using the indigenous of jatropha: the use of jatropha curcas oil as raw material and biofuel

Solar power plant cost in India and GermanyC R Bhattacharjee

Solar power plants are a necessity at places in India like remote hillyareas and islands for providing electricity to improve the standard ofliving of the people. This paper focuses on how improvements intechnology and competitiveness among players in the fields ofmanufacture, supply, and installation are leading to reduction in costs...

Using the indigenous knowledge of jatropha:the use of Jatropha curcas oil as raw material andbiofuelJatropha curcas, hitherto considered a wild oilseed plant of the tropics, isnow being regarded as a promising biofuel crop ideally suitable for growingin the wastelands of India. This crop is now in great demand even in theinternational scenario. This article covers the use of biofuel with specialemphasis to the jatropha plant and its advantages and recent developments.This potential biofuel crop can bring about major economic activity such asproviding rural electrification, income, and employment opportunities to therural communities...

Current researchA compilation of annotated bibliographies from different leading periodicalson current research on renewable energy and environment...

Web updatesThis section is picks up some of the web resources available in the fields ofrenewable energy and environment...

Conferences/Workshops/SeminarsCovering some of the major forthcoming events in the fields of environment,renewable energy, and sustainable developments...

Vol. 1 Issue 1 March 2004

A quarterly electronic newsletter on renewable energy and environment

Ministry of Environment and Forests,Government of India

The Energy and Resources Institute

2eNREE • Vol. 1 Issue 1 • March 2004

country, which are located far away from the grid.Extending a line to these villages will be veryexpensive, and villagers will find it difficult tobear the tariff burden. Moreover, 20 000 villageshave been identified as unapproachable from thegrid line and will have to depend on alternativesources of power. These alternative sources couldbe solar or wind energy, biomass, biogas, ormicro-hydel energy, which may be locallyavailable to be harnessed in a useful manner.Incidentally, only these sources have been foundto be technologically and commercially viableuntil now, especially in villages that are situatedbeyond a certain distance from the grid line.

Application of solar power

A solar power plant is a good option forelectrification in areas that are located away fromthe grid line or where other sources are neitheravailable nor can be harnessed in a techno-economically viable manner. A solar power plantof the size 10–100 kW (kilowatt), depending onthe load demand, is preferable particularly with aliberal subsidy and low-interest soft loan fromfinancial institutions. The idea is to raise thequality of life of the people subjected to povertyin these areas. This coupled with a low-gestationperiod, simple operation and maintenance areresulting in installation of solar power plants in

remote areas of manystates that needelectrification. Incontrast, extremely highcost of solar power plantinstallation is an obstacleto grid-connectedapplications in urbanareas. Instead of acentralized powergeneration anddistribution, individualDLS (domestic lighting

Solar power plant cost in India and Germany

C R Bhattacharjee*658, Lake Gardens, Kolkata - 700045, [email protected]

Abstract

Solar power plants are a necessity at places inIndia like remote hilly areas and islands for

providing electricity in order to improve the standardof living of the people. Financial constraints in thepublic sector and non-remunerative characteristics ofeconomics act as disincentives to privateentrepreneurs, which are impediments to the nationalprogramme of solar electrif ication of villages. Despitethese constraints, the Ministry of Non-conventionalEnergy Sources, Government of India is attempting toelectrify as many villages as possible with the solarphotovoltaic system. This paper attempts to show howimprovements in technology and competitivenessamong players in the fields of manufacture, supply,and installation are leading to reduction in costs, butnot at the sharp rate that is competitive withconventional power. However, it appears that directconversion of solar power to electricity is cheaper inIndia than in Germany.

Electrification of remote villages

Besides food, shelter, clothing, and employment,the next priority in villages is affordable energyfor cooking and lighting. The first important task,a gigantic task, will be to build a network forcooking with LPG (liquified petroleum gas) to doaway with the drudgery and unhealthy practice ofcooking with firewood/agricultural residue bymillions of families inIndia. The secondimportant one will be toprovide electricity toimprove the livingconditions to act as anessential catalyst inalleviating poverty.However, there is aserious problem ofextending the power lineto the unelectrified80 000 villages in the

* The author has been working in the power supply utility industry for 50 years in private and public sectors, and is presently aconsulting engineer with an interest in renewable energy.

eNREE • Vol. 1 Issue 1 • March 20043

systems) are also common in many ruralunelectrified houses. The initial thrust forcentralized plants with a distribution network tosupply off-grid and quality power, i.e. power atthe right voltage and frequency, came from ademonstration unit in Sagar Island in WestBengal. The plants in Sagar Island started withthe unique feature of training people to operateand maintain the plants, besides generating anawareness through interaction with prospectiveconsumers who at a later stage could take up themanagement on a cooperative basis. Following thesame pattern, biomass-based power plants havealso been set up in that area. Thus participatoryinvolvement of the localpeople has ensuredsustainability of theprogramme.

The SPV (solarphotovoltaic) mode ofelectrification started in1998 after a system on atrial basis wascommissioned in Kamalpur village in 1996. Thefour important components in a solar powersystem are solar modules, battery, inverter, andcharge controller, besides other BOS (balance ofsystem)/components. These four componentsincur more than two-thirds of the total cost. Infact, 50% of the project cost is invested on thesolar modules. It would be interesting to observehow the cost behaved over the past 5 or 6 years.

In October 1998, regular electrification ofvillages through off-grid solar plant started. Sofar, 11 such plants have been set up, coveringelectrification of more than 25 villages in SagarIsland (Table 1).

Each 25 kWp plant can cater to 150 serviceconnections with an average load of 80 watts eachto fulfil the domestic requirement and80–100 watts for shops for illumination, photo-copying, battery charging, etc. A consumer pays500 rupees (11 dollars) or 1000 rupees(22 dollars) as security deposit with a monthlycharge of 100–125 rupees (4–5.5 dollars) basedon the demand for load.

Decentralized powerplants have been set upwith liberal grants andloan, and are nowoperating on commerciallines. In the latest modelsof power plants, drinkingwater supply from thetube wells through solar

power has also been incorporated. At some ofthese stations, hybrid wind generators have beeninstalled on an experimental basis for augmentingenergy supply and for studying behaviouralfunctioning of wind and photovoltaic powergeneration in tandem. Tables 2 and 3 indicate thatthe prices of module, battery, inverter, and chargecontroller have reduced by approximately 21%over the past 6 years. However, it is yet to be

Table 1 Cost of module and percentage of total cost

CostInstallationCapacity Module Per watt Total Percentage

Name Month and year kWp (Rupees in 1000) Rupees (Rupees in 1000) total

Kamalpur February 1996 25 4617 174.25 7345 63Mrityunjay October 1998 25 5141 185.24 9218 56Khasmahal May 1999 25 4317 173 7968 54Gayenbazar May 1999 25 4317 173 7968 54Mahendra August 1999 25 4317 173 7968 54Natendrapur August 2000 25 3375 135.5 7098 48Haradhanpur November 2000 25 3375 135.5 7098 48Mandirtala December 2000 25 3375 135.5 7098 48Mousuni-I March 2001 55 8175 153.8 15379 53Mausuni-II April 2003 110 17111 156 29842 57ParthPratim March 2004 110* 16112 146.46 31373 55

*expectedSource: Figures have been derived from basic cost data of WBREDA (West Bengal Renewable Energy and Development Agency)


ascertained whether the life expectancy andefficiency of solar cells has improved during thisperiod. In the case of BOS, the cost is around45% of the total project expenditure and indicatesno change in the price structure. In a way, theexpenses have reduced considering the expansionof scope of work under the BOS category likelonger period of the initial annual maintenance (5years now instead of 2 years earlier) as part of thecapital expenditure, sophisticated control building(with better floors and walls), water supply, etc.

Cost and output in India and Germany

Table 2 shows the cost characteristics of a fewimportant items of BOS while Table 3 refers torange of installed plant capacity and annualgeneration for Germany. In India, the price ofbattery varies between 27 rupees per watt and41 rupees per watt, but better quality productshave come up in the market to service solar powerstations with replacement guarantees extendingfrom 5 years to 7 years. The cost of an inverter

has increased considerably by almost 33% from42 rupees to 55 rupees contrary to the price ofelectronic items, which are generally decreasing.Charge controllers are however on a decliningtrend.

From Tables 2 and 3, it appears that the costof the SPV stand-alone power plants with anadditional battery to store energy for supply inthe evening hours to meet the villagers’ need is285 000 rupees (6264 dollars) / kWp. InGermany, the cost of a roof-top or other typegrid-connected units, exclusive of a battery in therange of 50–120 kWp of capacity, of a solar plantis 289 760 rupees (6368 dollars). This impliesthat the Indian solar plant works out to becheaper. The cost of a module in Germany isabove 70% of the total cost as against 50%–55%in India. The cost of an inverter is around 12% ofthe total cost in Germany, whereas it is nearly19% in India. From the performance point ofview, energy delivered in Germany is 786 kWh/kWpper annum against more than 850 kWh/kWpavailable in the country. The variation might beattributable to the difference in solar radiation ineach country.

Conventional thermal and non-conventionalpower

Overall cost per watt has reduced by nearly 23% asseen in the competitive bidding in West Bengal inIndia. Capital cost of thermal generation is as low as40 000 rupees per kW. Compared to this,decentralized solar power generation is 285 000rupees per kW or 3.5 times higher. Cost has

Table 3 Cost of solar power in Germany and annual generation

Total AnnualRegion of No. of capacity generationGermany installations (kWp) (kWh/kWp)

North-west 453 1215 732South 895 2250 860Capacity range Module cost Inverter cost Cost in Euro per kWp50–120 kWp 74.3% 11.8% 5307

Source: Doblemenn JT. 2003. Germany’s solar success.Renewable Energy World 6(6): 74

Table 2 Cost of battery, inverter, and charge controller

Cost per watt (rupees)

Name Total project Battery Inverter Charge controller

Kamalpur 294 34 35 10Mrityunjay 369 39 42 13Khasmahal 319 41 63 3Gayenbazar 319 41 63 3Mahendra 319 41 63 3Natendrapur 284 27 58 12HaraDhanpur 284 27 58 12Mandirtala 284 27 58 12Mousuni-1 280 37 34 not quotedMausuni-11 284 41 71 71ParthPratim 285 40 55 16

Source: Figures have been derived from basic cost data of WBREDA (West Bengal Renewable Energy and Development Agency)


Using the indigenous knowledge of jatrophaThe use of Jatropha curcas oil as raw material and biofuel

reduced by 50% over two decades and shoulddescend further by 50% so that conversion of solarpower to electricity is commercially viable forgeneral application. There is an additional elementof fuel charge in the tariff connected with thermalpower due to dangerous repercussion from pollutionand health hazards. Instead, solar power happens tosatisfactorily addresses this serious issue free fromrecurring cost on fuel to provide clean energy.Ironically, though the SPV system is utilized to helppoor people in remote areas in third worldcountries. The same technology works for well-to-dopeople in urban areas in the developed countries. Inboth the cases, states finance the schemes throughincentives or some form of a grant. In one case, theenvironment is the deciding factor whereas, in theother, provision of power is an essential tool to

improve the quality of life. Therefore, it is littlewonder that Japan, Germany, and the US, haveseveral SPV installations with hundreds ofmegawatts in capacity as against only a fewinstallations with tens of megawatt capacity in Indiaand Africa, though they both have enough sunshine.

Acknowledgements

It is a privilege to convey my gratitude toMr S P Gon Coudhury, Director andMr Angsuman Majumder, Associate for basicdata.

End note1 dollar = 45.5 rupees; 1 rupee = 2 cents (US)1 Euro = 1.2 dollars

W ith the increasing price of crude oil, theimport bill of India on petroleum products

is expected to cross 16 billion dollars during2003. Therefore, the time has come to explorealternatives and tap traditional wisdom. Consider-ing the seriousness of the cost of petroleumproducts and the pollution caused by the use ofthese products, many developed and developingcountries have ventured into the use of vegetableoils as a better alternative to diesel. Suitableinitiatives have also been made in India by gov-ernment agencies, research institutions, andautomobile industries. One of the major achieve-ments of biodiesel research in India was the firstsuccessful trial run of a passenger train conductedon 31 December 2002, when the Delhi-AmritsarShatabdi Express used 5% ofbiodiesel as fuel. Biodiesel willenable the Indian Railways tosave on its rising fuel bill whilecontrolling pollution levels.According to the Railways,sulphur and lead emissionswere reduced significantlywhen biodiesel was used.Ultimately, the percentage ofbiodiesel would go up to 15%

in unison with the accepted global norms. The newgreen fuel extracted from the seeds of the jatrophaplant is now being tested by Indian Oil in thelaboratory for biodiesel. The plant can easily begrown on either side of railway tracks as it growswell in both arid and semi-arid conditions, requiringlow fertility and moisture. The other advantages arethe fuel’s contribution to the national energy pooland the potential for creation of jobs in rural sector.

Advantages of biodiesel

Some of the advantages of using biodiesel aregiven below.P The higher cetane number of biodiesel com-

pared to petro-diesel indicates the potential forhigher engine performance.

P The superior lubricatingproperties of biodieselincreases the engineefficiency.

P Their higher flash pointmakes them safer to store.

P The biodiesel molecules aresimple hydrocarbon chains,containing no sulphur.

P They contain higheramount of oxygen


(up to 10%), which ensures complete combus-tion of hydrocarbons.

P Biodiesel almost completely eliminates lifecycle carbon-dioxide emissions. When com-pared with petro-diesel, biodiesel reducesemission of particulate matter by 40%,unburned hydrocarbons by 68%, carbon mon-oxide by 44%, sulphates by 100%, PAHs(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) by 80%,and carcinogenic nitrated PAHs by 90%, onaverage. The use of biodiesel complements theworking of the catalysator and can help acurrent Euro-I motor attain the Euro-IIIstandards.

P Use of biodiesel will lead to increased energyindependence as well as increased economicactivity from fuel production and utilization.

It is also heartening tonote that work has alreadybeen initiated in India tostandardize the techniqueof esterification to convertoil into biodiesel. Keepingin mind the physical andchemical variations of oilsfrom different species andthe impact of biodiesel onthe engine efficiency andenvironment, reputedresearch institutions andautomobile industries have reported that biodieselcan reduce the wear and tear of engines andsignificantly reduce the oil pollution. This is nowencouraging scientists and farmers to grow oilseed-yielding species as an economically viable activity,particularly to develop marginal and wastelands thatare under-utilized in the country.

Presently most of the non-edible oils areobtained from seeds of the Indian tree speciessuch as neem (Azadirachta indica), karanj(Pongamia pinnata), mahua (Madhuca species),undi (Calophyllum inophyllum), and jatropha(Jatropha curcas). Whereas the first four speciesgrow into big trees, jatropha is a shrub that startsbearing fruits right from the first year onwards.

Rural electrification

Biodiesel is a biofuel that can directly substitutepetroleum-based diesel and can be used in ruralregions. It can be used to generate decentralized

micro-grid electricity at the village level as well asreplace diesel fuel in small-scale applications likeirrigation pump sets.

Rural electrification has long been recognized asthe need to improve conditions in rural areas. In thepast 25 years, developing countries have extendedelectricity supply to more than 500 million peoplein rural areas. Out of the four billion people in thedeveloping world, about two billion, mostly in ruralareas, are still without access to electricity.

Crude oil / non-transesterified oil can bedirectly utilized into the grid for rural electrifica-tion. Oil is extracted from the Jatropha curcas seedby the press-oil extraction method using a verylow-cost input machine. Through a simple chemi-cal process, oil from Jatropha curcas seed can beconverted to a fuel commonly referred to as

‘biodiesel’. Technology forsuch a process is easilyaccessible to rural communi-ties. No modifications toengines are necessary to usebiodiesel instead of petro-leum-based diesel. It can bemixed with petroleum-baseddiesel in any proportion andused for decentralized micro-grid electricity generation atthe village level, as well as areplacement for diesel fuel insmall-scale applications like

irrigation pump sets. More reliable electricity can beproduced from mini-grid systems rather than exten-sions from the central grid.

For this purpose, interested villagers or farmerscan be motivated to install the expeller, whichextracts the oil from the seeds and expels the resi-due, as a future business prospect.

Biofuel

Jatropha curcas, hitherto considered a wild oilseedplant of the tropics, is now being considered apromising biofuel crop ideally suitable for grow-ing in the wastelands of the country. ‘This poten-tial biodiesel crop can bring about majoreconomic activity providing income and employ-ment opportunities to the rural communities,’says E Vadivel, Dean, Horticultural College andResearch Institute, Tamil Nadu AgriculturalUniversity, Coimbatore. ‘Jatropha cultivation cangenerate an income of 25 000 rupees


(520.83 dollars) per hectare in a year; and if grownover 200 hectares in a village, it can provide ad-equate employment to all landless workers all roundthe year,’ explains Vadivel. Belonging toEuphorbiaceae species (castor family), this tropicaland sub-topical crop can thrive well in low rainfallregions and soils with problems. It isa hardy, drought-tolerant crop,and fast-growing, whichcan be easily cultivatedwithout much care.Animals do notgraze on jatrophaplants, and the cropis widely propagatedthrough seeds andvegetative means. Masspropagation through stemcuttings will ensure uniformityand early establishment. Mycorrhizalassociations have been observed and are known toaid the plant’s growth even in low availability ofphosphorus. The standardized extraction process foredible oils can also be adopted for extractingJatropha curcas seed oil. The filtering mechanismshave been modified, and other parameters forpreparing the matured seed for extracting the oilhave been standardized.

Additional benefits of jatropha plantations

P Fixation of up to 10 tonnes/hectare/year ofCO

2 will benefit international carbon trade.

P Production of 1 tonne/ hectare/year of high-protein seed cake (60% crude protein) can bepotentially used for animal and fish feeds, andorganic matter could be used as organic ferti-lizer particularly in remote areas.

P Utilization of various other products from theplant (leaf, bark and seed extracts) for otherindustrial and pharmaceutical uses.

P Localized production and availability of qualityfuel.

P Restoration of degraded land over a period oftime.

P Generation of rural employment.

International initiatives of jatropha

Jatropha project in Papua New Guinea

A project on jatropha in Papua New Guineasupports a manufacturer in the development of

the press and the project underwrites part of thecosts of training people to make soap. The manu-facturer has the incentive to encourage oil-processing activities, as it will encourage moresales of presses. The soap has a ready market andit is believed that it can cure ‘white spot’, which is

a fungal growth on the skin andcommon in Papua New

Guinea.

Jatropha in Brazil

Frost-resistant orfrost-tolerantvarieties of jatrophaare extensively

grown in Parana,Brazil.

Large-scale jatropha plantationin Egypt

Irrigated by treated sewage water, 500 000 hectaresis being developed with D1’s agro-forestry technol-ogy as a plantation that will supply the feedstockfor D1 refineries to be constructed in Ain Suchnaand Alexandria.

Jatropha as a renewable source of diesel in Ghana

Several organizations and individuals in Ghanahave shown an interest in the jatropha plant,which has several uses and could be used as a fuelfor domestic use.

Jatropha cultivation in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

Jathropa is taking off like wildfire in Kwazulu-Natal. There are as many as (approximately) 1000growers in Kwazulu-Natal already involved injatropha cultivation.

Indian initiatives

P In an effort to reduce air pollution and reducefuel costs in the long-term, the Government ofIndia has decided to go ahead with the produc-tion of biodiesel. During a recent inter-ministerial meeting attended by several seniorscientists from various institutes, the first stepstowards production of biodiesel were taken. Allthe participants expressed a keen interest inthe early introduction of biodiesel by‘transesterification’ of jatropha oil or othernon-edible oils. The Planning Commission,


Government of India had prepared a reporton the gradual introduction of biodiesel, whichhas been accepted as a basic referencedocument. Using the Commission’s reportas a framework, the institutes will go aheadwith further developmental work on biodiesel.

P The Government of Tamil Nadu is to implementa developmental scheme on Jatropha curcas withplans to cultivate in 400 000 hectares.

P The RCAC (Rural Community Action Centre)in Tamil Nadu is promoting the plantation anduse of jatropha.

P A firm in Tamil Nadu is working on a projectto grow 600 000 hectares of jatropha on landsowned by farmers in various parts of TamilNadu. They will provide farmers with theseedlings and 3000 rupees per hectare for landpreparation and plantation, as well as buy theentire production of jatropha seeds from thefarmers on a contractual basis.

P The Indian Railway will grow jatropha alongthe railway tracks and plans to plant it alonga 25 000-kilometre route on either side of thetrack. The plan is to replace 10% of the totalpetro-diesel consumption by jatropha. Theproject has already started on a pilot scale.

P The Maharashtra Agro-forestry Departmenthas been actively encouraging growing ofjatropha in watershed development projects.

P A similar project similar to Maharashtra isbeing attempted in Madhya Pradesh.

P The Planning Board of Haryana Governmentis planning to grow jatropha on 50 000 acres(5000 acres each year) to attract farmers tocrop cycle diversification.

P The Gujarat Agricultural University is plan-ning the plantation of jatropha on wastelandsfor income generation.

P Mahindra & Mahindra has successfully con-ducted large-scale trials of operating its trac-tors on biodiesel, while Mercedes-Benz issponsoring jatropha production with a commit-ment to use biodiesel to run its cars.

P DaimlerCrysler joins CSIR (Council for Scien-tific and Industrial Research) to use jatropha oilfor biodiesel production. The objective of theproject is to demonstrate the feasibility of the‘jatropha biodiesel’ as a fuel for modern vehicles.

The Government's view on Jatropha curcasplantations

Initially, the Government of India proposes topromote Jatropha curcas plantations on Indianwastelands. Its oil, which is a potential substituteto diesel, possesses several other properties suchas wide environmental tolerance, adaptability togrow on any type of soil or wastelands, easilypropagated through seeds/cuttings, minimal after-plantation care, lesser gestation periods, is notgrazed by animals even during drought, whichstrengthens its case for promotion in wastelands.

The plantation over an area of 5 million hec-tares of wasteland – comprising degraded forestland, non-forest land, agricultural field bounda-ries, public land along roads, irrigation channelsand railway tracts, etc. – is proposed to be under-taken in 200 districts of 19 states involving theparticipation of various departments/organiza-tions of agriculture and rural development minis-tries, NGOs, cooperative bodies, farmers’ groups,etc. Initially pilot plantations over an area of50 000 hectares each in Andhra Pradesh, MadhyaPradesh, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh isproposed to be undertaken during 2003/04. Tofacilitate oil extraction and transesterification,three to four contiguous districts, on the basis ofavailability of wasteland, about 15 000 hectaresper district, would be identified in these states.Besides undertaking new plantations, the existingcollection of TBOs (tree-borne oilseeds) will alsobe enhanced by creating infrastructure facilities,like establishment of seed produce procurementand oil-expelling centres, in each of the identifiedpotential states/districts of the country. Besidesincreasing the availability of vegetable oil, theseed procurement/collection operation is signifi-cant because the earnings of tribal collectorsengaged in the collection of TBOs are to a largerextent dependent on the collection of seeds.


Current research on renewable energy andenvironment

Sudha P*, Somashekhar H I, Rao S, and Ravindranath N H**. 2003. Sustainable biomass production for energy inIndia. Biomass and Bioenergy 25(5): 501–515

*Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India **<[email protected]>

This paper assesses the biomass productionpotential for energy and its financial viability

for India. The scenarios considered for estimatingthe biomass potential are incremental to biomassdemand, sustainable biomass demand, and fullbiomass demand. Under these scenarios, twosituations have been considered: no increase incropland by 2010 and increase in cropland by10% over the 1995 area. Annually, 62–310 milliontonnes of wood could be generated from thesurplus land after meeting all the conventionalrequirements of biomass such as domesticfuelwood, industrial wood, and sawnwood, requir-ing an investment of 168 780 billion rupees. Theannual energy potential of plantation biomass is

estimated to vary from 930 to 4650 PJ(Peta Joules). It is projected that the energy con-sumption in 2010 will be 19 200 PJ; thus planta-tion biomass could supply about 5%–24% ofprojected total energy consumption in 2010. Thekey barriers to producing biomass for energy arethe lack of demand for wood for energy andfinancial incentives to promote bioenergy, lowproductivity of plantations, inaccessibility ofgenetically improved planting stock, inappropriatesilviculture practices for high yields of plantations,land tenurial barriers, and absence of institutionsto integrate biomass production for energy andbioenergy utilities.(13 tables, 33 references)

In addition to providing employment to thetribal and other weaker sections of society, theavailable forest resources would also be optimallyutilized with no additional requirement of landand inputs. Each seed produce procurementcentre would be provided with preprocessing andprocessing facilities such as a processing shed,seed godown, cleaner and grader, decorticator,drier, de-pulper, oil expeller, moisture meter,weighting bridge, etc. The farmers/seed collectorswill bring their seeds to these procurementcentres for disposal at remunerative prices. Thecrushing of seeds will also be undertaken at thesecentres. The necessary facilities for storage ofoil at these centres will be set up. In each district,8–10 such centres would be set up through the

joint forest management societies, NGOs, thecorporate sector, corporations, etc.

Sources

http://www.jatropha.de/http://dbtindia.nic.in/r&d/biofuel.htmlhttp://www.baif.com/journals_d.htmhttp://www.uni-hohenheim.de/~www480/docs

gf030224/jatropha-biodiesel.htmThe Hindu Business Line, 4 January 2004The Statesman, 3 March 2004The Hindu, 3 January 2003The Financial Express, 13 February 2003Business Standard, 8 March 2003The Hindu, 22 May 2003


Refrigerators working on DC (direct current)compressors are more suitable to work with SPV(solar photovoltaic) modules rather than theconventional refrigerators working on AC (alter-nate current) compressors. This paper presentsresults of a study undertaken to design and test a170-litre capacity DC compressor-based refrigera-tor integrated with a SPV power supply unit.Specifications of SPV system suitable for thepurpose were formulated during the study. Basedon the current costs prevailing in the market, itwas estimated that the cost of a 170-litre solarrefrigerator along with SPV power supply system

Chavda T V and Philip S K*. 2002. Study of DC compressor based SPV powered refrigerator.SESI Journal 12(2): 101–108

*SPRERI (Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute), Vallabh Vidhyanagar - 388 120 Gujarat, India<[email protected]>

for rural applications would be 120 000 rupees.While the cost appears to be quite high whencompared to a conventional AC refrigerator, yetthis might be the only reliable and economicaloption for small refrigeration applications in manysites. SPRERI (Sardar Patel Renewable EnergyResearch Institute) is currently testing the systemin a village to obtain field data and also to reducethe cost wherever possible. Use of a locally avail-able refrigerator body with an imported compres-sor appears to be a promising option to reducethe cost of the system.(7 figures, 7 tables, 3 references)

Indiscriminate use of natural resources in the pasthas lead to fuelwood shortages in many parts ofthe tropical world. To surmount this domesticenergy crisis, not only must degraded sites beplanned with trees having high fuel value poten-tial but also must agro-forestry be promoted onarable lands. To enable the choice of species forsuch energy plantations/agro-forests in the humidtropics of peninsular India, the author assessed theheat of combustion and physical properties thatdetermine the combustion of the phyto-fuels suchas ash content, specific gravity, and moisture con-tent. Bark and wood sample of 45-multipurpose treespecies in home gardens of Kerala, India and threefuel materials of local importance (coconut [Cocosnucidera] endocarp, dried coconut spathe, and

Shanavas A and Mohan Kumar B*. 2003. Fuelwood characteristics of tree species in homegardens of Kerala, India.Agroforestry Systems 58(1): 11–24

*College of Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala 680 656, KAU PO, Thrissur, India,<[email protected]>

dehiscent rubber [Hevea braziliensis] pericarp)were evaluated. Variations were abound in thecalorific values and physical properties of speciesand tissue-types. In general, the sequence forcombustion of heat and specific gravity wereheartwood, sapwood, bark; while mean ash per-centage followed the reverse order (bark,sapwood, heartwood). Ash content had a negativecorrelation with combustion of heat, but specificgravity exerted a positive influence. Furthermore,ash content and wood specific gravity were in-versely related. Although green moisture contentincreased in the order of bark, heartwood,sapwood, but it failed to show any predictablerelationship with combustion of heat.(24 references, 10 tables)

The energy requirement of the textile industry is aconsiderable fraction (9%) of the total energyrequirement of India. Wet processing of textile aloneconsumes 80% of this energy. This paper discussesthe development of a solar yarn-drying machine, itsperformance and techno-economic evaluation. The

Bhattacharya D K, Saxena S, Sharma V, and Ghosh D*. 2003. Development of solar yarn-drying machine-its perform-ance and techno-economic evaluation. IREDA News 14(2): 57–61

*Northern India Textile Research Association, Sector 23, Raj Nagar, Gaziabad 201 002, India

performance of the solar dryer has been found to bequite beneficial and can save large quantities of fuel,if used in tandem with a conventional dryer. Thereis a need to undertake further studies to establishthis technology in the industry.(4 tables)


The widespread presence of persistent organicchemicals as pollutants in wastewater effluentsfrom industrial and other sources continues to bea serious environmental problem. As a cleaneralternative to conventional decontaminationtechnologies, TiO2 (titanium dioxide) mediatedsolar detoxification of organic pollutants is gainingwidespread approval. A detailed experimentalinvestigation was conducted on laboratory- andfield-model solar reactors, both using parabolic

Babu G V, Sharat A and Nagaraju J*. 2002. Solar decolorization of Rhodamine B dye using concentrating collectors.SESI Journal 12(2): 73–80

*Solar Energy and Thermal Instrumentation Laboratory, Department of Instrumentation, Indian Institute ofScience, Bangalore 560 012, India <[email protected]>

trough concentrating collectors with TiO2 (DegussaP25) as the catalyst to detoxify Rhodamine B in anaqueous solution. The influence of photo catalystand its mode of operation, addition of hydrogenperoxide, insertion of twisted tapes into the receivertube, and the intensity of solar irradiance on thereaction rate were investigated. It was observed thatthe reaction rate varied with the square root of solarreactor concentration ratio.(5 figures, 5 references)

In the past, several electricity demand studieshave been published on India based on aggregatemacro data at the country or sub-national/statelevel. Since the underlying theory of consumerdemand is based on the behaviour of individualagents, the use of micro data, which reflectsindividual and household behaviour, more closely,can shed greater light on the nature of consumerresponses. In this paper, seasonal price and in-come elasticities of electricity demand in theresidential sector of all urban area of India wereestimated for the first time using disaggregatelevel of survey data for about 30 000 households.

Filippini M*, Pachauri S**. 2004. Elasticities of electricity demand in urban Indian households.Energy Policy 32(3): 429–436

*Centre for Energy Policy and Economics, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich Switzerland**<[email protected]>

Three electricity demand functions were eco-nomically estimated using monthly data forwinter, monsoon, and summer season in order tounderstand the extent to which factors – such asincome, prices, household size and other house-hold-specific characteristics – influence variationsobserved in electricity demand in individualhouseholds. The results show electricity demandis income and price inelastic for all three seasons,and that household, demographic, and geographi-cal variables are significant in determining theelectricity demand.(5 tables, 25 references)

Various factors that influence the energydemand in India and develop the energy and envi-ronmental outlook in the year 2010 have beendiscussed in this paper. An integrated mathematicalmodel incorporating various factors – such as GDP(gross domestic product), population growth,energy intensity, environmental policies – wasdeveloped. Using this framework, an SEP (sustain-

Reddy B S* and Balachandra P. 2003. Integrated energy-environment-policy analysis: a case study of India.Utilities Policy 11(2): 59–73

*Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Goregaon (East), Mumbai 400 065, India<[email protected]>

able energy planning) scenario was developed. Acomparison was made with the baseline scenario,which showed that the implementation of variouspolicy measures reduces the energy consumptionlevels and improves the environment. The energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2010 are pro-jected to decrease by about 13% (relative tobaseline scenario).(12 tables, 4 figures, 7 references)


Use of fixed technique or biofilters for enhancingbiogas production with substrates of high solidscontent has been explored to a very limited extentin the past for reactors of very small size and datacollected over a short duration. The present workfocuses on the use of a new biofilter, which is aniron mesh in a matrix-like configuration in alarger size reactor with a capacity of 400 litreswith cowdung slurry as the substrate. The use ofstone chips as biofilter material has also been

Rana V*, Santosh, Kohli S**, and Yadvika. 2002. Pilot study on use of fixed film technique for performance enhance-ment of cowdung based biogas plants. SESI Journal 12(2): 93–100

*Center for Rural Development and Appropriate Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IndianInstitute of Technology, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016, India **<[email protected]>

investigated. The data of daily gas productionhas been collected for one year. The iron meshbiofilter gave 10%–24% more gas, while thestone chip biofilter performed more or less thesame as compared with the control reactor. Thestudy suggests the superiority of matrix-likeconfiguration of biofilters as of iron mesh incomparison with lumped configuration as ofstone chips.(3 figures, 14 references)

Chandel S S*, Aggarwal R K, and Pandey A N. 2002. A new approach to estimate global solar radiation on horizontalsurfaces from temperature data. SESI Journal 12(2): 109–114

*State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Himachal Pradesh, B 34, SDA Complex, Kasumpti,Shimla 171 009, India <[email protected]>

This paper presents a new correlation model forestimating monthly average values of global solarradiation from ambient air temperature data. Themodel closely follows Allen’s model and considersthe effects of latitude and altitude of the location.Numerical calculations were made using the new

model corresponding to three locations (namelyAmritsar, Delhi and Shillong). The study showsthat the new model predicts better values ofglobal solar radiation as compared to othermodels.(1 table, 3 figures, 6 references)

The Stirling engine has attracted the attention ofseveral generations of engineers and physicists dueto it potential to provide high conversion ofefficiency. However, the Stirling engine has not beenused practically due to limitations in its technology.An irreversible heat engine model with a finite heatcapacity of external reservoirs was used to evaluatethe performance of a Stirling heat engine. Theexternal irreversibilities were due to the finitetemperature difference between the heat engine andexternal reservoirs as well as the direct heat leak lossbetween the source and the sink, while the internalirreversibilities were due to the regenerative heatloss and the other entropy generated during the twoisothermal processes in the cycle. The power outputwas adopted as an objective function for optimiza-

Kaushik S C*, Tyagi S K, and Mohan S. 2003. Performance evaluation of an irreversible Striling heat engine cycle.International Journal of Ambient Energy 24(3): 149–156

*Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, New Delhi 110016, India

tion. The expressions for maximum power outputand the corresponding thermal efficiency werederived. The effects of various parameters such asthe effectiveness on the source- and sink-side andthe regenerative heat exchangers, and the internalirreversibility parameter were studied in detail. Itwas found that the effectiveness of the regeneratoraffects only the thermal efficiency, while the effec-tiveness of heat capacitance rates of the hot- andcold-side heat exchangers, and the internal irrevers-ibility affect both the parameters. The effects of theinternal irreversibility parameter were found to bemore than those of the other parameters on maxi-mum power output and the corresponding thermalefficiency.(4 figures, 9 references)


Pakistan lies in an area of one of the highest solarinsolation in the world. This vast potential can beexploited to generate electricity for off-grid commu-nities in the northern hilly area and the southernand western deserts. Besides electricity production,other applications such as solar water heaters andsolar cookers also have vast potential. In this paper,the status and outlook of solar energy use in

Mirza U K*, Maroto-Valer M M, and Ahmad N. 2003. Status and outlook of solar energy use in Pakistan.Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 7(6): 501–514

*The Energy Institute, Pennsylvania State University, 209 Academic Projects Building, University ParkP A 16802, US

Pakistan has been discussed. The role of a researchand development organization in promotion hasbeen presented. It concludes that the currentinfrastructure has not been able to advance thestatus of solar energy of Pakistan and significantefforts are needed to utilize this cheap renewableenergy source.(1 table, 3 figures, 20 references)

A 1-kWp multi-purpose BCS (battery chargingstation) as a rural electrification system installed ina remote village in Vietnam provides chargingfacility to the batteries brought by users and alsosupplies electricity to a cultural centre. About 45families charge their batteries (20–50 ampere-hourcapacity) for lighting, and for coloured or black-and-white TV sets. The BCS has provided betterhealth services, new entertainment opportunities,and connected the isolated village to the worldthrough a photovoltaic-powered radio

Dung T Q*, Anisuzzaman M, Kumar S**, and Bhattacharya S C. 2003. Demonstration of multi-purpose battery chargingstation for rural electrification. Renewable Energy 28(15): 2367–2378

*Solar Laboratory, 01 Mac Dinh Chi St., 01 District, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam **<[email protected]>

telephone. The local and the district governmentactively participated in implementing the BCS,which has resulted in its continued operation sinceits installation in 1998. The details of the site selec-tion, technical and financial management of theBCS are described in this paper. An analysis of thesystems’ operation and use of the facility illustratethe factors that need to be considered for thesuccessful implementation of BCS in remote ruralareas of developing countries.(4 figures, 4 tables, 9 references)

This paper highlights case studies of low- andhigh-temperature industrial heating requirementsbeing met using biomass gasification. The gasifi-cation system for these applications consists of anopen top-down draft reburn reactor lined withceramic. Necessary cooling and cleaning systemsare incorporated into the package to meet theend-use requirements. Drying of marigold flower,a low-temperature application, has been consid-ered to replace diesel fuel in the range of 125–150litre per hour. Gas from the 500 kg per hourgasifier system is piped into the producer gasburners fixed in the combustion chamber with the

Dasappa S*, Sridhar H V, Paul P J, and Mukunda H S. 2003. Biomass gasification-a substitute to fossil fuel for heatapplication. Biomass and Bioenergy 25(6): 637–649

*Center for ASTRA, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India<[email protected]>

downstream process similar to diesel burner. Thehigh-temperature application is meant for a heattreatment furnace in the temperature range of873–1200 K. A 300 kg per hour of biomassgasifier replaces 2000 litre of diesel or light dieseloil per day completely. The novelty of this pack-age is the use of one gasifier to energize 16 burn-ers in 8 furnaces with different temperaturerequirements. The system operates over 140 hoursper week on a nearly non-stop basis over 4000 hoursof operation replacing fossil fuel completely.(6 tables, 10 figures, 4 references)


Technological developments

Web updates

Solar Electric Light Fund

http://www.self.org/what.asp

SELF (Solar Electric Light Fund, Inc.) is anon-profit charitable organization in India

to develop and facilitate solar rural electrifica-tion and energy self-sufficiency in developingcountries. The web site gives information aboutthe current events in the solar community,SELF’s renewable energy projects, solar electric-ity, and photovoltaic technology.

Energy audit

http://www.senergy-india.com/Senergy is an ISO 9001-2000 certified companyin Mumbai providing tailor-made solutions tooptimize energy consumption. It conductsenergy audits covering electrical and thermal

energy. Services are provided even to implementthe suggestions and monitor actual savings.The study covers energy accounting, analysis ofspecific energy consumption, performance of allmajor energy consumers/converters and distribu-tion systems. This web site provides the informa-tion on the activities and achievements of Senergy.

Biodiversity online: quick guide

http://www.scidev.net/dossiers/biodiversitySciDev.Net has created a one-stop online guide,which provides up-to-date information onbiodiversity challenges faced by developingcountries. It looks at issues surrounding the needto protect global biodiversity in developingcountries and the need to promote social andeconomic growth.

A new mercury detection method

Mercury contamination in fish is a serioushealth concern. Methyl mercury con-

tamination occurs when mercury pollution fromautomobile emissions or industrial waste washesinto the ocean or groundwater. Aquatic organ-isms convert normal mercury ions into methylmercury and release the compound into thewater. Scientists at the US-based Scripps Re-search Institute have developed a screeningmethod that can detect mercury contaminationin fish. The method reported is fast and inex-pensive. The new method for mercury detectionuses a solution that changes colour if mercurytraces are found in fish. To test, a tiny pellet offish tissue is placed in a tube with a few dropsof acid and enzyme solution, which digests thetissue within a few hours. The mixture is thenstirred with a special dip-stick coated with aresin. The dip-stick is then put into anothertube containing a mild acid that extracts themercury from the resin, and then a few drops ofsolution is added into the tube. This solution

forms precipitates when it comes in contactwith mercury. If the fish is contaminated, theliquid changes its colour and becomes colour-less. The addition of a drop of dye allows thequantification of mercury contamination in fish.

Indian Journal of Environmental Protection2002 22(11): 1297

Adsorbed ozone cleans up wastewater

A team of chemical engineers at the Universityof Bradford, the UK has developed an efficientmethod to trap high concentrations of ozone byadsorbing it in beads of silica gel. Usually, ozonegas is treated by pumping ozone through water.However, the process can be very slow. Byadsorbing in beads of silica gel, the ozone oxi-dizes organic compounds 10 times more effi-ciently than the conventional method. Once allthe ozone gets adsorbed, the beads can berecharged by simply drying the beads and thenpumping more ozone through it.

Indian Journal of Environmental Protection2002 22(11): 1298


SD Gateway

http://www.sdgateway.net/The SD Gateway integrates online informationdeveloped by members of the Sustainable Devel-opment Communications Network. In additionto access over 1200 documents available onsustainable development topics, the web siteprovides services such as a calendar of events, ajob bank, the Sustainability Web Ring. (ThisInternet tool allows users to navigate easilybetween web sites that deal with the principles,policies, and best practices for sustainable devel-opment.) By following the links through the webring, information from around the world can befound on how to deal with crucial issues such asclimate change, cleaner production, waste,poverty, consumerism, natural resource manage-ment, and governance, mailing lists (listservs),and news sites.

Renewingindia.org Portal

http://www.renewingindia.org/aboutus.htmlThis portal is maintained by WII (WinrockInternational India), which is an NGO registeredunder the Indian Societies Act and is based inNew Delhi. WII’s mission is to ‘develop andimplement solutions that balance the need for

food, income and environmental quality’, inevery country and for all people. The organiza-tion works directly with people to build a betterworld by helping increase agricultural productiv-ity and rural employment while protecting theenvironment. It is also working on a substitutefor petrol and diesel for a clean transport fueland a pollution-free environment. WII runsmulti-disciplinary programmes that are sustain-able, which means the project leads to long-termbenefits for the end-user.

SolarAccess.com

http://www.solaraccess.com/about.jspSolarAccess.com was started in 1998 by a groupof renewable energy professionals who wantedtheir work to relate to their passion for solarenergy, wind power, and other forms of renew-able energy. With this passion for renewableenergy and their desire to create a long-termsustainable (and, of course, a successful) busi-ness, they created perhaps the single-most recog-nized and trusted source for renewable energyon the Internet. By offering value-added infor-mation services via the Internet, their mission isto help promote the use of renewable energyworldwide.

Please send in your contributions toMr Shantanu Ganguly

Editor Tel. 2468 2100 or 2468 2111

TERI, Darbari Seth Block E-mail [email protected]

Habitat Place, Lodhi Road Fax 2468 2144, 2468 2145

New Delhi – 110 003, India India + 91 • Delhi (0)11

eNREE invites contributions

eNREE is meant for ENVIS members and all stakeholders interested in advancing, promoting,

and sharing the knowledge in renewable energy and environment in India and abroad. We sin-

cerely welcome your help in enriching this newsletter by sending us articles, case studies, etc. and

also welcome feedback on the contents of the newsletter to help us make it more informative and

rich in content.


Conferences/Workshops/Seminars

Environment

30 June–2 July 2004 Air Pollution 2004Rhodes, Greece Wessex Institute of Technology, Ashurst Lodge, Ashurst, Southampton SO40 7AA,

United KingdomTel. 44 238 029 3223 • Fax 44 238 029 2853E-mail [email protected] • Web site www.wessex.ac.uk

5–9 September 2004 GHGT-7th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control TechnologiesVancouver BC, Canada GHGT-7 Secretariat, Ted Morris, GHGT-7 Secretariat, Suite150, 10 Research

Drive, Regina, Sk S4S 7J7, CanadaTel. 1 306 337 2290 • Fax 1 306 337 2301E-mail [email protected] • Web site www.ghgt7.ca/

Renewable energy

7–9 April 2004 Asia Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition (REAsia 2004)Beijing, China Ms Vivian Li, Project Assistant of Renewable Energy Fairs, Grace Fair

International Limited, Room 1311, Tower A, Zhongypun Building, WangjingNew Industrial Zone, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100 012, ChinaTel. 86 10 64390338 • Fax 86 10 6439 0339E-mail [email protected] • Web site http://www.gracefair.com

3–7 May 2004 WREN International Seminar.Brighton, UK Mr Mark Hopkins, Project Director, British Council Seminars,1 Beaumont

Place, Oxford OX1 2PJ, United KingdomTel. 44 1865 302 710 • Fax 44 1865 557 368E-mail [email protected] • Web site www.britishcouncil.org seminars

28 June–1 July 2004 Renewables 2004: International Conference on New and Renewable EnergyEvora, Portugal Technologies for Sustainable Development

Ms Maria Fernanda Afonso, Conference Secretary, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Dept.Mechanical Engineering, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001, Lisbon, PortugalTel. 351 21 8417 378 • Fax 351 21 8475 545E-mail [email protected] • Web site navier.ist.utl.pt/renewables2004

8–10 July 2004 North American Conference of IAEE/USAEEWashington, DC, US USAEE Conference Headquarters, 28790 Chagrin Blvd., Ste 350, Cleveland,

OH 44122, USTel. 216 464 2785 • Fax 216 464 2768E-mail [email protected] • Web site www.usaee.org/energy

28 August–3 September 2004 World Renewable Energy Congress VII & ExpoColarado, US Ms Ivilina Thornton, Senior Events Specialist, National Renewable Energy Laboratory,

1617 Cole Boulevard, MS 1623, Golden, Colorado, 80401, USTel. 1 303 275 3781 • Fax 1 303 275 4320E-mail [email protected] • Web site www.wrenuk.co.uk

16–23 October 2004 World Renewable Energy Council/Network (WREN) International Seminars inBrighton, UK Britain: Renewable Energy Policy, Security, Innovation, Industry and Sustainability

Contact: World Renewable Energy Network, PO Box 362, Brighton, BN2 1YH, UKTel. 44 1273 625 643 • Fax 44 1273 625 768E-mail [email protected] • Web site www.wrenuk.co.uk


Adynamic and flexible organization with aglobal vision and a local focus, TERI was

established in 1974. While in the initial period thefocus was mainly on documentation and informa-tion dissemination, research activities in the fields ofenergy, environment, and sustainable developmentwere initiated towards the end of 1982. The genesisof these activities lay in TERI’s firm belief thatefficient utilization of energy, sustainable use ofnatural resources, large-scale adoption of renewableenergy technologies, and reduction of all forms ofwaste would move the process of developmenttowards the goal of sustainability.

A unique developing-country institution, TERI isdeeply committed to every aspect of sustainabledevelopment. From providing environment-friendlysolutions to rural energy problems to helping shapethe development of the Indian oil and gas sector; fromtackling global climate change issues across manycontinents to enhancing forest conservation effortsamong local communities; from advancing solutions togrowing urban transport and air pollution problems topromoting energy efficiency in the Indian industry, theemphasis has always been on finding innovative

About TERI

ENVIS Centre on Renewable Energy and Environment

solutions to make the world a better place to live in.While TERI’s vision is global, its roots are firmlyentrenched in Indian soil. It is with this purpose thatTERI has established regional centres in Bangalore,Goa, Guwahati, and Kolkata, and a presence in Japan,and Malaysia. It has set up affiliate institutes — TERI-North America in Washington, DC, USA, and TERI-Europe in London, UK.

With a staff strength of over 500, drawn frommultidisciplinary and highly specialized fields, officesand regional centres equipped with state-of-the-artfacilities, and a diverse range of activities, TERI is thelargest developing-country institution working to movehuman society towards a sustainable future. TERImakes effective use of the latest developments inmodern information technology in both its in-houseand outreach activities. TERI lays great emphasis ontraining, capacity building, and education. In 1999, itset up the TERI School of Advanced Studies, recog-nized as a deemed university by the University GrantsCommission, India. The TERI School is evolving as aresearch university, offering doctoral and master’sprogrammes in bioresources, biotechnology, energy,environment, and regulatory and policy studies.

ENVIS (Environmental Information System)was established as a plan programme under

the MoEF (Ministry of Environment and Forests),Government of India, in December 1982. TERI hasbeen hosting the ENVIS Centre on RenewableEnergy and Environment since July 1984. Themajor objectives are collection and dissemination ofinformation to support and promote research, devel-opment, and innovation in environmental informationtechnology. Besides, TERI also hosts the EMCB(Environmental Capacity Building) Node on Renew-able Energy and Environment since 2000/01 withENVIS as a sub-component. The objective of theEMCB node is to build capacity in India throughdevelopment and maintenance of a web site as aninformation clearing house for the identified sector.

Since its inception, TERI ENVIS Centre andEMCB Node have been actively engaged in re-source generation, data collection, problem recog-

nition, solution of problems, capacity building, andinformation dissemination activities. The Centrehas identified the areas where data gaps exist in therenewable energy and environmental sectors:environmental impact of power, renewable energyand transport sector, pollution control technolo-gies, hazardous wastes management, environmentallaws and regulations, environmental economics,and environmental planning, management andpolicies.

At the TERI ENVIS Centre, conscious effortsare being made to bridge these data gaps by widerinformation dissemination through journal publish-ing, query response service, document deliveryservice, capacity-building initiatives, and relatedactivities. The library of the Centre subscribes todifferent journals, books, and CD-ROMs relevantto its scope and activities to remain updated andprovide value-added services.

P Editor Shantanu Ganguly P Assistant Editor Shehnaz Ahmed

using the indigenous of jatropha: the use of jatropha curcas oil as raw material and biofuel

Education

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solar power plantconditions

solar power plant cost

fields of renewable

power linegeneration

jatropha plant

government of india

wind energy