Session Topics
Cleantech Investment in India Executive Program
Ultra mega solar thermal power plants
India has built a strong wind power capacity (~8000 MW) but no solar thermal units despite the fact that the latter is a much stronger resource. The Indian government has announced plans to build 20 GW of solar thermal by 2020. This discussion will identify specific opportunities in developing ultra mega solar thermal power plants in accordance with this new initiative under the premise of the following questions: Can these be built within this time frame? India's Central Electricity Regulatory Commission estimates the cost of solar power to be $2700/kW. How much can these costs be reduced through UM plants? Would having ultramega solar plants similar to the Indian government's ultra mega coal plants help in advancing the cause?
Global market transformation: Efficient White Goods
Through this initiative investments will aim to increase the penetration of efficient white goods worldwide. Today the increased penetration is accomplished through regulatory mechanisms standards, labels, demand-side management programs and Energy Star branding at the statewide and national scale. About 15 manufacturers account for 70% of sales globally. These include US, European, Japanese and Chinese manufacturers. This discussion will examine the role for Indian manufacturers, discussing how efficient versions of these products can be marketed internationally and the role of government incentives and the carbon market
White or Cool Roofs
White roofs reflect sunlight and have high emissivity thereby reducing heat transfer through the roof to the building. Typically these reduce AC loads by 20% in the top floor. LBNL experimentsin Hyderabad, India in 2006-07, demonstrated 5% savings for AC load in the Satyam Computers training center. In addition, white roofs also reduce global warming by reflecting solar radiation back into the atmosphere; 15 sqm of roof area offsets 1t CO2. The Delhi government has already approved white roofs for new government buildings. This discussion will examine how this technology can be replicated elsewhere in India and what technologies may be transferred from the US.
Smart Grids
India’s electricity grid is aging and the transmission and distribution (T&D) losses are significant, amounting to 25% (40-50% by non-standard methods), resulting in financial losses of Rs.27,446 Crores (US $5.5 billion) or 0.7% of GDP. The Government of India (GOI) has initiated reforms for the distribution sectors, promoting an intelligent electricity grid or Smart Grid with information technology (IT) and control systems across domains to better manage supply and demand-side resources and alleviate inefficiencies. The United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) is also addressing this issue, through the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and President Obama’s national energy priorities, by coordinating development of protocols and standards and create a roadmap to help information exchange and interoperability of Smart Grid systems. With these initiatives in mind, this discussion will address how U.S. Smart Grid priorities can help GOI and other stakeholders toward efficient management of electricity value chain.
IP Facilitating Collaboration
IP has long been the fortress protecting companies’ innovation assets. As new markets open and business environments change, the critical importance of designing innovative IP and business strategies in the emerging cleantech industry has become apparent. Unlike previous 'gold rushes' for precious natural resources, the clean tech gold rush is a race to stake a claim on the best innovations. In this new globally integrated economy, the "idea" has become the "product" and new thinking and new business strategies are a must have. Successful prospectors must deploy a comprehensive IP strategy that fosters collaboration while capturing the full potential from the complex cleantech value chain. This framework will enable strategic investment in technologies that offer robust commercialization opportunities and scalability.
Leveraging Alternative Finance
In developing countries, its not always the most advanced technology that creates change, but rather the ability to scale the technology for meaningful impact. Financing essential to enabling the deployment of technologies is not always as forth coming due to local investment infrastructures, highlighting the need to be able to leverage innovative financing mechanisms to unlock capital. This discussion will probe the range of financing options available to Cleantech investors in India, exploring traditional financing arrangements, such as venture capital, as well as non-traditional options, including foundation and government investment facilities, essential for a sustainable investment strategy.
