A Proposal for Wind-energy Conversion for Low Wind–speed Areas of India

In its origins, the Indian renewable-energy program was a response to the rural energy crisis prevalent in the 1970s. In this sense, the renewable energy program has resulted in unrealistic targets and allocation of budgets, which have led to failure [1]. Implementation of energy-conservation initiatives in India has suffered from loopholes, such as numerous independent Ministries, namely, the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum and Gas, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Nonconventional Energy Sources (MNES), and Department of Atomic Energy, which deal with energy resources in India; this multiple control has, consequently, resulted in weak coordination links [2]. Currently, fossil fuels account for about 64% of the total primary energy supply in India, whereas traditional biomass accounts for about 33% of the total [3]. As expected, the energy consumption of India will continue to grow at a significant rate in the future [4] and hence highlights the need to reduce India’s dependence on both coal and oil. To achieve this objective, India has independent ministries for New and Renewable Energy and for Renewable Energy technologies (RETs), which are now well established in India and handle energy aspects that include solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind, biogas, and biomass for both power and heat generation, in addition to cogeneration and small hydro projects. India is one of the very few countries in the world to have such portfolios. Promoting renewable energy in India has assumed great importance in recent years, and the technology that has achieved the most dramatic growth rate and success is wind energy [4]. For example, in 2002, India had a wind-power capacity of 1267 MW, generating about 6.5 billion units of electricity; it currently occupies the fifth position in windpower installation in the world, placed after Germany, United States, Denmark, and Spain [1]. Although large turbines are also manufactured in India, relatively small turbines have a significant share in the total installed capacity [4]. Furthermore, in spite of the relatively low wind regimes at 50-m hub height, comparing by international standards, India has made significant progress in wind-based power generation, and the installed capacity of wind increased from 41 MW in 1992 to 6053 MW in September 2006 [3]. Finally, although the emphasis on renewable energy in India has been growing, aggressive policies, targets, and work programs for promoting RETs are still lacking. The rural areas provide a significant opportunity to apply photovoltaic, microhydro, and biopower technologies in future years [4]. Furthermore, there is a need for targeted technology development and research and development (R&D) for cost reduction–low wind–speed machines, inverters, and controllers of a few kW—for reduction of the manufacturing cost of photovoltaic modules [3]. In the present article, the actual conversion of wind energy in India will be reviewed, and future corrections are proposed, with special emphasis on rural areas and low wind–speed energy converters.