Residential Solar—Thinking beyond Capital Subsidies and Lower Equipment Costs
The Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India (SRISTI) scheme was announced in early 2019. It was expected to rejuvenate the roof top photovoltaic (RTPV) sector, which by then had achieved only ~1.2 GW of the 40 GW target for 2021–22. SRISTI targeted the underserved residential category by offering attractive capital subsidies of up to 40% for 1–3 kW systems and 20% for 3–10 kW ones. The scheme also had a subsidy component of 20% for large apartment complexes and group housing societies.
What are the ways and strategies to tackle complex fleet electrification challenges?
Electrification of vehicle fleets has gained considerable momentum as many companies involving urban mobility in their operations are committed to reducing their carbon footprint. On the one hand, reduced battery costs, innovative business models, and policy incentives are driving the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) from fuel-powered ones. On the other hand, high purchase costs, limited range, and lack of a well-established charging network continue to be major roadblocks. To overcome these challenges, efficient fleet operation and planning strategies need to be adopted.
Why a net-zero vision should drive India’s climate strategy
Globally, efforts are underway to prepare country-level climate strategies in the run-up to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (UNFCCC COP26) at Glasgow in November this year. But, like several developing countries, India seems to be taking a wait-and-watch approach to submit its long-term strategies (LTS) under the Paris Agreement. The Agreement urges all Parties to ‘formulate and communicate their long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies’.
CSTEP Signs Agreement With Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for Clean Air in Bengaluru
Under the aegis of Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Institutes of Repute (IoRs), Urban Local Bodies, and State Pollution Control Boards on 26 March 2021 for the efficient implementation of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) action plans in 120 non-attainment cities.
CSTEP, as an Institute of Repute, will work with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike for the successful implementation of the NCAP in Bengaluru.
CSTEP Signs MoU With Presidency University
CSTEP signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Presidency University, Bangalore, on 27 March 2021. The MoU was signed by Dr Jai Asundi, Executive Director, CSTEP, and Dr D Subhakar, Vice Chancellor, Presidency University.
Climate Risk Profile for Power Sector in Karnataka
Power infrastructure, which includes assets for generation, transmission, and distribution of power, is vulnerable to manifestations of climate change. Data from the International Disasters Database shows that during 1998–2017, India experienced an average of 16 extreme weather events resulting in a total economic loss of USD 45 billion, compared to an average of 10 events during 1978–97 with USD 20 billion in losses. Extreme weather events in the last two decades have resulted in loss of lives, decreased agricultural productivity, and infrastructure damage.
India’s race for universal water supply shouldn’t come at cost of water quality
Recent reports about the residents of Chhattisgarh’s Kundru village being compelled to consume drainage water due to the non-availability of hand-pump water shouldn’t shock us. Villagers in other districts of the state have been through similar harrowing experiences for years. In the absence of piped water supply, these villages depend solely on hand-pump water for drinking and other domestic uses.
Climate change: How infrastructure can weather the storm
Riding on its vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat, the government of India recently announced a slew of projects in the budget to reboot the economy, which went slack because of COVID. These projects, including the National Infrastructure Pipeline to 7,400 projects, the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), and Smart Cities Mission, offer an opportunity to mainstream climate risks and nature-based solutions (NbS) into infrastructure.
High‐resolution Climate Change Projection of Northeast Monsoon Rainfall over Peninsular India
In this study, projected changes in mean northeast monsoon (NEM) rainfall and associated extreme rainfall and temperature events, over peninsular India (PI) and its six subdivisions are quantified. High‐resolution dynamically downscaled simulation of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) regional climate model driven by the boundary conditions from Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) model (WRF‐CCSM4) is compared with statistically downscaled simulations of NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX‐GDDP).
PM2.5/PM10 ratio characteristics over urban sites of India
• PM2.5/PM10 ratio characteristics over India using multi-site and multi-year data.
• Suppressed PM2.5/PM10 ratio variations compared to that observed in PM concentrations.
• MERRA-2 derived PM2.5/PM10 ratio found to be overestimating during colder months.
• Weak relationship between the PM2.5/PM10 ratio and meteorological parameters.