Question : DECENTRALIZED DISTRIBUTION GRIDS

(a) the details of steps taken by the Government to make renewable energy generated power evacuation and transmission a high priority in providing electricity through Decentralized Distribution Grids (DDGs);

(b) the funds allocated and spent towards research and development (R&D) of evacuation and transmission infrastructure in renewable energy technologies over the last three years;

(c) the details of the institutions that have been set up by the Government to promote R&D in the field and for the incubation of new technologies in the last five years and the fund released for the same;

(d) whether the Government has undertaken a sector specific need identification or equivalent study to determine the R&D needs in different renewable energy technologies and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether there is dedicated funding for renewable energy based Decentralised Distribution Grids (DDGs); and

(f) if so, the details thereof along with the details of funds released for renewable energy based DDGs and the number of households that have been covered under such projects, State/UT-wise?

MINISTER FOR NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY (DR. FAROOQ ABDULLAH)

(a)&(b) Power generated from grid connected renewable energy projects is currently evacuated through existing grid system in the respective States where these projects are set up. At this stage no separate financial assistance is envisaged for grid connectivity of renewable energy based projects.

(c)&(d) During the last five years no institutions for R&D in the field of renewable energy have been set up. However, much before this duration, recognizing the need for specific thrust on R&D in renewable energy, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had set up the following institutions inter-alia to cater to R&D in the renewable energy area :-


(a) Solar Energy Centre, Gurgaon with state-of-art facilities for applied research and training, and testing of solar thermal and solar photovoltaic materials, devices and systems;

(b) Centre for Wind Energy Technology in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for providing research and technical support in the implementation of wind energy programme; and

(c) Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Renewable Energy, at Wadala Kalan, District Kapurthala, Punjab to focus on biomass energy research and development.

Further, the Ministry has supported setting up of Alternate hydro Energy Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee to provide R&D and Training support in small hydro energy area. Five Centres of Excellence have also been set up in thematic areas of research and education in solar energy.

In addition, R&D programmes are sponsored in research institutions, national laboratories and in industries, both public and private sectors.

(e)&(f) No, Madam. There is no dedicated funding for renewable energy based Decentralized Distribution Grids.

However, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been implementing programmes for providing electricity access including meeting unmet demand in electrified villages using renewable energy based decentralized distributed off-grid technologies. As per Census of India 2011, around 1 million households were using solar energy for meeting their lighting needs. Further, as of 31 January 2013, a cumulative of 9906 villages and hamlets in different part of the country have been meeting electricity needs through off-grid renewable energy systems. State-wise details are given at Annexure.