Rural & Renewable Energy

Background	Professional capabilities
Thrust areas	Select clients
Major activities

Background
TERI has been committed to enabling rural communities face challenges of energy and natural resource management in a sustainable and rewarding manner. The Rural and Renewable Energy (R&RE) Group is mandated to direct TERI’s efforts in energy and environment sector with an emphasis on analysis, identification of needs and issues, evaluating options, and more importantly on facilitating implementation of sustainable solutions for rural problems.
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Thrust areas
R&RE seeks to understand and identify issues related to rural energy and livelihood issues, including institutional and market linkages, at the grassroots level. The area implements projects and programmes for the efficient and sustainable use of energy and natural resources by rural economic sectors.

Over the years, R&RE has also gained experience in the field of Natural Resource Management with particular reference to forest and biodiversity conservation. Armed with research tools such as PRA (participatory rural appraisals) and FGD (focused group discussions), stakeholder analysis, and cost-benefit analysis, the group has undertaken projects on watershed programmes, rehabilitation of mining areas, the role of PRI (Panchayati Raj Institutions) in the NRM sector, and on the mobilization and formation of grass root institutions such as SHGs (self help groups). It provides them with appropriate technology solutions and facilitates market linkages.

Since its inception, R&RE has diversified from purely research-focused activities to active technology interventions that translate research recommendations into far-reaching actions. Technology improvement, adaptation, demonstration, training, and capacity building programmes organized by R&RE have backed-up the Area’s research and evaluation projects.

Such technology interventions include the introduction of energy efficient technologies in micro enterprises such as silk reeling and puffed rice units and improved household chulhas for efficient and non-polluting cooking options.

Networking with a number of government departments and agencies is an important activity of the group. It has undertaken projects for various government agencies such as the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources, Government of India, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Karnataka Watershed Development Agency, and bilateral funding agencies such as SDC, World Bank, ADB (Asian Development Bank), and EU.
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Major activities
Evaluation studies
R&RE undertakes evaluation of projects and programs at pre- and post-implementation stages, covering all technical, social, and economic aspects. Cost benefit analyses of projects in certain sectors is also a part of the group’s expertise.
R&RE executes projects for the collection of secondary data and primary surveys, using appropriate tools and analysis of the same through statistical techniques.
The Area deploys tools such as PRA, RRA, stakeholder analysis, and FGD to evaluate such programs.

Resource assessment studies for energy planning
RRE conducts sector-wise analysis of supply and demand trends of available resources.
It executes planning projects on resource availability at the village/Gram Panchayat/taluka or district levels.
The Area prepares IREP (Integrated Rural Energy Plans).
Based on market conditions and interactions with local stakeholders, RRE prepares detailed project reports for various technological interventions such as gasifiers and other renewable energy systems.

Training and capacity building
R&RE conducts training programmes to promote renewable energy technologies for rural applications. This activity is closely linked with the broader framework of CDM (clean development management), awareness generation on environmental benefits, promoting energy efficiency, and energy conservation.
Target groups for such programmes vary from women, Self Help Groups (SHGs), entrepreneurs, policy makers, and NGOs.

Technological amalgamation and innovation
The Area recognizes the need to effectively transfer technological innovations from the laboratory to the field. Consequently, it has delivered several energy-saving and environmentally sound innovations to rural communities. These include the following:
- Heat recovery units, which reduce fuel consumption and emissions, have been installed in cook stoves and ovens used in puffed rice and silk reeling units respectively
- Low cost dust arresters have been installed in puffed rice units to reduce emissions
- Gasifiers have been installed in micro enterprises such as silk dyeing units and hotels for hot water generation

Networking
R&RE has active relations with several NGOs, research institutions, technology manufacturers, and other such agencies to widen the impact of its initiatives. Some of the prominent collaborations include the following:
     -  PRAWARDA (a nongovernmental organization)
     -  SAMUHA (development organization)
     -  MYRADA (Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency)  for specialized work in Watershed activities
     -  OUTREACH (community organization)
     -  SEVA (Social Educational Vocational Association), Jan Shikshan Sansthan
     -  PGAMS (Paripoorna Grameena Abhivrudhi Mahila Seva Samsthe)
     -  AME (Agriculture Man & Ecology)
     -  M/s Vijay Engineering Enterprises and M/s 2M Industries for manufacturing renewable energy device
     -   BVB College of Engineering & Technology and SDM College of Engineering & Technology for appropriate product development
     -  SERI Forum - a forum of organizations with expertise on technologies in the post-cocoon sector of Sericulture

(For more details please view major projects section)

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Professional capabilities
R&RE’s diversified thrust areas require an equally diverse set of professionals and the Group has been privileged to have a team of highly-qualified set of dedicated personnel who constantly strive to seek innovative solutions to complex issues. Drawn from different disciplines such as economics, agriculture, engineering, forestry, and biodiversity, the R&RE team is relentless in its pursuit of solutions to rural energy and livelihood issues. Team members update their knowledge and skills regularly to be at the forefront of sustainable change. The group also has vast networking as it assists in leverage experience and expertise to meet the diverse requirements.
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Select clients
CSB (Central Silk Board) Ministry of Textiles, Government of India
European Union
RDPR (Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj) Government of Karnataka
KAWAD (Karnataka Watershed Development Agency)
MNES (Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources)
SERI-Forum, Secretariat at Bapuji Institute of Engineering & Technology, Davangere
SDC (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation)
The World Bank
Thames Water Utilities, United Kingdom