New Delhi, Aug 6 (KNN)  The government is planning to set up a Clean Energy Innovation Centre which will be designed on similar lines as those in foreign universities such as Harvard, Berkley and Stanford to take research and development in renewable energy to the next level.
 
This was stated by Minister of State for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal while inaugurating a conclave on R&D in New and Renewable Energy here yesterday.
 
“The Ministry is also working on setting up a Clean Energy Innovation centre at National Institute of Solar Energy as a Centre of Global Excellence modelled on the lines of Centres at Harward, Berkley and Stanford. The initiatives like these are considered necessary for taking R&D in Renewable Energy to the most desired next level,” an official release quoted Goyal as saying.

Assuring that there will not be any budget restrictions on Research and Development, Goyal urged the experienced and young scientists to guide the Ministry in what they can do to create international level labs for research and development in the country. He assured that the Government will provide full support for the development of latest technologies within the country.
 
“We will not be found wanting to help development of latest technologists within India and we encourage all young boys and girls to come up with innovative ideas.   In all aspects we as a nation look towards science and technology, innovation, research and development as the way forward that is what is going to take us to the next level of development,” he said.
 
The Minister said that MNRE has taken some concrete measures for strengthening institutional mechanism to boost R&D in solar energy through setting up of National Institute of Solar Energy at Gurgaon. Similarly, National Institute for Wind Energy, Chennai and National Institute of Bioenergy, Kapurthala have been set up for RD, Testing and Demonstration in the fields of wind energy and bio-energy technologies and systems.
 
The 11th Plan witnessed a tremendous impetus to R&D in new and renewable energy sector. Around 170 R&D projects in the areas of solar energy, bio-energy and hydrogen and fuels cells with budget of Rs.525 crore have been sanctioned to the various R&D institutions, academic institutions, industries, etc during the 11th Plan Five Year Period, according to official data.

MNRE has made budgetary allocation of Rs 910 crore for R&D during the current five year plan period to continue to support RD&D efforts for developing technology with improved efficiency and cost effectiveness to achieve our goal of large scale deployment in cost effective manner. It is envisaged that as a result of rapid scale up as well as technological developments, the price of solar power will attain parity with grid power at the end of the Mission, enabling accelerated and large-scale expansion thereafter. The inspiration would be to reach grid parity for both solar PV and solar thermal and achieve technological breakthroughs in biofuels and hydrogen energy/fuel cells.  (KNN/ES)