Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency: Empowering Sustainable Tomorrow

The 5th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress & Expo-2014 served as an excellent energy platform for the global renewable energy industry to address various industry issues including innovations, new technologies, investment opportunities and project financing.

Mr. Upendra Tripathy, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India delivered the inaugural address and highlighted the importance of promoting renewable energy, green technology for its sustainability. During the inaugural ceremony, Energy And Environment Foundation awarded the prestigious “Energy And Environment Foundation Policy Innovation Award 2014” in the Renewable Energy Sector to Dr. Tarun Kapur, Joint Secretary, MNRE, Government of India and also conferred the “Energy And Environment Foundation Global Excellence Awards 2014” in the Renewable Energy Sector to Mr. Rajinder Kumar Kaura, CMD, Bergen Group of Companies; Mr. Rahul Munjal, Managing Director, Hero Future Energies Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Arun Kumar, Managing Director, SunPower Solar India Pvt. Ltd.; Mr. Mats Denninger, Swedish Government’s High Representative for International Environment Technology Cooperation Sweden; Dr. Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment; Mr. Devansh Jain, Managing Director, INOX Wind Limited; Professor T. Harinarayana, Director, Gujarat Energy Research & Management Institute (GERMI).

5th WRETC-2014 conference deliberated various issues related to Innovation in Renewable Energy, Renewable Energy by 2030, Policy & Regulatory Issues: Solar & Wind-Road Map, Financing RE Projects: A Way Forward,  Developing Solar Industry-Key Challenges & Way Forward, Bioenergy-Biomass-Biofuel, Wind:New Technology & Offshore Wind Forming, Waste-To-Energy, Smart Technologies, Energy Efficiency & Conservation-Sustainable Transportation, Rural Energy Access.

The conference & expo was attended by 326 of national and international delegates from Canada, Chile, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA. The conference brought together leading international and domestic players, policy makers, government officials and technocrats on a common platform. The concurrent conference sessions were comprised of interesting workshops, interactive panel discussions on “Innovation-R&D in Renewable Energy”, “Capacity Building in Renewable Energy Value Chain” and Thought Leadership Summit on Renewable Energy-The Road Ahead, Chair by Mr. Anil Razdan, Former Secretary Power, Government of India & Chairman Energy And Environment Foundation;. The conference had served as an important gateway for worldwide new energy companies to access the Indian market to foster partnerships and collaborations with local players.

All the participants from the WRETC-2014 had appreciated presentations and deliberation by the distinguished speaker of the conference i.e; Mr. Deepak Gupta, Former Secretary MNRE; Mr. Shigeru Aoyagi, Director & Representative to India UNESCO; Mr. K. S. Popli, CMD, IREDA; Mr. Rajinder Kumar Kaura, CMD, Bergen Group, Mr. Sunil Jain, CEO & ED, Hero Future Energies Pvt. Ltd., Dr. A. N. Saksena, President, Energy And Environment Foundation; Mr. Ratul Puri, Chairman, Hindustan Power Projects Pvt. Ltd., Dr. Nikolaus Supersberger, Deputy Director, GIZ, Mr. Ajay Kr. Kapur, Country Head, Energy Efficiency and Clean Technology, SIDBI, Mr. Suhas Bhand, Chairman, Organic Recycling System; Mr. Arun Kumar, MD, SunPower Solar India; Dr. T. Harinarayana, GERMI; Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, ED, Indian Energy Storage Alliance; Mr. Abhay Bakre, ED PCRA; Mr. U.N. Panjiar, Chairman, Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission; Mr. Nimish Jain, Country Manager, Jinko Solar, Mr. Bhupesh Trivedi, Waree Energies, Dr. S. Gomathinayagam, ED, C-Wet, Dr. Ramesh Jalan, UNDP, Dr. Anil K. Garg, President, World Renewable Energy Technology Congress.

The conference & expo was supported by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Ministry of Earth Sciences, UNESCO New Delhi, Bergen, GIZ, Hero Future Energies, Scania, HindustanPower, Oil India Limited, PCRA, IREDA, SunPower, Petronet LNG, EIL, SIDBI, Organic Recycling Systems, GERMI, C-Wet, UK Trade & Investment, SESI, World Bioenergy, IESA and a large number of professional associations. CRISIL and EMPI were the Knowledge Partner of the conference. GERMI support a special programme “Host-a-student” for participation of future leaders, students from Amity University, IIT, Lady Irwin College, RGIPT, National Power Training Institute, GERMI, SRM University, UPES, Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Renewable Energy.

The main features of the resolutions adopted in the conference were:

• A Task Force needs to be set up to consider the way forward for the entire solar manufacturing chain. The technologies being adopted should not be those likely to get obsolete.
• Banks and financial institutions need clear guidelines for assessing RE projects for funding. These must be communicated to the applicants for framing bankable proposals and business models.
• Robust financial viability will require a system of warranty and guarantee of performance, third party inspection and transparent reporting in respect of Solar, Geothermal, Hydro, Wind power Generation and waste Management.
• An Integrated Power Policy is necessary for the harmonization and integration of new, renewable and conventional sources of power.
• Real time pricing and enforcing renewable power obligation shall facilitate promotion of new renewables.
• Renewable Energy forecasting is desirable for power scheduling and commercial integration.
• Smart Grids are necessary for integrating new renewable energy, which is intermittent, into the conventional grids.
• Various innovations be encouraged to reduce land use for solar and wind energy.
• Support work towards more sustainable transport fuels and technologies, including greater market penetration of options such as vehicles operating on electricity generated from renewable energy.
• Solar Energy be used extensively for meeting heat requirements in homes business and industry.
• The kinetic energy of running canals, rivers and waterways be harnessed through micro turbines.
• Biofuels like ethanol and methane from diverse sources be encouraged.
• A Biomass Mission would help universalise efficient biomass cook stoves, establish the commercial viability of biomass power generation and promote plantations of appropriate species.
• A University may be set up for capacity building, R&D for innovation and deployment of Renewable Energy.

Energy And Environment Foundation invites the global green renewable energy community to assemble again at New Delhi, India in 21st to 23rd August 2015 for the 6th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress & Expo-2015.