REGIONAL INTEGRATED ENERGY PLAN (RIEP)

  Regional  Integrated  energy plan (RIEP)  developed at Energy 
  Research  Group,  Centre  for  Ecological  Sciences ,  Indian 
  Institute  of  Science, is a computer assisted accounting and 
  simulation  tool  being  developed  using Visual Basic and MS 
  Access to assist policy makers and planners at district level
  (/taluk/ village / block level) in evaluating energy policies 
  and develop ecologically sound, sustainable energy plans.

  Energy availability and demand situation may be projected for 
  various scenarios  (base case scenario, high energy intensity, 
  transformation, state  growth  scenarios) in  order  to get a 
  glimpse  of future  patterns and assess the likely impacts of 
  energy policies.

  1.   As a Database
                  Demography (population during 1941-1991)
                  Natural resource (land use, land cover,forest 
                  types, wastelands, 
                    agriculture - crop types, production, yield, 
                                  irrigation details, 
                    horticulture - crop types, residues.
                    plantation - area,  type  (social  forestry 
                                 programme)
                  Electricity, Kerosene  consumption (talukwise, 
                  categorywise)
                  Spatial maps of resources and demand(temporal 
                  data, spatial data)

  2.   Maintains  energy  information: data entry, data append, 
       edit,  unit  conversions ,  querying ,  data  retrieval, 
       generation  of  reports, generation  of graphs, link to 
       spatial maps (district/taluk/village)

  3.   Forecasting tool - to make projections of energy supply 
       and demand at 5 years interval

  4.   Policy analysis tool-simulates and assesses the effects 
       of  alternative  energy  programmes (technical economic, 
       environmental effects).

  5.   Bibliography (Abstracts of papers published in journals) 
       and energy database of  other regions.

  6.   Links  to  various energy sites (URL of prominent sites 
       dealing with energy and environment).
  Energy  resources  database (renewable  and  non  renewable), 
  energy  demand  database(sectorwise), environmental database, 
  data  aggregation, data  analysis (energy  scenarios, techno 
  economic  analysis)  and  integrated  plan  are  the various 
  modules being incorporated in the Integrated Regional Energy 
  Plan. The  energy  scenarios module along with energy demand, 
  transformation, techno-economic  and  environment module are 
  used (in integrated module) to perform an integrated  energy-
  environment planning exercise for a region (village / blocks/ 
  taluk / district / state). Environmental  database  is  used 
  automatically  calculate  environmental  impacts  of  energy 
  scenarios.

  Scenario  analyses aids in creating a picture of the current 
  energy  situation  and  estimated  future  changes  based on 
  expected  or  likely plans and growth patterns. Base case or 
  business-as-usual  is  based  on  present  population growth, 
  industrialisation, agricultural energy requirement.

  It also helps in developing policy scenarios with alternative 
  assumptions such as 
  1)   transformation -through introduction of energy efficient 
       devices such as fuel efficient stoves, improved furnaces, 
       boilers, dryers, compact florescent lamps etc.
  2)   projection based on high energy intensity (such as rapid 
       industrialisation with an energy demand increase of 20%)
  3)   projection  based on state averages (growth in household, 
       industry, agricultural and commercial sectors)
  4)   introduction  of  renewable  energy  technologies (solar, 
       hydro, bio energy etc.)  and agroforestry (conversion of 
       wastelands with locally accepted species) 
  Data aggregation allows for coordinated planning at more than 
  one  spatial  level. Such as energy scenario can be developed 
  at village level  and then aggregated to the taluk / district 
  level. 

  Techno - economic  analyses  provides  technical and economic 
  viability  of  alternatives. This  programmes  draws upon the 
  analytical  methodology  of  "life-cycle"  analysis. For each 
  energy  sources  and technology  option it also traces energy 
  inputs and environmental impacts.

  Integrated module integrates energy supply and demand analysis 
  with energy  scenario programmes and provides a full range of 
  optimal  policy  alternatives  in  a  common  framework. This 
  enables  the  policy  maker / decision  makers to examine the 
  critical  relationships  between  supply and demand, land use, 
  bio  resource  issues ,  environmental   sustainability   and 
  economic development.

  The environmental  database  provides a comprehensive summary 
  of data on the  environmental  consequences of energy use and 
  production. This  database  would  be  linked   to the energy 
  scenario programme to provide information on the environmental 
  impacts of energy alternatives.