Lecture -1

Energy crisis – renewable energy sources – significance – potential and

achievements in India – energy requirements of agricultural and horticultural crops.
Energy is the driving force in the development of economic growth, progress and
prosperity of any nation. Energy demand in agriculture, industrial, commercial and household
sectors has increased tremendously and placed enormous pressure on its resources. The
economic growth level of any nation will be indicated by the availability and consumption levels
of energy. India’s substantial economic growth is placing enormous demand on its energy
resources. The depleting resources and increasing pollution of environment due to energy has
necessities optimum use of its resources; which in turn requires proper energy planning to
achieve energy security.
Energy availability is about 6,81,347 MW which is depleting resulting in inflation and
energy shortage. The per capita energy consumption has increased from 560 kWh in 2007, 957
kWh in 2015 to 1100 kWh in 2017. The rate of energy consumption is increasing by 10% per
annum. The per capita energy consumption in USA is 15.5 times, in which India is only 8
times. Energy demand in India is about 1,59,542 MW and this demand is increasing day by
day due to an increase in population, urbanization and industrialization. India’s crude oil and
natural gas production has been stagnating in recent years. The widening of the demand
supply gap has increased the dependency on imports. Presently, almost 83% of India’s crude
oil availability is through imports.
The fossil fuel supply viz. Coal, Petroleum, Natural gas will be depleted in a few hundred
years. Industrialization, urbanization, population growth, economic growth, improvement in per
capita consumption of electricity, depletion of coal reserve, increasing import of coal, crude oil
and other energy sources and the rising concern over climate change have put India in a
critical position. It has to take a tough stance to balance between economic development and
environmental sustainability.
Therefore, alternate or renewable sources of energy have to be developed to meet
future energy requirement. To reduce dependency on imports, India’s strategy is the
encouragement of the development of various forms of renewable sources of energy by the use
of incentives by the Federal and State governments including the use of nuclear energy,
promoting wind farms, solar and biomass energy.
The following important key points have to be considered to promote energy security
• Easy availability of energy helps in the process of industrialization in a country
• Production of energy leads to the efficient utilization of natural resources.
• For example solar energy, wind energy and hydro-electricity power can be generated by
using sunlight, wind and water resources respectively
• Scope of employment opportunities can be possible with the process of
industrialization that is possible with easy availability of energy/power sources
• Easy availability of energy is required for the expansion of infrastructural development
in a country
• Income of a country can be raised with the expansion of the power sector. It also
helps to achieve economic self sufficiency
 World energy scenario

Renewables are the world’s fastest-growing energy source over the projection period
between 2012 and 2040. Annual renewable energy consumption increases by an average of
2.6%. Nuclear power is the world’s second fastest-growing energy source, with an annual
consumption increasing by 2.3% over that period. Even though consumption of nonfossil fuels
is expected to grow faster than consumption of fossil fuels, fossil fuels still account for 78% of
energy use in 2040. Annual global natural gas consumption increases by 1.9% Abundant
natural gas resources and robust production including rising supplies of tight gas, shale gas
and coalbed methane contribute to the strong competitive position of natural gas. Although,
liquid fuels mostly petroleum based remain the largest source of world energy consumption,
the liquids share of world marketed energy consumption falls from 33% in 2012 to 30% in 2040.
Contributing to the decline are rising oil prices in the long term, which lead many energy users
to adopt more energy-efficient technologies and to switch away from liquid fuels when feasible.
World use of petroleum and other liquid fuels grows from 90 million barrels per day in
2012 to 100 million barrels per day in 2020 and to 121 million barrels per day in
2040.Worldwide natural gas consumption is projected to increase from 120 trillion cubic feet in
2012 to 203 trillion cubic feet in 2040.Coal is the world’s slowest-growing energy source rising
by an average 0.6% per year, from 153 quadrillion Btu in 2012 to 180 quadrillion Btu in 2040.
World net electricity generation increases by 69% from
21.6 trillion kWh in 2012 to 25.8 trillion kWh in 2020 and to 36.5 trillion kWh in 2040
(International Energy Outlook, 2016).
Renewables are the fastest growing source of energy for electricity generation, with
annual average increase of 2.6% from 2012 to 2040. In contrast to renewables, coal-fired net
generation increases by 0.8%. Electricity generation from nuclear power worldwide increases
from 2.3 trillion kWh in 2012 to 3.1 trillion kWh in 2020 and to 4.5 trillion kWh in 2040 Total
world consumption of marketed energy expands from 549 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu)
in 2012 to 629 quadrillion Btu in 2020 and to 815 quadrillion Btu in 2040 resulting in 48%
increase from 2012 to 2040.
Indian energy scenario
Renewable energy potential
India is blessed with vast renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, biomass and
hydro energy of about 38.1 GW. In India, renewable energy potential for solar energy is
8727.64 MW, wind energy is 28,279.40 MW, biomass cogeneration is 4,882.33 MW, waste to
energy is 114.08 MW with the annual biomass production of 500 metric tonnes and small
power hydro energy of 4,323.37 MW respectively. The off grid generation accounts to
1403.40 MW and biogas based system accounts to 49.354MW (MNRE, 2016).
Installed capacity of energy sources
In India, electric power generation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions
and accounts for 48% of the carbon emitted. These concerns, point towards more rational
energy use strategies. Perhaps, renewable energy based technologies, functioning in a
sustainable manner is the way forward.

The country having diverse climatic region is well endowed with renewable energy
resources. The current installed power generation capacity in India is about 3,07,278 MW which
comprises of 69.10% from thermal, 1.90% from nuclear, 14.10% from hydro and 14.90% from
renewable sector. Fig.1.1.shows the total installed capacity of renewable and non-renewable
sources of energy (MNRE,2016).
1.1.1. Tamil Nadu energy scenario
Tamil Nadu has a total installed capacity of renewable and non-renewable energy of
23,104.15 MW. Of which, renewable energy sources contribute about 8432.15 MW. Tamil
Nadu has 40% of the entire wind energy potential of India.

Tamil Nadu Solar Energy Policy aims over 3000 MW by 2015. Due to the astronomical
increase in energy demand in recent years, the state has a power deficit of about 14.9%. To
meet the ever-increasing energy demand, TNEB has proposed a number of next-generation
projects to be constructed over the next 5 years (TEDA, 2015). Table 1.1 gives the shares of
installed power capacity in various sectors.
Classification of energy sources

Energy can be classified into several types based on the following criteria:
• Primary and Secondary energy sources
• Commercial and Non-commercial energy sources
• Renewable and Non-renewable energy sources
Primary and Secondary energy sources
Primary energy sources are those that are either found or stored in nature. Common
primary energy sources are coal, oil, natural gas, and biomass (such as wood). Other primary
energy sources available include nuclear energy from radioactive substances, thermal energy
stored in earth’s interior and potential energy due to earth’s gravity.
Primary energy sources are mostly converted in industrial utilities into secondary
energy sources; for example coal, oil or gas converted into steam and electricity. Primary
energy can also be used directly. Some energy sources have non- energy uses, for example
coal or natural gas can be used as a feedstock in fertilizer plants.
Commercial and Non-commercial energy sources
The energy sources that are available in the market for a definite price are known as
commercial energy. By far the most important forms of commercial energy are electricity, coal
and refined petroleum products. Commercial energy forms the basis of industrial, agricultural,
transport and commercial development in the modern world. In the industrialized countries,
commercialized fuels are predominant source not only for economic production, but also for
many household tasks of general population. Examples: Electricity, lignite, coal, oil, natural
gas, etc.
The energy sources that are not available in the commercial market for a price are
classified as non-commercial energy. Non-commercial energy sources include fuels such as
firewood, cattle dung and agricultural wastes, which are traditionally gathered, and not bought
at a price used especially in rural households. These are also called traditional fuels. Non-
commercial energy is often ignored in energy accounting. Eg: Firewood, agro waste in rural
areas; solar energy for water heating, electricity generation and drying grain, fish and fruits,
animal power for transport, threshing, lifting water for irrigation and crushing sugarcane and
wind energy for lifting water and electricity generation.
Renewable and Non-Renewable energy sources
Renewable energy is the energy obtained from sources that are essentially
inexhaustible. Examples of renewable resources include wind, solar, tidal and hydroelectric.
The most important feature of renewable energy is that it can be harnessed without the release
of harmful pollutants. Non-renewable energy is the conventional fossil fuels such as coal, oil
and gas, which are likely to deplete with time.
 Renewable energy achievements in India

The current installed capacity of renewable energy gadgets for power production given
by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for the year 2016 is listed in Table 1.2.
Solar energy
India is endowed with vast solar energy. The solar radiation of about 1,74,000 TW is
incident over its land mass with average daily solar power potential of 0.25 kWh per m2and
overall potential of 19 GW. The installed capacity is 4579.24 MW in which 3743 MW is from
solar photo voltaic and 836.24 MW is from solar thermal sector. India expects to install an
additional 10,000 MW by 2017 and a total of 1,00,000 MW by 2022 (Energy Statistics, 2015).
Solar energy schemes in India
The government of India is promoting the use of solar energy through various strategies.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) was launched on the 11th January,
2010 by the honourable Prime Minister of India. The objective of this mission under the brand
‘Solar India’ is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy
conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible. The target of this mission
is to achieve 20,000 MW by 2022 with a budget of 1380 crores. MNRE provides 70% subsidy
on the installation cost of a solar photovoltaic power plant in North-East states and 30%
subsidy on other regions. MNRE along with NABARD implemented a scheme under JNNSM to
promote solar home lighting systems to rural areas. These scheme offers 30-40% subsidies to
promote solar PV home lighting systems (MNRE, 2016). The solar energy can be effectively
harnessed using two basic technologies such as solar thermal and photovoltaic conversion
systems which have been explained in a separate chapter.
Wind energy
Winds are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities
of the earth’s surface and rotation of the earth. The terms wind energy or wind power describes
the process by which the wind is used to generate mechanical power or electricity. Wind
turbines convert the kinetic energy in the wind into mechanical power. This mechanical power
can be used for specific tasks (such as grinding grain or pumping water) or a generator can
convert this mechanical power into electricity.
Biomass energy
Biomass is defined as renewable energy sources derived from organic carbonaceous
materials originating from plants, animals and micro-organisms that contain energy in a
chemical form that can be converted into fuel. Biomass energy is produced by green plants by
photosynthesis in the presence of sun light. Biomass is the fourth largest source of energy
and most important fuel worldwide after coal, oil and natural gas.

Among renewable energy options, agricultural and biomass residues can be used as
raw materials for the production of solid, liquid and gaseous products. Biomass has been
identified as the possible sustainable renewable source, which can fulfill the energy demand
without polluting the environment. Use of renewable and carbon capture and storage (CCS)
technologies could reduce global level coal consumption and also global CO2 emissions from
coal could be reduced to 5.6 Gt by 2035.
Biomass has an estimated annual potential of about 500 million tonnes which meets
33% of the primary energy needs. It is considered as one of the important renewable sources
for mankind as fuel wood which meets about 75% of the rural energy needs and rural
population constitutes 70% of the total population (MNRE, 2016). Conversion of biomass into
energy is undertaken using two main process technologies namely thermochemical and
biochemical. Thermo chemical conversion process includes combustion, pyrolysis and
gasification whereas biochemical conversion process includes anaerobic digestion and
fermentation.
Other new and renewable energy sources
The other new and renewable sources of energy include hydro, geothermal, tidal, wave
and OTEC.
Advantages of renewable sources of energy
• Inexhaustible, replenish able and abundant in nature
• Reliable
• Stabilized energy price
• Eco-friendly
• Free of pollution and costs
• Mitigates greenhouse emissions such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and
nitrous oxide (N2O)
Limitations
• Higher capital costs
• Energy is unpredictable and inconsistent since depends on the season
Energy management in agriculture
The energy sources used in agriculture are mainly of commercial energy, which is non-
renewable in origin, and its consumption is about 80%. Increased usage of these sources will
not only deplete the reserve, but also increases the production cost. The prime concern is
maximizing productivity per unit area with minimum of energy input and cost. Energy utilized in
agriculture varies widely according to the cropping pattern, type of farm activities and the level
of mechanization.
The study on energy consumption pattern in crop production helps in identifying major
energy consuming operations or sources. This also helps in studying the possibilities of
conservation of energy and also optimal allocation of available energy sources in crop
production system.
The energy consumption in terms of operation and source wise can be calculated. The
operations considered are tillage, sowing, bund making, weeding, and fertilizer application,
spraying, harvesting and threshing. The total energy consumed in each operation was
calculated by summing all the individual energy sources used for each operation. Likewise,
each source energy consumption (human, animal, diesel, electricity, machinery, seed,
fertilizer, FYM and chemicals) for all the operations are also calculated. Further energy
management will suggest the time and amount of application of various inputs in view of
considerable increase in yield. Hence, through energy management studies in agriculture, the
available energy sources can be utilized effectively and efficiently for higher productivity. The
quantity of energy requirement for crop production varies between 5000 and 50000 MJ ha -1
depends on crops and cultivation practices.
The disadvantages of conventional energy sources are high production cost, heavy
transmission and distribution loss, cause of global warming, green house effect and acid rain,
uncertainty in availability, biggest threat for environment and public health, very expansive to be
maintained, stored and transmitted and exhaustible in nature.