Congratulations, ONGC! Well done!

My good friends at Urban Green Energy Inc, a cutting-edge Renewable Energy systems developer, have done a study along with ONGC India on the use of renewable energy on oil and gas platforms. This is a pioneering study, and one that would have very positive consequences worldwide if it becomes a trend. It is a matter of pride that an Indian company is a global pioneer in this field. And, that's why, I'll say this again, Congratulations ONGC, and thank you, UGE. Well done, folks! Anyone interested in the details of the study can access it at this link. Do check it out and be pleasantly surprised at the kind of creative solutions that my friends are capable of coming up with!

GE Designs a Wind Turbine for Indian Wind Conditions

Solar Thermal Magazine, an excellent resource for anyone interested in Renewable and Clean Energy, has this piece about a new GE wind turbine design specifically for Indian "low wind" conditions. What is also encouraging is the fact that the turbine was designed and engineered at GE's Bangalore development center, and that it will be manufactured in India. This means possibilities for it to be marketed throughout the region, as other South Asian countries enjoy not only similar wind conditions, but they also have a regional trade arrangement that allows the countries to deal in their national currencies and bypass the dollar. This Asian Clearing Union trade should make it much cheaper to export these turbines and help address the severe electric power shortages across the region.

Bullitt Center in Seattle - A Building that Generates Twice the Electricity That it Consumes

Solar Today magazine has this article about the Bullitt Center, a high tech building that generates twice as much electricity as it consumes. Seattle, as the article points out, is cloud-swept most of the year. Just think of the potential in countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, where electricity is in short supply most of the year. Think also about the fact that these countries receive more than 6 hours of sunshine a day, for more than 325 days a year. It is stupid of the authorities to not look at infrastructure of this kind . . .

Authoritative Solar Industry Magazine Endorses Indian Solar Effort

Solar Thermal Magazine, an authoritative industry journal, has hailed the new 4 GW solar PV plant being built in India in the state of Rajasthan. I am also aware of an effort to bring one of the most advanced concentrating solar plants to the Jaipur area. The company does a lot of work for the US Department of Defense. It is encouraging to see good work being done to use a resource - sunlight - that all of India has in abundance. Good show, India, keep it up!

Great news from New Delhi

I haven't posted here in a while, but when something like this comes up, I have to make sure to offer kudos: The move to put 2.1 MW of solar PVs over the roof of the Delhi airport is a fantastic one. It is often a fact that governments are slow to capitalize upon technological developments, while the private sector is fast. In India, in this case, at least, the reverse seems to be true. I cannot think of a single software technology park, a single mall or large apartment development that has used solar PVs even to light up common areas at night, for example. That said, it would be good to see this example replicated across India. There are many more airports in the country, many railway stations, and many government offices that would benefit. Go for it, India! And, congratulations!

Smart Planet: The Cost of Pollution in India? $ 80 Billion a Year . . .

Smart Planet is a great website / blog that I often link to, and it is one that I read regularly. This is one of the reasons why - the site quotes a World Bank report that evaluates the cost of pollution in India. Many of the costs of pollution are not easily counted, but it is not difficult to see where they would affect people directly. For example, increased health issues due to exposure to pollutants can put severe strain on societies as they have to deal with sharply higher medical bills. Secondly, when water, soil and the air are dirty, it affects agricultural output, making food more expensive. And the list goes on . . . Do check both the Smart Planet piece and the World Bank report out at this link.

Something that Chennai Could Look At

There is an example here that Chennai, with its two stinking eyesores - the Adayar and the Cooum - could emulate: Kansas City uses human waste to grow crops for the biofuel sector. While India is working hard to cultivate large acreages of waste land with jatropha for its fledgling biofuels sector, large cities like Chennai keep sending tens of thousands of tons of sewerage into the sea every single day, sometimes even clogging up the two rivers into which this sewerage is let and stinking the city up. Every attempt at "beautifying" these rivers has so far concentrated on dredging the sewage and clearing a channel for it to flow into the sea. Some years ago, I had suggested to the then Deputy Chief Minister that he consider an experimental plant to convert the sewage into Synthetic Gasoline using the technology developed by a certain US company. Not much came of it as he was subsequently voted out in the elections. Perhaps, a simpler use for the sewage as in Kansas City might be the answer. Use it to grow more jatropha, convert the jatropha into biodiesel, and reduce the amount of money that hard working Indians send to the Middle East for fuel day after day, year after year.