The Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) amendments in 2013 created a new opportunity for renewable energy system manufacturers and suppliers, who were quick to align their products and services to cater to this market particularly for the rural sector. The profit making companies also looked at renewable energy systems as another option that can be procured and utilized for meeting their CSR com-mitments. As a result, there was a require-ment for projects based on application of renewable energy technologies and a de-mand for Detailed Project Reports that had endorsement of the local governments and the acceptance of the community, so that tenders could be floated and contrac-tors given the work order to install the sys-tems. Unfortunately, there are none, or very few, readymade off-the-shelf projects that meet all of the above criteria. In the mean-time, a few companies started investing their CSR budgets in putting solar street-lights in villages, solar mini-power plants for schools, etc. The demand-supply gap

for suitable CSR projects continues to remain.

A few companies have started investing their CSR budgets in putting

solar streetlights in villages, solar mini-power plants in schools, besides

other similar initiatives, but this hardly fulfills the demand-supply gap

for suitable CSR projects

There is a basic flaw in the way companies, those looking for projects and those offering them, approach this unique opportunity of utilizing renewable energy for rural masses. There are four essential ingredients of a renew-able energy based community oriented CSR project - a strong and felt demand for reliable and clean energy; availability of renewable en-ergy resource and an ecosystem to harness it viably; alignment with the core business and ethics of the interested company; and owner-ship and participation of local communities and institutions in the project.

EDITORIAL

Access to EnergyBulletin

Vol 7, January 2014

www.itpower.co.in www.itpowergroup.com

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Policy Issues

Interview

Technology

Energy & MDGs Product Feature

Dr. Akanksha ChaureyCEO, IT Power - India

ISSN 2278 - 5663

IT Power is a reputed international consulting firm in the areas of renewable energy, climate change & sustainibility, and energy efficiency.

ITP News Update

Editorial Interview Energy & MDGsPolicy Issues Technology

Global Conference on Rural Energy Access at Addis AbabaAs part of the follow up to the 2012 Conference on Sustainable Development or Rio+20, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA), in collaboration with Sustainable Energy for All, UN-Energy and the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), organized a global conference on rural energy access at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from December 4-6, 2013. Focus of the Confer-ence was upon a nexus approach to sustainable development and poverty eradication.

The participants came from across the globe and mooted on various issues which included - integrating policy options to address rural energy; identifying synergies that can be realized from the links between energy and other development factors including health, education, economic growth, gender, water and food security; identifying best practices and lessons learned and sharing international and country-level experiences in rural energy-access development; and assisting participants in identifying relevant renewable energy products, systems and services for rural communities. The CEO of IT Power-India also participated in the conference. It is worth noting here that IT Power through its bulletin has been promoting the approach of convergence of health, education and other basic issues with access to clean energy, which was one of the significant aspects discussed during the Conference. For details on the Conference, visit: http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=13&nr=489&menu=23

World Bank Study on improving Energy Access in Uttar PradeshIT Power has been awarded the World Bank assignment on Market Assessment and Technical Design Options study for improving En-ergy Access in Uttar Pradesh (UP), using decentralized generation with renewable energy technologies (RETs) and distribution through local supply networks. One of the significant outcomes of the study would be developing appropriate models for implementation of projects related to energy access.

CSIRO SolarGas India StudyIT Power facilitated the feasibility study of Australia based organization - CSIRO’s SolarGas technology in India. SolarGas technology en-hances the energy content of natural gas through steam reforming, by using solar energy. CSIRO has been researching on this technol-ogy for over 15 years and they have also demonstrated it in their test facility at Newcastle, Australia. The organization is now looking at the prospect of establishing such technological systems in India.

Access to Energy - Vol. 7, January 2014 2

There are four essential ingredients of a renewable energy based community oriented

CSR project – a strong demand for reliable clean energy; availability of renewable

energy resource; alignment with the company’s core business and ethics; and ownership and par-

ticipation of local communities

All of these require an inclusive and integrated approach to project development, which usually starts with an inno-vative concept or an idea that takes the shape of a sustain-able project eventually. In terms of project development process, it requires activities such as assessment of energy specific needs of target communities; renewable resource assessment; technology selection and design; analysis of the techno-economic feasibility of setting up and running a project; community consultations and ensuring their in-volvement; assessment of the institutional mechanisms for implementation and sustainability that run across gov-ernment/ non-government/enterprise sectors. Project de-velopment of this nature requires multi-skilled and expe-rienced teams with a mix of technical, management, and social training experience. A quick and standard template oriented DPR approach simply cannot give the desired re-sults. Further, the project implementation and monitoring

requires a synergy of sound management practices and a community oriented developmental approach.

Good CSR projects in renewable energy domain and rooted in the milieu of community

development can synergize with government schemes such as on health, education,

sanitation, livelihoods, infrastructure, and can give a healthy socio-economic return on

equity to the company

There is ample scope of developing good CSR projects that are rooted in the milieu of community development, can synergize with government schemes on health, education, sanitation, livelihoods, infrastructure etc. and can give a healthy socio-economic return on equity to the company. However the conceptualization, development, implementa-tion and monitoring of CSR projects require skills that are unique in nature and the companies wishing to utilize their CSR funds in a meaningful manner should be prepared to put-in required time and resources in project development.

The first issue of 2014 is dedicated to the theme of CSR and renewable energy, the synergy of which could change the fabric of rural India.

IntroductionFor the past few decades, India has been presenting a para-doxical picture of socio-economic development; on one hand the GDP and qualified human resource is on the rise and indigenous industries are making inroads around the world, while on the other a large portion of the population is still deprived of basic necessities of life. One of the signifi-cant reasons for this deprivation, as propounded by devel-opment stakeholders across the world, is lack of access to clean energy sources. Most of the people living in villages and small towns in central India do not have basic minimum supply of electricity. They still use sources of energy that pose threat to their health, harm the environment and im-pede the process of economic growth. Amidst this scenario, corporate social responsibility (CSR) provides a significant prospect for providing access to clean energy, that can fur-ther play a role in increasing the scope of livelihood, im-proving health conditions and environment, and enhancing quality of education. CSR Guidelines on Access to EnergyThe current CSR guidelines are quite comprehensive in pro-viding an approach, method, and kinds of initiatives that can be undertaken by the companies. It promotes an approach that has a mix of - profit making and sharing with the soci-ety - for mutual benefit. The guideline recommends compa-nies to follow “shared value” approach wherever possible (Guidelines on Corporate Social Responsibility, Paragraph -1.2.4). Quoting Porter and Kramer from the guideline itself - the essential test that should guide CSR is not whether a cause is worthy but whether it presents an opportunity to create shared value – that is a meaningful benefit for society that is also valuable to the business.

With this approach the government clearly defines the cycle of work for the companies. It starts with making an internal policy document, which aligns with the overall vision of the company by keeping in mind its nature, location, stakehold-ers, and benefits it will bring to the society. The policy docu-ment follows a detail project planning made by engaging all stakeholders and beneficiaries (Paragraph-1.4.13), including local government bodies and public representatives. In a nut-shell CSR project plan is more like a detail project proposal, which may be planned for a number of years with specific benchmark and fund allocations for each year. The project thus formulated can be undertaken by external agencies

such as not-for profit organizations. Monitoring and assess-ing the impact of the project is another vital component of CSR and preferably needs to be undertaken by external agencies other than the implementers. Another important component is the sustainable reporting, which is disclosing to stakeholders and beneficiaries the impact of economic, social and environmental initiatives undertaken by the com-pany.

It is significant to note here that government has clearly marked two priority projects: (1) inclusive growth of society with special attention to the weaker sections and backward districts and (2) environment sustainability (Guidelines, Paragraph -1.4.9). In the first category the work includes ca-pacity building, skill and infrastructural development for the weaker sections. In the second category the projects can be on energy management, promotion of renewable sources of energy, biodiversity conservation, conservation and restora-tion of eco-systems, reduction in carbon emissions through energy efficient and renewable energy technologies, and in-novation in products which have a tangible impact on envi-ronment (Paragraph -1.4.11). Although the companies are advised not to undertake projects that are mandated for the government, they can “supplement the efforts of the govern-ment” in achieving the goals of those projects (Paragraph -1.3.14). Additionally, the guidelines also recommend the companies to jointly venture for larger projects.

Prospects of Access to Energy through CSRAs is quite apparent from above, the CSR guidelines give pri-ority to access to clean energy projects. Companies may set

Policy IssuesCSR Guidelines and Energy Access

EditorialEditorial Energy & MDGsPolicy Issues Technology

ITP Editorial Team

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up solar plants at Panchayats that can help in providing en-ergy supply for the functioning of schools, street lights, irri-gation, etc. They can also undertake biomass technology for energy production, which can help in solving problems of open defecation and provide clean energy at the same time.

Another significant way could be by supplementing the already existing government programs with their energy requirements. There are numerous government flagship programs running in India, for instance - National Rural Livelihood Mission, National Rural Health Mission, Total Sanitation Campaign, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, to name a few. Most of these schemes need energy in some form or the other to achieve their goals or to enhance their impact. For instance lack of energy hampers numerous activities at lo-cal hospitals such as - absence of cooling mechanism makes it difficult to maintain blood banks, without electricity it is extremely difficult to operate on patients; communication services such as Internet or mobiles in absence of proper charging facility are almost dysfunctional. Companies can pitch in to fill these gaps.

Similar is the case with Total Sanitation Campaign program. The rural toilets are generally deprived of running water and electricity. Energy can help in running motors for water and also provide lights and exhaust fans that can make toilets cleaner and more attractive to the villagers. Similarly, the companies may provide energy at education premises and technical set-ups for better education and training facilities of rural students.

In fact there are a host of schemes that need energy support, and companies can play a constructive role in most of them. There are some companies that have started taking isolated initiatives on renewable energy sources through CSR; one of them is WAPCOS. Through its project named “Roshni”

Energy & MDGSTechnologyEditorial Energy & MDGsPolicy Issues Technology

ConclusionEnergy is a vital component for most of the basic necessities of life viz. employment, health, education and preservation of natural biodiversity and sustainability. The current state of energy supply is far less to cater to the basic requirements. Hospitals in rural areas and small towns remain dysfunc-tional, lack of irrigation facilities hampers crop production, dearth of income generating activities does not allow the poor to break free from the poverty trap, and lack of sincere and technical education hampers student career and their future. Although the Central and state governments have special programs for providing access to energy in remote areas, CSR can play an extremely important role by supple-menting such schemes or by setting up local entrepreneur driven renewable energy plants in remote areas. Such initia-tives through CSR will significantly help in channeling ben-efits of economic growth to the peripheries of the society.

Interview

it has set up Solar streetlights, provided energy for Roshni Kaksh and is distributing Solar Lanterns to the meritorious students, in five villages of Alwar district in Rajasthan. Most of these villages have erratic electricity supply, which used to compel villagers to rely on kerosene lamps that are harmful to health and environment. With the new source of energy, students have better environment for studying, and women can work at night as well without jeopardising their health. Additionally, the streetlights have provided a sense of secu-rity to women and children.

Such initiatives are extremely helpful, although they need more planning and strategy to make them durable and sus-tainable in a larger region. Besides individual initiatives, FICCI has been promoting corporate responsibility in a big way. For several years it has been awarding companies for their CSR initiatives. The award, which is currently named “FICCI Corporate Social Responsibility Award” has numer-ous categories, however categories especially on renewable and access to energy will definitely help in luring companies to take up such projects in a big way.

Access to Energy - Vol. 7, January 2014 4

Editorial Energy & MDGsPolicy Issues TechnologyInterview

Access to Energy - Vol. 7, January 2014 5

Interview

Shri Laxmi Pd. Chauhan, District Magistrate, Supaul, Bihar

Following is an interview of Shri Laxmi Pd. Chauhan (IAS) who is currently the District Magistrate of Su-paul, Bihar. Bihar is one of the most underdeveloped states of India. Experts feel, one of the significant reasons for its prolonged phase of underdevelopment has been the lack of access to clean energy. The Chief Minister of Bihar has given assuarance for a drastic change in the ground situation, and the district administration is trying hard to meet up the challenge.

Could you tell us the challenges that rural population in Supaul (or other districts that you served) faces in the context of avail-ability and usage of reliable energy? Ans: We face several challenges in the process of electrifica-tion in rural areas. One of them that we face in Supaul lies in the planning & implementation of electrification projects. Our planning is done on the basis of ground realities howev-er, by the time tenders are passed and projects initiated, the ground situation changes; for instance the number of houses increase, inhabitants who are below the poverty line some-times shift to other locations, etc; and this leaves the whole project in a lurch or delays the process.

Another major challenge that we face is that of overburden-ing of transformers. Most of the projects are focused upon providing electricity to BPL (Below Poverty Line) families, however the APL (Above Poverty Line) families at some places try to take extra connections and thus overburden the transformers, which gets burnt-out frequently and becomes defunct.

In addition to above, as you know the total electricity supply in Bihar is quite less; therefore even if we complete the elec-trification process at some place, due to lack of electricity supply, people start relying back on traditional sources.

Could you tell us how the lack of reliable energy supply affects other schemes?

Ans: Energy is a vital component for every activity that we perform, and it will directly or indirectly enhance the impact of almost all schemes of the government.

You may notice that all devices such as fans, bulbs, charg-ing & cooling devices, water supply, etc., are only possible through energy/electricity. Most of our rural schools do not have electricity. It becomes really difficult for students to study in summers. At night they have no electricity and therefore they cannot study or they rely on kerosene lan-terns. Lets consider the projects related to sanitation and hygiene. They require running water and lights, which again requires electricity. Schemes related to agriculture depend upon irrigation which again requires water and henceforth energy to run the motors.

Similar is the case with hospitals. Hospitals cannot run refrigerators/cooling devices to keep drugs fresh. Doctors cannot run Internet and exchange their opinions or can-not even charge their mobile phones properly. They can-not run equipment for operations because all of them need electricity. In-fact lack of electricity is one of the reasons why doctors, teachers, trainers do not want to stay in vil-lages.

Additionally, at most of the training centers, computers and other technical devices are simply out of order be-cause of lack of energy. Almost all the basic schemes on health, livelihood, education, girl’s training, etc., need en-ergy. Once we have energy in such programs and at such places, their overall impact will change dramatically.

According to your experiences, what can be done to improve the situation?

Ans: We are trying our level best given the challenges that I told you earlier. Recently Bihar Government has made a new plan under which it is going to provide access to energy to everyone in Supaul. DPR has already been pre-pared and we are all geared-up for that. Thank you for sharing your views with us.

Ans: Thank you. It was my pleasure!

Supaul

BIHAR

Amidst the challenge in solving problems of Water, Sanita-tion and Hygiene (WASH), which points at human excreta as the source of most of the communicable diseases, it is really interesting to note that human excreta can also be a source of clean energy. When present in a voluminous form, it can produce biogas. The pathogen present in the excreta does the clear trick of converting such matter into a productive gas-eous form. This is known in more acceptable terms as-Toilet linked biogas system. Experts feel that this is the best way to get rid of the health hazards from human excreta, and get benefitted too, in the process.

Health and sanitation exert a significant influence on an over-all upkeep of human population.Globally around 2.2 million die annually due to diarrhoeal disease (including cholera) as-sociated with contaminated water supply, sanitation and hy-giene. This is where making the best possible use of human excreta for energy production holds ground.

Overcoming the Social StigmaBiogas technology is not a new entrant in India. However, human excreta based biogas technology remained in wraps for long as it was socially unacceptable. The issue at large was about manual carrying of human excreta. Sulabh Inter-national overcame this social problem by designing manual lifting free process known as Sulabh Model.

Sulabh is the pioneering organisation which developed a more efficient design of biogas plant linked to toilet blocks. This design stands approved by the Ministry of New and Re-newable Energy (MNRE) as well.

The ConceptHuman excreta has a spectrum of pathogens. Most of these pathogens are eliminated due to a simple looking process of anaerobic condition inside the digester. Anaer-obic digestion makes it possible to degrade organic matter by producing biogas.

In the Sulabh design, the digester is built underground, within which excreta from the public toilets flows under gravity. The digester biogas is produced due to anaerobic fermentation aided by the methanogenic bacteria. Biogas thus produced is stored in an in-built liquid displacement chamber.

Estimating Outputs Biogas production via the human excreta mode is available in varying quantities. Typically one cubic foot of biogas is produced from a feedstock of a person per day. It contains around 65% methane, 33% of carbon di-oxide with the remaining constituents being hydrogen sulphide and other gases in traces. In fact, methane is the lone combustible element present with a caloric value of around 5000kal/cum. A 1000 cft (i.e. 30 cum) of biogas is equivalent to 600 cft of natural gas, 4.6 gallons of diesel oil.

Benefits at largeBiogas technology from the human waste offers multiple advantages in the form of improved sanitation, bioenergy besides manure availability. Biogas can be put to varied uses and the effluent available from the biogas plant can also be used as manure. It can also be discharged safely into any river or water body without any noticeable threat of pollution.

Sulabh has taken the lead in designing more than 200 bio-gas plants of this type across the country. These plants range in capacity between 35 to 60 cum. Biogas thus avail-able can be used for cooking, lighting (via mantle lamps), etc. The biogas mantle lamp consumes around 2-3 cft per hour and has illumination capacity equivalent to 40 W electric bulb at 220 V. Of course, cooking remains the most efficient use of biogas. Biogas burners are currently available with capacity ranging between 8cft to 100 cft consumption per hour.

Technology SpotlightHumanising the Biogas Energy in a Social Habitat

Editorial Energy & MDGsPolicy Issues Technology

Dr. Suneel Deambi

Interview

6Access to Energy - Vol. 7, January 2014

Heaps of filth, rotten food materials, dirty wastewater, flies hovering around carrying deadly micro-organisms, and to top it all, a repugnant smell - this is a very common sight of a market place or any residential area in the countryside or cities. In the villages and low cost urban settlements, hu-man and animal excreta add to the already pitiable envi-ronmental conditions. The sight is not only unpleasant, but it has adverse impacts on climate change, and also leads to deadly diseases.

Several organizations in India and abroad are working on biomass energy. They not only provide solutions to clean-ing waste but also extract energy from them which can be used for cooking and electricity generation. Following are 2 of the organizations- one from India and the other from Nepal, that have been undertaking such initiatives at household, institutes and community level, in both urban and rural areas.

Case-1: Biogas at your backyard in Kerala(Source: “Empowering rural India the RE way” - MNRE - UNDP & Ashden -www.ashden.org)

Biomass is a very com-mon way of producing energy for cooking and electricity generation in Kerala. One of the organizations promot-ing such initiative is Biotech, which has been involved in pro-ducing renewable en-ergy for several years. It uses bio-digester vessels to convert waste to biogas through a technology called biomethana-tion. MNRE supports Biotech’s initiatives by providing subsidies to individuals and community for installing such plants. A standard domestic plant with a volume of 1m3 produces 1m3 of biogas per day and requires 25 kg of solid

waste and 20 L of water. Plants for institutions and market places are bigger. These biogas plants have resulted in several benefits. At the household level where energy is mostly used in cooking, each household saves about 50% of the LPG gas, which means they can pay back the installation charges in 3 years.

Biotech has very successfully demonstrated biogas opera-tions in Pithampura Grampanchayat of Kottyam district, Kerala The plant at Pithampura produces around 90Kwh of electricity every day besides several liters of liquid fertilizers. Reportedly, on the environmental front through this initia-tive Pathanapuram has reduced approximately 22,000 m3 of methane emissions per day.

Case -2: An alchemy for underdevelopment in Nepal(Source: Ashden- www.ashden.org & BBC)Another pioneer in biomass energy is the organization called BSP-Nepal, which has helped in the in-stallation of close to 3 lac dometic biogas plants in Nepal, ben-efitting over 1.25 mil-lion people. It should be noted that in Ne-pal almost 80% of the households use fuel-wood, cow-dung and kerosene for cooking and lighting, and BSP’s initiative has considerably reduced it down.

This initiative has resulted in reduction of 630,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year, according to recent estimates. In ad-dition, BSP’s biogas initiative has helped in generating 11,000 long-term jobs and reducing incidences of chronic respiratory diseases.

BSP facilitates building of biogas digesters in a pit near in-dividual’s house. A mix of cow dung and water are fed into digester where bacteria break down the waste and release bio-gas. About 75% of plants take toilet waste as well. The gas thus produced is piped to kitchen, where it is used for cooking and sometimes for lighting as well. Having emerged as one of the pioneers of Biogas in Nepal, BSP is now successfully transferring the technology to various other countries.

Energy & MDGsEnvironment: Focus on Sanitation

EditorialEditorial Energy & MDGsPolicy Issues Technology

Samir Prasad

MDG Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability: Easing the reliance on wood for fuel through more efficient cooking practices will lessen pressures on forests. Additionally, moving up the energy ladder and using improved stoves can increase energy efficiency, improve health conditions, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: Fuel for Life , WHO Energy & MDGs (Environment)

Interview

7Access to Energy - Vol. 7, January 2014

Perhaps any time you are out in the Sun, one thing is closest to you - a PET bottle of water. Well! did you ever dream of using the same bottle to light up a dark room during the day? This sounds incredible but it is true. The product under consideration is now commonly known as - Water bottle light bulb. The inventor of this simplest looking concept is a Brazilian, by the name of Mr. Alfred Mose. He came up with this idea while making a workshop presentation and the light failed.

The basic concept behind this is - sunlight passes through clean water and then leads to refraction. Refraction is bending of light caused by change in its speed; this bent sunlight by the bottle of water spreads into the room making it illuminous. In order to try, one needs to fill-up a PET bottle with purified water and about two tablespoonfuls of chlorine bleach. A part of the roof is cut so as to fit the bottle (see the picture). Rubber epoxy is used to glue the bottle in place. The resulting light output is roughly equivalent to a 55 Watt bulb.

Normally, solar based products are frowned upon due to their high initial capital cost. This product is a great departure from that tagline, as it costs hardly anything. The “Water bottle light bulb” is now making fast inroads into several habitations across the world. Is this not one more glaring exam-ple of two easily available sources joining hands - not in corporate board-rooms but in the underprivileged areas of our society?

Bottling up the Sun to light up

Editor: Dr. Akanksha ChaureyDesign & Editorial Consultants: Samir Prasad & Prodyut MukherjeeTechnical & Creative Inputs: All ITP membersPublished By:IT Power Consulting Pvt. Ltd.410, Ansal Tower, 38, Nehru Place,New Delhi -110019, IndiaPhone: +91 (11) 4600-1191\92Fax: +91 (11) 4600-1193E-Mail: info@itpsenergy.comWeb: www.itpower.co.in

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IT Power or the newsletter sponsors.

A S B S O M I

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Now pick up letters from grey boxes and make the final word.

Dear Readers,Wish you a very Happy New Year. It was a pleasure getting responses from you, please continue writing to us about innovative practices in remote areas. Here is another scrabble you may enjoy solving.

Editorial Energy & MDGsPolicy Issues Technology

Product Feature

Answers to the previous scrabble: Green, Hybrid, Power, Earth & Energy.

L U E F

Interview

8Access to Energy - Vol. 7, January 2014

S H A R E D

Hint: A term associated with Corporate Social Responsibility

Solar Water Bottle- Roof-top view

Solar Water Bottle - View from inside a room