5.2. Resource scenario results

Monthwise availability of solar and wind potential [37–42] in coastal taluks, and electricity that could be generated by using 5% of barren land are listed in Tables 2.1 and 2.2, respectively. While, Tables 3.1 and 3.2 give hydropower and bioenergy availability in the region, respectively.

Results of solar resource module are listed in Table 2.1. It lists monthwise amount of solar energy that could be harnessed through solar conversion devices, by utilising 10% of wasteland presently available in the coastal taluks of Uttara Kannada district. The electrical energy that can be harnessed is of the order of 191.44 million kWh, which constitutes about 65.1% of the present electricity demand from various sectors of Uttara Kannada district. These analyses also show that about 72% of solar energy is available during October to May period.

Table 2.2 lists monthwise electrical energy that could be generated by harnessing wind potential along the coastal zone of Uttara Kannada district. The availability of wind resource is quantified and characterised in detail earlier [37–39]. Due to local necessity of energy in the pre-monsoon period for industrial and irrigation purposes (for agriculture and horticulture), and the availability of wind resources during the same period, the exploitation of wind energy for mechanical and electrical energy purposes becomes feasible and desirable.

Hydropower resource module provides electrical energy potential in Bedthi and Aghnashini river basins of Uttara Kannada district. Results of this module are listed in Table 3.1.

It is seen that about 1787.61 million units (mkWh) of electrical energy in Aghnashini and 1079.15 million units (mkWh) in Bedthi river basin could be harnessed. Monthwise electrical energy that could be harnessed from streams and major sites at Unchalli (of Aghnashini) and Magod (of Bedthi) are shown in Fig. 4.1, while Fig. 4.2 depicts separately the total hydroenergy available in the respective river basins. The table also depicts that hydropower resource is available mainly during June to October period. Fig. 4.3 illustrates the energy available from an area of 95.8 km2 by bioresources and hydropower resources through integrated planning approach. Hydroelectric systems for harnessing hydroenergy at Magod and Unchalli sites are designed within social and ecological constraints.

The results of biomass module provide talukwise and categorywise biomass availability and demand balances. The biomass availability is computed based on different types of



forest patches in the district and respective biomass productivities. Biomass module provides supply scenario for lower and upper ranges of biomass productivity. Similarly, biomass module provides bioresource demand taking into account demand range. Tables 3.2 and 3.3 list talukwise biomass availability and demand for higher and lower ranges of productivity. The same is illustrated in Figs. 5.1 and 5.2, respectively. Out of 11 taluks of Uttara Kannada district, coastal taluks Bhatkal, Kumta and Honnavar have bioresource scarcity (Fig. 5.1), while the remaining taluks have adequate resources to meet the region’s demand. Talukwise bioresource availability from livestock population is listed in Table 3.4. It shows that if this resource is converted to biogas, it is adequate to meet the requirement of 30% of the total population. If the entire district is considered, bioresource supply appears to be diverse and sufficient in magnitude to comfortably sustain population pressure under the base case demand scenario investigated. As bioresource (fuel wood) enhancement strategies are pursued through social forestry, etc., complementary policies to promote technically feasible and cost effective improvements in the efficiency of end use equipment are needed. End use efficiency study carried out in randomly selected households in some villages show that there is scope for saving about 27.45% of fuel wood by switching over to energy efficient stoves.