Renewing the ?renewables? thinkingby Sudarshan Sreeram | 03-08-2018 20:34 |
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There has been lots of coverage on using the renewables for a sustainable living. In the past decade alone, the investments have been pouring in the energy sector in the name of renewables. Even the governments have been taking steps to encourage investments in the renewables sector and offers several tax subsidies. Yet when it comes to our daily life, we still depend on fossil based fuels. The very thought of alternate energy is only viewed as an alternate when nothing else is available. The fundamental purpose of renewable energy is yet to sink in the minds and the day that happens, we would experience less polluted cities, cheaper energy, more green around us, and all this equates to a healthier living.
The India story of renewables is starting to change, however, it is not until 2050 the dependence on renewables could be called as significant to the economy. The capacity of India?s renewable power generation has consistently increased over the past decade, posting a CAGR of approximately 10% over FY08–18. A record capacity of 11,000 MW of renewable energy capacity was generated in 2017-18. The focal point of Indian government is transitioning to clean energy especially post the Paris Agreement. The sector of renewable energy is especially looking attractive for investors, with the economics looking brighter. The demand for energy in India is growing and by 2040 this is expected to reach 16,000 TWh.
The rest of the world story is slightly different. For countries like Germany, which is the world?s first major renewable economy, it will still take until 2050 to fully transform into a country run by renewable power. Though isolated reports argue a 100 % renewable power generation capacity already available to meet the demand in Germany, the consumption indices show a significant percentage to fossil fuels. Also there are emission norms still in use in Germany. But there are significant lessons to be learnt from their initiatives on renewables that will fully govern the energy sector one day.
Back to the renewable story in India, switching to renewables is a great option, however, this should be followed by several green initiatives to compensate for the loss of habitat / destruction of forest lands due to land grabbing, illegal occupation, etc. These illegal activities have consumed several square miles of greenery in the shortest possible time and have led to disappearance of several endangered species. So the question is not just to switch back to renewables and expecting miracles to happen - but this should be followed by several norms including (1) recreating lost trees and forest lands, (2) introducing wild life back in these areas (3) strong governance mechanism to ensure there are no illegal wildlife trades and (4) sustenance and periodic check of points (1) to (3).
Care for our ecosystem is not a one-time initiative but should be an on-going activity. It is important to view the use of renewable energy from a holistic angle than just a business standpoint. Switching to renewables is the need of the hour but we need to take care of all elements of the ecological network to make this transition successful and productive. Image 1: https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/renewables-cover-about-100-german-power-use-first-time-ever Image 2: http://blog.careerlauncher.com/civils/renewable-energy-scenario-in-india/ |