Feature Article

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has done commendable work in terms of conceptualising, drafting, launching, and implementing the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission over the last one year.

The German solar industry once held the front, but must now defend itself globally. To survive, it will have to prevail over the competition. Germany's Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) is leading the way with its PV Roadmap 2020, proposing a battle plan to keep the German solar sector competitive-and make photovoltaics a central pillar of the country's energy supply.

Generating renewable energy may be easier than deploying it. Planners and utility managers in India face various challenges in their attempts to integrate renewable energy with the existing grid.

On 11 January 2010 India launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM), for development and deployment of solar energy technologies in the country. The immediate aim of the Solar Mission is to focus on setting up an enabling environment for solar technology penetration in the country both at a centralised and decentralised level.

Dr Bharat Bhargava, Director, Solar PV division, MNRE speaks to R Gupta on the scope of solar energy in India and challenges involved in promoting it.

Files complaint in WTO; says China unfairly helping equipment makers. After scuttling talks on transfer of technology in the recently concluded climate change conference in Cancun, the US now wants China to stop its clean energy programme.

The ideas and concepts which make up climate change can be viewed through the theory of meme, as developed by Richard Dawkins. This helps us understand how these ideas emerged from the scientific discourse and have permeated social life and action, being transmitted and transformed in this act.

The author highlights the eternal dilemma between energy and coal-powered growth and environment. In view of the continued dependence of the Indian economy on coal-based energy in the years to come, it has serious implications for the environment. The importance of using Clean Coal Technologies including reneawables, amongst other measures, has been brought out.

The Author in her article has given a round up of inter-relationships between Environment, Climate Change and Growth vis-a-vis development. Sustainable development issues, including the Millennium Development Goals set by the UN for the developing countries have been highlighted.

With estimations predicting a doubling of demand for energy in India in the next 20 years, it is time the Indian government helps its industry adopt energy-efficient technologies. Ajay Mathur, Director Generol of India's Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in an interview, explains in detail various initiatives taken by the government to support the industry in this matter.