Reports and Documents

The Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Mr. Prakash Javadekar said that Government’s initiatives, efforts, and action plans to pursue the clean and renewable energy path had put India in a leadership position in dealing with climate change issues.

This report looks at the nature of Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) and the resulting challenges associated with the integration of VRE technologies into a power system. It provides an overview of the measures available to limit and manage these challenges.

Estimates show that fossil fuel subsidies average USD 400–600 billion annually worldwide while renewable energy (RE) subsidies amounted to USD 66 billion in 2010 and are predicted to rise to USD 250 billion annually by 2035.

The shipping industry plays a critical role in the global economy, carrying approximately 90% of the total tonnage of world’s traded goods. Shipping propulsion has changed radically since the mid-19th century, from the renewable energy of sail power, to the coal power of steamships, to the predominance of heavy fuel oil and marine diesel oil.

Energy is key to prosperity, and the discovery and use of fossil fuels in the past few centuries has generated tremendous wealth. Yet, this energy paradigm has now become a liability that threatens the very sustainability of all it enabled.

The 2015 Climate Change Performance Index shows a new "record" in global energy related CO2 emissions. Moreover, in the coming years, atmospheric CO2 concentration is set to exceed the 400 ppm benchmark. Both the rising emissions and a number of promising trends emphasise the need to reach an ambitious agreement at the COP21 in Paris.

Drawing on the Asian Development Bank’s experience installing the rooftop solar photovoltaic system at its headquarters, the Handbook for Rooftop Solar Development in Asia hopes to demystify the process of developing solar photovoltaic projects in urban areas.

The electricity sector is undergoing an unprecedented transition. Significant penetration of renewable sources, combined with technological innovation on the grid and demand side, has provided the opportunity to decarbonize while reducing dependence on imported fuels.

Renewable energy technologies can address trade-offs between water, energy and food, bringing substantial benefits in all three key sectors.

This booklet attempts to demystify renewable energy based technologies, and brings it a step closer to the general masses from a practical perspective.