India is Ripe for Clean Energy Growth

Photo: Matt Futch, Utilities Program Manager with the Governor’s Energy Office, discusses smart grid applications across the state with a panel of energy officials from Colorado and India.

On May 16, Colorado Cleantech Industry Association co-hosted an Indian delegation visiting Colorado to gather ideas and share their vision for the energy investment opportunities in India.

With a population of 1.2 billion and a growing middle class, the energy demands in India are skyrocketing. India is expected to overtake China as the world’s most populous nation by 2030. Unlike much of the energy development going on in China, India is looking to private sector engagement for development in order to meet their growing energy demands.

And their energy demands are fierce. While we talk about utility-grade demand in megawatt hours, they talk about their demand in quadrillion BTUs, or QUADs. India is expected to add 40-80 QUADs of energy in the next 20 years. To put it in laymen’s terms, the energy in 1 QUAD is contained in 8 billion gallons of gasoline, or a year’s supply of gas for 10 million automobiles. India’s energy supply is expected to increase 105 percent just in the next five years.

“We have 400 million households without access to any electricity,” said Shaski Shekhar, Joint Secretary in the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. “That is the biggest challenge. This means that off-grid applications of renewable energy are key. A number of studies have proven that renewable energy can take care of this demand in a more affordable and sustainable matter. Technology and its continuous operation are the keys.”

Opportunities for Clean Energy Technology Development from Colorado

One of the key components of India’s plan for energy development includes the development of smart grid software and hardware for India’s population centers.

“There’s still a lot of room for innovative ideas,” said Tom Binet, director of trade and investment, Asia-Pacific, Office of Economic Development and International Trade with the State of Colorado. “Colorado companies have a great deal more experience in smart grid than any other place in the world and we can offer lessons learned.”

What do you see as the marketplace for Colorado companies to develop new renewable and smart grid technologies?

Register Now for Celebrate Cleantech Research

The strength of Colorado’s energy-focused research capabilities is widely cited as one of the state’s greatest cleantech assets. That’s why we’re so excited to announce our first Celebrate Cleantech Research event on May 26 at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

This is THE cleantech research event of the year and will honor the leading-edge researchers who are behind-the-scenes of Colorado’s thriving cleantech industry. Dr. W.S. Sampath, co-founder of Abound Solar and Colorado State University Professor will be the keynote speaker.

While at CSU, Dr. Sampath, and a team of researchers determined cadmium telluride (CdTe) to be an ideal solar photovoltaic technology. With support from the National Science Foundation and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory they developed the technology. In 2007, the founders established AVA Solar to commercialize the technology. Re-named Abound Solar, the company received $400 million loan commitment for the Department of Energy and counts more than 300 employees in its ranks. Dr. Sampath’s story epitomizes the outstanding R&D and commercialization rolling out of Colorado’s internationally recognized research universities.

In addition to Dr. Sampath’s remarks, researchers from Colorado’s major research universities - the University of Colorado, CSU and the Colorado School of Mines - will be recognized for their outstanding efforts to bring their research to commercialization. Awards will be presented in 8 cleantech categories – wind, solar, bio-derived, advanced transportation, storage technology, energy efficiency, smart grid and water.

There will also be a panel session featuring technology transfer officers from the universities who will give an insider’s view into how the commercialization process works. These experts will provide a look into the trenches of how you move a technology from laboratory to commercialization.

We hope you can join us for an exciting event that will highlight why Colorado is among the top states in the nation for cleantech research and commercialization. Space is limited, so register now.

Celebrate Cleantech Research

An event awarding excellence in cleantech research and commercialization

May 26, 2011

2 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Register today or find Sponsorship opportunities.