ENERGY SECURITY

". . . what has been the paradigm of energy security for the past three decades is too limited and must
be expanded to include many new factors. Moreover, it must be recognized that energy security does
not stand by itself but is lodged in the larger relations among nations and how they interact with one
another." - Daniel Yergin

As India's economy accelerates, so does the quest for energy to keep its growth
humming. As India's appetite for energy surges, the desire of the region's leaders to
ensure a reliable flow of reasonably priced oil and natural gas will also intensify. India
has to take important steps to increase the availability of affordable energy.

The aim of this competition is to find and foster big ideas that address today’s energy
challenges. The participants are required to address any two of the following topics
pertaining to India’s energy needs:-

1. Electrification of Transportation-
The most sustainable invention for applying technology with commercial potential in the
transportation segment has been the electric vehicles (EVs). EVs are the long-term solution to
India's urban pollution and planning problem.
Rise in economic activity and population has led to a tremendous demand in the transport
sector especially in urban India. By 2020, India's population in cities is expected to grow five-
fold to a staggering 200 million while pollution is expected to grow by seven times. With this
tremendous growth has emerged a very critical issue of keeping air and noise pollution in urban
areas under control.
If we can have three lakh Electric Vehicles on the roads by 2020, including three-wheelers, cars,
and scooters, this could result in a reduction of over 16 lakh metric tons of CO, NOx & HC by
2020, and savings of over Rs. 3700 crores in foreign exchange and significant health costs
savings. EVs are zero polluting, easy to handle and have low running and maintenance costs
(source FADA).
Will electric vehicles become widely adopted within the next 25 years in India? If No, Where do
we lack? What are Indian automakers’ plans and strategies for launching EVs into the market?
What are the key challenges? Hybrid Vehicles vs. Full Electric Vehicles. What are the key
challenges and opportunities in supporting technologies? What steps need to be taken on a
policy front? Are lower import duties the only solution? How can the mindset of the consumer
be changed?

Suggest a holistic model and approach involving the government, public and auto majors that is
needed to promote your model in India. Also outline the appropriate government policies that
need to be formulated and the support required from business houses and institutions.

2. The Great Solar Journey -

India has taken a positive step towards using solar power with Gujarat and Rajasthan taking the
lead among states. The country plans to integrate solar power into our power ecosystem by
working on both the demand and supply sides.
Gujarat and Rajasthan have realized recently that barren land and the Suns heat were abundant
in their states with the Rann of Kuchh and the Thar Desert unutilized for centuries. Each
decided to turn their states into solar power hubs much on the lines of the State of California in
USA and The Spanish Republic. Policy Decisions were made at state level and the centre pitched
in with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission announced in the Union Budget of 2010.
Several companies have come forward showing interest in generating solar power.

Supply wise, the states are incentivizing developers by announcing solar tariffs for 25 years. The
State Electricity Regulatory Commissions- the distribution arm has fixed tariffs for the two kinds
of solar technologies.     The first technology is photovoltaic (PV) cells. Here large, solar panels
made of silicon are erected on land in such a way that sunlight falls directly on them, and gets
converted into power. The second technology is solar-thermal power. Here, the sun’s energy is
used to fire a steam turbine, and generate power. Both technologies have their variable cost
and selling price and their technological pros and cons.

Demand wise, India has decided to place new conditions on companies that generate and
distribute power, which will nudge them towards solar. So, power-distribution companies have
been asked to source 5% of their energy requirements for 2010-11 and so on.

But these policies have a number of adverse effects too. Consumers would have to pay an
estimated 7% more for power from 2012. The interest that companies have shown in this
sector is partially due to the willingness of the states to subsidize this electricity for the
distribution utilities. While the companies are also getting tax holidays by investing in green
ventures, such initiatives cannot be sustained by the government for long. Technology is bound
to change in the next 25 years and with tariffs fixed for 25 years, the states are surely acting in
haste. In the recent years, getting land in India has always been a problem and will act as an
obstacle even in this case. Lastly funding for clean technology initiatives has always been a
problem in our country and special cess may need to be levied on conventional sources to meet
the needs.

In Our race to become a Solar Hub your task is to develop a Comprehensive Solar Power Policy
for our country and to suggest a road map for its development as a viable source contributing
10% to the power grid in the next 25 years.

3. Hydrogen vehicle-

Hydrogen vehicle is an alternative fueled vehicle that uses hydrogen as fuel for motive power;
a vehicle that converts the chemical energy of hydrogen to mechanical energy either by burning
hydrogen in an internal combustion engine, or by reacting hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell to
run electric motors.

Hydrogen fuel does not occur naturally on Earth and thus is not an energy source, but is an
energy carrier. The molecular hydrogen needed as an on-board fuel for hydrogen vehicles can be
produced from methane or other fossil fuels and a wide range of other sources (such as wind,
solar, or nuclear) that are intermittent, too diffuse or too cumbersome to directly propel
vehicles

In the movement away from fossil fuel burning vehicles, fuel cell cars powered by hydrogen
could possibly be a fixture in our future transportation. With water as the only emission, they
are a true zero emission vehicle. But ignoring the emissions and energy use involved in making
and delivering the fuel and manufacturing the vehicle gives a misleading impression. While the
vehicles themselves are zero emission, the process of producing hydrogen is far from it.
Extracting hydrogen from sources such as water, natural gas, or coal burns fossil fuel, therefore
much more technological progress is needed to produce hydrogen in an environmentally
friendly way. Moreover, low energy content per unit volume, astronomical prices, the storage,
transportation and filling of gaseous or liquid hydrogen in vehicles, the large investment in
infrastructure to fuel vehicles, and the inefficiency of production processes are the obstacles
that currently loom As research and development continues, hydrogen cars promise to be the
green wave of the future....
Stage a comeback for Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, largely forgotten as attention turned to
biofuels and batteries, suggesting a cost effective model for the same and outlining the methods
to safely store hydrogen.

4. HUMAN POWERED VEHICLE-

Human-Powered Vehicle (HPV) is a vehicle that utilizes human muscle power that is delivered
either by pedaling with feet or hands or both. Although humans are able to walk without
infrastructure, the speed can be enhanced through the use of road transport by enforcing the
human power with vehicles, such as bicycles. Further advancements include Velomobiles-the
“enclosed Human Powered Vehicles”, complete with headlight, backlight and turn signals.

The attraction for human-powered transport is attributed to the lower cost, leisure, physical
exercise and environmentalism. Human-powered transport is sometimes the only type
available, especially in underdeveloped or inaccessible regions. On the other hand, the relative
weakness of human power compared to motors, physical demands, lack of protection against the
traffic, narrow scope for balancing weight, payload, geographical and topographical range
contribute to limitations. Technical efforts to improve conditions are hampered by the need for
low weight and sturdy simplicity to achieve low costs in small-scale operations.

Propose a holistic cost effective model which minimizes the human effort while delivering
maximum output at the same time and can be made available to the common masses.

5. PIEZOELECTRICITY (Motion powered electronics)

A piezoelectric material can be used to convert vibratory motion into electricity. This is why they
are referred to as "generators".

That's the basic idea behind the newest breed of motion-powered electronics. If waterwheels
and windmills can transform naturally occurring motion into electricity, then why not capitalize
on the motion of the human body? This concept has led to such conservation-minded schemes
as using pedestrian footsteps to power streetlights or powering whole dance clubs with the
rhythmic thrashing of its revelers.

A similar idea is being researched by DARPA in the United States in a project called Energy
Harvesting, which includes an attempt to power battlefield equipment by piezoelectric
generators embedded in soldiers' boots. Other energy harvesting ideas include harvesting the
energy from human movements in train stations or other public places and converting a dance
floor to generate electricity.

By converting mechanical energy from body movement, muscle stretching, these

"nanogenerators" could make possible a new class of self-powered implantable medical devices,
sensors and portable electronics. While the power generated from these materials has steadily
risen into the millivolt range, it hasn't yet produced enough power to actually power a device. If a
device weren't in constant motion however, no energy would flow, and any electrical device
connected to them would shut off. For laptops and cell phones, which have batteries, build into
them, this doesn't matter; the electricity will charge the battery.

Propose an idea where this technology can be used to generate energy on a larger scale.

The Participants have to select TWO out of the FIVE given topics

Judging Criteria-
The submissions in each of the two categories of the competition are reviewed by a panel of
judges from the academic, research and business communities.
To win the competition, teams must show outstanding performance in all of the following
criteria:

 Concept
 Feasibility- both technological and Economical
 Market
 Sustainability

The event shall consist of two levels:-

LEVEL 1
In this level the participants will have to submit a report for being selected to LEVEL-2.The report should
mention clearly the participant’s two topics (out of the 5 given topics).

. The various sections of the report could be:

 1. Overview about what your idea is?
2. Designing a cost-effective model (keeping Indian Energy scenario in mind)
3. The benefits of model that you have designed.
4. How will the modern system change the present scenario- a comparative study?
5. Financial Model of the putting up of such a system if required.
6. Suggesting a method to go implement the new infrastructure/model you have suggested.
7. Conclusion
8. References

The last date of entry of the abstract of this report is February 18, 2011.

The abstract will have to be sent in .pdf format to energysecurity.cogni@gmail.com.

In this abstract, the participant will have to send whatever they have prepared in the report till that day.
It has to be a maximum of 3 A4 size pages in standard 11 font size.

The participants short-listed from the received entries will be asked to come over to Roorkee during 11-
13th March to participate in the event.

For more tips and support for the report preparation, join the event google group
(http://groups.google.com/group/energy_security_cogni11).

LEVEL 2
11th-12thMarch: Level 2 will involve competing with the designs/models/policies of the other participants
in front of a panel comprising of intellectuals from the business fraternity, leaders and highly-reputed
researchers.

The participants will be required to prepare a presentation on the basis of what they have prepared in
the report.

The winners will be given rewards at the end of this level.

The award will be given to the best design and lots of consolation prizes will be given.

Prizes worth ` 30,000/- to be awarded.