Discussion and conclusion

Focus on the renewable energy potential with integrated energy plan highlight the availability of sufficient resources to meet the demand at taluk level. Kumta taluk receives abundant solar insolation throughout the year which varies from 5.5 to 5.75 kWh/m2/day. Annual average insolation of the district is about 5.5 kWh/m2/day where, it experience more than 5.6 kWh/m2/day for about 250 days. District experiences wind from west coast which varies from 1.9 to 4 m/s where coastal villages have higher wind energy potential. Low speed wind turbines are most suitable for the region which can be used for irrigation and electricity generation. Wind energy generation systems can also be integrated with solar and biomass gasifier based generator for reliable electricity production. Village level energy potential maps gives insights for distributed generation from rooftop level to installation in barren lands. Seasonal variation in the resource availability will help to understand the dynamics and pattern of energy generation which is a critical information for grid integration and load expansion.
Quantification of bioenergy is carried out based on availability, which shows that about 670 GWh energy available annually. Similarly, taluk has good number of cattle and buffalo population which can generate about 12.9 GWh of energy annually. Energy from plant and animal residues can be utilised for low and medium temperature heating and also for electricity production.

Integrated energy plan with the objective of cost minimisation is developed and validated. Optimisation results shows that, annual operating cost of the system is INR 22.11 crores and unit energy cost is about INR 0.22/kWh. The simulated model could supply 983.5 GWh/annum to meet the various end use energy requirement. System installation and commissioning could be decentralised and resources shall be harvested depending upon the availability. Nevertheless, the work illustrates the availability of 983.5 GWh energy from locally available resources. Model implementation could significantly reduce the GHG emission while reducing the stress on central grid. It would also generate employment in the village level which could also enable entrepreneurship opportunities. This model (Regional Integrated energy Plan: RIEP) is replicable in all taluks or cluster of villages, which highlights the flexibility and strength of the approach. Integrated renewable energy planning has the potential to minimise the operating cost while exploiting sustainable, reliable and environmental friendly renewable energy sources. This transforms rural India to self-reliant and self-sustained systems with energy sufficiency, which helps in realising the dream of total electrification in the country and scope for employment and education opportunities at local levels.