Feature Article

Rural areas of India are characterised by very low per capita energy consumption and in most places commercial energy like electricity is not available. Thus, it is a matter of concern that 60% of rural households still use kerosene for lighting. Besides, 180 million tons of biomass is used in rural areas for cooking through very inefficient and smoky stoves. Cooking and lighting energy constitute 75% of total energy used in rural areas. Jan-Mar 2005

Ontario, Canada's most populous province and home to one third of its population, is poised to take a lead in renewable energy utilisation in North America. Though several American states have set

unique protest: In a potent symbolic gesture equating a dangerous pesticide with the atom bomb, a Quit India Endosulfan march was organised in Kerala on August 6

At global meet on renewables

At Renewables 2004 "an international action plan will be on the agenda, including actions and commitments by governments, international organisations and stakeholders,' says the conference

The International Conference for Renewable Energies is to be held in Bonn, Germany. But here is a sector dwarfed by fossil fuels, and although governments can proactively root for renewables, and some have, the options given to developing countries are qu

Starting before industrialised Germany and the UK, India has perhaps promoted renewables the longest though a dedicated establishment. The country's Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES) is one of its kind in the world. India has the fifth largest installed wind capacity in the world at 2400 MW. In 2003 alone, India added 615 MW of wind energy. By March 2003, it had 484 MW of installed biomass power/zcogeneration, 53 MW from biomass gasifiers and 2.5 MW of solar PVs. Installed capacity for all renewables by March 2004 was more than 4,600 MW.

According to IEA’s factsheet, Renewables in global energy supply, the wind energy sector has grown at more than 52 per cent per annum since 1971, and solar power by 32 per cent per annum.