RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY

SAVING IN INDIA/ANDHRA PRADESH

EENADU 6 June 2015

Comments

Anumakonda Jagadeesh Facebook 6 June 2015

Very Interesting Interview.

ACTION PLAN FOR THE COUNTRY TO SUPPLEMENT RENEWABLE

ENERGY TO CONVENTIONAL ENERGY:
PLANT CAM PLANTS LIKE AGAVE AND OPUNTIA TO REDUCE HIGH
TEMPERATURES.
It is a tragedy hundreds of deaths took place even in temperatures below
45 degrees Celsius. There were places in Andhra Pradesh like
Rentachintala which experience high temperatures in summer.
In Rajasthan to face hot temperatures people use neem leaves on head.
Common sense tells us that CAM plants act as Carbon Sink. Crassulacean
acid metabolism, also known as CAM photosynthesis, is a carbon fixation
pathway that evolved in some plants as an adaptation to arid conditions. In
a plant using full CAM, the stomata in the leaves remain shut during the day
to reduce evapotranspiration, but open at night to collect carbon dioxide
(CO2). The CO2 is stored as the four-carbon acid malate in vacuoles at
night, and then in the daytime, the malate is transported to chloroplasts
where it is converted back to CO2, which is then used during
photosynthesis. The pre-collected CO2 is concentrated around the enzyme
RuBisCO, increasing photosynthetic efficiency. That is why they occur
naturally in desert regions.
Thanks to the wonders of nature we have care free growth,regenerative
CAM plants like Agave and Opuntia which acts as Carbon Sink.
Traditionally Agave(Small size) and Opuntia(Small sizes) are placed in front
of the compound in pots. Also they are tied on the sunshade before
entrance. To give it more religious importance they are claimed to dispel
DISHTI(Bad glances from eyes.) There is more science in this. Both are
CAM plants and they act as Carbon Sink.
Carbion Dioxide emission has a direct influence of rise in temperatures.
How is it that heat waves are claimimng hundreds of lives even at 43
degrees Celsius which is common in Andhra Pradesh?
Government of AP and Union Government can take steps to plant Agave
and Opuntia in a massive scale in waste lands and to encourage every

household to go in for CAM Plants like Agave and Opuntia(Small omnes) in

pots. Last week I was in Newjersey and found Agave plants in pots before
the houses.
Apart from acting as Carbon Sink these CAM plants are source of
Bioenergy.
Bio Energy as Alternate Fuel - An Action Plan for India
Agave tequilana weber may yield up to 2,000 gallons of distilled ethanol per
acre per year and from 12,000-18,000 gallons per acre per year if their
cellulose is included, some 14 dry tons of feedstock per acre every year.
These figures far outshine the plants that are dominating ethanol and bio
fuels R&D and investment today, not only in terms of potential ethanol yield
per acre, but also in terms of energy balance (the ratio of energy in the
product to the energy input to produce it), as well as actual and prospective
planted acreage.
Corn ethanol, for example, has an energy balance ratio of 1.3 and
produces approximately 300-400 gallons of ethanol per acre. Soybean bio
diesel with an energy balance of 2.5, typically can yield 60 gallons of bio
diesel per acre while an acre of sugar cane can produce 600-800 gallons of
ethanol with an energy balance of 8.0. An acre of poplar trees can yield
more than 1,500 gallons of cellulosic ethanol with an energy balance of
12.0, according to a National Geographic study published in October 2007.
According to Arturo Velez, Agave Expert:
On an annualized basis agave produces 3X more distilled ethanol than
sugar cane in Brasil; 6X more distilled ethanol than yellow corn in the US;
at least 3X more cellulosic ethanol than switchgrass or poplar tree.
Producing one gallon of distilled ethanol from agave costs at the most half
the cost of one gallon from sugar cane and one fourth of corn's production
cost.
One hectare of Agave captures at least 5X more CO2 than one hectare of
the fastest growing Eucalyptus on a high density plantation and in one
single year agave produces the same cellulose pulp Eucalyptus produces
in 5 years..

CAM species such as Agave show considerable promise as a biofuel crop

for the future due to their high water-use efficiency, tolerance to abiotic
stress (e.g., drought and high temperatures), and potential for high biomass
production on marginal lands .
The optimal use of water to grow a selected feedstock is of critical
importance because water scarcity, more than any other factor, determines
whether land is suitable for growing food crops. Thus, growing plants with
high water-use efficiency on land that is too dry to grow food crops is a
potentially powerful strategy for producing biomass feed stocks in large
amounts while minimizing competition with the food supply. Additionally,
making productive use of semi-arid land can have positive effects on poor
rural areas. The water-use efficiency (WUE) value (grams CO2
fixed/kilogram water transpired) varies markedly among plants with different
types of photosynthetic metabolism. C3 plants typically have WUE values
of 13; C4 plants, between 2 and 5; whereas crassulacean acid
metabolism (CAM) plants have values between 10 and 40. Therefore, CAM
plants can be cultivated in arid or semi-arid land normally unsuitable for the
cultivation of most C3 and C4 crops. It is exceedingly unlikely that a C3 or
C4 plant could be developed, with or without genetic modification, with
water-use efficiency approaching that of CAM plants.Moreover, CAM plants
are native to essentially every state in the USA except Alaska, although
they are prominent parts of ecosystems only in the Southwest.
In spite of this potential, CAM plants have received much less systematic
study or development as energy crops relative to inherently less waterefficient plants such as corn (maize), sugarcane, switch grass Miscanthus,
poplar, sugar beets, Jatropha, soy, and canola.
Cellulose content is far more in Agave Americana compared to Deciduous
Wood,sugarcane,wheat straw,corn stover and switch grass while lignin
content is far less in Agave Americana as compared to the others
mentioned.
A group of Mexican researchers believe they've discovered what they call
the "missing energy crop," and though it hasn't exactly been missing-it

grows abundantly in Mexico and in some southern U.S. and South

American locations-these scientists claim agave possesses characteristics
superior to other feedstocks currently being examined for biofuel purposes,
such as cellulosic ethanol production.
Agave is arguably one of the most significant plants in Mexican culture. It
has a rosette of thick fleshy leaves, each of which usually end in a sharp
point with a spiny margin, and is commonly mistaken for cacti.
President Barack Obamas Plan to tackle Climate Change includes, The
US will increase its research and development of bio ethanol as fuel. I
believe biomass and ethanol are a part of the solution and belong in the
green transition. Yet bio fuels and ethanol are many things. Not all are
green and not all are sustainable in the broadest sense. For bio ethanol to
belong in the green economy it has to deliver substantial greenhouse gas
savings and avoid negative impact on food prices. Only then will it be good
business for farmers and good for the climate. The technology is available
and ready to be scaled up. Second generation bio ethanol is an emerging
market with the potential to reduce 85 pct. of CO2 emission compared to
regular fossil fuels in transportation. It is also a local resource increasing
energy independence and creating local jobs in agriculture, factories and
logistics.. It is most welcome.
Hitherto Corn and Sugarcane are used in the biofuel production. In the
debate on FOOD Vs FUEL, it is necessary to find alternatives.
Agave has a huge advantage, as it can grow in marginal or desert land,
not on arable land, and therefore would not displace food crops, says
Oliver Inderwildi, at the University of Oxford. The majority of ethanol
produced in the world is still derived from food crops such as corn and
sugarcane. Speculators have argued for years now that using such crops
for fuel can drive up the price of food.
Agave, however, can grow on hot dry land with a high-yield and low
environmental impact. The researchers proposing the plants use have
modeled a facility in Jalisco, Mexico, which converts the high sugar content
of the plant into ethanol.

The research, published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science,

provides the first ever life-cycle analysis of the energy and greenhouse gas
balance of producing ethanol with agave. Each megajoule of energy
produced from the agave-to-ethanol process resulted in a net emission of
35 grams of carbon dioxide, far below the 85g/MJ estimated for corn
ethanol production. Burning gasoline produces roughly 100g/MJ.The
characteristics of the agave suit it well to bioenergy production, but also
reveal its potential as a crop that is adaptable to future climate change,
adds University of Oxford plant scientist Andrew Smith. In a world where
arable land and water resources are increasingly scarce, these are key
attributes in the food versus fuel argument, which is likely to intensify given
the expected large-scale growth in biofuel production.
Agave already appeared to be an interesting bio ethanol source due to its
high sugar content and its swift growth. For the first time Researchers at
the universities of Oxford and Sydney have now conducted the first lifecycle analysis of the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of
agave-derived ethanol and present their promising results in the journal
Energy & Environmental Science.
On both life cycle energy and GHG emissions agave scores at least as well
as corn, switch grass and sugarcane, while reaching a similar ethanol
output. The big advantages agave has over the before mentioned plants is
that it can grow in dry areas and on poor soil, thus practically eliminating
their competition with food crops and drastically decreasing their pressure
on water resources.
Plants which use crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), which include the
cacti and Agaves, are of particular interest since they can survive for many
months without water and when water is available they use it with an
efficiency that can be more than 10 times that of other plants, such as
maize, sorghum, miscanthus and switchgrass. CAM species include no
major current or potential food crops; they have however for centuries been
cultivated for alcoholic beverages and low-lignin fibres.
They may therefore also be ideal for producing biofuels on land unsuited for

food production.
In Mxico, there are active research programs and stakeholders
investigating Agave spp. as a bioenergy feedstock. The unique physiology
of this genus has been exploited historically for the sake of fibers and
alcoholic beverages, and there is a wealth of knowledge in the country of
Mxico about the life history, genetics, and cultivation of Agave. The State
of Jalisco is the denomination of origin of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul,
a cultivar primarily used for the production of tequila that has been widely
researched to optimize yields. Other cultivars of Agave tequilana are grown
throughout Mxico, along with the Agave fourcroydes Lem., or henequen,
which is an important source of fiber that has traditionally been used for
making ropes. The high sugar content of Agave tequilana may be valuable
for liquid fuel production, while the high lignin content of Agave fourcroydes
may be valuable for power generation through combustion.
Along with Agave species described above, some other economically
important species include A. salmiana, A. angustiana, A. americana, and A.
sisalana. Agave sisalana is not produced in Mxico, but has been an
important crop in regions of Africa and Australia. Information collected here
could thus be relevant to semi-arid regions around the world.
Agave is a CAM Plant. Crassulacean acid metabolism, also known as CAM
photosynthesis, is a carbon fixation pathway that evolved in some plants as
an adaptation to arid conditions in a plant using full CAM, the stomata in the
leaves remains shut during the day to reduce evapotranspiration, but open
at night to collect carbon dioxide (CO2). The CO2 is stored as the fourcarbon acidmalate, and then used during photosynthesis during the day.
The pre-collected CO2 is concentrated around the enzyme RuBisCO,
increasing photosynthetic efficiency. Agave and Opuntia are the best CAM
Plants.
Agave Competitive Advantages
* Thrives on dry land/marginal land. Most efficient use of soil, water and
light
* Massive production. Year-around harvesting

* Very high yields with very low or no inputs

* Very high quality biomass and sugars
* Very low cost of production. Not a commodity, so prices are not volatile
* Very versatile: biofuels, byproducts, chemicals
* World-wide geographical distribution
* Enhanced varieties are ready.
Another plant of great use is OPUNTIA for biofuel / biogas production.
The cultivation of nopal((OPUNTIA FICUS-INDICA), a type of cactus, is
one of the most important in Mexico. According to Rodrigo Morales,
Chilean engineer, Wayland biomass, installed on Mexican soil, allows you
to generate inexhaustible clean energy. Through the production of biogas,
it can serve as a raw material more efficiently, by example and by
comparison with jatropha.
Wayland Morales, head of Elqui Global Energy argues that an acre of
cactus produces 43 200 m3 of biogas or the equivalent in energy terms to
25,000 liters of diesel. With the same land planted with jatropha, he says, it
will produce 3,000 liters of biodiesel.
Another of the peculiarities of the nopal is biogas which is the same
molecule of natural gas, but its production does not require machines or
devices of high complexity. Also, unlike natural gas, contains primarily
methane (75%), carbon dioxide (24%) and other minor gases (1%), so it
has advantages from the technical point of view since it has the same
capacity heat but is cleaner, he says, and as sum datum its calorific value
is 7,000 kcal/m3.
Javier Snchez et al in their extensive study on Opuntia as potential input for
bioethanol concluded:
Prickly pear is a widely-known crop in the SE of Spain, where it is currently
used for forage, fodder and fruit. Now it is being considered as a potential
crop for bioethanol production from its whole biomass. In order to estimate
the potential bioethanol production in the province of Almeria (SE-Spain)
and the optimal location of bioethanol processing plants, a GIS analysis
involving a predictive yield model of prickly

pear biomass was undertaken following specific restriction criteria.

According to this analysis, the total potential bioethanol production in
Almeria would be up to 502,927.8 t dmyear1 from 100,616 ha maximum
that could be cultivated with prickly pear, with a calculated yield ranging
between 4.2 and 9.4 t dmha1year1. An exclusive suitability analysis
and a preferable suitability analysis based on the Analytic Hierarchy
Process were performed in order to estimate the optimal location of the
subsequent processing plants within Almerias road network by a discrete
location-allocation model.(Javier Snchez , Francisco Snchez , Mara
Dolores Curt & Jess Fernndez (2012) Assessment of the bioethanol
potential of prickly pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) biomass obtained
from regular crops in the province of Almeria (SE Spain), Israel Journal of
Plant Sciences, 60:3, 301-318).
In the developing countries like India which has vast waste land Opuntia
can be grown along with Agave for Biofuel/Biogas and subsequent power
generation.
Agave and Opuntia can be grown in huge areas of waste lands in
Developing countries like India. Another route of power production is biogas
generation from Agave as well as Opuntia. Biogas power generators are
commercially available. This way power can be generated at local level with
local resources. Both agave and Opuntia are regenerative plants.
Here is an action plan for the countryon Renewables to bring in Rural
Prosperity:
1. Promote Offshore Wind Farms.
2. Promote small wind generators as decentralised systems
3. Roof Top PV Solar
4. Creating Renewable Energy Fund. Investment by Income Tax Payers to
be exempted under Section 80C(For Central Government).
5. Wind Farm Co-operatives on the lines of those in Germany,Denmark
etc.
6. Solar Co-operatives on the lines of those in US.
7. Energy Conservation by replacing most of the inefficient 2.6 Crore

irrigation electric pump sets(About 30% power can be saved). Agriculture

consumes much power next only to Industry
8. Reading lights with reliable and quality dual
powered(Solar/Electricity/USB) to save enormous energy.
9. Biofuel/Biogas for power generation and cooking from Agave/opuntia
care-free growth,regenerative and CAM plants. In China Biogas for cooking
is supplied trough pipes.
In the vast vacant land in India Agave and Opuntia can be grown and
power generation established as decentralised locally.
10. Simple Box Type Solar Cooker with frying facility( 3D
approach,Design,Demonstrate and Disseminate)
11.Cost effective vertical and cylindrical,mobile solar water heater design.
12. Low head Micro hydro device to generate power from the head of falling
water from the delivery pipe of Electric/diesel pump
sets.
13. KW size Biogas power/cooking plant for villages.
14. Simple solar drier
15. Growing CAM Plants in Waste and Vacant lands which act as Carbon
Sink.
Energy Conservation
https://www.scribd.com/doc/250077351/Energy-Conservation
Though Solar Energy has to be promoted on a big scale,it is nowhere
compared to Wind Energy both in India(Particularly Andhra Pradesh) and
abroad. The Efficiency of Wind Turbines is quite high compared to Solar
PV. For a country with vast waste land,biofuel/biogaspower/biochar has
great potential from regenerative,care-free growth CAM plants like Agave
and Opuntia.
Put the RENEWABLES to WORK: To get inexhaustible,Pollution- Free
Energy which cannot be misused.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP)

Aloe vera plants planted on World Environment Day in my house

Opuntia plants planted on World Environment Day in my House

EENADU 6 June 2015

Comments

Anumakonda Jagadeesh Facebook 6 June 2015

SAVE ENERGY IN ELECTRIC PUMP SETS
I have had been suggesting this since years.
Without anybodys insistence in our fields we replaced 5 electric motors
with efficient ones and we could see the enormous energy saving.
Energy Conservation in Electric Pump sets for Agriculture:

Energy conservation yields quick results than energy generation. In India

Agricultural pump sets consume power next only to Industry. There are
about 26 Million Agricultural Electric Motors in the country( about13 Lakhs
in Andhra Pradesh). Many of them are quite old and inefficient. For
Agricultural pump sets the power tariff is nominal or nil in some states. A
scheme can be chalked out By both Central and State Governments to
replace the old and inefficient agricultural pump sets with efficient ones by
giving a subsidy. Electricity is a high grade energy which finds use in
Industry, lighting etc. As such it must be judiciously used especially in the
agricultural sector. Next to Industry Agriculture consumes about 27% of
power. By replacing the inefficient pump sets, one can save 30% of power.
Energy Conservation
https://www.scribd.com/doc/250077351/Energy-Conservation
THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
Energy Conservation Week to be Observed from December 14
By Express News Service HYDERABAD Published: 14th December 2013
09:02 AM Last Updated: 14th December 2013 09:02 AM With the state and
Central governments keen on promoting solar power and focusing on
promotion of energy conservation in a big way, the New and Renewable
Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) is
organising Energy Conservation Week (ECW) at the Institution of
Engineers (India) here from December14 to 20.During the week, seminars,
workshops and competitions will be organised in coordination with the
National Productivity Council, Petroleum Conservation Research
Associations, Energy Conservation Mission, FAPCCI and OU College of
Engineering among others. Addressing a press conference here on Friday,
NREDCAP managing director M Kamalakar Babu said that the ECW is
aimed to disseminate energy conservation and efficiency measures. Rural
energy awareness programme for school and college students will be held
from December 14 to 17, Energy Conservation Walk on December 15,
followed by awareness campaign at JNTU on Dec 16, workshop on EC

measures in domestic sector

on December 17, industries sector on December 18), in buildings on Dec
19, and Save Energy calendar cum pocket guide will be re
leased on Dec 20.He said State Energy Conservation Awards-2013 will be
presented to various organisations that include government departments,
municipalities, corporations, universities, colleges, industries and others on
December 20.
Comments
I have had been advocating energy conservation since long. Apart from
Energy generation from Renewables, Energy Saving is the need of the hour
in India. A Novel Scheme to replace Old and inefficient agricultural pump
sets: Out of the 26 Million Agricultural pump sets in the country many are
old and inefficient. The power tariff for farmers is minimal. Electricity is a
high grade energy which is needed in industries, domestic purposes,
computers etc. A scheme can be chalked out to replace the inefficient
motors by efficient ones. The cost of a 5 HP Electric motor because is
aboutRs 30,000.A subsidy of Rs 25,000 can be provided to replace
these inefficient motors. This yields quick results and Energy conservation
is better than energy generation. Each Kwh saved is each Kwh generated
(1 US$= Rs 60). There must be some contribution from the beneficiary
otherwise he wont take care of
the system. Giving free leads to misuse. In 80s the then Department of
Non-Conventional Energy Sources(Now MNRE)under Demonstration
Programme installed over 4000 Water Pumping Mills free of cost. In Andhra
Pradesh about 500 were installed. At that time a windmill was costing Rs
20,000. A reliable windmill costs around Rs 80,000 at that time. In fact in
our Filelds in Muthukur, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh 2 Wind mills were
installed. None of the windmills worked and vanished in no time. Based on
several studies carried out on agricultural pump set efficiency, it has been
found that the pump efficiency varies from25-35% due to various factors.
By adopting BEE star labeled agricultural pump sets, the efficiency can be
enhanced upto 50-52%. It is estimated that, by replacement of existing

pumps with the BEE star labeled pumps, the achievable saving potential
is30-40% and sectoral saving potential works out to be 4.34 BU per year.
Instead of huge investment on New Power projects, The Government of
India and different state Governments can jointly plan a scheme to replace
the existing old and inefficient agricultural pump sets with efficient ones.
This yields quick results. Energy conservation refers to reducing energy
consumption through using less of an energy service. Energy conservation
differs from efficient energy use, which refers to using less energy for a
constant service. For example, driving less is an example of energy
conservation. Driving the same amount with a higher mileage vehicle is an
example of energy efficiency. Energy conservation and efficiency are both
energy reduction techniques. Even though energy conservation reduces
energy services, it can result in increased, environmental quality, national
security, and personal financial security. It is at the top of the sustainable
energy hierarchy. One of the primary ways to improve energy conservation
in buildings is to use an energy audit. An energy audit is an inspection and
analysis of energy use and flows for energy conservation in a building,
process or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system
without negatively affecting the output(s). This is normally accomplished by
trained professionals and can be part of some of the national programs
discussed above. In addition, recent development of smart phone apps
enable homeowners to complete relatively sophisticated energy audits
themselves. Building technologies and smart meters can allow energy
users, business and residential, to see graphically the impact their energy
use can have in their workplace or homes. Advanced real-time energy
metering is able to help people save energy by their actions. Elements of
passive solar design, shown in a direct gain application. In passive solar
building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect, store, and
distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat
in the summer. This is called passive solar design or climatic design
because, unlike active solar heating systems, it doesn't involve the use of
mechanical and electrical devices. The key to designing a passive solar

building is to best take advantage of the local climate. Elements to be

considered include window placement and glazing type, thermal insulation,
thermal mass, and shading. Passive solar design techniques can be
applied most easily to new buildings, but existing buildings can be
retrofitted. Energy Saving in Lighting. One innovation that saves enormous
power in light is READING SOLAR LIGHT dual powered. Normally in India
students read under a 40 Watt Fluorescent bulb. In school and college
hostels Dual powered reading lights can be promoted.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP)

EENADU 6 June 2015

Comments
Anumakonda Jagadeesh Facebook 6 June 2015
Though Wind Energy was started long back in Andhra Pradesh it is far
below compared to neighbouring state Tamil Nadu.
State wise wind power
State Capacity (MW), as of March 31, 2014
Tamil Nadu
7253

Gujarat
3414
Maharashtra
2976
Rajasthan
2820
Karnataka
2409
Andhra Pradesh
753
Madhya Pradesh
439
Kerala
55
Others 4.30
Total 21264
Here are some policies to promote wind energy in Andhra Pradesh:
Encourage Wind Farm Co-operatives like the ones in Denmark and other
European countries.
Community wind projects are locally owned by farmers, investors,
businesses, schools, utilities, or other public or private entities who utilize
wind energy to support and reduce energy costs to the local community.
The key feature is that local community members have a significant, direct
financial stake in the project beyond land lease payments and tax revenue.
Projects may be used for on-site power or to generate wholesale power for
sale, usually on a commercial-scale greater than 100 kW.
Australia
The Hepburn Wind Project is a wind farm at Leonards Hill near Daylesford,
Victoria, north-west of Melbourne, Victoria. It comprises two 2MW wind
turbines which produce enough power for 2,300 households.
This is the first Australian community-owned wind farm. The initiative has

emerged because the community felt that the state and federal
governments were not doing enough to address climate change.
Canada
Community wind power is in its infancy in Canada but there are reasons for
optimism. One such reason is the launch of a new Feed-in Tariff (FIT)
program in the Province of Ontario . A number of community wind projects
are in development in Ontario but the first project that is likely to obtain a
FIT contract and connect to the grid is thePukwis Community Wind Park.
Pukwis will be unique in that it is a joint Aboriginal/Community wind project
that will be majority-owned by the Chippewas of Georgina Island First
Nation, with a local renewable energy co-operative (the Pukwis Energy Cooperative) owning the remainder of the project.
Denmark
In Denmark, families were offered a tax exemption for generating their own
electricity within their own or an adjoining commune. By 2001 over 100,000
families belonged to wind turbine cooperatives, which had installed 86% of
all the wind turbines in Denmark, a world leader in wind power. Wind power
has gained very high social acceptance in Denmark, with the development
of community wind farms playing a major role.[
In 1997, Sams won a government competition to become a model
renewable energy community. An offshore wind farm comprising 10
turbines (making a total of 21 altogether including land-based windmills),
was completed, funded by the islanders. 100% of its electricity comes from
wind power and 75% of its heat comes from solar power and biomass
energy. An Energy Academy has opened in Ballen, with a visitor education
center.
Germany
In Germany, hundreds of thousands of people have invested in citizens'
wind farms across the country and thousands of small and medium sized
enterprises are running successful businesses in a new sector that in 2008
employed 90,000 people and generated 8 percent of Germany's electricity.
Wind power has gained very high social acceptance in Germany, with the

development of community wind farms playing a major role.

In the German district of North Frisia there are more than 60 wind farms
with a capacity of about 700 MW, and 90 percent are community-owned.
North Frisia is seen to be a model location for community wind, leading the
way for other regions, especially in southern Germany.
India
Starting in 2006, a village panchayat (local self-governing body) in Tamil
Nadu state has become completely self-sufficient in energy by using
renewable sources like wind, solar and biogas.
The Odanthurai village panchayat near Coimbatore city comprises 11
villages and has a population of about 8,000. By 2009, it had set up its own
350kW windfarm to meet its energy needs. The windmill was set up at
Malwadi near Udumalpet and generates about 8 lakh units annually. The
power requirement for Odanthurai stands at about 4.5 lakh units, and the
local panchayat body is now selling the surplus power to the state grid. This
gives the panchayat an annual income of 19 lakh rupees.
The village cooperative is also using other sources of renewable energy. It
has 65 solar streetlights in two hamlets and a nine-KW (kilowatt) biomass
gasifier to pump drinking water from the river to the overhead tanks. Doing
so, Odanthurai became the first local body in India to utilize the
remunerative enterprises scheme of the state government.
The Netherlands
Sixty-three farmers in De Zuidlob, the southern part of the municipality of
Zeewolde, have entered into a cooperative agreement that aims to develop
a wind farm of at least 108 MW. The project will include the installation of
three phases of 12 wind turbines with capacities of 3 to 4.5 MW each. The
aim is to put the wind farm into service in 2012
The Netherlands has an active community of wind cooperatives. They build
and operate wind parks in all regions of the Netherlands. This started in the
1980s with the first Lagerweij turbines. Back then, these turbines could be
financed by the members of the cooperatives. Today, the cooperatives build
larger wind parks, but not as large as commercial parties do. Some still

operate self-sufficiently, others partner with larger commercial wind park

developers.
Because of the very unproductive state policies for financing wind parks in
the Netherlands, the cooperatives have developed a new financing model,
where members of a cooperative do not have to pay taxes for the electricity
they generate with their community wind park. In this construction the
Zelfleveringsmodel the cooperative operates the wind park, and a
traditional energy company only acts as a service provider, for billing and
energy balance on the public grid. This is the new role for energy
companies in the future, where production is largely decentralized.
United Kingdom
As of 2012, there are 43 communities who are in the process of or already
producing renewable energy through co-operative structures in the UK.
They are set up and run by everyday people, mostly local residents, who
are investing their time and money and together installing large wind
turbines, solar panels, or hydro-electric power for their local communities.
Baywind Energy Co-operative was the first co-operative to own wind
turbines in the United Kingdom. Baywind was modeled on the similar wind
turbine cooperatives and other renewable energy co-operatives that are
common in Scandinavia, and was founded as an industrial and provident
society in 1996. It grew to exceed 1,300 members, each with one vote.
A proportion of the profits is invested in local community environmental
initiatives through the Baywind Energy Conservation Trust. As of 2006,
Baywind owns a 2.5 megawatt five-turbine wind farm at Harlock Hill near
Ulverston, Cumbria (operational since 29 January 1997), and one of the
600 kilowatt turbines at the Haverigg II wind farm near Millom, Cumbria.
Community-owned schemes in Scotland include one on the Isle of Gigha.
The Heritage Trust set up Gigha Renewable Energy to buy and operate
three Vestas V27 wind turbines, known locally as The Dancing Ladies or
Creideas, Dchas is Carthannas (Gaelic for Faith, Hope and Charity). They
were commissioned on 21 January 2005 and are capable of generating up
to 675 kW of power. Revenue is produced by selling the electricity to the

grid via an intermediary called Green Energy UK. Gigha residents control
the whole project and profits are reinvested in the community.
Another community-owned wind farm, Westmill Wind Farm Cooperative,
opened in May 2008 in the Oxfordshire village of Watchfield. It consists of
five 1.3 megawatt turbines, and is described by its promoters as the UK's
largest community-owned wind farm. It was structured as a cooperative,
whose shares and loan stock were sold to the local community. Other
businesses, such as Midcounties Co-operative, also invested, and the Cooperative Bank provided a loan.
Community Energy Scotland is an independent Scottish charity established
in 2008 that provides advice and financial support for renewable energy
projects developed by community groups in Scotland. The stated aim of
Community Energy Scotland is 'to build confidence, resilience and wealth
at community level in Scotland through sustainable energy development'.
Findhorn Ecovillage has four Vestas wind turbines which can generate up
to 750 kW. These make the community net exporters of renewablegenerated electricity. Most of the generation is used on-site with any
surplus exported to the National Grid.
Boyndie Wind Farm Co-operative is part of the Energy4All group, which
promotes community ownership. A number of other schemes supported by
Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company are in the pipeline.
Unity Wind Ltd is an industrial and provident society that intends to install
two 2MW wind turbines at North Walsham in North Norfolk. Its key aim is
community wind turbines installed and run by community investment and
for financial benefit to the community.
United States
In 2009, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory published a report that
identified three different types of community wind projects in the United
States.. The first model describes a project owned by a municipal utility,
such as the Hull Wind Project in Massachusetts. The second model is a
wind project that is jointly owned by local community members, such as the
MinWind Projects near Luverne, Minnesota. The third type is a flip-style

ownership. This model allows local investors to partner with a corporation in

order to take advantage of Production Tax Credit federal incentives. Flip
projects have been built in Minnesota and Texas.
So are Solar Co-operatives.
OFFSHORE WIND FARMS:
Andhra Pradesh has long coast line. There is much progress in offshore
wind farms in Europe especially in UK and US, China,Taiwan have
ambitious plans. The advantage of offshore Wind farms( about 10 km away
from the coast) is wind on the sea is higher as roughness factor of water
and ice is zero. Since there will be no obstacles for free flow of wind
compared onshore wind speeds will be about 30% higher offshore. In the
power equation Power is having cubic relation with velocity of wind. Other
factors remaining constant wind energy offshore will be about 30# more
nearby onshore. Moreover because of higher velocities large wind turbines
can be deployed. Capacities of even 8 MW wind turbines are established.
It is unfortunate even though India occupies 5th position in the world on
wind, is yet to start offshore wind farms.
Andhra Pradesh can take lead by going in for offshore wind farms with
Union Governments assistance and private participation.
Here is a Blue Print for Renewables in Andhra Pradesh:
1. Promote Offshore Wind Farms.
2. Promote small wind generators as decentralised systems
3. Roof Top PV Solar
4. Promoting CAM plants to act as Carbon Sink.
5. Wind Farm Co-operatives on the lines of those in
Germany,Denmark etc.
6. Solar Co-operatives on the lines of those in US.
7. Energy Conservation by replacing most of the inefficient 2.6 Crore
irrigation electric pump sets(About 30% power can be saved).
Agriculture consumes much power next only to Industry
8. Reading lights with reliable and quality dual

powered(Solar/Electricity/USB) to save enormous energy.

9. Biofuel/Biogas for power generation and cooking from
Agave/opuntia care-free growth,regenerative and CAM plants. In
China Biogas for cooking is supplied trough pipes.
In the vast vacant land in India Agave and Opuntia can be grown and
power generation established as decentralised locally.
10. Simple Box Type Solar Cooker with frying facility( 3D
approach,Design,Demonstrate and Disseminate)
11.Cost effective vertical and cylindrical,mobile solar water heater
design.
12. Low head Micro hydro device to generate power from the head of
falling water from the delivery pipe of Electric/diesel pump
sets.
13. KW size Biogas power/cooking plant for villages.
14. Simple solar drier
15. Growing CAM Plants in Waste and Vacant lands which act as
Carbon Sink.
Energy Conservation
https://www.scribd.com/doc/250077351/Energy-Conservation
Though Solar Energy has to be promoted on a big scale,it is nowhere
compared to Wind Energy both in India(Particularly Andhra Pradesh)
and abroad. The Efficiency of Wind Turbines is quite high compared
to Solar PV. For a country with vast waste
land,biofuel/biogaspower/biochar has great potential from
regenerative,care-free growth CAM plants like Agave and Opuntia.
Put the RENEWABLES to WORK: To get inexhaustible,PollutionFree Energy which cannot be misused.

Dr.A.Jagadeesh Nellore(AP)
Renewable Energy Expert
E-mail: anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com

Offshore Windfarm