SOLAR ENERGY USE: THE GAME CHANGER FOR RAILWAYS

1. SOLAR ENERGY USE: THE GAME CHANGER FOR RAILWAYS Pradeep Chaturvedi Vice President (Energy Committee) World Federation of Engineering Organisations Paper Presented at Seminar on “Solar Energy – Opportunities in Rail Sector” organised by IET, IREE and DMRC under the aegis of UNDP-GEF on August 4, 2015 at New Delhi

2. Why Energy? • Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, increased social equity and an environment that allows the world to thrive. -- UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon • Railways also connects economic growth, social equality and the low cost and low CO2 eq emission/capita/km of journey

3. Sustainable Energy for All Initiative • One Goal: Ensuring Sustainable Energy for All by 2030 • Three Objectives: • Ensuring universal access to modern energy services • Doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency • Doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix • This is where Railways has an important role.

4. Basic Requirements for Energy System Transformation: 4Ps • Politics • Policy • Pricing • Partnership (Public – Private) All these are inter linked

5. Solar Installation at Katra Railway Station

6. P V Modules on Platform 1 of Katra Railway Station

7. String inverter at platform no 1 Katra Railway Station

8. PV Modules of rooftop of Katra Railway Station

9. 11 KV Solar Supply Panel

10. Suitability of Solar Energy Applications for Railways • Solar Power installations at Katra Railway Station indicates suitability • Worldwide largest solar photovoltaic systems have been installed at Railway Stations • 80% of electricity consumption in 2013-14 for traction usages and about 20% for non-traction usage • 80% of rail freight and 60% of passenger traffic to run on electricity by 2031-32 • Projected electricity consumption at about 100 billion KWh by 2031-32

11. Impact of IEP on Solar Energy Use • IEP committee report in 2006 recommended that renewable energy sources generate 20 GW of electricity in 2021-22 • Subsequent policy measures, administrative institutional measures and initiative of solar businessmen have prompted the government to set a target of 175 GW by 2021-22 • Eight times of original suggestion is considered do-able

12. Railways Targets 1000 MW in Five Years • A target of 1000 MW solar power in next five years • Float tenders for at least 200 MW by end of July 2015 • Harness solar energy by utilising roof top space through public private partnership • Install solar power plants at select railway stations, railway office buildings and level crossing gates under its own funding

13. Immediate Potential • Initial target is to select 200 stations under various railways but all the 6909 stations appropriate for solar architecture • Advent of deep cycle high efficiency batteries will store sufficient energy for round-the-clock applications • Stations at far away places more suited for such applications

14. Institutional Arrangements in Railways • Production units and trained technical manpower • Research and Design Specifications Organisation (RDSO) • Consultancy organisation – RITES • Training Institutes

15. Solar Energy Use – The Game Changer • Energy efficiency and conservation programme aims at saving 10% electricity consumption by 2032 i.e. 10 billion KWh • If half of electricity consumption for non-traction applications in 2031-32 can be supplied through solar energy that will make a saving of another 10 billion KWh of electricity consumption or 10% of projected electricity consumption • Combined impact will be a saving of 20% projected electricity consumption in Indian Railways

16. Solar Energy Use – The Game Changer • This can mean a saving of 3% in operational costs, which will be a great competitive differentiator • It will also save on GHG emissions at 8mt CO2 eq from energy efficiency and 8mt CO2 eq from solar energy use.