Electrifying the Villages
Snigdha Chakrabarti
renewable energy technologies by Amita Malik Academic Foundation, 2009, 89 pp., 595
July 2009, volume 33, No 7

Implementing any technology essentially has two parts: the theoretical knowledge about the system as well as knowledge about the way to practically implement the system. The book details all the available RE technologies with DPG systems theoretically, their possibilities and problems in power generation and distribution and the process of practical implementation of the systems. The authors explain first in detail the technology of DPG systems and its advantages over grid system in chapter 2. Next, they provide the technical details and economics of RE technologies—solar photovoltaic (SPV) system, fuel cells (FC) technologies, micro turbine, biogas and bio-diesel based DPG, geothermal energy, micro-hydro and wind turbine based DPG in chapters 3 to 6. In addition, the authors discuss in detail the existing experiences with RE technology based DPG systems and their future potentiality in India.

However, while the theoretical knowledge is a necessary condition, it is not enough for practical implementation of the system. The choice of a technology suitable for a location and its successful implementation depends, on the one hand, on locally available resources and socio-economic conditions of the locality and, on the other hand, on the perceptions of the decision makers regarding the usefulness of the system. Chapter 7 addresses these issues and provides a methodology for selecting an appropriate technology based on all the above-mentioned criteria. Chapter 8 explains the policy and regulatory aspects such as role of government, nodal agencies and NGOs for implementation of the chosen system.

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