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Renewable Energy through decentralized model can make Indian villages self sustainable.

Dr.Anil Kurchania and Mr.Chirag Shah explain how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

can help achieve self-sustainable Indian villages.

Dr. Anil KurchAniA AnD Mr. chirAg ShAh

Sustainable Development using Renewable

Energy through Corporate Social Responsibility

Businesses can make a very positiveintervention in the society by adding

renewable energy projects to their

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activi-

ties, which will help to improve the socio-

economic conditions o the marginalized.

Organizations obligations are now ex-

tending beyond maximing shareholder val-

ue and now also include steps to improve

the quality o lie o surrounding commu-

nity and people. As a part o CSR a business

can set up Renewable Energy Technologies

like Solar, Biogas to serve energy needs.Decentralized electricity generation

using renewable and its distribution can

become the new rontiers or CSR activi-

ties. Such projects reduce load on the grid,

bridge the growing electricity decit, pro-

vide regular electricity supply and generate

local employment. As part o a CSR initia-

tive a business can set up renewable energy

systems in villages that will be maintained

by villagers who have undergone training.

Installing a mix o solar panels, wind mills

and biogas plants can make a village energysel sucient. By adding renewable energy

projects to their CSR activities, businesses

will make a very positive intervention that

will go a long way in improving the socio-

economic lot o disempowered.

How different Renewable tools will

address basic needs of villages

Fig. 2: Sustainable rural system through renewableenergy sources.

Improved Cookstoves: The use o Improved

Cookstoves can help meet out rural energy

needs with low emission level, cut use o

wood or uel and also enhance local en-

trepreneurship There is an estimated po-

tential o 120 million improved cookstoves

in our country and so ar about 36 millionunits have been constructed.

solar pv panels(lantern, Homesystem, solar

street lIgHt): Decentralized power genera-

tion can be implemented quickly with no

long transmission line and with minimum

training. So ar 55000 solar street lighting

systems, 3, 50,000 home lighting systems,

5, 65,000 solar lanterns and 2000 kWp

solar photovoltaic power plants have been

installed in our country.

solar dryer: Useul or agriculture or value

addition o ood products, reduction inwastage o agri output and helps to gen-

erate employment.

solar Cooker: Food preparation, reduction

in wood usage. More than 6, 00,000 solar

cookers are currently being used. Solar De-

salination Plants: Clean water availability

ree rom fuorides which is a major prob-

lem in certain parts o country. Improves

health o people

BIogas plants: This is an established and

proven technology and apart rom cook-

ing, biogas can be used as uel or auto-mobiles just like CNG. There is a potential

o 12 million amily size biogas plants in

India and about 4 million have been in-

stalled.

FIG. 3: Cooking on biogas.

BIomass gasIfIer: Agricultural waste nor-mally ree rom sulphur can be burned and

help to generate heat and energy. Decen-

tralization system or heat and power gen-

eration and helps in reducing CO2 as well.

About 70 MW is the installed capacity o

power production rom biomass gasier.

small Hydro power: By using clean hydro

power sources, local air pollution and as-

sociated health risks will be avoided. In

a country where coal is the primary uel

or electricity generation, these projects

reduce pollution going into the environ-ment. Estimated potential o small hydro

(up to 25 MW) is 15000 MW and about

1800 MW has been installed.

Increased use o renewable energy

sources and promotion o energy conver-

sation are the main pillars o a sustainable

energy supply. Our country is blessed with

a variety o renewable energy sources. The

intervation o renewable energy technol-

ogy in CSR helps to improve the quality

o work with a sustainable eect on the

society. It explains the positive impact thatrenewable energy and energy eciency

systems could have to an organisations

impact on society, the environment and

our climate.

RENEWABLEENERGY

2 JANUARY|FEBRUARY12 energetica india

Dr. Anil Kurchania is Professor, Department ofRenewable Energy Sources, College of Technologyand Engineering, Maharana Pratap University ofAgriculture & Technology, Udaipur.Mr. Chirag Shah is Independent RenewableEnergy Advisor