The time for conventional energy sources is over.
With reserves down and consumption increasing, a situation is fast approaching where world peace is endangered. More nations are unable to meet their oil import bills. Shifting to renewable energy sources alone can bring energy independence. This warning was sounded by renowned policy innovator and General Chairman of the World Council for Renewable Energy, Dr Hermann Scheer, while delivering the keynote address at the two-day Solar India 2007, inaugurated here on Thursday. The event is organised by by Word Institute of Sustainable Energy (WISE), Pune, and supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, the global solar energy industry and State nodal agencies.
Increased twice
“In the last 40 years, our energy consumption has increased twice as compared to the consumption in the entire history of civilisation prior to that. Energy used in the last 15 years was 50 percent of all energy ever used,” said Dr Scheer, while likening the energy scenario to a Greek tragedy where everyone knows the end is bad but still no actor has the power to leave the stage.
“It is wrong to say we need more time to wait for renewable energy. It is a mistake to wait for a global solution,” he warned.
The amount of energy we receive from the sun in 15 minutes equals the annual fossil and nuclear fuel consumption globally. Renewable energy helps avoid costs which are not recognised by economists who only look at the production costs. There are no fuel costs, extraction costs, transportation costs, linkages, etc here.
Felicitation
“If Germany can do it, so can India,” he said. In Germany, the energy needs are met through 100 per cent supply of renewable energy despite it receiving less of sun’s energy than India.” WISE felicitated persons who have made a pioneering contribution to the cause of sustainable energy development. This included Dr B Shivalingaiah of Karnataka Renewable Energy Development, S P Gon Chaudhuri of West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency, Kolkata; Hemant Lamba, Head of Auroville Centre for Scientific Research; and Harish Hande of Selco Solar Light, Bangalore.
Concessions planned
Secretary in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy V Subramanian has said his ministry is toying with the idea of a reverse bid where the tariff is fixed and players welcomed to generate solar power at that rate. The ministry would also pursue fiscal concessions and direct subsidies as part of its policy.
He also mooted a Renewable Energy Law that encompassed more than electricity and made it mandatory to include renewables in power generation. This was seconded by G M Pillai, Director-General of WISE, who said his organisation had come up with a study package on what the law could cover.
Mr Pillai felt concentrated solar power would be the technology to look forward to. “Scaling up is possible as also storage. We can see up to 40,000 MW generated worldwide using this technology by 2025,” he said.
