Geoff Gallop, premier of Australia's Western Australia state, announced on February 9, 2005, that six per cent of the power generated in the state by 2010 will be through renewable energy sources.

Rural areas of India are characterised by very low per capita energy consumption and in most places commercial energy like electricity is not available. Thus, it is a matter of concern that 60% of rural households still use kerosene for lighting. Besides, 180 million tons of biomass is used in rural areas for cooking through very inefficient and smoky stoves. Cooking and lighting energy constitute 75% of total energy used in rural areas. Jan-Mar 2005

This study uses optimization modeling to study efficient ways to integrate renewable energy systems to provide electricity and heat in rural Japan. The model provides minimum cost system configuration and operation taking into account hour-by-hour energy availability and demand. Grid electricity is available to rural areas of Japan, but it is relatively expensive. Local renewable energy generation can be economic while using grid electricity to compensate for the intermittency of the renewable generation.

At global meet on renewables

The International Conference for Renewable Energies is to be held in Bonn, Germany. But here is a sector dwarfed by fossil fuels, and although governments can proactively root for renewables, and some have, the options given to developing countries are quite limiting. After travelling in Germany and the UK, the future of renewable energies, says KUSHAL P S YADAV, is truly in the balance.

According to IEA’s factsheet, Renewables in global energy supply, the wind energy sector has grown at more than 52 per cent per annum since 1971, and solar power by 32 per cent per annum.