CAREERS IN RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT

CAREERS IN Renewable energy AND energy management Dr Usha Bajpai It is well known that energy sector has its own impact on the progress and development of any nation. The availability of various energy resources and in-house capability to use it in the appropriate manner for productive development of a nation is the key factor in the economic growth of the country. The energy crisis all over the world in the seventies warned the mankind and forced to think about the appropriate utilization of the energy resources on the earth for the sustainable development. The energy crisis had led to many innovations as well as research and development programmes in all sectors related to the energy. With global climate change issues occupying a prominent position in science and technology, industry and international relations, the role of renewable energy, energy conservation and energy management has come into a sharp focus in recent years. In India, the sudden increase in the price of oil, uncertainties associated with its supply and the adverse impact on the balance-of- payments position led to the establishment of the Commission for Additional Sources of Energy in the Department of Science and Technology in March 1981. The Commission was charged with the responsibility of formulating policies and their implementation, programmes for development of new and renewable energy apart from coordinating and intensifying R and D in the sector. In 1982, a new department, i.e., Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (DNES), that incorporated CASE, was created in the then Ministry of Energy. In 1992, DNES became the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources. In October 2006, the Ministry was re-christened as the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (www.mnre.gov.in). The Ministry of Power, Government of India set up the Bureau of Energy Efficiency on 1st March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 (www.bee-india.nic.in). The mission of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to assist in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles, within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001 with the primary objective of reducing energy intensity of the Indian economy. This can be achieved with active participation of all stakeholders, resulting in accelerated and sustained adoption of energy efficiency in all sectors. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency co-ordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies and other organizations and recognize, identify and utilize the existing resources and infrastructure, in performing the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act. The Energy Conservation Act provides for regulatory and promotional functions. The Bureau is involved in several regulatory and promotional avenues in energy efficiency and conservation. The Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), 2007 was launched by the Government of India for new, commercial buildings having a connected load of more than 500 kW with the objective of bringing down the energy consumption of commercial buildings through efficient design. With a view to build adequate technical capacity and develop economically viable renewable energy and energy efficient systems and compliance of laudable objectives of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, adequate scientific and technical manpower of all levels is a pre-requisite. Energy conservation and renewable energy utilization hold tremendous potential of employment generation and social entrepreneurship for human resources trained in almost all streams of engineering, technology, sciences and humanities. In fact, several self-employment opportunities in renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors for modestly-trained and self-trained human resources exist in all geographic locations of the country. The organized training programmes in renewable energy and energy management sectors in Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnics in India are to be initiated to develop the skills required in renewable energy and energy management fields. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is taking steps in this direction.