Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency

India has been moving towards advanced technologies in transport, and some key modern technologies have entered its highway network system. The government is actively planning to introduce E-roads such as E-highways and E-expressways for charging a large chunk of electric vehicles (EVs). NITI Aayog says that EVs will account for 80 per cent of two- and three-wheelers, 40 per cent of buses, and 30–70 per cent of cars by 2030 in India. As a pilot run, India’s first E-highway between Delhi and Jaipur will be developed soon.

A 40 GW target of installed rooftop solar (RTS) capacity by 2022 was set by the Government of India in 2015. Measures such as government subsidies and mandatory RTS installation on government buildings and public offices were taken to help RTS grow. However, India’s total installed RTS capacity as of 31st March 2022 is only 6.65 GW.

A greater push for residential RTS space is needed to reduce the negative impact on DISCOM finances. This would help in increasing the overall uptake of RTS without harming the financial health of DISCOMs.

The Government of India, in 2015, had set an ambitious target of installing 100 GW of solar capacity by 2022. The target included 40 GW of rooftop solar (RTS) systems and 60 GW of ground-mounted utility-scale solar (GMS) systems.

The benefits of switching to electric process-heating technologies are evident. Traditionally, process heat is provided at temperatures well above the required levels, while electrical process-heating technologies deliver heat at precise temperatures.

Decentralised renewable energy resources for electric vehicle (EV) charging pave the way for green mobility. In this paper, we analyse different rooftop solar-based EV charging station (EVCS) configurations. The configurations are designed with and without battery storage and grid connection. A techno-economic framework is developed based on the power flow interactions between rooftop photovoltaic (RTPV), grid, and battery storage to calculate the life-cycle costing of the system and life-cycle cost of energy (LCOE).

Electricity distribution utilities drive the expansion of energy access and the transition to clean energy. With the COVID-19 pandemic deteriorating the financial health of utilities, measures at operational, institutional, financial, and commercial levels should be initiated to make utilities economically sound and future-ready.

The 2015 Paris Agreement required countries to submit their long-term climate action strategies by 2020. At COP26, India made a surprise announcement of a target to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, which means it will aim to balance the amount of carbon dioxide emitted with the amount absorbed.

The year 2021 was a year of mixed fortunes. On the one hand, we witnessed India crossing 100 GW of installed renewable energy, while on the other, the pandemic took a toll on communities at large. Many of the efforts that had started at a good clip in early 2021 saw considerable slowing down mid-year due to the pandemic. The past year also had approximately 12GW of solar energy capacity installed, more than 250% compared to 2020.

India’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 2.5 GtCO2 per year, which is very low compared to the highest emitting countries, such as the United States (10 GtCO2 per year) and China (5 GtCO2 per year). However, it is commendable that at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) held recently in Glasgow, India set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions from its energy sector.

According to data from the International Energy Agency (2020) and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (2018), it is estimated that more than 90% of CO2 emissions from the transport sector is from road transport. The Government of India (GoI) has taken several steps to electrify the transport sector. In 2013, India expanded its decarbonisation vision by launching the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) for 2020.