Promising equipment/technologies developed under All India Co-Ordinated Research Project on renewable sources of energy

A fairly good number of solar energy and biomass based renewable energy equipment/technologies have been developed during the last about 15 year under All India Coordinated Research Project on Renewable Sources of Energy for Agriculture and Agro-based Industries. Concerted efforts have been made during the last few yearsjor commercial exploitation of many of the potential equipment/technologies in crop production, rural domestic and agro-industrial sectors through operational research demonstrations. Salient features of all such equipment/technologies have been summarized in this papel. While some of the equipment/technologies call for design refinement, many have been found technically sound during users' level trials. However, only a few of these, which were economically viable, have been adopted on commercial scale. Very high investment was found to be the most important factor for low level of their adoption. Keeping in view the wider national interest liberal financial subsidy may be continued for promotion of the renewable energy technologies. Extensive front line demonstration of the renewable energy equipment similar to the farm implement & machinery programme may greatly help create awareness and demand of the renewable energy equipment.