Access to Clean Energy

The development and utilization of renewable energy sources has been accorded high priority by the Government of India. The policies and programmes implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy have been successful in creating and large and diversified infrastructure to promote renewable energy, technologies in the country including in rural areas. In spite of these efforts, renewable energy is still away from the rural energy mainstream. Lack of innovative delivery models, adequate repair and maintenance servicing locally, limited financing to defray the high upfront capital cost of renewable energy devices, inability to link renewable energy applications for productive end uses, unfamiliarity of entrepreneurs to structured commercial viable proposals are somehow the major barriers in mainstreaming renewable energy in the rural energy sector. This publication presents case studies from across the country that illustrates the utilization of renewable energy sources with a wide range of applications across various sectors. The case studies show how technology based on renewable energy has benefited small businesses where it is being applied to enhance production value and provide cleaner and a greener technology.