India:

'Tap Hot Rocks as Alternative Energy Source' 
(The Times of India)

Dr. Ritesh Arya (Courtesy India Today)

Dr. Ritesh Arya talked about the technical concepts of extracting geothermal power- 'Agneyudgara' - from the core of the earth at a conference held in Goa. India being full of hot rocks had a tremendous potential which he believed could be tapped and utilized by Geocogen technology. 

Although facts like 600 million Indians spending their nights in darkness or the existing oil reserves set to be rendered dry in about 40 years are hard-hitting, nothing is done to address these issues. BITS Pilani Goa Campus held the 'BITS Green Conference' on Saturday to find solutions to such problems that are staring the country in the face.

Aimed at working towards making renewable energy a more viable commodity for the masses, BITS Green Conference with its theme 'Alternate Energy Sources' touched upon various aspects of research and mass-production in the fields of renewable energy, nuclear power and solving the present crisis of shortage of electricity in India.

The conference witnessed talks by professionals that have conducted significant research outside of their regular field to explore alternative sources of energy.

Ritesh Arya's talk focused on the geothermal energy potential. He started with the technical concepts of extracting geothermal power-'Agneyudgara'-from the core of the earth. India being full of hot rocks had a tremendous potential which he believed could be tapped and utilized by Geocogen technology. The use of sewage waste in metropolitan cities as an alternative to water in extracting this energy meant a simultaneous solution to the sewage problem.

The only limitation he stated was the initial cost. But, he reestablished that the sustainability and greenness of the geo energy outsteps other renewable forms. He listed Andaman, Nicobar, Puga, Delhi and Mumbai as potential sites of such energy extraction in India.

Ravi Kuchimanchi elucidated the significance of per capita power consumption in India. He stressed particularly on the vastly uneven distribution of this power amongst various sections in India which he addressed as privileged and underprivileged.

Next, he demonstrated a bamboo cooker which he had brought with himself. He projected how it was a humble alternative energy example and how it can be built and sold in a village. He also explained the insulation mechanism of how rice gets cooked in it and the utility of cooking multiple dishes on a single stove by using the bamboo cooker.