LED Lights

An LED lamp (LED light bulb) is a solid-state lamp that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as the source of light.

Benefits of LED light bulbs

Long-lasting - LED bulbs last up to 10 times as long as compact fluorescents, and far longer than typical incandescents. 

Durable - since LEDs do not have a filament, they are not damaged under circumstances when a regular incandescent bulb would be broken. Because they are solid, LED bulbs hold up well to jarring and bumping. 

Cool - these bulbs do not cause heat build-up; LEDs produce 3.4 btu's/hour, compared to 85 for incandescent bulbs. This also cuts down on air conditioning costs in the home. 

Mercury-free - no mercury is used in the manufacturing of LEDs. 

More efficient - LED light bulbs use only 2-10 watts of electricity (1/3rd to 1/30th of Incandescent or CFL) Small LED flashlight bulbs will extend battery life 10 to 15 times longer than with incandescent bulbs. Also, because these bulbs last for years, energy is saved in maintenance and replacement costs. For example, many cities in the US are replacing their incandescent traffic lights with LED arrays because the electricity costs can be reduced by 80% or more. 

Cost-effective - although LEDs are expensive, the cost is recouped over time and in battery savings. For the AC bulbs and large cluster arrays, the best value comes from commercial use where maintenance and replacement costs are expensive. 

Light for remote areas - because of the low power requirement for LEDs, using solar panels becomes more practical and less expensive than running an electric line or using a generator for lighting.

*for more information, email environmentbharat@gmail.com

National Urban Sanitation Policy of India

The vision for Urban Sanitation in India is:

All Indian cities and towns become totally sanitized, healthy and livable and ensure and sustain good public health and environmental outcomes for all their citizens with a special focus on hygienic and affordable sanitation facilities for the urban poor and women.

Background

Sanitation is defined as safe management of human excreta, including its safe confinement treatment, disposal and associated hygiene-related practices. While this policy pertains to management of human excreta and associated public health and environmental impacts, it is recognized that integral solutions need to take account of other elements of environmental sanitation, i.e. solid waste management; generation of industrial and other specialized / hazardous wastes; drainage; as also the management of drinking water supply.

Need for Action

According to Census 2001, 27.8% of Indians, i.e. 286 million people or 55 million households live in urban areas1 – projections indicate that the urban population would have grown to 331 million people by 2007 and to 368 million by 2012. 12.04 million (7.87 %) Urban households do not have access to latrines and defecate in the open. 5.48 million (8.13%) Urban households use community latrines and 13.4 million households (19.49%) use shared latrines. 12.47 million (18.5%) households do not have access to a drainage network. 26.83 million (39.8%) households are connected to open drains. The status in respect of the urban poor is even worse. The percentage of notified and non-notified slums without latrines is 17 percent and 51 percent respectively. In respect of septic latrines the availability is 66 percent and 35 percent. In respect of underground sewerage, the availability is 30 percent and 15 percent respectively. More than 37% of the total human excreta generated in urban India, is unsafely disposed. This imposes significant public health and environmental costs to urban areas that contribute more than 60% of the country’s GDP. Impacts of poor sanitation are especially significant for the urban poor (22% of total urban population), women, children and the elderly. The loss due to diseases caused by poor sanitation for children under 14 years alone in urban areas amounts to Rs. 500 Crores at 2001 prices (Planning Commission-United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), 2006). Inadequate discharge of untreated domestic/municipal wastewater has resulted in contamination of 75 percent of all surface water across India. 

Goal by 2015

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) enjoin upon the signatory nations to extend access to improved sanitation to at least half the urban population by 2015, and 100% access by 2025. This implies extending coverage to households without improved sanitation, and providing proper sanitation facilities in public places to make cities open defecation free.


REF: MoUD, GOI

Masdar City- World's Largest Solar Power Plant

Masdar, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Government-owned Mubadala Development Company was established in 2006 that aims at economic diversification of the Emirate. Masdar is a commercially driven enterprise that operates to reach the broad boundaries of the renewable energy and sustainable technologies industry – there by giving it the necessary scope to meet these challenges. Masdar City is a emerging global hub for renewable energy and clean technologies that position companies located here at the heart of this global industry.

Masdar nets $615m For world's largest solar power plant 

Green energy firm Masdar got $615m of bank financing for the world's largest concentrated solar power (CSP) plant and $153m equity from its Spanish and French partners. Eight foreign banks and two local banks underwrote the 22-year deal with Masdar. $615m Solar power plant which will have a 100 megawatt capacity and would qualify for carbon credits under the United Nation's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Masdar has a 60 percent stake in its flagship project, while the European partners hold 20 percent each.

REF: http://www.masdarcity.ae

Solar Power is the 'Solution' for India

Solar Power has come a long way from Rs 50 per unit that it cost a couple of years ago. It was ten times that conventional power cost today. It is still comparatively expensive, but companies see a practical chance to bring down the cost of this alternative source of power to under Rs 10 per unit over the next couple of years.

 

Why Solar is the solution?

-It is clean, green

-Fuel from sun is free, great for country’s energy security

-Low development period of less than 6 months. For nuclear power, it is 10-12 years; for thermal and hydro power is 4-6 years

-After the Japan earthquake and tsunami, the world is looking beyond nuclear

-Ideal solution for peaking power needs in India

Is Solar power expensive?

-Yes! All components- polysilicon, glass, inverters- are imported

-Small-scale projects, less than 1000 MW per year, make local manufacturing unviable

-Limited technical skills; design and project engineering skills are imported

-High cost of debt financing solar projects; capital intensive- 1 MW costs Rs 12-14 crores; 70% is financed at 11-13%

Good news is that costs will come down fast, how?

- Prices of Polysilicon- raw material for cells- have fallen by over half in last five years

- Alternative materials like Copper,Iridium, Gallium and Selenium (CIGS) that are technically more efficient are also in use

- Glassmakers in India warm up to Solar industry needs as demand grows; local manufacturing will cool the prices

- National Solar Mission gives a boost to Solar in India

- 3-5 years Solar power will be under Rs 10 per unit

REF: Economic Times