Cement Energy and Environment

financial year, two more solar water heaters of 500 litres/day capacity each will be commissioned . The three plants will help the metro save 13,000 units of power. The electricity bill is expected to come down by nearly Rs.89,500 after this commissioning . Courtesy: The Times of India, Kolkata, 19. 11 .2015, (From Internet) PUSH TO SOLAR POWER WITH MORE SOPS The power discom has introduced a rash of incentives to encourage people to install solar power panels for generating electricity in their homes. Under the initiative, the electricity board will buy the excess power generated by solar power units at homes and adjust it in monthly power bills. Late last year, the Haryana government had made an announcement in which it declared solar power plants mandatory in all commercial and residential properties exceeding a plot area of 500 square yards. But Huda, the agency appointed for its implementation, on Monday acknowledged it had not followed up on the order. This scheme could, however, be just the shot in the arm that initiative needs. According to the scheme, if a consumer uses 1,000 units a month, of which 600 units are generated by a personal solar plant, then the power bill will be only for 400 units. But if units of power generated by the solar plant exceed the consumer's total monthly consumption , the extra units will be transferred to the discom and adjusted in next month's bill to ensure the power generated doesn't go waste. The benefits are over and above the subsidy provided on solar power panels. Courtesy: The Times of India, 25.11.2015, Gurgaon, From Internet INDIA TO UNVEIL GAME CHANGER GLOBAL SOLAR ALLIANCE TODAY Group of 120-odd countries united for International Agency for Solar Tech & Applications Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande will launch a global solar alliance on Monday to kick off the two-week India has been the key force working to bring together 120odd countries for International Agency for Solar Technologies & Appl ications (INSTA), marking its commitment to both collaborative action and adopting a cleaner development path . Described as potentially a "true game changer" by host France's ambassador for climate change Laurence Tubiana, the solar alliance indicates India is interested in moving away from traditional fossil fuel energy systems. To this end , it is looking at collaborations, and not handouts or aid , to make the transition . "The solar alliance brings to gether countries that have high solar resource, which have been relatively underexploited, and represents a large market for solar technology ," said Ajay Mathur, senior negotiator and India's principal spokesperson for the Paris summit. "The idea is that larger markets and bigger volumes will lead to lower costs making it possible to spur demand," he said. The alliance will bring countries located within the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn on a single platform . These typically have high solar resource , some with as many as 300 days of sunshine. At the same time, many of these countries have high levels of energy poverty .The alliance proposes to bridge this gap. In doing so , it endeavours to address the lack of energy access, and create economic opportunities in a manner that is clean and sustainable. It will include countries from the African continent, China, Australia, United States, and host of the 2015 UN-sponsored climate change talks, France.The United Nations has keen interest to join the alliance as a founding member. India will organise a two-hour meeting in Paris on Tuesday to take the alliance forward . INSTA will work to increase investments in solar technologies and applications that focus on income generation for the poor, particularly in rural areas. It will in partnership with member countries and other institutions develop projects and programmes to promote solar applications. Another important focus will be to develop innovative financial mechanism to access low cost, long tenure financia l resources. long UN-sponsored climate change negotiations in As part of its effort to drive down costs and Paris. increase the adoption of solar technologies, the 41'l I I t '