Three clean energy research projects announced

NEW DELHI: Three clean energy sector-related research projects announced but India which will be led by a joint consortium of institutes based here and in the US. The research projects would be under the aegis of the Indo-US Joint Clean Energy Research and Development Center (JCERDC) announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US President Barack Obama in November last year. Consortia of institutes led by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Denver will work in the area of sustainable photo-voltaics, multi-scale concentrated solar power and solar energy integration. Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Technology and University of Florida-led consortia will work on second generation bio-fuels. The group of institutes led by CEPT University, Ahmedabad and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will focus on integration of information technology with building controls and physical systems for designing energy effi cient buildings. These three consortia, selected by the Ministry of Science and Technology, will receive Rs 125 crore in funding from the government over fi ve years under the JCERDC, an offi cial release said. This fi rst-of-a-kind effort is a key component of the US and India’s commitment to improve energy access and promote low-carbon growth by facilitating joint research and development of clean energy technologies, offi cials said.