India Considering Off-Grid Renewable Options for Rural Electrication
by Jeff McIntire-Strasburg, St. Louis, MO 
on 04.30.07
With all of the discussion of India's economic growth (and growing carbon emissions), it's sometimes easy to forget that this nation of over one billion citizens is still developing. According to an article from yesterday's Financial Express, a 2001 census showed that 519,570 villages in India do not have power. While many of the villages are grid-accessible, the process of getting them hooked up has been slow.
What's the answer to providing electricity to these communities? According to "several experts," renewable, community-based distributed grids:
Keeping in view the electrification needs of about 5,19,570 villages and 56.48% of the households, several experts are of the view that generation of power through new and renewable sources of energy, distributed and managed on community basis (taking off grid transmission course) can be a better alternative for faster rural electrification.The ministry for new and renewable energy sources has estimated a potential for 84,776 mwe grid-interactive power generation from non-conventional sources, like agro residues, wind power, small hydro projects, cogeneration from bagasse and from industrial wastes.
India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy lays out its plans for rural electrification on its website. While the government will promote "...an optimum mix of both conventional and non-conventional energy," the program's first provision seems to give preference to clean technologies: "Provision of the most cost effective mix of various energy sources and options for meeting, the requirements of sustainable agriculture and rural development by giving due weightage to environmental considerations."
As the Financial Express article notes, electrification is vital for rural economies, and not just in India. And for those parts of the developing world where political instability is a fact of life, decentralized renewable generation will likely prove more reliable than a grid connection. Finally, development that's relatively free from increases in carbon emissions will mean that impoverished people around the globe can improve their standard of living without significant contributions to global climate change. A "win-win-win..." ::India's Financial Express
UPDATE: Thanks to reader Manu for correcting my mistaken identification of the State of Haryana's Ministry of Renewable Energy as the national agency. That's been corrected.
Image source: State of Haryana Ministry of Renewable Energy
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"5,19,570 villages (yes, that's millions)"
Doesn't look like it. The number of comas says millions, but the digits say hundred thousands.
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Writer's note: You are correct -- I saw two commas and made the leap... obviously...
India counts in Lakh=10^5 and Crore=10^7 rather than million and billion. Still, that's a lot of villages and a lot of people, and how they power themselves is a big deal.
Some of India is starting to realize that the oft quoted excuse of "the west made a mess becoming developed, so it is our right to do the same" is moderately weak. But for the most part, being environmentally minded here is rather depressing. Admittedly, I'm in Bombay, but even in the countryside, waste disposal and clean water are huge problems.
India's rich have a huge carbon sink that is India's poor, who simply don't have the resources to pollute. But as they gain this ability, at least at first it isn't going to be a green mindset that keeps things from going to hell.
Jeff, there's an incorrect quote and link in the second last para attributed to India's "ministry of renewable energy." The site linked is actually a state (Haryana) government department, not the central govt. ministry.
This is the correct website of India's ministry of New and Renewable Energy, MNES (formerly known as Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources).
Btw, India has been investing in rural electrification through renewables for quite some time.
Manu
Green-India
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Thanks, Manu! That should've been obvious now that I look... I'll get that fixed.
Sorry to say but Indian bureaucracy hits everywhere. Imagine a country like US offers subsidy for those who are installing solar power in their premises whereas Indian politicians/policies make only empty promises.
I live in state of Maharashtra and as per the UN report that I managed to find on the web, UN is subsidizing the solar power installations in India but when I go and check in reality, nobody really knows about such scheme???
Here the situation is, I don't want subsidy but I just need right company to do these installations and even such companies are not present in Maharashtra. Even SELCO which has been touted to be the largest provider of quality solar panels 'proudly' mentions on their website that they operate only in Southern India !!!
I must agree though, states like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Gujarat are way ahead of any other state in India..
Mr Manu Sharma, UNEP is not subsidising solar installation sin Maharashtra. It collaborates with Bank of Maharashtra to run a consumer loan programme. Unlike several other initiatives, the UNEP's Karnataka Project has proved that solar systems can be bought by small rural households without any subsidies - this is also the same model for Maharashtra and Gujarat (tie up with Sewa bank). Bank of Maharashtra offers teh loan product in 7 districts in the State, and UNEP has qualified 7 vendors.
hi jeff
i am a student
and want to find out the total expense it would take
to install this system for the requirement of about
15 to 20 kW
because i want to make one of the school in my village to
be a solar energy dependent