Powering india’s villages sustainably: A case study of bihar

D. Kamath, A. Anctil

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Since independence, the Indian government has been trying to electrify all rural areas—a daunting task. Bihar, with less than 50% of households electrified, has ambitious plans for increased solar power use. This study compared the environmental and economic benefits of centralized and decentralized solar power options to electrify Bihar’s rural households. A centralized scenario with utility-scale, photovoltaic plants was compared with decentralized residential rooftop photovoltaic systems. A comparative environmental and cost life cycle assessment was conducted with a functional unit of 1 kWh electricity to a rural household in Bihar. The centralized scenario had lower environmental impacts and costs. However, Bihar’s electricity consumption is mainly residential, which could lead to unutilized electricity. Considering this made the centralized scenario the worse option. This study tried to understand the effect of electricity consumption profiles on a system’s environmental impacts and costs and the role it plays in policy decisions regarding generation capacity increases.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEmerging Trends in Engineering, Science and Technology for Society, Energy and Environment - Proceedings of the International Conference in Emerging Trends in Engineering, Science and Technology, ICETEST 2018
EditorsK.S. Jiji, Rajesh Vanchipura
PublisherCRC Press/Balkema
Pages213-219
Number of pages7
ISBN (Print)9780815357605
StatePublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes
EventInternational Conference in Emerging Trends in Engineering, Science and Technology, ICETEST 2018 - Thrissur, India
Duration: Jan 18 2018Jan 20 2018

Publication series

NameEmerging Trends in Engineering, Science and Technology for Society, Energy and Environment - Proceedings of the International Conference in Emerging Trends in Engineering, Science and Technology, ICETEST 2018

Conference

ConferenceInternational Conference in Emerging Trends in Engineering, Science and Technology, ICETEST 2018
Country/TerritoryIndia
CityThrissur
Period01/18/1801/20/18

Keywords

  • Centralized and decentralized power systems
  • Environmental benefits
  • Life Cycle Assessment
  • Photovoltaics
  • Policy
  • Rooftop solar
  • Rural electrification
  • Sustainable Development Goals

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