Green energy for a healthy, happy tomorrow

Green energy is an umbrella term for all sorts of alternative energy sources that do not harm the environment, and are available in abundance. Solar, wind, and hydro are commonly cited examples of green energy, which are naturally replenished. Some people also use green energy interchangeably with renewable energy in India, because both describe sources of energy that are alternative and naturally replenished.

Today, many countries are fuelling their growth through clean energy. India is one of them. In fact, India is the first country in the world to set-up a dedicated ministry for renewables. However, the hurdles are still there. The biggest hurdle you face when planning to set-up a clean energy project – such as wind power project – is the investment that such projects entail. Then you also have to look for a large stretch of land, where you can set-up such a project.

Renewable projects have also been criticized all over the world. For example, some groups fear for the lives of the birds that are killed (in large numbers) every year by wind turbines. These people also argue that wind farms destroy the beauty of the landscapes where they are put up in large numbers. And they also do not seem to be in love with the rough noise that these turbines make. But, these negatives can be controlled to a large extent. What we should not forget is clean energy is our only hope to survive when we are running out of our share of fossil fuels, and that it’ll never exhaust.

Is India renewable ready?

Almost all countries – barring a few – in the world still count on fossil fuels to catch up with the sharp growth on electricity demand in the recent years. India is no exception.

Though India takes pride in being the only country in the world that has a dedicated ministry for renewable energy, it is lagging far behind as compared to countries like US, Spain, Germany, and China. And though there have been enough talks on developing renewable energy in India, those in the sector are complaining about the indifferent behaviour of the government and constant delay in the implementation of amendments required in the power regulations.

If you look at the geographic positioning of India, it enjoys an enviable share of renewable energy resources. Solar power, wind power, hydro power, the country has the potential to significantly reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, and shift to renewable for its ever-growing demand for energy.

India is ready for renewable. However, it does need large-scale projects and investments. Unconditional government support is immensely required by both domestic and foreign energy players. The country has burnt almost all fossil fuels it had in its reservoirs. Something must be done now. Renewable can help. It really can.

The future for renewables is robust

India has an installed power generation capacity of 225,133MW, of which about 12.2% is fuelled by renewable resources such as wind, sun, biomass and hydro. Experts believe the future of renewables is robust.

As per a report submitted by the International Energy Agency, renewables sector, despite no-so-encouraging economic conditions, is witnessing incredible growth; in fact, the sector is expected to grow by 40% in the next five years, thereby, constituting almost a quarter of the global power mix by 2018.”
Government of India is also considering re-introduction of tax and fiscal incentives to provide relief to the renewable sector, which includes wind power companies and solar power companies. The withdrawal of both the benefits had severely hit the sector.

The reinstatement of these benefits will boost the confidence of the industry players – both equipment makers and power producers - to set-up more wind farms, solar power projects, and, thereby, add to the power generation capacity of the country. At the time when India is going through a deep energy-crisis, renewables can open new doors for the country and its energy-intensive industries.

However, funding is still a concern for many. Only a few private companies have dared to enter the sector on their own. Puneet Dalmia led Dalmia Power is one of the first ones, who’ve set-up both wind farms and solar projects to not only meet their energy requirements, but also to support the state grid.

Wind power isn’t a perfect energy source; but it is the best of all options we have at the moment. Read more.

When we think of wind power, we generally think of those high tech wind farms, where countless turbines with slow spinning blades are set-up in rows to harness the power hidden in the moving air. It’s in this last one decade that many of these farms have sprung up on countless hilltops in the country. However, wind power isn’t new to us; our ancestors used the energy in the wind for ages to propel their boats, grind grains, and pump water.

Today, wind energy is mostly used for electricity generation. It is clean, renewable, and relatively cheap. The power is almost free once the infrastructure is paid for. However, wind is not a perfect energy alternative to fossil fuels; and it has its own set of disadvantages/issues.

The biggest disadvantage of wind power is that wind doesn’t blow consistently or steadily. So, wind power companies have to research for years to determine whether a site is ideal for setting up a wind farm.

It’s true that wind power isn’t a perfect solution for today’s energy driven global economy; however, it’s arguably the best of all options (energy sources) we have available at the moment. It’s only through wind energy that we can reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and ensure a green future for generations to come.

There is more to wind than you know; find out all that in this post.

So, what is wind? Definition wise, it is merely air in motion. But, if you look a little deeper, you’ll see unlimited potential in this air in motion to help the humankind build a greener tomorrow. We’re talking about green energy; energy that will never run out.

The power in the wind can be turned into electricity, and for that, wind turbines are used by the wind power companies. But, the problem is you can’t put up these turbines everywhere. Sites are chosen after years of analysis. The best sites are the ones, where wind flows without obstructions. The higher you go up in the air, the better it’ll be.

However, to make a wind power project viable, you need to put into a lot of investment. Many do not enter the wind power market only because of the high project costs involved.

It’s also true that wind power can’t solve the energy crisis that the world is going through, however, it certainly can be a valuable resource and cleaner alternative to ensure a greener tomorrow for the coming generations if done on a cost effective and mass scale.

The need of the hour is to understand wind power better, and put up more wind farms to extract the most out of wind. And, for this, private wind power companies have to form partnerships with the central as well as state governments. However, several private players, like Mr. Puneet Dalmia of Dalmia Bharat Power have set up wind farms on their own, which is a big achievement in itself. These companies, however, can do much better if government makes the required changes to the existing policies, and extends financial support to these power projects.

Putting wind to work

As traditional sources are running out, people are looking to renewable energy resources. One source of energy that we can use is moving wind. Wind power is a renewable energy source, which will never run out, so we can use it without worrying about it drying-up.

Renewable Future 

The biggest problem with traditional sources, such as fossil fuels is they’re finite. Since these energy sources are non-renewable, they can’t be replaced. The only solution that we can have is going renewable.

Putting Wind to Work 

Using wind as an energy source isn’t a new idea; it’s been there for thousands of years. Our ancestors have very well used it in the past and were traditionally used to generate mechanical energy for grinding cereals and irrigation purpose. Today, wind energy is primarily captured to generate electricity.

Wind energy can be effectively used to power the isolated communities in the country, which don’t have access to an electricity network or grid. There, wind energy can emerge as a effective solution to people’s electricity needs.

Renewable Energy in India
 
It’s not just small communities that have started using solar and wind energy, but even top companies, like Dalmia are also setting-up wind farms to generate energy to power their manufacturing plants and supply to state grids. And, it all looks like a good start! But, yes, it’s just a start, we’ve got miles to go from here.

Captive Power Plant – One More Step Towards Reducing Dependency on State Grids

A captive power plant is a great asset for any company, which is heavily dependent on electrical energy from the state grids. These days, when state electricity boards are failing to meet the power requirements of industrial sector (which is one of its largest consumers), installing a captive power plant can result in an uninterrupted power supply.

At Dalmia, we too have set-up captive power plants to meet the electrical energy needs of our cement and sugar plants. Besides powering our equipment, we also supply the surplus to the state grids.

Several other power projects are in pipeline, and we’re working hard to get them on surface soon. Self-sufficiency (in terms of energy requirements for our plants) is what we’re looking for so that we can work without frequent interruption. As a group, we’re aggressively pursuing our expansion plans in power business through incubation of new projects and also through acquisitions.

As part of our green initiatives, we’ve also set-up solar and wind power projects to reduce our carbon footprints. As a group, we understand our responsibility towards society and environment, and believe in sustainable business development, which benefit everyone involved.

For more on our captive power plants, visit us here, http://www.dalmiapower.com/solution/businesses.html

India’s Power Dream: Bridging the Energy Deficit with Renewable Energy Sources

About 80,000 villages in India have no electricity. Kerosene and candles are what give the villagers a light of hope. Renewable energy, most of it from wind power, provides 10 percent. Solar energy use is negligible.

The figures paint a gloomy picture of the energy sector of India, however, the leaders of the industry have woken up to the challenge; both central as well as state governments are reforming the existing policies to encourage the production of clean and green energy so the energy deficit can be bridged; the positive environment has led to the setting-up of more and more solar power and wind power companies in the country.

Solar Power 

The country is densely populated and has high solar insolation; this is an ideal combination for using solar power.

Foreign players are also sensing opportunities, as the price of solar power technology falls and overseas governments look to support India as it tries to switch from a reliance on fossil fuels to "clean" energy sources.