Accelerating access to energy services: Way forward

As nearly a fifth of the world's population still lives without access to electricity and double that number with no access to modern cooking technologies, both public and private sector players have invested resources in developing infrastructure to address this energy gap. While there have been exceptional cases like China, Vietnam and Brazil, where the public sector led grid expansion achieved incredible gains in expanding access as to electricity, the general trend over the years in most developing countries has demonstrated that both public and private led approaches have been unsuccessful in independently yielding the desired acceleration and continuity to deliver universal energy access. Despite the inherent benefits of both public and private sector led initiatives, typical systemic inefficiencies and inadequate capacities in both approaches prevent them from fully addressing the principal objective of facilitating energy access for the poor in the long term. Also, even if required investments were adequately capitalized, with the current population growth rate continually outpacing the rate of interventions, the number of people who remained energy poor 15 years hence, would still be the same. Thus, not only is there is a need for providing energy access to the existing population mass, but an equal need to do it fast enough to truly reduce the number of energy poor across the globe. An alternative approach therefore needs to be explored that juxtaposes the social welfare objectives of public sector led initiatives with the enterprise development and growth objectives of the private sector, to support the creation of an enabling ecosystem and a viable value chain that successfully and effectively delivers energy solutions to the last mile. Such a pro-poor hybrid model will essentially address the inefficiencies and inadequacies of both public and private approaches and capitalize on their strengths through a complementary mix of social and commercial goals. The model facilitates collaborations at the corporate, institutional and individual levels to drive individual parts of a unified energy provisioning system, making it adaptable, dynamic, flexible and manoeuvrable within structures, relationships and entities. Policy level support and accompanying regulatory frameworks are critical for clear role definitions, proper planning and execution.

Techno-Financial Analysis of Energy Access through Hybrid System with Solar PV under the Various Rural Community Models for State of Uttarakhand, India

Uttarakhand state comes under special category state where approximately 69.45% population lived in rural area under the population density with varied range of 37 to 607 persons per sq.km. Although Uttarakhand is having per capita consumption of 1112.29 kWh which is higher than national average per capita consumption of 779 kWh as till date, but remote communities, villages are not able to access clean, cheep and good quality of energy due to uneven terrain, lack of proper transmission & distribution lines [1]. 100% villages are electrified under the RGGVY scheme as per the Ministry of Power Government of India, but due to poor loading of transformer, lack of grid infrastructure and natural calamities, remote house owners are not able to get good quality of power thus affect the livelihood and source of income generation in various means [2]. As Uttarakhand state having future plans to be make state energy sufficient and energy access to all by year 2016-2017, so major ground level initiative have been taken by Government of Uttarakhand. The government of Uttarakhand has incorporated innovative business model to provide good quality of power with non-conventional energy source. Under the initiative invlovement of local people and village level, panchayats have ownership and responsibility to operate these clean energy business model to improve livelihood in remote hilly places of Uttarakhand. Under this analysis, five different type of community models are categorized as Community 1, Community 2, Community 3, Standalone 1 & Standalone 2 for rural &remote communities based on number of unclustered households with the distance covered between 200 m to 20 km, and electrical loads i.e. lighting, fan, mobile chargers, television along with time of day energy consumption patterns. These community models are for remote hilly location where grid integration and distribution lines are not feasible to built due to hilly terrain, low soil strength and huge expenses for expanding power cables for supplying good quality power. The preliminary studies and simulations has been done in HOMER tool by considering the various composite source of power, i.e. Solar PV with battery bank, Solar PV with battery Bank & Generator, and Solar PV along with DG. These three hybrid source of power generation with Solar PV as base source under five different community models, the techno-commercial feasibility has been analyzed in terms of load sharing proposition with Solar PV and battery, DG, Energy production through PV, load consumption per year, Excess and unmet energy monitoring, battery sizing to meet the load during nights, DG operation when the solar energy not available due to weather condition and non availability of sunshine in night. Financial feasibility has been examined in terms of levelized cost of energy, cost summary and O&M cost per year of three integrated sources of energy generation with Solar PV under each community model. Solar PV power plant , which is the best renewable source of energy to cater energy access issue in remote hilly places. The Uttarakhand receives good amout of daily average radiation level of 5.14 - 5.50 kWh/m2/day. Financial feasible community models for different hilly region based on their energy consumption need to be implemented with the help of local community by providing ownership to local people, panchayat, for it not only caters energy access issue but also provides clean, cheep, uninterruptable energy and improves livelihood standard to locals by engaging them into operation maintenance and tariff or rent collection. The study shows that Solar PV power plant with battery bank is the optimal solution considering life cycle cost of hybrid system. It is feasible due to low operation and maintenance cost, price declination of battery and Solar PV module, battery prices at time of replacement.

Using Geochemical Method to Distinguish Lateral Migration and Vertical Migration in Rifted Basin:A Case Study from Eastern Lujiapu Depression in the Kailu Basin,NE China

Migration fractionation diagnosis is complicated in rifted basins where migration distance is generally short and lateral migration in sandy beds and vertical migration along faults are co-existed. Quantitative data from GC-MS analysis makes it possible to distinguish lateral and vertical migration effects. Oils discovered from the Jiaolige oilfield, eastern Lujiapu Depression are derived from single source rock with similar maturity, which is an ideal case to study the migration fractionation effects. Compositional differences among oils are largely caused by the migration fractionation either laterally in sand beds or vertically along the faults. Subtle maturity differences are assessed by the classic saturated hydrocarbon parameters which have certain influence on nitrogen compounds. In a certain maturity range, the ratios of shield and semi-shield isomers to the exposed isomers of alkylcarbazoles change with maturity in an opposite direction with migration fractionation, which may conceal the migration influence. However, migration and maturation have the same effects on absolute concentrations of alkylated carbazoles and benzocarbazole [a]/（[a]＋[c]） ratios, which provides an ideal tool for migration direction assessment. Continuous variations among different samples reflect increased migration distance in sandy beds, while abrupt changes may indicate the change of migration conduit systems. Integrated both geochemical interpretation and geological constrains, not only migration direction can be determined, but also the conduit systems through the sandy beds or the faults can be recognized.

Diversity and regeneration status of Sarkot Van Panchyat in Garhwal Himalaya, India

We investigated the floristic composition, phytosociological and regeneration status of Sarkot Van Panchyat （community forest） in Chamoli district of Garhwal Himalaya. A total of 52 plant species of 46 genera and 26 families were recorded, which included 12 trees, 18 shrubs and 22 herb species. Quercus leucotrichophora was dominant tree species in sapling and seedling layers, followed by Lyonia ovalifolia and Rhododendron arboreum. Out of 12 tree species, 7 species in seedling stage and 8 species in sapling stage were recorded in the study area. The 44.41% species in the study area showed good regeneration status, 16.66% species were fairly regenerating, and 8.33% species showed poor regeneration status, while 33% species were not regenerating. Number of individuals from lower girth classes （0--10 cm and 10-30 cm） showed decreasing trend with the increase in size of girth class. Shannon index （H） for trees, shrubs and herbs was recorded as 1.82, 2.24 and 2.41 respectively. Simpsons index （Co） was recorded as 0.21, 0.12 and 0.12 for trees, shrubs and herbs respectively. The forest should be di- vided into compartments for better management purpose and each compartment should be closed for five years to assist regeneration and enrichment planting may also be carried out for sustainable management.

Evaluating performance of lignite pillars with 2D approximation techniques and 3D numerical analyses

This paper attempts to investigate the use of approximate 2D numerical simulation techniques for the evaluation of lignite pillar geomechanical response, formed via the room and pillar mining method.Performance and applicability of the developing methodology are assessed through benchmarking with a more direct and accurate 3D numerical model. This analysis utilizes an underground lignite mine which is being developed in soft rock environment. Through the decisions made for the optimum room and pillar layout, the design process highlights the strong points and the weaknesses of 2D finite element analysis, and provides useful recommendations for future reference. The interpretations of results demonstrate that 2D approximation techniques come near quite well to the actual 3D problem.However, external load approximation technique seems to fit even better with the respective outcomes from the 3D analyses.

Carbon stock estimation for tree species of Sem Mukhem sacred forest in Garhwal Himalaya, India

Carbon stock estimation was conducted in tree species of Sem Mukhem sacred forest in district Tehri of Garhwal Himalaya, Uttara- khand, India. This forest is dedicated to Nagraj Devta and is dominated by tree species, including Quercus floribunda, Quercus semecarpifolia and Rhododendron arboreum. The highest values of below ground bio- mass density, total biomass density and total carbon density were （34.81±1.68） Mg·ha^-1, （168.26±9.04） Mg·ha^-1 and （84.13±4.18） Mg·ha^-1 for Pinus wallichiana. Overall values of total biomass density and total carbon density calculated were 1549.704 Mg·ha^-1 and 774.77 Mg·ha^-1 respectively. Total value of growing stock volume density for all species was 732.56 m3·ha^-1 and ranged from （144.97±11.98） m3·ha^-1 for Pinus wallichiana to （7.78±1.78） m3·ha^-1for Benthamidia capitata.

Assessment of Variation in Morpho-Physiological Traits and Genetic Diversity in Relation to Submergence Tolerance of Five Indigenous Lowland Rice Landraces

The present study evaluated submergence responses in 88 lowland indigenous rice(Oryza sativa L.) landraces from Koraput, India, to identify submergence-tolerant rice genotypes. In pot experiments, variations in survival rate, shoot elongation, relative growth index, dry matter, chlorophyll, soluble sugar and starch contents were evaluated in two consecutive years under well-drained and completely submerged conditions. Principal component analysis showed that the first three axes contributed 96.820% of the total variation among the landraces, indicating wide variation between genotypes. Major traits such as survival rate, relative growth index, soluble sugar and starch contents appeared to be important determinants of phenotypic diversity among the landraces. Phenotypic coefficient of variance was higher than genotypic coefficient of variance for all the traits and all showed high heritability(90.38%–99.54%). Five rice landraces(Samudrabali, Basnamundi, Gadaba, Surudaka and Dokarakuji) were the most tolerant to submergence. When submerged for up to 14d, Samudrabali, Basnamundi and Godoba were notable for having greater survival rates than a standard submergence tolerant variety FR13 A, and also notable for elongating more vigorously and accumulating more biomass. These three landraces may therefore be especially useful in lowland rice growing areas that are affected by both moderate stagnant water and flash flooding. Molecular genotyping revealed that the submergence tolerance of Samudrabali, Basnamundi and Godoba is linked to the presence of one or more different Sub1 loci and it may well prove useful for breeding improved submergence tolerant rice varieties, thereby assising to improve yield stability in the rainfed lowland agro-ecosystem.

Approaches to low carbon development in China and India

Low carbon development has gained policy prominence and is a concern of both environment and development policy globally and in China and India. This paper discusses the role of China and India as important global actors in light of development imperatives in the two countries.The article then looks at emerging approaches in the two countries related to financing, science, technology & innovation policy, and subnational actions. The objective is to review efforts in China and India for contributing to learning experiences for other countries. The final section discussed the ways forward in terms of examining the role of China and India in terms of national policy strengthening as well as in global agenda setting. Implementation of sub-national initiatives in both countries faces challenges due to lack of adequate financing as well as knowledge such as greenhouse gas inventories and disaggregated resource and socio-economic assessments. Both India and China are making efforts in technology and innovation domains to set foot on a trajectory of low carbon development with varying degrees of success. In finance,both China and India have experimented with various instrumentsdthe key difference is that China has taken the support of regulation more while India has leaned on to market based instruments. Both China and India are moving on an encouraging track regarding low carbon development with fairly well-designed domestic policies and consistent international engagement.

Cluster Analysis for IR and NIR Spectroscopy: Current Practices to Future Perspectives

Supervised machine learning techniques have become well established in the study of spectroscopy data.However,the unsupervised learning technique of cluster analysis hasn’t reached the same level maturity in chemometric analysis.This paper surveys recent studies which apply cluster analysis to NIR and IR spectroscopy data.In addition,we summarize the current practices in cluster analysis of spectroscopy and contrast these with cluster analysis literature from the machine learning and pattern recognition domain.This includes practices in data pre-processing,feature extraction,clustering distance metrics,clustering algorithms and validation techniques.Special consideration is given to the specific characteristics of IR and NIR spectroscopy data which typically includes high dimensionality and relatively low sample size.The findings highlighted a lack of quantitative analysis and evaluation in current practices for cluster analysis of IR and NIR spectroscopy data.With this in mind,we propose an analysis model or workflow with techniques specifically suited for cluster analysis of IR and NIR spectroscopy data along with a pragmatic application strategy.

Assessing resource vulnerability quadrants under changing precipitation trends in Uttarakhand,Central Himalayan region

The Central Himalayan region is vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and characterized by regional climatic conditions.The livelihood of the mountain communities across the Himalaya is at risk owing to the consequences of variable precipitation patterns.There exists limited empirical research on precipitation variability due to inadequate hydro-meteorological stations at highaltitude regions.The study uses a novel methodology which integrates precipitation variability with resource sensitivity over the three verticals of Central Himalaya:Himadri,Himachal and Shivaliks and across four major river basins:Yamuna,Upper Ganga,Ghaghar and Ramganga.The magnitude of the significant precipitation trends was estimated through time series analysis at a 95%confidence interval.To assess the sensitivity of natural resources(forest,water and land)and human resources,fourteen mountain-specific indicators were identified which captured resource index using data standardization and principal component analysis.Sen’s slope and Resource index were plotted in a 2D Cartesian coordinate to draw precipitation-resource quadrants with their effective coverage area:High Precipitation and Scarce Resources(35.92%);Low Precipitation and Abundant Resources(30.10%);Low Precipitation and Scarce Resources(22.33%)and High Precipitation and Abundant Resources(11.65%).This helped in developing quadrant-specific adaptation strategies under regional variability of precipitation.The methodology and the research findings will certainly assist water experts,resource managers and policy makers to strengthen adaptive capacity and improve the resilience of vulnerable communities across Himalaya.

DFT and TD-DFT Calculations of Orbital Energies and Photovoltaic Properties of Small Molecule Donor and Acceptor Materials Used in Organic Solar Cells

DFT and TD-DFT calculations of HOMO and LUMO energies and photovoltaic properties are carried out on four selected pentathiophene donor and one IDIC-4F acceptor molecules using B3LYP and PBE0 functionals for the ground state energy calculations and CAM-B3LYP functional for the excited state calculations.The discrepancy between the calculated and experimental energies is reduced by correlating them with a linear fit.The fitted energies of HOMO and LUMO are used to calculate the Voc of an OSC based on these donors and acceptor blend and compared with experimental values.Using the Scharber model the calculated PCE of the donor-acceptor molecules agree with the experiment.It has been found that fluorine substitution can be used to improve charge transport by reducing the electron and hole reorganization energies of the molecules.It is also found that the introduction of fluorine onto the donor pentathiophene unit of the donor molecule results in a change of polarity of the distributed charges in the molecule due to the high electronegativity of the fluorine atom.The quantum chemical potential(μ),chemical hardness(η)and electronegativity(χ),and electrostatic potential maps(EPMs)are also calculated to identify different charge distribution regions in all five molecules.

结合催化气化过程的高效直接碳固体氧化物燃料电池(英文)

This study explores strategies to develop highly efficient direct carbon fuel cells(DCFCs) by com-bining a solid-oxide fuel cell(SOFC) with a catalyst-aided carbon-gasification process. This system employs Cu/CeO 2 composites as both anodic electrodes and carbon additives in a cell of the type: carbon|Cu-CeO 2/YSZ/Ag|air. The study investigates the impact on in situ carbon-gasification and DCFC performance characteristics of catalyst addition and variation in the carrier gas used(inert He versus reactive CO2). The results indicate that cell performance is significantly improved by infusing the catalyst into the carbon feedstock and by employing CO2 as the carrier gas. At 800 ℃, the maxi-mum power output is enhanced by approximately 40% and 230% for carbon/CO2 and car-bon/catalyst/CO2 systems, respectively, compared with that of the carbon/He configuration. The increase observed when employing the catalyst and CO2 as the carrier gas can be primarily at-tributed to the pronounced effect of the catalyst on carbon-gasification through the re-verse-Boudouard reaction, and the subsequent in situ electro-oxidation of CO at the anode three-phase boundary.

Feature Selection for Cluster Analysis in Spectroscopy

Cluster analysis in spectroscopy presents some unique challenges due to the specific data characteristics in spectroscopy,namely,high dimensionality and small sample size.In order to improve cluster analysis outcomes,feature selection can be used to remove redundant or irrelevant features and reduce the dimensionality.However,for cluster analysis,this must be done in an unsupervised manner without the benefit of data labels.This paper presents a novel feature selection approach for cluster analysis,utilizing clusterability metrics to remove features that least contribute to a dataset’s tendency to cluster.Two versions are presented and evaluated:The Hopkins clusterability filter which utilizes the Hopkins test for spatial randomness and the Dip clusterability filter which utilizes the Dip test for unimodality.These new techniques,along with a range of existing filter and wrapper feature selection techniques were evaluated on eleven real-world spectroscopy datasets using internal and external clustering indices.Our newly proposed Hopkins clusterability filter performed the best of the six filter techniques evaluated.However,it was observed that results varied greatly for different techniques depending on the specifics of the dataset and the number of features selected,with significant instability observed for most techniques at low numbers of features.It was identified that the genetic algorithm wrapper technique avoided this instability,performed consistently across all datasets and resulted in better results on average than utilizing the all the features in the spectra.

Seasonal Variation of Potential Source Locations of Atmospheric Particulates over the Indo-Gangetic Plain of India

Ambient particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations were measured during two different seasons (summer and winter) at three different locations of Gurugram which is located in the Indo-Gangetic plain of India. The ambient concentrations of both PM2.5 and PM10 were higher during winter season (PM2.5: 261 μg·m-3;PM10: 440 μg·m-3) when compared to summer period (PM2.5: 114 μg·m-3;PM10: 202 μg·m-3). Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) analysis suggests significant seasonal variation in potential contributing locations of ambient PM2.5 over the study area. The PSCF analysis suggests that cross country transport of PM2.5 from Pakistan and Afghanistan significantly attributed to higher concentrations of PM2.5 at the study locations;whereas, PM2.5 emitted from locations in the south-western direction of the study sites attributed to the ambient PM2.5 concentrations at the study site during summer seasons. Further study is required to measure percentage contribution from different sectors and locations to the ambient particulate concentrations at the study site to develop sector specific mitigation plan.

Microwave Assisted Synthesis of Guar Gum Grafted Acrylic Acid/Nanoclay Superabsorbent Composites and Its Use in Crystal Violet Dye Absorption

Natural gums can be tailored and used for the removal of toxic dyes like crystal violet via grafting techniques. However, grafting via microwave irradiation showed both higher yield and fast reaction kinetics as compared to conventional grafting. Silane modified nanoclay has been used to prepare acrylic acid grafted guar gum nanocomposites via microwave irradiation technique. The grafting was confirmed via infrared spectroscopy while XRD diffractograms suggested exfoliation of modified nanoclay in guar gum grafted acrylic acid. The reaction kinetic parameters have been optimized. The effect of nanoclay on swelling characteristics has been examined. The sensitivity of pH on swelling capabilities has also been assessed. The efficiency of the superabsorbent nanocomposite on the absorption of crystal violet dye has been studied. The superabsorbent nanocomposite loaded with 1.75% modified nanocaly was found to be optimal concentration for the removal of crystal violet dye.

Rapid,Efficient and High-Performance Protocol for Agrobacterium rhizogenes-Mediated Hairy Root Transformation of the Common Bean Phaseolus vulgaris

A rapid, efficient and high-performance transformation protocol employing Agrobacterium rhizogenes was developed for the common bean Phaseolus vulgaris. In this study, we examined competencies of various protocols to induce and explants that respond to hairy root transformation in bean plants. Utilizing young seedlings with severed radicles/hypocotyls, we developed a highly efficient procedure for achieving hairy root transformation frequencies as high as 100% as visualized by GUS reporter gene expression system. Transgenic hairy roots in these young composite plants were susceptible to nodulation by rhizobia, and form an excellent system for high throughput genomic analysis to study root biology and endosymbiosis in common bean.

Development of a novel myconanomining approach for the recovery of agriculturally important elements from jarosite waste

In this study, an ecofriendly and economically viable waste management approach have been attempted towards the biosynthesis of agriculturally important nanoparticles from jarosite waste. Aspergillus terreus strain J4 isolated from jarosite（waste from Debari Zinc Smelter,Udaipur, India）, showed good leaching efficiency along with nanoparticles（NPs） formation under ambient conditions. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR） and transmission electron microscopy（TEM） confirmed the formation of NPs. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy（EDX analysis） showed strong signals for zinc, iron, calcium and magnesium,with these materials being leached out. TEM analysis and high resolution transmission electron microscopy（HRTEM） showed semi-quasi spherical particles having average size of 10‐50 nm. Thus, a novel biomethodology was developed using fungal cell-free extract for bioleaching and subsequently nanoconversion of the waste materials into nanostructured form. These biosynthesized nanoparticles were tested for their efficacy on seed emergence activity of wheat（Triticum aestivum） seeds and showed enhanced growth at concentration of 20 ppm. These nanomaterials are expected to enhance plant growth properties and being targeted as additives in soil fertility and crop productivity enhancement.

Pivotal principles for digital earth development in the twenty-first century

Reductionist thinking will no longer suffice to address contemporary,complex challenges that defy sectoral,national,or disciplinary boundaries.Furthermore,lessons learned from the past cannot be confidently used to predict outcomes or guide future actions.The authors propose that the confluence of a number of technology and social disruptors presents a pivotal moment in history to enable real time,accelerated,and integrated action that can adequately support a‘future earth’through transformational solutions.Building on more than a decade of dialogues hosted by the International Society for Digital Earth(ISDE),and evolving a briefing note presented to delegates of Pivotal 2015,the paper presents an emergent context for collectively addressing spatial information,sustainable development,and good governance through three guiding principles for enabling prosperous living in the twenty-first century.These are:(1)open data,(2)real-world context,and(3)informed visualization for decision support.The paper synthesizes an interdisciplinary dialogue to create a credible and positive future vision of collaborative and transparent action for the betterment of humanity and planet.It is intended that these Pivotal Principles can be used as an elegant framework for action toward the Digital Earth vision,across local,regional,and international communities and organizations.

Chemically modified silica gel with 1-{4-[(2-hydroxy-benzylidene)amino]phenyl}ethanone:Synthesis, characterization and application as an efficient and reusable solid phase extractant for selective removal of Zn(Ⅱ) from mycorrhizal treated fly-ash samples

1-{4-[（2-hydroxy-benzylidene）amino]phenyl}ethanone functionalized silica gel was synthesized and used as a highly efficient, selective and reusable solid phase extractant for separation and preconcentration of trace amount of Zn（II） from environmental matrices. The adsorbent was characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR）, elemental analysis,~3C CPMAS NMR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, thermogravimetric analysis （TGA） and BET surface area analysis. The dependence of zinc extraction on various analytical parameters such as pH, type and amount of eluent, sample flow rate and interfering ions were investigated in detail. The material exhibited superior adsorption efficiency for Zn（II） with high metal loading capacity of 1.0 mmol/g under optimum conditions. After adsorption, the recovery （〉 98%） of metal ions was accomplished using 1.0 mol/L HNO3 as an eluent. The sorbent was also regenerated by microwave treatment in milder acidic environment （0.1 mol/L HNO3）. The lower detection limit and preconcentration factor of the present method were found out to be 0.04 ~tg/L and 312.5 respectively. The modified silica surface possessed excellent selectivity for the target analytes and the adsorption/desorption process remained effective for at least ten consecutive cycles. The optimized procedure was successfully implemented for the extraction of Zn（II） from mycorrhizal treated fly ash and pharmaceutical samples with reproducible results.