions stating that the same were not made on strong grounds."None of the petitioners indicated any ground whatsoever which is of universal application either in the state of Gujarat or a major part thereof by which all the projects are affected by such factors. In view of the above analysis, we decide that the petitioners have not succeeded in making out a case for invoking the inherent power of the Commission to extend the control period, GERC stated in its 53-page order.
About 36 different solar power developers including Hiraco Renewable Energy, Kemrock Industries and Exports Ltd, Tata Power Renewable Energy, Moser Bear Energy and Development Ltd, Lanco Infratech Ltd and trade body Solar Energy Association of Gujarat among others had filed petitions for extension of the 'Control Period' as defined in the Commission's order no. 2 of 2010 dated January 29, 2010.

Surana Ventures commissions module unit near Hyderabad, 5MW solar PV plant in Gujarat

Surana Ventures Ltd has announced the completion of its module manufacturing unit in the Fab City, 40 km from here, close to the new international airport and also the commissioning of a 5 MW solar photovoltaic unit in Gujarat.

The Hyderabad-based company, part of the Surana Group, has completed the solar photovoltaic power project at Patan district in Gujarat and is seeking nod for setting up another 5 MW solar PV plant at the same location. The company was allotted the 5 MW plant under the State solar power policy in 2009 by the Gujarat Energy Development Agency. The company later entered into a power purchase agreement with the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam.

Located in Gujarat Solar Park, the project has been completed with an outlay of Rs 56 crore. AEG of Germany was associated with the project. It has a power tariff of Rs 15/unit. During full year of operation, it would generate about 80 lakh units. This works out to about Rs 12 crore per annum, Mr Narender Surana, Managing Director of Surana Ventures, told Business Line.

Referring to the module unit, he said it has a capacity to manufacture 10 MW per annum. “After meeting internal requirement, we will sell the balance to others in the domestic market. If we get nod for another 5 MW in Gujarat, we would be able to implement the project within three to four months,” he said.

SMS for solar energy, then own your panels

A Gujarati family landed in Basaveshwaranagar in the city early in 2011, but could not access electricity because they couldn't provide a clear identity proof. Today, this family runs a successful cricket bat making business, and they have adequate power, courtesy solar panels which cost them only Rs 1,000 and the SMS mode of solar power consumption.

Solar water heating panels or solar energy panels range anywhere between Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000, depending on the requirement and size of roof, but ThoughtWorks and Simpa Networks brought the idea of bringing solar power close to the people: deposit Rs 1,000 and then start accessing power by sending SMS through pre-paid mode. Once the consumer has used solar power equivalent to the cost of the set-up - solar panels, battery and other paraphernalia - through this pre-paid mode, the installed system belongs to the consumer. The consumer gets free power supply and pays only for the equipment.

The system requires the user to send a single text message via phone to a software which generates a code. This code has to be fed into a regulator which comes along with the panels and a battery. The regulator then allows the battery to transmit only that amount of solar power which the consumer wants, for the value mentioned in the sms.

"You can avail of the power for a day or a week. If you sms for Rs 50 worth of solar power, the amount gets deducted from the paid-up currency. Once the consumer pays up Rs 10,000 or the complete amount through pre-paid mode for the system, it becomes his own," said Rohit Bansal, head of Social Impact Programmes, ThoughtWorks.

ThoughtWorks provides the software applications, and the solar panel, battery and regulator is provided by Simpa Networks. "Everyone faces the question of paying up a big amount to install the system, but if that can be brought down and payment made simpler through mobile phone technology, solar energy becomes a way of living," said Bansal. There are more than 120 such success stories in Bangalore, Peenya, Kundapur, Shimoga and Gulbarga.

Eureka Forbes launches solar product EuroDiya

MUMBAI: Eureka Forbes, India's largest water purification company has launched a new category of solar energy based products in India under the brand name 'EuroDiya'. The newly formed brand will focus on solar lamps as the first introduction and product offering by the company.

With the launch of EuroDiya, Eureka Forbes adds a new channel in its product portfolio diversifying across water purification, vacuum cleaning, home security, air purification and now solar products. Eureka Forbes has tied up with US based Nokero to bring its one-of-a-kind, cost effective, environmentally friendly and technologically advanced solar bulbs to suit the consumer needs of urban and rural India.

Launched as part of Eureka Forbes' Community Fulfillment Initiatives in India, EuroDiya aims to provide alternative sources of lighting at an affordable cost and solve power woes of India to a considerable extent. Suresh Goklaney, Executive Vice Chairman, Eureka Forbes Limited said, "Power deficit is the biggest cause of concern in India as traditional energy sources are becoming extinct day-by-day. Our latest addition EuroDiya to the family of Eureka Forbes is a clean and sustainable energy solution for the power woes of every Indian."

Survey reveals customers' wish list for PV inverter improvements

System-level monitoring, continued adoption of string inverters for large PV installs, and improvements by Chinese suppliers are among the trends gleaned from a survey of inverter buyers & sellers.

In a survey conducted in 4Q11, IMS Research asked more than 400 PV installers, distributors, and engineering/procurement/construction (EPC) firms about their purchasing habits for solar inverters: brand and product preference, product features, microinverters and power optimizers, service/warranty, and pricing, and what customers want to see improved in inverter technology. The survey covered several major global markets, with responses parsed by country and customer type.
Among the key findings from the survey results:

• Western inverter suppliers are still clearly favored, and market-leader SMA in particular has great brand affinity. But nearly 30 percent of respondents, with an emphasis on Europe (Italy and the UK in particular), indicated they think Chinese products are of "acceptable quality."

• Survey respondents still see room for improvements. For string inverters, they want more MPPT channels and a wider MPP range; for central inverters it's improved system monitoring and fault detection, noted report co-author Cormac Gilligan.

• Also gleaned from the survey: continued adoption of three-phase string inverters for large PV installations. More than 70 percent of respondents said they would consider using a string inverter in >750kW systems, and 30 percent said they'd use them in megawatt-sized projects.

• System-level monitoring is a hot topic. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said they want monitoring diagnostics down to the string level, and 15 percent want the ability for individual panels. That points to an opportunity for firms in offering panel-level electronics, says IMS Research senior research director Ash Sharma. Only 1 percent of PV installations in 2011 used microinverters, but more than 10 percent of survey respondents "are intending to use microinverters for some of their projects in the next 12-24 months, with an even greater number wanting to use DC-DC power optimizers," he says. Still, more than half of respondents cite higher costs for microinverters and hesitation to adopt what they see as an "unproven" technology.

• Even though inverter pricing is expected to fall by 20 percent or even 30 percent over the next three years, "nearly all" expect inverters to incorporate more and improved features and better quality. (More than half, though, indicated they'd pay a premium for just a 1 percent yield gain.) This sentiment is most likely due to customers determining their preferred inverter price based on their overall system budget. "With module and system prices falling rapidly, this inherently puts more pressure on inverter prices to fall too," Gilligan said.

Gamesa working with DOE on wind energy development

The agreement calls for Gamesa, which is based in Spain but has its North American headquarters in Langhorne, Pa., to work with the NREL on three programs: developing new components and rotors for the U.S. wind farm market; researching and testing the performance of new wind turbine control systems; and developing methods for predicting the behavior of offshore wind turbines to speed development of wind farms in U.S. coastal waters.

The tests will be conducted using a G97 Class IIIA 2 megawatt test wind turbines that Gamesa has installed at the NREL’s National Wind Technology Center near Boulder, Colorado. That model wind turbine is designed for low-wind sites, which Gamesa expects will comprise more than half the locations of wind turbines built on land in the future. Gamesa and the NREL will begin full testing on all three programs this month.

 "Wind energy is going to continue to play a key role in creating a stronger and more sustainable American economy," Miguel Angel Gonzalez-Posada, vice president of technology for Gamesa North America, said in a statement. "This partnership is an exciting venture that showcases Gamesa's commitment to enhanced clean energy development, as well as our drive to deliver the most reliable, efficient and cost-effective wind turbine technologies to the U.S. marketplace."

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Mytrah Energy to increase wind energy generation capacity

Renewable energy generation company, Mytrah Energy (India) Ltd, is set to augment capacity of about 150 MW through two wind farms in Andhra Pradesh and 250 MW more in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra, taking the installed power generation capacity up to 500 MW by June 2012.


“Once installed, this will make us the largest wind energy company in the country with a total capacity of 500 MW up from 100 MW now,” Mr Vikram Kailas, Managing Director of Mytrah Energy, an Alternative Investment Market, London-listed entity, told Business Line.

In AP, the company is investing Rs 900 crore for 150 MW. The company currently has an installed capacity of about 100 MW of wind energy, including Rajasthan (42 MW), Maharashtra (39 MW) and Gujarat. It is at advanced stage of setting up of two farms in Kurnool (80 MW) and Anantapur (65 MW) the latter at Vajrakayur and more farms in Rajasthan, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

“We have requested the Andhra Pradesh Government to increase the tariff for wind energy farms from Rs 3.50 per unit to Rs 4.50 per unit, which makes it financially viable for wind energy operator. This is necessary to complete the ongoing projects in Andhra Pradesh, whose schedule for implementation is June 2012,” he said.

The installation cost per MW of wind farm averages Rs 6-7 crore depending upon the location. A tariff of about Rs 4.50 per unit is ideal. Such a tariff is necessary to ensure more projects come up in the country, he felt.

The company has signed up with the Andhra Pradesh for 2,800 MW over seven years with a total outlay of Rs 17,500 crore. Earlier, known as Caparo Energy, Mytrah has secured funding from IDFC and others for wind energy capacity of about 700 MW.

Pakistan wants to work with India on climate change: Yousuf Raza Gilani

Pointing out that Pakistan has "excellent" relationship with India, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday said cooperation between the two to tackle climate change was "doable". 
He said Islamabad wants to work with New Delhi on this front. "Yes, certainly there can be cooperation. We have excellent relationship with India and we want to work together," Gilani said when asked if India and Pakistan can work together to tackle climate change. "We have been having a number of delegations from both countries on various matters like finance and industry. Certainly cooperation is doable", Gilani said during a panel discussion on climate change at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012. 
Earlier in his address, Gilani said Pakistan has been hit by "horrible" droughts and floods last year and sought a "global fund" to tackle the climate risk issues. 
"It (climate change) is quite visible in my country. We have suffered both drought and heavy rains in past one year. It was horrible, not just by our estimates but also as per the estimates ofWorld Bank and Asian Development Bank," Gilani said. 
"There has to be global solution to these problems. The first step we can take is establishing a global fund to tackle the climate risk issues and Pakistan would be happy to partner," Gilani said.
The United Nations has already proposed a USD 100 billion Green Climate Fund. 
The fund was central to agreements reached in 2010 by UN treaty negotiators in Cancun, Mexico. 
"If the glaciers in Himalayas melt, there will be huge floods in Pakistan," he said adding that Pakistan has taken some steps by creating a disaster management cell which he himself was overseeing. 
Gilani arrived here yesterday from Islamabad. This is his first visit outside Pakistan since the memo scandal erupted late last year throwing his government in a political whirlpool that even threatened his continuity at office. One year after the worst flooding disaster in the history of the region, more floods triggered by heavy rains had devastated parts of Southern Pakistan last year. 

Construction expo, Build Intec, to focus on green building concept

The sixth edition of Build Intec, an international construction exposition is scheduled between February 17 and 20 at the Codissia Trade Fair Complex here.

The thrust area of this edition of Build Intec 2012 would be ‘Green Building Concept' said its Chairman, Mr S. Manivasakam.

Around 200 exhibitors from Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Kerala and Delhi and representations from the US and China are expected to participate in this expo.

Building materials and components, building technology, construction materials and equipments would be show-cased in an area of around 3,000 sq m said the Codissia President, Mr M. Kandhaswami.

Curtain raiser

At the curtain raiser event, organised by Build Intec and Codissia, at Hotel Aloft here, the Chairman of the Coimbatore Chapter of Indian Green Building Council, Mr Rajesh B. Lund, said there would be a seminar on ‘Green Building – The Only way' on February 18, where the focus would be on green houses and conversion of existing factories to green factories.

He said the green building concept was catching up, albeit slowly.

The President of the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Coimbatore, Dr M. Krishnan, said such events would serve as platforms for showcasing Coimbatore globally. ‘Though the city has grown, we have failed to market the city,' he added.

Lead Bank Manager, Mr J. Vanangamudi, said there was a slight reversal in trend with bankers now approaching various builders evincing their interest to participate in such fairs. “Banks participation would also help visitors have a fair idea of the product offerings of different banks, make a comparison of the interest rate, and understand the market trend,” he added.

Global green energy meet in Chennai to ‘hear out' industry

Over 150 exhibitors are expected to participate in a two-day conference-cum-expo that will be organised in Chennai on March 12 and 13 by the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), the agency's Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Sudeep Jain, said.
Policy makers from both the Union Government and from various States will be there “to hear out the pain points from the industry”, Mr Jain said. Moreover, experts from over twenty countries are expected to participate, and this is on the basis of the information coming from the embassies of the countries, he said.
This is the second green energy expo-conference that TEDA is holding. Last year, a similar event was held by TEDA, under the name ‘Vavova 2011'. 

Solar water heaters must in new homes in Bangalore

With the government planning to reduce dependence on electricity by promoting use of solar energy, Bangaloreans will have to install solar water heaters in their newly constructed houses. 
The government has said solar water heaters are a must in new houses in Bangalore. Energy minister Shobha Karandlaje on Thursday said the decision was taken in view of the acute power crisis. "Solar lights will be used in government offices. The central and state governments have given more than 50% subsidy on solar items," she said.

China counter: Arunachal to get mega hydel project

China's bid to have big hydel projects along the Indian border in north-east may witness a counter with environment ministry set to approve 1,750 MW Demwe hydel project in Arunachal Pradesh. China has planned to build at hydel project in Zangmu, 140 km south-east of Tibetan capital city of Lhasa in a bid to tap the hydro potential of Brahmaputra river. The river flows about 1,625 kms in Tibet, 918 kms in India and remaining 363 kms in Bangladesh before submerging into Bay of Bengal.Arunachal Pradesh government has planned hydel projects on five major rivers in the state, which finally drain in Brahmaputra, to generate over 50,000 MW of power. Many of these projects are stalled because of protest against them in Assam claiming that these projects will dry the river in down stream areas.

UN database to showcase climate-friendly strategies of MNCs

The UN has launched an online database that showcases the strategies adopted by global majors like Microsoft and Starbucks to adapt to climate change and at the same time ensure an increase in their profits.
The database can be accessed through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change website.
It features more than 100 examples from companies such as Coca-Cola and Levi’s, which share the details of their business-friendly adaptation practices and how they are using their resources more efficiently. 

DuPont And Yingli Green Energy Collaborate For Higher Efficiency Solar Cells

DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions and Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited are collaborating to advance technology for higher efficiency solar cells, new module manufacturing processes and innovative component designs. Through technical collaboration, the two companies plan to speed development and adoption of solar energy to address one of the word’s biggest challenges – sustainable energy generation.


“Achieving the best possible performance and lowest total cost from photovoltaic technology is more critical than ever as solar energy is gaining competitive advantage vs. non-renewable energy sources,” said Bill Feehery, global business director, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions. “Global collaboration helps to accelerate innovation, and most importantly, encourage faster and broader adoption of solar power, which is good for consumers and the environment. We are glad to collaborate with leading module makers like Yingli.”

Forum of Regulators moots off-grid generation of power and supply model

To promote off-grid energy in remote and low-population density areas, the Forum of Regulators (FOR), has mooted an off-grid distributed generation-based distribution franchisee model.
Under the model, a developer would set up an off-grid project and supply power and recover rate fixed by the state electricity regulatory commission (SERC). 
The developer can act as a franchisee of the distribution company, and the agreement between the distribution licensee and the developer would guarantee recovery to the extent of feed in tariff. Such generation and consumption of power from off-grid project would relax renewable purchase obligation of the distribution licensee. 

15 Indian companies including Tata Power, GMR Group and Adani Power eye Nigerian power projects

Around 15 Indian companies, including Tata Power, GMR Group and Adani Power, are among candidates shortlisted by the Nigerian government to participate in the privatisation of power projects of state-owned National Electric Power Authority (NEPA), sources close to the development told ET. 


Struggling on home ground with multiple issues which have delayed capacity addition, Indian power companies are exploring participation in power generation and distribution projects in Nigeria to fuel their growth despite the civil unrest in the country. 


Nigeria is in the process of selling a 51% stake in four thermal and two hydro power generation units and 11 transmission projects since NEPA's poor operational and financial performance has deterred capacity addition in the country.

BJP, Congress Labour Front demand opening of Kudankulam power plant

Members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth wing and the All India Congress Labour Front (AICLF) staged demonstrations in the city on Wednesday demanding the opening of Kudankulam nuclear power plant.
The demonstrators urged the Central government to avoid any further delay and take necessary steps to open the nuclear plant immediately. 


The BJP Tiruchi urban district youth wing demonstration was headed by its district president G.D.Dinakar near the Khadi Kraft. The BJP youth wing members raised slogans stating that Kudankulam power plant was essential for Tamil Nadu as the State has been plagued by power crisis.

Big push on cards to recycle water in Tamilnadu

Recycled water may become the new mantra to resolve water woes arising from rising population and scarcer availability due to the shrinking water table.
Governments as well as water firms are working on various technologies and str-ategies to supply recycled water, with a top state government official even suggesting a need for structural modification in water treatment facilities in buildings and flats so that waste-water can be reused.
Talking to Express on the sidelines of Municiplika Making Cities Work, Metro Water Managing Director Dr K Gopal said the dual pumping of water in residences as well as hotels and flats is the need of the hour so that potable waste-water can be reused.

Power Ministry to soon launch PAT programme aimed at energy efficiency

The Power Ministry will soon launch the Performance Achieve Trade (PAT) programme aimed at reducing energy consumption of major industries such as steel and cement. The programme would focus on eight industries that consume large amounts of energy. 


"We will soon launch the PAT programme. It aims to reduce energy consumption by as much as four per cent over a period of three years (after the initiative starts)," Power Secretary P Uma Shankar said here today.

Solar cheap as grid power in half of world by 2015, Suntech says

The cost of generating electricity from the sun will compete with conventional power delivered on a grid in half the world by 2015, according to Suntech Power Holdings Co. (STP), the world’s largest photovoltaic panel maker.


“Solar is getting so cheap,” Chief Executive Officer Zhengrong Shi told Bloomberg Television today in an interview in Davos. “We believe by 2015, there will be around 50 percent of countries that reach grid-parity.”

Shanghai to host no.1 offshore wind conference in Asia (China)

OFFSHORE WIND CHINA Conference & Exhibition 2012 is to be held again in Shanghai during May 30-June 1 in Shanghai New International Expo Center and Shangri-La’s Kerry Hotel Pudong. After three years’ of successful editions, it has become the No. 1 in Asia and No. 2 in the world for wind power trade events focusing on offshore.

With international key players’ active participation, the event has made a new record in terms of scale. For 2012, three major industry challenges consist of its 3 highlights: Offshore wind turbine techniques, Installation & Safety, Operation & Maintenance. 


From the above three perspectives, insiders will make intensive analysis of development trends for the wind power industry, and seek the best solutions for current challenges so as to establish an ideal communication platform for the sound development of offshore wind. 

Solar Cells In OLED Displays Could Boost Mobile Device Lifetime

As OLED displays become more of a mainstream market for the smartphone industry, a group of researchers have developed a way of using its light output to harvest energy.

A team from the University of Cambridge has developed a thin-film photovoltaic cell, which can be used to capture light from an OLED screen, and use the power generated to charge a device. Led by Professor Arokia Nathan, the technology has been developed in collaboration with the London Centre for Nanotechnology at University College London and Canadian technology company Ignis Innovation.

Wasted light

Arman Ahnood, a researcher on the project, says: The idea originated in 2007, and we now have a system incorporating a solar cell and a battery. The cell is a thin film, which can be placed on the top of any display. The OLED industry is currently largest in smartphones, but there is no reason why the technology cannot move on to bigger displays, such as tablets.

Around 64% of light from an OLED display is projected back into the device itself. The solar film will sit behind the display, within the device, and capture this light. Although no testing has been done on the lifetime of the solar cell, Ahnood believes that the device will last as long as any OLED display it is integrated with.

Ahnood continues: 'We have a proof-of-concept device, which currently offers an 18% peak efficiency. However our aim is to get this up to 90% efficiency. We can do this by working with different materials, such as metal oxide semiconductors.

'The system generates around 5mW of energy, while a typical phone on standby draws 80mW. As we develop this, and as OLED technology improves its power conservation, we believe the system will be in a position to boost a device's battery life.'

Development of the system is ongoing, and the project has now transferred to Cambridge University's Centre for Advanced Photonics and Electronics.

Beta Wind to take up 300 MW in 2 phases

Beta Wind Farm Pvt Ltd, which is is planning to set up a 300-Mw wind project, has decided to split the project into two phases.
While 156 Mw would come up in Tamil Nadu in the first phase, Phase II relates to implementation of 144 Mw in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat, according to the company.
Beta is a subsidiary of Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Orient Green Power Company Ltd. 

Solar plants likely to be part of Rajasthan housing projects

The urban development and housing department (UDH) may introduce the provision of electricity generation by installing solar panels in housing projects under the proposed section of 90A of the Land Revenue Act.

"We will try to accommodate the solar plants in housing projects and if needed will make certain changes in the building bylaws too. The decision will be taken after consultation with Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RREC) to provide subsidy in installation of panels. The modus operandi needs to be worked out and once it is finalized we will make the formal announcement" said a senior UDH official.