“We need to explore renewable energy options”

Can you describe the energy scenario in India?
Broadly, we classify energy in two categories as electricity and fuels (kerosene, petrol, diesel, LPG etc.). We should reduce our dependence on electricity wherever possible. For e.g. we use electricity for heating water, though we have other fuels like LPG, coal, firewood, solar heaters etc. which are more efficient than electricity if you take a holistic approach. We burn coal at thermal power station to generate electricity, suffer huge losses in transmission and distribution and finally convert that electricity into heat. It is better to directly burn coal at home and get the required heat. This way we will save 70 per cent of coal.

The existing deficit in electricity generation is due to lack of political will. India has abundant coal reserves that can last for more than 150 years. Projects like ‘Dabhol’ (now Ratnagiri power project, which are based on imported gas based projects) are bound to fail because of huge fuel cost involved. We should rely more on coal based power generation till we make a technological breakthrough. Almost 80 per cent of liquid fuels are imported and the life of existing reserves is less than 40 years. We cannot rely on imports. So there is a need to shift our economy from liquid fuels to electricity and increase electricity production to power surplus status. We need to explore. renewable energy options.

Is it a crisis situation?
As far as liquid fuel is concerned, yes; but not for electricity generation. We can rectify the situation provided there is a political will. The way out is to increase coal based electricity generation and switchover the oil based applications to electricity based applications. Also promote renewable energy to conserve the resources.

What made you venture into the field of non-conventional energy?
It was basically love for nature that pulled me into renewable energy area. Any use of conventional energy results in pollution and destruction of nature. With my technical background and innovative approach, I thought I could contribute a lot in the field of renewable energy which has now become a passion for me.

How do you see renewable energy impacting our future?
People have very high expectations from renewable energy but it is extremely important to understand its limitations too. Electricity generation from biomass and in few cases by big grid connected wind generators is practical to some extent, but largely other renewable energy options are still no good for electricity generation. However, ‘renewable energy’ opens up huge possibilities for saving fuel. India has huge potential for exploiting the gift of nature by way of good sun, wind and rain. We can save huge amount of fuels and electricity by adopting renewable energy gadgets.

Which form of non-conventional energy can be best exploited in India and how efficient can this energy be?
Solar thermal energy is an extremely viable option for cooking, water heating, vegetable and fruit drying and for different industrial applications. Moreover, these gadgets are time tested and compete with fossil fuel prices.

Biogas is also one of the most promising but highly neglected renewable energy options. With new technologies coming in, we can save more than 50 per cent of LPG use if we switch over to biogas. A few biogas-bottling projects for vehicle fuel have also come up in recent years. On a small-scale, electricity generation through biogas is economical and ideal for isolated tribal villages. Dairies, poultries and food processing industries can generate biogas on a large scale.

Biomass can easily replace conventional fuels and can generate power at an economical cost. Many sugar mills and rice mills have already installed cogeneration plants and many more are in the pipeline. At rural level, there is a big market for localised power generation and wood efficient chulhas.

We still need to learn a lot in other renewable energy technologies like geothermal, tidal etc.

Which are the areas where renewable energy can be used?
Renewable energy options can be used in domestic and industrial sectors. Low and medium temperature heating applications can be substituted by renewable energy applications like solar thermal, biogas and biomass. Cooking (domestic and commercial), water heating, industrial heating and drying are the main areas where this energy can be used.

Can you tell us about your patent applications and your various domestic and industrial products?
We have developed new designs of domestic and community parabolic cookers. The products are commercialised and the technology is available for dissemination. Community cookers are now accepted for government’s mid day meal scheme. Industrial solar concentrator and biogas generation from Neem seed have been developed and tested. We are searching for some enthusiastic clients who will allow its commercial installation. The solar balcony cooker is under production and I expect to launch its commercial version soon. Few other patent applications like ‘heat based pump’, ‘solar industrial oven’ etc. are good potential technologies but need funds for development and commercialisation.

You have received various awards and nominations for your work. What do you think are your major achievements in this field?
I don’t regard these awards as major achievements; these are small milestones. We still have a long way to go. I feel my colleagues, friends, members of PRINCE and all well wishers have big contributions in the awards. Getting an award from Maharashtra Government was a surprise. I could not get a single project sanctioned from any government agency but still they acknowledged our work by giving a ‘Renewable Energy Award’. There are many good officers but they need to break their shackles and support good programmes and projects.

I still feel dejected when a progressive state like Maharashtra sets a target of installing only 300 parabolic cookers (other states have still lower targets) while the potential is in millions. If we can innovate good renewable energy gadgets and motivate masses to switchover to good viable renewable energy technologies, that will be the real award. My goal is to invent new practical and acceptable technologies which can be adopted by masses, promote all renewable and energy saving technologies by educating people on the subject.

Tell us about the energy parks you have developed and how can this concept be expanded further for the benefit of the society?
We have a farm house with many energy efficient features and roof water harvesting, many designs of solar cookers, solar water heater, solar vegetable and fruit dryers, biogas plants, vermicompost etc. Visitors can have a first hand experience of these equipments and this would be helpful in promoting renewable energy. Energy park is a concept which was launched by Government of India two years ago. Sadly these are in pathetic condition because these parks are flooded with impractical technologies. When a farmer sees a solar pump at such an energy park he feels delighted that he has some solution to his problem but he gets a shock of his life when he realises that he needs to shell out more than Rs.5 lakhs (after availing government subsidies) for a pump of just 3 H.P. If farmers could afford Rs. 5 lakh plus for a pump, why will we have so many suicide cases? Most of the visitors go back with the impression that there are technologies available which they can never afford. This defeats the purpose of the energy parks. I think energy parks should offer technologies that are financially and socially viable. With good viable technologies and some sort of monitoring mechanism, these parks can be revived.

What kind of support do you expect from the government?
Our expectations are basically at policy level. The government policies should be such that they encourage development of renewable energy resources and not kill them. Subsidies are withdrawn from very viable technologies like biogas, solar water heaters etc. High subsidies on conventional fuels like kerosene and LPG are killing renewable energy options like solar cookers and biogas. The scene should have been reversed. You need to tax fossil fuels and subsidise renewable energy technologies. Policies at present are corporate friendly and not people friendly. The policies favour corporate manufacturers and users and retard use at common people’s level. The trend should be reversed.

Further, research grants from government on renewable energy are not used judiciously. The focus on research should be field oriented rather than purely academic. Grants should be given to field projects that will benefit society at large. Most of the research grants are made available to regional test centres and reputed academic institutes. These grants end up in few thesis and presentations at conferences. There also has to be some accountability for the research grants given to different organisations.

There are many NGOs in the field doing excellent work in development and promotion of renewable energy. They need to be supported and promoted through favourable policies and sincere implementing officers. To put it in a nutshell the government need to make drastic change in policies to make renewable energy applications more people friendly.

Please share with us your idea about Energy Efficient Housing.
While constructing a new house, the owners, architects and engineers should utilise techniques of solar passive and active features. My dream house will have planning based on solar passive architecture, use of low energy eco-friendly materials, roof water harvesting, integrated biogas plant (which will run on other fuels than cow dung), provision for solar cooking, solar water heating, use of efficient lighting like LEDs, CFLs, light colours for interiors and exteriors, proper management of heat, light and wind etc. A small organic fertiliser plant for digesting all garden waste and discharge of biogas plant and this biomanure can be recycled to the garden. I have some of these features in my existing house but I will love to implement many more features and such concepts for people who wish to adopt eco-friendly lifestyles.

How can we save energy?
Energy is one of the biggest resources which has put the planet under pressure. We stress on three basic principles to save energy – energy conservation, using energy efficient devices and switching over to renewable energy gadgets.
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