Renewable Energy at Scale

Terai Arc Landscape – Biogas iconic project

The goal of WWF-India’s Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) programme is to create a single functioning landscape through restoration and maintenance of key corridors for wildlife, linking various protected areas in the landscape along the foothills of the Indian Himalayas.

The Species & Landscapes Division along with the Climate Change & Energy Division effectively addresses unsustainable harvesting of fuelwood and overgrazing in the forest by cattle. Self-help groups provided a channel for local learning and implementation of biogas plants. These provided a direct alternative to fuelwood for cooking. Since they require cattle dung as an input, they also encouraged stall feeding of the cattle. This, in turn, reduced pressure on the forests and the potential for human-wildlife conflict. Efforts are on to scale up the number of biogas plants in this area.

Sundarbans Solar Charging Station

This project was co-founded by ABB and WWF-India to set up a solar PV charging station in Tipligheri village, Lahiripur Gram Panchayat, Gosaba block of Sundarbans. A centralized solar PV charging station was installed over a village common space. The project is being operated and managed by tribal women users’ group.

The project enabled clean energy access for household lighting (95 forest fringe tribal households and shops) with the potential to improve health, education and livelihoods. It also ensured capacity-building of community-based organization to manage and operate an off-grid clean energy infrastructure and provided quality energy services.

Micro solar power PV station in Satpura Maikal Landscape

With an aim to provide clean energy access, WWF-India has undertaken a pilot programme for the demonstration of a solar PV power plant. Under this project, a 10 kWp micro solar PV power station has been installed in Bajgundi Forest Village, Aamgahan Panchayat, Balaghat District, Madhya Pradesh in the Satpuda Maikal Landscape (SML).

This programme provides energy access to 62 households, one school, one anganwadi and one community hall in the village. In addition, stand-alone solar home lighting systems are also provided for two remote households. Each household is connected with a solar off grid distribution line, two CFL points and a mobile charging port. In addition to this, 27 street lights have been provided in the village. The plant is operated and maintained by the Eco Development Committee of the village, the members of which are selected from among the village itself.