ABSTRACT
In this work, a technical and social viewpoint on strategic renewable energy implementation based on tactical factors with a restrained viability, in selected places in India are presented. The argument initiates with the consideration of augmenting the available resources at a place of interest and leveraging the homegrown advantage over non-local facilities. Such undertakings can facilitate resource efficiency, by combining technological and economic rewards for the overall benefit of society unlocking the aspects of co-dependence on alternate energy forms. Nine different places in India were identified in Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Karnataka and explored employing physical survey, to identify the distinct geographies, allowing a narrative building in favor of strategic deployment. This mapping of resources, when applied to the local conditions by using a stochastic model developed as a direct output from the work. The result of the survey expresses that nominated people’s opinion is heavily skewed toward bioenergy and solar by almost a factor of 2, in comparison to wind, small hydro, geothermal, and hydrogen. Respondents recorded about 80% urban and 25% rural for solar, followed by bioenergy at 68% urban and 46% rural. Geothermal and hydrogen received the least (<20% urban, <5% rural). In the end, the study opens a wider scope for judgment-making for policymakers, to distinguish between the approach for all-inclusive and preferential renewables deployment.
Highlights
The study conducted for preferential renewable technology selection enables making fair judgments.
Policies targeting rural and semi-urban settlements may essentially work in response to the proposed model.
Realistic representation of habitats is crucial to policy making and thus enables technology uptake.
List of abbreviations and Units
RE | = | Renewable Energy |
GW | = | Giga Watts |
m/s | = | Meters per second |
C | = | Celsius |
MJ/kg | = | Mega Joule per kilogram |
CO2 | = | Carbon Dioxide |
H2 | = | Hydrogen |
CAPEX | = | Capital Expenditures |
PV | = | Photo Voltaic |
Lac | = | Lac or Lakh, Unit of Indian numbering system |
UREDA | = | Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency |
SAIL | = | Steel Authority of India Limited |
CCS | = | Carbon Capture and Storage |
EVs | = | Electric Vehicles |
MNRE | = | Ministry of New and Renewable Energy |
WBREDA | = | West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency |
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering, and Department of Chemistry of the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun, India, (under whose affiliation most of the work was carried out), University of Lorraine, France and the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Stanford University, US. The authors also would thank the people who willingly supported the survey and gave their opinions.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Contribution
This work is an exemplification of the public survey carried out independently. The author would like to mention that no external/internal funding was procured of any form, and there is no relation or representation of any stakeholder (governmental or non-governmental) in this work. The primary motive to create this free-lanced expedition is to gauge the scope of renewable energy in rural and urban areas strictly in terms of public opinion, and further corroborate it with available data sources found in the literature sources.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Mainak Mukherjee
Mainak Mukherjee specializes in advanced and progressive energy systems. His research portfolio includes strategy and data-driven modeling, with a focus on industrial energy use practices, net-zero: decarbonization pathways, and the inception of advanced/new energy systems in the prevailing energy mix. Mainak holds a Ph.D. in Process and Energy Engineering
Amit Kumar Sharma
Amit Kumar Sharma is a bio-energy expert and has worked on various funded research projects related to Biodiesel production, diesel ethanol blending storage stability, and the development of a de-oiled cake-based floating drum-type biogas plant. His research focus now lies in cutting-edge areas such as Algae biofuels, Biohydrogen production, Plastic waste management, and Biochar applications. Amit holds a Ph.D. in Microalgae biofuel production and storage stability.