Stress on use of solar energy to protect the environment

Increasing use of solar energy to protect environment and address the growing need for power across the country was stressed at a green summit here Thursday.

"It is time to use renewable energy like solar and wind for generating more power than depending on thermal and hydel energy, which impact the ecology and affect the people due to pollution and submergence of fertile lands," Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva said at the summit here on the occasion of World Environment Day.

Highlighting the significance of observing the the World Environment Day, Alva, who hails from Karnataka, advised the state government to attract private investment in setting up solar and wind plants to combat power shortage.

"We have seen how hydro-electric plants and an atomic power plant at Kaiga in Uttara Kannada district in the state had affected the environment in the Western Ghats, one of the world's richest bio-diversity," Alva said at the inaugural session of the three-day Green Summit, organised by the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Stressing on the need to use clean technologies for harnessing solar, wind, biogas and other renewable energy sources, Alva said the Rajasthan government was encouraging setting up of solar farms to make optimal use of sunlight in the desert state.

FKCCI president R. Shivakumar said as solar energy was is the future source of power, the state governments should ensure refinancing to attract private investment in the sunrise sector.

"We are holding the Green Summit as a platform to explore opportunities and possibilities in renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable technology," he said.

State Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee said the state government was encouraging small-scale producers of solar power to install roof-top solar panels on homes and offices to generate clean energy and sell the surplus to state-run utilities.

A comprehensive report on renewable energy, outlining the current status on renewable energy and its future requirements across the country, was released on the occasion

The summit will deliberate over the next two days on renewable energy sources, including solar (photo-voltaic and thermal), wind, biomass and waste to energy.

About 100 exhibitors are showcasing their product and technologies in the renewable energy sector at the summit venue.