Pre-feasibility study of stand-alone hybrid energy systems for applications in eco-houses

In light of rising cost of fossil fuels and fears of its depletion, coupled with the increase in energy demand and the rise in pollution levels, governments worldwide have had to look at alternative energy resources. Combining renewable energy generation like solar power with superior storage and conversion technology such as hydrogen storage, fuel cells and batteries offers a potential solution for a stand-alone power system. The aim of this paper was to assess the techno-economic feasibility of using a hybrid energy system with hydrogen fuel cell for application in an eco-house that will be built in Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman. Actual load data for a typical Omani house of a similar size as the eco-house was considered as the stand-alone load with an average energy consumption of 40 kW/day and 5 kW peak power demand. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Hybrid Optimisation Model for Electric Renewable software was used as a sizing and optimisation tool for the system. It was found that the total annual electrical energy production is 42,255 kW and the cost of energy for this hybrid system is 0.582 $/kW. During daylight time, when the solar radiation is high, the photovoltaics (PV) panels supplied most of the load requirements. Moreover, during the evening time the fuel cell mainly serves the house with the help of the batteries. The proposed system is capable of providing the required energy to the eco-house during the whole year using only the solar irradiance as the primary source.     

Sustainable energy generation using hybrid energy system for remote hilly rural area in India

Hybrid energy systems are renewable energy system combined in a complementary fashion to ensure dependable power supply at competitive cost. Diesel generators (DGs) are also added here as a back-up source of supply. For remote areas far from a transmission grid, these systems can provide a reliable and cost-effective supply. Addition of DG could instigate environmental pollution in such remote unpolluted areas. In the present work, optimal sizing of hybrid energy system has been attempted for a remote village cluster of Uttarakhand (India) to make available desired power supply at minimum environmental effluence. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electrical Renewable (HOMER) software from National Renewable Energy Laboratory, USA has been employed to attain the objective. The software offered several feasible systems, ranked on the basis of net present cost (NPC). All such systems are further analysed for emissions they have made in the environment. Hence, the optimal system fulfilling the criteria of minimal environmental degradation with sufficiently minimum NPC has been searched for. In the present work, the most appropriate system offered on the basis of NPC is the one which has five wind turbines (10 kW each), one DG (65 kW) and 25 batteries (6 V, 6.94 kW h each). The NPC of the system is $1,252,018, whereas its initial capital cost and levelised cost of energy (COE) are $94,233 and $0.292/kW h, respectively. After further analysis of all the feasible systems on the basis of environmental effluence, the most feasible system explored is the one which has minimal emissions of various pollutants such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrous oxide. The system has been obtained on a compromised NPC of $1,270,921 with a capital cost of $148,133 and COE of $0.296/kW h. Components of the system include five wind turbines (10 kW), a 9 kW PV panel and a 65 kW DG along with 30 batteries (6 V, 6.94 kW h each). The system so obtained would prove to be a feasible, optimally sized and sustainable power supply alternative for remote unelectrified hilly rural area.     

Stand-alone PV-hydrogen energy system in Taleghan-Iran using HOMER software: optimization and techno-economic analysis

One of the most attractive features of hydrogen as an energy carrier is that it can be produced from water. Hydrogen has the highest energy content per unit mass as compared to chemical fuel and can be substituted. Its burning process is non-polluting, and it can be used in the fuel cells to produce both electricity and useful heat. Photovoltaic arrays can be used in supplying the water electrolysis systems by their energy requirements. During the daylight hours, the sunlight on the photovoltaic array converts into electrical energy which can be used for electrolyzer. The hydrogen produced by the electrolyzer is compressed and stored in hydrogen vessel and provides energy for the fuel cell to meet the load when the solar energy is insufficient. This study investigates a stand-alone power system that consists of PV array as power supply and electrolyzer. They have been integrated and worked at the Taleghan renewable energies’ site in Iran. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables simulation software has been used to carry out the optimal design and techno-economic viability of the energy system. The simulation results demonstrate that energy system is composed of 10-kW PV array, 3.5-kW electrolyzer, 0.4-kW proton exchange membrane fuel cell, 2.5-kW inverter, and 60 batteries (100 Ah and 12 V). The total initial capital cost, net present cost, and cost of electricity produced from this energy system are 193,563 US$, 237,509 US$, and 3.35 US$/kWh, respectively.     

Stand-alone hybrid energy system for sustainable development in rural India

Renewable energy system such as solar, wind, small hydro and biogas generators can be used successfully in rural off-grid locations where grid connection is not possible. The main objectives of this study are to examine which configuration is the most cost-effective for the village. One renewable energy model has been developed for supplying electric power for 124 rural households of an off-grid rural village in eastern India. The load demand of the village was determined by the survey work, and the loads were divided into three sub-heads such as primary load I, primary load II and deferred load. Locally available energy sources such as solar radiation and biogas derived from cow dung and kitchen wastes were used as sensitivity variables. This study is unique as it has not considered any diesel generator for supplying unmet electricity to the households; rather it completely depends on locally available renewable resources. Here in this paper, two different models were taken and their cost and environmental benefit were discussed and compared. The net present cost, levelised cost of energy and operating cost for various configurations of models were determined. The minimum cost of energy of $0.476/kWh with lowest net present cost of $386,971 and lowest operating cost ($21,025/year) was found with stand-alone solar–biogas hybrid system.     

Which crop production system is more efficient in energy use: wheat or barley?

Efficient use of energy helps to achieve increased production and productivity and contributes to the economy, profitability, and competitiveness of agricultural sustainability of rural communities. Evaluation of wheat and barley production systems in view of energy balance was conducted in Khorasan Razavi Province, Iran. Data were collected by using a face-to-face questionnaire from wheat and barley fields in 2011. Results revealed that total energy input for wheat was 51,040 MJ ha^?1 and for barley 44,866; in wheat and barley systems, renewable energy was consumed by 25.43 and 23.53 %, while non-renewable energy was consumed by 74.57 and 76.47 %, respectively. Energy use efficiency, energy productivity, and net energy were 1.7 kg MJ^?1, 0.088 kg MJ^?1, and 35,987 MJ ha^?1 in wheat system and 1.83 kg MJ^?1, 0.092 kg MJ^?1, and 33,833 MJ ha^?1 in barley system, respectively. Energy intensiveness in wheat fields (61.84 MJ $^?1) was higher than in barley fields (58.71 MJ $^?1). Also, benefit-to-cost ratio in wheat system (1.59) was higher than in barley system (1.35). In general, production in barley fields was more sustainable than wheat production because, in view of ecological indices such as amount of energy use and renewable energy consumption, it was more environment-friendly production.     

Performance analysis of solar water heating system in Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Southern region of India

In the present study, a natural circulation thermosyphon flat plate solar water heater has been tested at the CDFD, Hyderabad (17.37°N, 78.43°E) Andhra Pradesh, India. Experimental data were noted on a sunny day. Dynamic response of the system to variations in solar insulation was studied and analyzed. T _inlet °C and T _outlet °C temperatures were recorded. The performance of the system can be improved by using aluminum tape inserts into the collector fins. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the performance of flat plate collector with and without inserts (aluminum strip of 1 mm thick, 3 mm width and 203 mm length). It is expected that with the same collector with the same flow rate, higher efficiency can be obtained by inserting the tapes inside the collector copper fins (9 mm). Thus, the cost of the system can be further bringing down by enhancing the collector efficiency.     

Economic feasibility of autonomous hybrid wind–diesel power systems for residential loads in hot regions: a step to mitigate the implications of fossil fuel depletion

Today, energy occupies a pivotal position around which all socio-economic activities revolve. No energy means no life, and supply of energy in a cheap, plentiful, long-sustainable and environmentally safe form is a boon for everyone. In the light of rising cost of oil and fears of its exhaustion coupled with increased pollution, the governments worldwide are deliberating and making huge strides to promote renewable energy sources such as wind. Integration of wind machines with the diesel plants is pursued widely to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel-produced energy and to reduce the release of carbon gases that cause global climate change. The literature indicates that commercial/residential buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consume an estimated 10–40% of the total electric energy generated. The aim of this study is to analyse wind-speed data of Dhahran (East-Coast, KSA) to assess the economic feasibility of utilising autonomous hybrid wind–diesel power systems to meet the electrical load of 100 typical residential buildings (with annual electrical energy demand of 3512 MWh). The monthly average wind speeds range from 3.3 to 5.6 m/s. The hybrid systems simulated consist of different combinations of 600 kW commercial wind machines supplemented with diesel generators. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's hybrid optimisation model for electric renewables software was employed to perform the techno-economic analysis.

The simulation results indicate that for a hybrid system comprising 600 kW wind capacity together with a 1.0 MW diesel system (two 500 kW units), the wind penetration (at 50 m hub-height, with 0% annual capacity shortage) is 26%. The cost of generating energy (COE, $/kWh) from this hybrid wind–diesel system was found to be 0.070 $/kWh (assuming diesel fuel price of 0.1 $/l). The study exhibits that for a given hybrid configuration, the number of operational hours of diesel generator sets (gensets) decreases with an increase in the wind-farm capacity. Concurrently, emphasis has also been placed on wind penetration, un-met load, effect of hub-height on energy production and COE, excess electricity generation, percentage fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions (relative to diesel-only situation) of different hybrid systems, cost breakdown of wind–diesel systems, COE of different hybrid systems, etc.     

Fuel efficiency enhancement of modified diesel engine operated in dual fuel mode using renewable and sustainable fuels

ABSTRACT

Renewable and sustainable fuels for diesel engine applications provide energy protection, overseas exchange saving and address atmospheric and socio-economic concerns. This study presents the investigational work carried out on a single cylinder, four-stroke, direct injection diesel engine operated in dual fuel (DF) mode using renewable and sustainable fuels. In the first phase, a Y-shaped mixing chamber or venture was developed with varied angle facility for gas entry at 30°, 45° and 60°, respectively, to enable homogeneous air and gas mixing. Further effect of different gas and air mixture entry on the DF engine performance was studied. In the next phase of the work, hydrogen flow rate influence on the combustion and emission characteristics of a compression ignition (CI) engine operated in DF mode using diesel, neem oil methyl ester (NeOME) and producer gas has been investigated. During experimentation, hydrogen was mixed in different proportions varied from 3 to 12 l/min (lpm) in step of 3 lpm along with air-producer gas and the mixtures were directly inducted into engine cylinder during suction stroke. Experimental investigation showed that 45° Y-shaped mixing chamber resulted in improved performance with acceptable emission levels. Further, it is observed that investigation showed that at maximum operating conditions and hydrogen flow rate of 9 lpm, Diesel–producer gas and NeOME–producer gas combination showed increased thermal efficiency by 13.2% and 3.8%, respectively, compared to the DF operation without hydrogen addition. Further, it is noticed that hydrogen-enriched producer gas lowers the power derating by 5–10% and increases nitric oxide (NO_x) emissions. However, increased hydrogen addition beyond the 12 lpm leads to sever knocking.

Abbreviations: NeOME: Neem oil methyl ester; BTE: brake thermal efficiency; CI: compression ignition; ITE: indicated thermal efficiency; PG: producer gas; CA: crank angle; K: Kelvin; BP: brake power; IP: indicated power; H₂: hydrogen; HC: unburnt hydrocarbon; CO: carbon dioxide; CO₂: carbon dioxide; NO_x: nitric oxide; HRR: heat release rate; %: percentage; PPM: parts per million; CMFIS: conventional mechanical fuel injection system.     

Channel migration zone mapping of the River Ganga in the Diara surrounding region of Eastern India

River channel migration is the universal phenomenon that is common in almost all alluvial rivers. The holy River Ganga, the heartbeat of India, is also not an exception in this case. It has shifted its course from time to time. After crossing the Rajmahal hills that is situated in the north-eastern corner of the Chota Nagpur plateau, this main river of India has started its lower course by flowing over the great low-lying flat plain of Bengal. In this flat plain area, the channel migration is a common phenomenon which is observed in the River Ganga also. The study is done in the segment of the Ganga River which is situated in the Diara surrounding area. Diara is a physical cum administrative region of the Malda district of the state of West Bengal of India which occupies an area of almost 900 km². For the identification of channel migration zone, several methods are used like construction of historical migration zone (HMZ), erosion buffer (EB), avulsion potential zone (APZ), restricted and un-restricted migration area (RMA and UrMA) and retreating migration zone (RMZ). The impact of the channel migration over the villages of the Diara region has also been depicted in this study. Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (RS–GIS) is used to perform this study by taking the help of historical maps, Survey of India topographical sheets, LANDSAT imageries, etc. The results show that the river has a historical migration zone of 855.55 km² during 1926–2016 period which is near the entire area of the Diara region (i.e. 900 km²). The construction of EB over the Ganga River for the next 100 years shows that more than half of the area of the Diara region will go under the river bed.     

Solar photovoltaic investments and economic growth in EU: Are we able to evaluate the nexus?

A core question in energy economics may be stated as follows: Is the cost–benefit analysis being correctly applied when we encourage investments in renewables, as an alternative to the traditional energy sources? The relationship between energy consumption and economic growth has been extensively treated within economics literature. Yet, literature on the nexus between specific energy sources and GDP is almost inexistent. In this article, we intend to explore the relationship between a certain type of renewable generation technology (solar PV) and GDP. The present and above all the planned energy mix might differ widely from one country to another. Thus, the analysis by source of energy generation becomes a helpful instrument for policy-making. Using a fixed effects panel data methodology and a sample of eighteen EU countries, we find that a 1 % increase in solar PV installed capacity and in electricity production from renewable sources has a positive impact on GDP of 0.0248 and 0.0061 %, respectively. We also conclude that a 1 % growth on greenhouse gas emissions positively affects GDP by 0.3106 %. Further evidence reveals that, in terms of country-specific analysis, Germany, France, Italy and the UK have the most significant estimations for fixed effects. In fact, Germany is a solar PV technology producer, France has a very active nuclear sector, with little pressure for both renewables development and CO₂ reductions, Italy had in this period a strong governmental support to this sector, and the UK has a strong connection between the solar PV and the industry sectors.     

Optimum design and evaluation of hybrid solar/wind/diesel power system for Masirah Island

This paper addresses the requirements of electrical energy for an isolated island of Masirah in Oman. The paper studied the possibility of using sources of renewable energy in combination with current diesel power plant on the island to meet the electrical load demand. There are two renewable energy sources used in this study, solar and wind energy. This study aimed to design and evaluate hybrid solar/wind/diesel/battery system in terms of cost and pollution. By using HOMER software, many simulation analyses have been proposed to find and optimize different technologies that contain wind turbine, solar photovoltaic, and diesel in combination with storage batteries for electrical generation. Four different hybrid power systems were proposed, diesel generators only, wind/diesel/battery, PV/diesel/battery, and PV/wind/diesel/battery. The analysis of the results shows that around 75 % could reduce the cost of energy by using PV/wind/diesel hybrid power system. Also, the greenhouse emission could be reduced by around 25 % compared with these by using diesel generators system that currently utilize in the Masirah Island. The solar/wind/diesel hybrid system is techno-economically viable for Masirah Island.     

Potential for the desalination of a brackish groundwater aquifer under a background of rising sea level via salt intrusion prevention river gates in the coastal area of the Red River Delta,Vietnam

Additional freshwater sources are required in many parts of the world, including the coastal areas of the Red River Delta (RRD), where the groundwater (GW) is generally brackish. Determining a feasible method for desalinating brackish aquifers would help provide additional freshwater sources. However, substantial desalination of brackish aquifers cannot be achieved under the natural conditions of GW flow and precipitation recharge. Although rainfall recharge to the shallow Holocene aquifer has occurred for hundreds of years, the aquifer still remains brackish since the natural hydraulic conditions do not allow a complete mixing between the fresh recharged water and aquifer salinized water or the discharging of the aquifer salinized water. The planned salt intrusion prevention gates in the Red River, Tra Ly River and Hoa River in the RRD coastal area, combined with increased GW abstraction and associated aquifer recharge with fresh river water, could result in the gradual desalination of the shallow Holocene aquifer. These effects would help improve the area’s resilience to freshwater shortages and sea level rises and would allow for the creation of a long-term sustainable water resource development plan to manage the salinization of water resources caused by sea level rises. Finite element (FE) modeling of GW flow, solute transport via GW flow and dynamic programming (DP) have been used to study the potential desalination of brackish aquifers, the magnitude of GW abstraction quantities and the spatial and temporal aspects of desalination. FE modeling of GW flow coupled with DP was utilized to identify the magnitude of sustainable abstraction quantities and the GW flow field, which is required in salt transport models. Multiple sizes of elements and time steps were used to adapt to the unsteady state of GW flow and hydraulic head variables between the elements in the FE meshes in order to ensure reasonable accuracy of numerical modeling. The GW flow and salt transport modeling and DP allowed determining quasi-steady-state GW abstraction rates and aquifer salinity levels for conditions that did and did not include the shallow Holocene unconfined aquifer recharge from rainfall. The aquifer modeled domain which is supposed to serve the pumping well field is 1.5 km². The results showed that the Holocene aquifer may provide a stable abstraction rate of 100 m³/day starting in the 6th year (for the worst-case scenario with zero aquifer recharge from rainfall) to 130 m³/day starting in the 3rd year (for the scenario with aquifer recharge equal to 3% of the rainfall levels). During the first years of GW abstraction, the desalination of the brackish upper Holocene aquifer will mainly occur in the area close to the river, and at the 18th year of abstraction, almost the entire area between the river and line of pumping wells would be desalinized. From the 10th year of abstraction, the abstracted water has a total dissolved solids content lower than 0.5 g/l for the worst-case scenario with zero aquifer recharge from rainfall and lower than 0.42 g/l for the scenario with aquifer recharge equal to 3% of the rainfall. The modeling results indicate the simulated process by which abstraction of groundwater adjacent to the Tra Ly River could desalinize the brackish aquifer via freshwater recharge from the river.     

Intelligent power supply management of an autonomous hybrid energy generator

ABSTRACT

This work deals with the optimization of an hybrid energy system used to supply an isolated site. The proposed system combines a wind turbine, a photovoltaic panel, a diesel generator and a battery bank to electrify atypical home. An energy cost-effectiveness approach is adopted in accordance with meteorological data, time profile of energy consumption, and the cost of different alternative systems. A variety of performances is obtained through simulations within the Homer Pro environment. The selection of an optimal combination is based on the maximum integration of renewable energy in the suggested system with a minimum of gas emission. According to the obtained results, the overall cost of the selected installation is about 72,900 €, with 0.415€ the unit cost of a kWh electric energy provided with a contribution of renewable energy of around 86%. Simulations show a technical and financial benefits of the different configurations obtained to supply the target site. To control the proposed hybrid energy system, a supervision algorithm is developed and implemented on TMS320F28027 DSP platform. The proposed energy system aims to take advantages of renewable energy sources and shift to conventional sources only when necessary in order to ensure source autonomy and service continuity.     

They’ll be dammed: the sustainability implications of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) in Malaysia

This article examines the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy in Malaysia, or SCORE, a US $105 billion infrastructure development plan in Sarawak on the island of Borneo, from a sustainability standpoint. SCORE aims to build 20,000 megawatts of hydroelectric dams along a 320 km corridor comprising more than 70,000 km² by 2030. The article begins by explaining social science methods utilized for its research interviews and site visits. It then argues that sustainability consists of seven principles articulated in international law: prudence, equity, responsibility, precaution, justice, governance, and compatibility. Next, the paper introduces readers to SCORE before assessing it according to these seven sustainability criteria. The paper finds that SCORE erodes environmental prudence by emitting millions of tons of carbon dioxide and feeding industries that will pollute the land and water. It worsens intergenerational equity by exacerbating poverty and consolidating wealth for corporations and politicians. It degrades responsibility by intensifying tropical deforestation and flaunts precaution by downplaying and ignoring risks to water quality and availability. It is unjust, imposing dams on communities and forcibly relocating thousands of indigenous people, mitigates good governance by condoning bribes and kickbacks along with the violent suppression of dissent, and is incompatible with Malaysia’s own energy policy targets and international standards.     

Energy and exergy analysis of solar hybrid adsorption refrigeration system

In this paper, performance of a solar hybrid adsorption refrigeration (AR) system is investigated experimentally. Such a system was built and tested under the conditions at National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kerala, India. The hybrid system has been designed for heating 50 l of water from 25 to 90°C as well as cooling 10 l of water from 25 to 10°C. The experimental results demonstrate that the refrigerator has a cooling capacity of 47–78 W with a cycle coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.19 and maximum possible COP of 0.45. In exergy analysis of the system, the irreversibility and exergetic efficiency of each component of the system have been calculated. The exergy analysis reveals that the main source of irreversibility is the adsorbent bed of the AR system, emphasising that the input heat energy is not utilised efficiently due to material constraints. The exergetic efficiencies of condenser, expansion device, evaporator and adsorbent bed are found as 42.3%, 79.8%, 54.7% and 11%, respectively.     

Projections of industrial water withdrawal under shared socioeconomic pathways and climate mitigation scenarios

We estimated global future industrial water withdrawal (IWW) by considering socioeconomic driving forces, climate mitigation, and technological improvements, and by using the output of the Asia–Pacific Integrated Model/Computable General Equilibrium (AIM/CGE) model. We carried out this estimation in three steps. First, we developed a sector- and region-specific regression model for IWW. The model utilized and analyzed cross-country panel data using historical statistics of IWW for 10 sectors and 42 countries. Second, we estimated historical IWW by applying a regression model. Third, we projected future IWW from the output of AIM/CGE. For future projections, we considered and included multiple socioeconomic assumptions, namely different shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) with and without climate mitigation policy. In all of the baseline scenarios, IWW was projected to increase throughout the twenty-first century, but growth through the latter half of the century is likely to be modest mainly due to the effects of decreased water use intensity. The projections for global total IWW ranged from 461 to 1,560 km³/year in 2050 and from 196 to 1,463 km³/year in 2100. The effects of climate mitigation on IWW were both negative and positive, depending on the SSPs. We attributed differences among scenarios to the balance between the choices of carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewable energy. A smaller share of CCS was accompanied by a larger share of non-thermal renewable energy, which requires a smaller amount of water withdrawal per unit of energy production. Renewable energy is, therefore, less water intensive than thermal power with CCS with regard to decarbonizing the power system.     

A new type of refrigerator and its cycle

The world is facing an energy and climate crisis. Globally, the energy sector emits 26 billion tonnes of CO₂ each year, and electricity production alone accounts for 41% of emissions (European Wind Energy Association. 2008. Pure Power: Wind Energy Scenarios up to 2030. European Wind Energy Association. p. 6). Currently, reducing CO₂ emissions and curbing climate change have become global priorities, and we only have a narrow window of time left in which to act. The new type of refrigerator can offer an immediate and concrete solution to the many energy and climate challenges that we are facing. This is an account of a new type of refrigerator and its cycle for use in the refrigeration industry. For its cycle, the working substance is air or other gases; its cycle is very similar to that of the reverse Brayton cycle (Hou, Y., Zhao, H. L., Chen, C. Z., and Xiong, L. Y. 2006. “Developments in Reverse Brayton Cycle Cryocooler in China.” Cryogenics 46 (5): 403–407). In the cycle of the new type of refrigerator, the isochoric exothermic process and the isothermal exothermic compression process replace the isobaric exothermic compression process of the reverse Brayton cycle. The new type of refrigerator can produce a net electrical energy, and it is not a perpetual motion machine, because the environmental enthalpy and atmospheric pressure can be utilized as the external energy sources, which cannot be performed by any other conventional refrigerators; therefore, the reliability and significance of this new type of refrigerator is self-evident.     

Spatial distribution of uranium and thorium in the surface soil around proposed uranium mining site at Lambapur and its vertical profile in the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam

The understanding and evaluation of the possible interactions of various naturally occurring radionuclides in the world's third largest man-made dam, Nagarjuna Sagar located in Andhra Pradesh, India and built on river Krishna assumed significance with the finding of uranium deposits in locations near the dam. For the present work, surface soil samples from the mineralized area of Lambapur, Mallapuram, Peddagattu and sediment core samples from the Nagarjuna Sagar dam were analyzed for naturally occurring radionuclides namely uranium and thorium using gamma spectrometric technique. Also toxic elements lead and chromium were analysed by the Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (EDXRF) technique. Surface soil samples show a variation from 25 to 291 Bq/kg (2.02–23.5 mg/kg) for ²³⁸U and 32–311 Bq/kg (7.9–76.9 mg/kg) for ²³²Th. U/Th concentration ratio in surface soil samples ranged from 0.19 to 0.31 and was found comparable with the nation wise average of 0.26. The study of sediment core samples reflected higher U/Th concentration ratio of 0.30–0.33 in the bottom section of the core as compared to 0.22–0.25 in the upper section. The concentration ratio in the upper section of the core was similar to the ratio 0.23 found in the western Deccan Basalt region through which the river originates. A higher concentration of lead and chromium was observed in the upper section of the core compared to bottom section indicating the impact of river input on the geochemical character of dam sediment.     

Gatekeeping and Communities in Energy Transition: A Study of the Block Island Wind Farm

ABSTRACT

The Block Island Wind Farm (BIWF) is the first offshore wind farm in the United States. Using gatekeeping theory as a framework, this research analyzes local and regional/national newspaper coverage of the BIWF paying particular attention to the use of sources. The data suggest that the differences between newspaper source usage from 1 January 2008 to 1 July 2017 is minimal. However, business sources appeared more than any other group, including government sources, which is a new finding. The prevalence of business sources leads to important questions about the role of businesses in shaping narratives about community transitions to renewable energy systems.     

Sustainable domestic lighting options for poor people—an empirical study

The availability of sustainable and reasonably priced sources of energy for lighting is a prerequisite for the development of rural India. This study attempts to take a close look at the micro-level energy scene and its various options for domestic lighting, considering socio-economic condition of the poor people in rural areas. The concept of calculating levelized cost as cost per 300 lumen-hour is applied on source–device combinations of lighting and validated in Bargaon Community Development Block of Sundergarh District in Odisha, India, for finding out the low-priced energy sources for sufficient lighting. It is revealed that LED and CFL through solar photovoltaic and electricity should be the best choice of domestic lighting. Most of the households (97 %), even electrified, use kerosene regularly. There is a huge potential of biogas and solar photovoltaic which can overcome the problem of power cut, indoor pollution, carbon emission, etc. Supporting electrification to all households, this study is also justifying about efficient devices and off-grid power generation through SPV for all households and biogas for possible 2300 households. Government should immediately intervene, providing capital subsidy, micro-finance schemes, other credit mechanisms, training to local youths, etc. with adequate infrastructure and organizational development to make the clean energy such as solar home lighting system and biogas plant affordable and accessible by the poor villagers.