Energy for 125000 villages

India has a very pressing need to provide electricity to people in remote and rural areas to support their social and economic development.   This is a high priority of the Indian Government, which is electrifying 125,000 villages at a cost of more than NZD 8 billion over 2007-2012. The need to supply electricity to areas far from the national electricity grid has created strong demand for off-grid renewable power systems.   Why is it important ? India's government has accorded high priority to rural electrification, allocating more than NZD 8 billion over 2007-2012 and connecting almost 65,000 unelectrified villages and 8.3 million households to date.   The government has also evidenced strong commitment to developing India's renewable energy resources and technology. India is the only country in the world with a dedicated ministry for this purpose - the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).   With a population of 1.2 billion, 70% of whom live...

Clean Tech

Even on conservative projections, India must more than double its primary energy supply and quadruple electricity generation over the coming 25 Years.   The Report of the Expert Committee on Integrated Energy Policy - part of India's powerful Planning Commission - envisages an increase in power generation from a current level of 160,000 megawatts to about 800,000 megawatts by 2030-31. India is also under pressure to diversify its energy supply to avoid dependence on imported fossil fuels and low grade domestic coal.   Why is it important ?   The contribution of renewables to India's energy needs is potentially very large. The 11th Five Year Plan targets the addition of 14,050 MW of renewable power generation capacity by 2012.   According to some estimates, India could provision 10-20 Mtoe (Million tonne oil equivalent) - or more than half New Zealand's primary energy supply - from renewable sources excluding hydro power and traditional fuels by 2030.   India's programmes for renewable...