Newsletters - September 2014

Renewable Energy Newsletter

Date: September 2014

Dear Reader, Over the last few months, the Renewable Energy unit at CSE has been working on collecting information and opinions on the role mini-grids have to play to eradicate energy poverty in the country and proposed a model to ensure at least 12 hours of electricity to every household per day. We organized workshops eliciting outlook regarding the model and discuss the policy changes required to ensure energy access needs are met.
Workshop on Renewable Energy Sustainable Mini-Grid for Energy Access The Renewable Energy team at CSE organized Workshops on Sustainable Mini-Grid for Energy Access in Patna, Pune and New Delhi. The stakeholders expressed their concerns with scaling up the renewable energy based mini-grids and ensuring bankability of various projects. The issues of grid interactive mini-grids were one of the main concerns, ensuring the project continues in the area when the national grid comes into the picture. The model provides separate solutions to Grid connected rural areas (not receiving at least twelve hours of electricity in a day) and; Remote villages and hamlets not connected to the grid. Providing Feed-in tariffs (FiT), Generation based incentives (GBIs) and viability gap funding (VGF) for mini-grid developers. Press Release Distributed generation or mini-grids are the solution to India’s power woes in the rural sector, says CSE

Reporters Desk
May 15, 2014
Rooftop hurdles
Financial and policy issues hinder the adoption of grid-connected rooftop solar power in the country.


May 20, 2014
Commerce ministry may levy heavy dumping duty on solar goods
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry is expected to impose dumping duties on solar power products imported from China, Taiwan and the United States. Dumping, according to World Trade Organization, is a situation of international price discrimination. This means the price of a product in the importing country is less than the price of the same product in the exporting country’s market.


May 23, 2014
Commerce ministry recommends anti-dumping duties on solar cells imported from US, China
The Indian ministry of commerce has recommended anti-dumping duties of up to $0.81 per watt on solar cells imported from China, the US, Malaysia and Taipei. Dumping, according to World Trade Organization (WTO), is a situation of international price discrimination.


May 31, 2014
Solar threat to Sambhar
A mega solar power plant at Sambhar lake may spell doom for its fragile ecology and flamingoes. The world’s largest photovoltaic (PV) solar power project has stumbled over an ecological roadblock. The Centre plans to set up 4,000 MW ultra mega solar power project (UMSPP) in Sambhar Salt Lake at Rajasthan.


Jun 15, 2014
Environment Day: Green agenda for new government
India is suffering from acute energy poverty. Per capita electricity consumption of the country is one of the lowest in the world with 778 kiloWatt-hour (kWh) per year against the global average of 2,600 kWh per year. About 306 million people, mostly those in rural areas, do not have access to electricity. Tap renewable energy to ensure energy access and energy security


Jun 15, 2014
Contours of inequality
Global estimates of the unmet energy needs in India have been available for some time. These only indicate whether the shoe pinches, if at all. In a new series of analyses we try to understand where the shoe pinches.


Jun 18, 2014
Bonn climate talks: New funding mechanism proposed at side event to tackle energy poverty
CSE and What Next Forum say Globally Funded Feed-in Tariff Mechanism (G-FiT) for enabling renewable energy has the potential to provide energy access to all as well as mitigate climate change impacts. They conducted a side event on “Enabling Renewable Energy for Energy Access through Globally Funded Feed-in Tariff Mechanism” last Friday at Bonn, Germany, under the umbrella of UNFCCC.


Jun 30, 2014
Boon or doom?
After 18 months of probing, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recommended anti-dumping duty on solar cells imported from the US, China, Taiwan and Malaysia. Anti-dumping duty is imposed on foreign imports that are priced lower than their actual cost.


Jul 2, 2014
Should India impose anti-dumping duty on solar cells?
There has been no increase in installed capacity of solar power for past two months. The Union power ministry has opposed the imposition of anti-dumping duty on imported solar cells. In May this year, the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties of the Department of Commerce presented its findings on the Anti-Dumping Investigation concerning imports of Solar Cells originating in or exported from Malaysia, China Chinese Taipei and the US.


July 10, 2014
Big solar projects favoured over mini grids
Highlighting new and renewable energy as the high priority sector, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley focused more on the big solar power projects in his budget speech, neglecting decentralized mini and micro grid solar projects for rural areas of the country.


Jul 11, 2014
Booster for ailing domestic solar industry
But solar manufacturers say customs, excise duty exemptions not enough to compete with China


Jul 15, 2014
Smart grid’s here
As India experiments with smart power grid, Ankur Paliwal explains how the technology functions.


Jul 16, 2014
Wind energy industry in a tizzy over Jaitley's budget speech
The Hindi version proposes reintroduction of a tax break, but there is no mention of it in the English version online

Renewable Energy unit Centre for Science & Environment New Delhi

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