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A framework to estimate the extent of various incentives required to ensure financial attractiveness of institutional solar cooking is presented with typical examples from India. Incentives considered are capital subsidy/viability gap funding, accelerated depreciation, interest subsidy, and investment tax credit have been considered for three commercially available designs of solar cookers that can be used for institutional cooking (SK-23, Scheffler dish (direct), and Scheffler dish (steam)). Depending on the location, the extent of viability gap funding (VGF) for Scheffler dish (steam) solar cooking system varies from 18.7% to 66.5% of the capital cost, while the same for SK-23 and Scheffler dish (direct) varies from 8.7% to 82.9%, and 33.4%–94.5% respectively. From the government point of view, the provision of accelerated depreciation for incentivising institutional solar cooking is found to be the least cost option followed by viability gap funding, investment tax credit and interest subsidy in the order of increasing cost to the government. At locations in the cold and cloudy climatic zone of India, there is invariably a need to provide a combination of incentives (as the current provision of 30% capital subsidy is not adequate) to ensure a breakeven condition. • Steam-based solar cooking financially more attractive than direct cooking. • Higher levels of incentives needed for direct solar cookers in India. • Accelerated depreciation costs the least to the government as an incentive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial appraisal of two solar cookers (SK-23 and Scheffler dish) that may be used for institutional/community cooking is presented. For each solar cooker type, three different categories in terms of performance and cost as prevailing in the market have been considered. Annual numbers of solar cooked meals and consequently the values of several measures of financial performance are estimated for three locations in India with varying climatic conditions. As per the estimates obtained in this study a SK-23 solar cooker can cook from 39% to 60% of the meals during the year while, the corresponding range for Scheffler dish based solar cooker is from 59% to 85% at these locations. The discounted payback for SK-23 varies 6.2–9.2 years while the same for Scheffler dish varies from 9.5 to 11.7 years. The financial attractiveness of SK-23 is adversely affected by its poor performance in high wind, while the relatively higher capital cost of the Scheffler direct cooker apparently makes it financially unattractive. Thus, there is an urgent need to encourage research and development on solar cookers to reduce their cost and also to improve performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A review on various aspects of institutional solar cooking is presented. Starting with an overview of energy requirement for cooking, the review includes cooking technologies developed for institutional solar cooking, polices and programs for their promotion and case studies reported in the literature on field level application. State of the art concentrating solar technologies suitable for institutional level cooking includes Parabolic dish, Scheffler dish and ARUN ® dish. Design, construction and operational details of both direct and indirect types of concentrating solar cookers have been discussed. The case studies, mainly from India, included provide useful feedback on the experiences of using large scale institutional solar cooking systems. A Few installations of each type of solar cooker have been reviewed and major findings and observations on various aspects of the same are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a planner of decentralized renewable energy systems with micro-grids, an accurate load prediction is imperative for proper sizing of the system. For an accurate load projection, the following questions need to be answered: How many households actually get connected to the micro-grid? How much electricity do they actually use? What factors affect their consumption level? How does their consumption level change over time? In this study, an attempt has been made to identify answers to these questions by looking into one of the PV micro-grid rural electrification projects in Sundarban area of West Bengal, India. It is found that the number of beneficiary households has been on increasing trends indicating existence of large potential demands. The monthly electricity consumption of the average household is turned out to be within the range of 0.42–0.66 kW h/day thus not showing any trend of increase over time. In order to identify factors that affect consumption level, a regression model has been developed with two explanatory variables, namely, the total number of connections and the average ambient temperature during supply hours (night). Application of the model would be effective in predicting additional load requirement in case grid extension is planned under the same project to accommodate potential demands. Results of this study would also be applicable to optimization of expansion process of micro-grid systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Need for renewable energy education and training at all levels is globally recognized. During the last three decades a large number of countries across the globe have initiated academic programmes on renewable energy technologies and related aspects. A review of published literature on renewable energy education initiatives across the globe, challenges faced, and potential approaches towards efficient and effective solutions are presented in the paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Results of a preliminary techno-economic appraisal of solar thermal power generation at three locations in India are presented. The study uses System Advisor Model developed by NREL, USA. The results of the study provide useful insight into (a) selecting appropriate reference direct normal irradiance for design of solar thermal power plants, (b) identifying suitable combinations of solar multiple and hours of thermal energy storage and (c) cost reduction potential. The parabolic trough technology is used for exemplifying the procedure for this purpose. The estimated levelised unit cost of electricity is in the range of Rs (US$1=Indian rupees 51.66 on 5 October 2012) 16–21 per kWh for the most likely range of input parameters. The results also indicate possibility of about 30% reduction in unit cost of electricity by year 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: India has a very large potential for harnessing renewable energy sources. However, there is a large gap between the estimated potential and the cumulative achievements made so far. A variety of reasons are attributed to the current low levels of dissemination of renewable energy technologies in India as against their respective estimated potentials. Several of these attributes could, one way or the other, be related to the current status of development of the technology, its appropriateness and dissemination strategies adopted for their diffusion and deployment. Results of an attempt to assess the current status of some renewable energy technologies in India are briefly presented in this paper. The main findings of a structured questionnaire based survey undertaken for eliciting views of different categories of stakeholders on various issues affecting dissemination of renewable energy technologies in India are presented in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Simple frameworks have been developed for estimating the utilization potential of: (a) solar photovoltaic (SPV) pumps; (b) windmill pumps; (c) producer gas based dual fuel engine pumps; and (d) biogas based dual fuel engine pumps for irrigation water pumping in India. The approach takes into account factors such as: solar radiation intensity, wind speed, availability of bovine dung and agri-residues, and their alternative uses, ground water requirements for irrigation and its availability, affordability, and propensity of the users to invest in renewable energy devices, etc. SPV pumps are estimated to have the maximum utilization potential in India, followed by windmill pumps. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using the past diffusion trends of four renewable energy technologies for irrigation water pumping in India (SPV pumps, windmill pumps and biogas/producer gas driven dual fuel engine pumps), results of an attempt to project their future dissemination levels, have been presented in this study. The likely contribution of the renewable energy options considered in the study to the projected energy demand for irrigation water pumping in India has been estimated. Estimates of the associated investment requirements taking into account the learning effect have also been presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An attempt to estimate the potential of solar crop drying for some selected cash crops in India has been made. The amount of cash crops that can be dried by solar dryers and the required aperture area of solar dryers have been estimated. Estimates for unit cost of solar drying for different crops have also been worked out. The potential of net fossil CO2 emissions mitigation due to the amounts of different fuels that would be saved by solar drying has been estimated along with the unit cost of CO2 emissions mitigation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Development and dissemination of solar energy technologies in India has been aided by a variety of policy and support measures. One of the promotional measures is the provision of financial and fiscal incentives such as capital subsidy, low interest loan and accelerated depreciation related income tax benefits to the users on the purchase of solar energy technologies. In this study an attempt has been made to determine the effective capital cost of solar energy technologies to the user with the provision of financial and/or fiscal incentives. Results of exemplifying calculations for a domestic and an industrial solar water heating system, a solar home lighting system and a solar drying system have been presented and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examines the effect of several site-specific factors on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions stemming from operation of 4G and 5G technology-based telecommunication towers at many locations across India with focus on the assessment of the incremental change expected due to 5G technology adoption. Also, the impact of adopting solar photovoltaics (PV) based hybrid power systems on overall CO 2 emissions from operation of telecom towers. Optimal designs of solar PV-based hybrid systems are obtained using HOMER software for 25 diverse Indian locations for powering both 4G and 5G telecom towers while considering site-specific factors such as solar resource availability, availability and tariff of grid electricity and the unit price of diesel used in the Diesel Generator (DG) of the hybrid system. From the results of the study it is noted that, with the current energy supply mix, a tripling of the carbon dioxide emissions is expected if all of India's 0.71 million telecom towers adopt 5G technology. Adoption of solar PV-based systems along with grid electricity and diesel generator in hybrid mode has the potential to reduces carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 55 % for the existing telecom towers in India. For the case of all telecom towers transitioning to 5G technology, about 58 % reduction in CO 2 emissions is possible with the adoption of PV-based hybrid power systems. From the perspective of the unit cost of CO 2 emissions mitigation, the adoption of solar PV-based hybrid systems is found to be a no regret option. Results of the study have significant policy implications towards designing appropriate strategies for reducing carbon footprint of telecom tower operation in India. • CO 2 emissions from telecom towers to triple in India with 5G over 4G technology. • Solar PV hybrid systems can mitigate 55 % of CO 2 emissions for existing levels. • In case of 100 % 5G adoption, 58 % reduction in CO 2 emissions is possible with solar PV. • Solar PV hybrid systems offer a no-regret option to mitigate telecom CO 2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of condenser cooling option for concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is likely to affect their techno-economic feasibility. In view of this, an attempt has been made to assess relative techno-economics and net life cycle CO 2 -eq emissions mitigation (LCCM) potential for 50 MW nominal capacity wet-cooled and dry-cooled parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) and dry-cooled solar power tower (SPT) based CSP plants with 6.0 h of thermal energy storage for two potential locations in India. It was observed that though dry cooling is likely to save significant amount of water (∼92%) in PTSC based plants, the same shall result in higher capital cost, higher performance penalty and higher parasitic power requirements leading to around 20% higher levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) as compared to wet-cooled PTSC based plants. It was also observed that the dry-cooled SPT based plants shall be able to deliver up to 4.5% higher annual electricity output and LCOE is also likely to be lowered by 13% than wet-cooled PTSC based plants. Considering emissions embodied and emissions associated with water transport/extraction from the source and water treatment, the estimation of LCCM from the PTSC and SPT based CSP plants have also been undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

of a HOMER based techno-economic assessment of an electricity supply option based on a hybrid system comprising of a PV component, a diesel generator (DG) and electricity grid have been presented in this paper. The study includes analysis of electricity unavailability data for 132 locations in India spread over state capitals, district headquarters, municipal areas and villages. The values of Net Present Cost (NPC) and Cost of Electricity (CoE) have been estimated for 25 selected locations in the country and a comparison with corresponding values for conventional alternative (grid+DG) has also been presented. The study internalizes all relevant location specific parameters. The values of NPC and CoE are lower in the range of 9.5%–36.6% and 16%–33.6% respectively for the proposed system (grid+PV+DG) as compared to conventional system at all 25 locations considered. The inclusion of PV component results in reduced purchase of grid electricity and much lower hours of operation of DG. • Analyzed real-time hourly grid power supply outage status for outdoor telecom towers at 132 locations • Designed optimal hybrid systems for powering BTS in telecom towers at 25 selected locations in India, • Presented a detailed techno-economic comparison of solar PV based hybrid system for powering BTS • The values of NPC and CoE are lower in the range of 9.5%–36.6% and 16%–102.4% respectively for the hybrid system • The PV component results in reduced purchase of grid electricity, DG operation, electricity fed to grid, and CO 2 emissions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt has been made to estimate the unit capital cost of parabolic trough collector (PTC) based concentrating solar power (CSP) plants in India to facilitate their financial appraisal. While reviewing approaches mentioned in the literature, a significant variation is observed in unit capital cost estimates for a 50 MW wet cooled without storage PTC based plant (US $1700 to US $2662 per kW). To internalize the effect of alternate condenser cooling options and thermal energy storage on the unit capital cost, a new approach that is based on inventory of material used and associated costs have been suggested. With the use of this approach, the unit capital cost of a 50 MW wet cooled PTC plant is estimated at US $1734 per kW. Similarly, for the same nominal capacity plant with dry cooling, the unit capital cost is estimated at US $1994 per kW. Moreover, the effects of increased nominal capacity and hours of thermal energy storage on the unit capital cost have also been investigated. • Cost estimates for a 50 MW PTC based CSP plant in India. • Review of potential approaches for estimating capital cost of PTC based CSP plants. • Study of cost implications of condenser cooling options and thermal energy storage. • Effect of the nominal capacity of the plant and hours of storage on the unit cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant share of final energy consumption in the industrial sector is used for meeting the process heating applications at low and medium temperatures (up to 250 °C). Solar industrial process heating is being considered as one of clean and renewable energy options in many countries of the world. An attempt to present a review of the available published literature on solar industrial process heating has been made in this paper. The aspects included in the review are utilization potential, present status, suitable solar collectors, design and integration aspects, performance evaluation, economic and environmental assessment, barriers to large scale adoption and case studies etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial viability is arguably the most important requirement for large scale dissemination of decentralized renewable energy systems (DRESs). Financial viability of a DRES can vary from region to region as it depends on various geographical and socio-economic factors. With sufficient solar radiation availability throughout the year, abundant forest cover, dependence of majority of population on agriculture and remote villages facing energy access related challenges, the state of Uttarakhand in India has significant potential for the application of solar and biomass based DRESs. Based on the current fuel prices, subsidies and rebates, this study is an attempt to assess the financial attractiveness of solar and biomass based DRESs under various scenarios for their potential users in Uttarakhand. Improved biomass cookstove, domestic solar water heater, solar lantern and solar home system are found to be financially viable under almost all scenarios for household applications while dish type solar cooker, solar PV pump and solar dryer are not so attractive for household applications. It has also been found that the financial attractiveness of DRESs improve significantly with the removal of subsidy presently being given to fossil fuel based energy supply options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the available literature dealing with the barriers to the dissemination of decentralized renewable energy systems. Decentralized renewable energy systems may face a range of technical, economic, institutional, socio-cultural and environmental barrier to their dissemination. In the paper, barriers impeding the dissemination of decentralized renewable energy systems have been identified and assessed. In addition, appropriate remedial measures and corresponding responsibility centers as reported in the literature have also been discussed. Inappropriateness of technology, unavailability of skilled manpower for maintenance, unavailability of spare parts, high cost, lack of access to credit, poor purchasing power and other spending priorities, unfair energy pricing, lack of information or awareness, and lack of adequate training on operation and maintenance of decentralized renewable energy systems are found to be the most critical barriers. Long-term conducive policies, appropriate regulatory framework, financial incentives (capital subsidies and soft loans) to users, technology and skill development, internalization of externalities in the cost of energy, withdrawal of subsidies presently being given to fossil fuels, development of specialized institutions, cooperation with international agencies, participation of local community and awareness generation have been recommended for increased dissemination of decentralized renewable energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, kerosene is primarily used for domestic lighting in un-electrified rural households. The government incurs significant expenditure on subsidies and under-recoveries associated with supply of kerosene distributed through public distribution system. In addition to poor illumination and indoor pollution, kerosene lamp usage necessitates expenditure on purchase of kerosene for lighting. The study evaluates the feasibility of diverting subsidies and under-recoveries provided by government and the fuel cost incurred by the user to finance replacement of kerosene lamps with solar lanterns. It is found that such an initiative will save money for both the government as well as the users besides providing better quality illumination without any indoor pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The capital cost of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants is relatively higher amongst other renewable energy-based electricity generation options. To make CSP plants more competitive, different possibilities to reduce capital costs of CSP plants need to be explored while making use of the recent developments in the field. Two potential modalities for parabolic trough collector based CSP plants have been considered in the study – (i) use of large aperture area parabolic troughs and advanced heat transfer fluids so as to operate at higher temperatures (Case-I) and (ii) use of larger aperture area parabolic troughs along with the use of molten salt as both the heat transfer fluid and storage medium (Case-II). The cost reduction potential has been estimated by assessing the impact of proposed changes on the number of components required to be used and consequent reduction in the material requirements in various components of different subsystems of the CSP plant. The likely reduction in capital cost of the parabolic trough collector based CSP plants for a location in India is estimated at 12.3% for Case-I and 29.9% for Case-II. • A review of recent developments in PTC technology to identify cost reduction possibilities. • Estimation of capital cost using advance collectors and heat transfer fluid. • Cost reduction of up to 29.9% is expected using advanced PTC technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An adaptive approach based on a neural network is presented here for the control of a grid interactive solar power generating system. This control approach is based on a summation and a product neuron, which are used to process the non‐linearity of load currents. A sigmoidal and Gaussian functions are used to linearise the response of summation and product neurons. In this control, the product and summation neurons, and sigmoidal and Gaussian functions are within a single layer, which reduces the complexity of control. This control algorithm is superior over artificial neural network (ANN)‐based control algorithm, which has large number of unknown weights and layers. It reduces the computational burden and complexity of the control algorithm. It shows the inherent improved performance at non‐linear balanced and unbalanced loads. The control of net active and reactive components of the power separately improves the efficacy of the control at unbalanced non‐linear load and reduces the voltage transients in the grid voltages. The ANN‐based control also plays an active role in enhancing the power quality of the grid. The reduced complexity of control and direct power feed forward of photovoltaic array (PVA) to the grid improve the dynamic response of the grid‐connected PVA‐based system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For large-scale dissemination of solar thermal power plants, in countries identified with huge potential, governments are offering various incentives. In an attempt towards studying the effectiveness of various incentives in reducing the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) delivered by solar thermal power plants in India, this paper presents simple mathematical frameworks that facilitate the determination of the required level of an incentive so as to ensure that the LCOE is within a pre-specified limit. For example, for a 50 MW solar thermal power plant at Barmer (Rajasthan), LCOE of Rs. 9.75 per kWh can be achieved by providing 6.3% viability gap funding or an interest subsidy of 3% or provision of 32% investment tax credits to the equity investor or provision of production tax credits to the equity investor at the rate of Rs. 0.81 per kWh for first 10 years of operation of a plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preliminary attempt to estimate the potential of solar process heating in producing cotton based textiles in India as well as the amount of greenhouse gases likely to be mitigated consequently has been made. To begin with, all the processes involved in the production of cotton based textiles (yarn and cloth) that require thermal energy have been identified. Also an assessment of availability of solar radiation as well as the ambient conditions at various locations with clusters of cotton based textile units in the country has been made. Subsequently, the solar collector area required for meeting the process heating demand has been estimated. Further, corresponding useful thermal energy delivery of solar industrial process heating systems at identified locations has been estimated. The process heating potential in term of useful thermal energy requirements in cotton based textile production is estimated at 191 PJ annually. The estimated values of annual solar fractions for the identified locations with clusters of cotton based textile units range between 0.22 and 0.32 for systems without storage and in between 0.20 and 0.60 for SIPH system having provision of thermal storage for collection of energy that would otherwise be dumped. Solar process heating in cotton based textile industry in India have a potential to mitigate 2457–7648 thousand tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually depending on the location and the provision of a storage component or otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An attempt to estimate the potential of solar industrial process heating (SIPH) and corresponding mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in dairy industry in India is presented. An assessment of availability of solar radiation as well as of the ambient conditions at various locations with milk processing plants has been made. The effect of the choice of design value of direct normal irradiance on the annual performance of solar process heating systems has been studied using model developed for hourly simulation of the performance of solar process heating system. Further, state wise estimates for useful thermal energy delivery and corresponding solar fraction have also been obtained. The total process heating potential in term of useful energy requirement in dairy sector in India has been estimated at 6.40 PJ/annum which reduces to 4.50 PJ per annum if the process heating requirement is restricted to only pasteurization stage of milk processing. The corresponding solar collector area requirement for process heating in dairy industry in India is estimated in the range of 1.54–1.83 million m 2 with the average solar fraction estimated in the range 0.18–0.32. The use of solar energy for meeting milk processing related thermal energy demand is expected to mitigate (32–144 thousand tonnes) of CO 2 emissions annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sizing of a solar thermal power plant directly affects its cost and also the annual electricity output and hence its financial attractiveness. It involves deciding appropriate values of design DNI, solar multiple and hours of thermal storage to achieve high annual capacity utilization factor (CUF) with the least cost of electricity delivered. An analysis of the impact of these design parameters on the performance of parabolic trough concentrator (PTC) and linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) based solar thermal power plants is presented using System Advisor Model for eight locations in India. Annual electricity output is estimated using radiation data source of SEC-NREL. Levelized unit cost of electricity (LUCE) is estimated using benchmark capital cost and other financial conditions specified by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission of Government of India. For a design DNI of 950 W/m 2 , LUCE is minimum in solar multiple range of 1.4–1.6 for PTC based plants and of 1.8–2.0 for LFR based plants. With a solar multiple of 1.0, LUCE is minimum in design DNI range of 550–700 W/m 2 for PTC based plants and 450–550 W/m 2 for LFR based plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple framework to estimate the potential of solar industrial process heating (SIPH) and corresponding CO 2 emissions mitigation in paper industry in India is presented. Geographical locations with clusters of paper mills have been identified and the annual process heating requirement for paper production (based on raw material use) at each cluster has been estimated. The total process heating potential for the paper industry in India has been estimated at 25.2 PJ/annum. Using the estimated performance of a commercially available parabolic trough based SIPH system with collector area requirement of 1.11 million m 2 annual solar fraction in the range of 0.25–0.30 have been estimated. Annual energy delivery of SIPH systems estimated at 4.34 PJ per annum. Finally at 8 main locations with clusters of paper mills in India considered in this study, adoption of SIPH without storage is expected to mitigate 0.34 million tonnes of CO 2 emissions annually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realistic assessment of utilization potential of solar energy for thermal power generation and identification of niche areas/locations for this purpose is critically important for designing and implementing appropriate policies and promotional measures. This paper presents the results of a detailed analysis undertaken for estimating the potential of solar thermal power generation in India. A comprehensive framework is developed that takes into account (i) the availability of wastelands (ii) Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) (iii) wastelands that are habitat to endangered species and/or tribal population and/or that is prone to earthquakes and (iv) suitability of wasteland for wind power generation. Finally, using an approach developed for the allocation of wastelands suitable for solar power generation between thermal and photovoltaic routes, the potential of solar thermal power generation is assessed for two threshold values of DNI – 1800 kW h/m 2 and 2000 kW h/m 2 . With all the wastelands having wind speeds of 4 m/s or more allocated for wind power generation, the estimated potential for solar thermal power generation is 756 GW for a threshold DNI value of 1800 kW h/m 2 and 229 GW for a threshold DNI value of 2000 kW h/m 2 . Results obtained can be used for identification of best suited areas for solar thermal power generation in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]