Energy budget of fodder harvesting pattern along the altitudinal gradient in Garhwal Himalaya, India

Fodder plays a major role in crop-livestock-manure-soil nutrient cycle of farms in middle mountains of the Himalaya. In Garhwal part of Indian Himalayan Region fodder is mainly collected by lopping the vegetative biomass of trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses. The present study was carried out to understand the fodder utilization pattern, energy budget and problems related to fodder biomass removal in existing traditional hill agro-ecosystems prevalent at different altitudes of Garhwal Himalaya. The total fodder collection at different altitudes varied for green and dry fodder. The total green fodder collection ranged from 64.4 ± 3.60 to 84.0 ± 6.23 kg household⁻¹ day⁻¹ whereas, total dry fodder collection ranged from 62.4 ± 1.66 to 80.4 ± 5.11 kg household⁻¹ day⁻¹. Fodder collection was varied in summer (March-October) and winter months (November-February) of the year. The labor energy expended for fodder collection varied from 832.78 ± 61.05 to 1192.44 ± 45.66 MJ household⁻¹ year⁻¹. In last few years fodder removal has enhanced resource extraction conflicts, malnutrition of women and their off-springs, improper education of females, increased health and life hazards, accidents because of collapse, etc. For better utilization of dry fodder in hilly areas, the farmers and livestock owners should be motivated and educated toward modern feeding options. Novel feeding system of complete feed and silage preparation for lean periods is well suited to hilly states like Uttarakhand that needs to be promoted. The study also aims to help in developing suitable policy to lessen the impact of degradation of forests for fodder by developing fodder bank models in each village cluster of Uttarakhand.     

Fuel wood consumption pattern of tribal communities in cold desert of the Lahaul valley, North-Western Himalaya, India

Fuel wood is the primary source of energy in rural areas of the Himalaya. Lack of resources, extremely low temperature and xeric climatic conditions of the study region (Khoksar – 3200 m, Jahlma – 3000 m, Hinsa – 2700 m and Kuthar – 2600 m) of cold desert of the Lahaul valley has led to serious deforestation due to excessive use of fuel wood in the past. On the basis of family sizes, fuel wood consumption was recorded less in large family as compared to small family. The fuel wood is used for various activities such as cooking, water heating, room heating, lighting and livestock rearing, etc. Fuel wood consumption was highest in high altitude villages as compared to low altitude villages irrespective of family size. Fuel wood consumption of 4.32 ± 0.99 kg/capita/day was highest at Khoksar for small family during winter season followed by the autumn (2.25 ± 0.15 kg/capita/day) and summer (1.38 ± 0.13 kg/capita/day). The labour energy expenditure for fuel wood collection was also highest for Khoksar (91.91 MJ/capita/year), followed by Hinsa (61.29 MJ/capita/year), Kuthar (52.01 MJ/capita/year) and Jahlma (51.89 MJ/capita/year), respectively. It was found that fuel wood consumption in the study region was influenced by the local cold climate and season of the year. The present information on fuel wood consumption pattern at different altitudes would be helpful in designing appropriate technologies to develop energy plantations in the region.     

Energy and economic analysis of traditional versus introduced crops cultivation in the mountains of the Indian Himalayas: A case study

This study analyzed the energy and economics associated with cultivation of traditional and introduced crops in the mountains of the Central Himalaya, India. The production cost in terms of energy for introduced crops such as tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) and bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) cultivation was 90,358–320,516 MJ ha⁻¹ as compared to between 19,814 and 42,380 MJ ha⁻¹ for traditional crops within Himalayan agroecosystems. For the introduced crops, high energy and monetary input was associated with human labor, forest resources, chemical fertilizer and pesticides. However, energy threshold/projection for farmyard manure in traditional crop cultivation was 80–90% of the total energy cost, thus traditional crop cultivation was more efficient in energy and economics. During the study, the farm productivity of introduced crops cultivation declined with increasing years of cultivation. Consequently, the energy output from the system has been declining at the rate of −y20,598 to y20,748 MJ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for tomato and y12,072 to y15,056 MJ ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for bell pepper under irrigated and rain-fed land use in the mountains, respectively. The comparative analysis on this paradigm shift indicates that more research is needed to support sustainable crop cultivation in the fragile Himalayan environment.     

Forest resource use pattern in Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary and its fringe areas (a case study from Western Himalaya,India)

The rural population of Himalaya has been strongly dependent on the forest resources for their livelihood for generations. The present study, carried out at three different altitudes of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS), explored forest resource-use patterns to understand rural peoples' dependency on the adjacent forests. A total of six forests were selected and the seven dependent villages were surveyed for the study of forest resource use patterns in relation to their socioeconomic status. Average fuelwood and fodder consumption were found to be 2.42 kg/capita/day and 43.96 kg/household/day respectively which was higher than the earlier reported values. Average fuelwood consumption by temporary dhaba (roadside refreshment establishments) owners (52.5 kg/dhaba/day) is much higher than the permanent villagers. Average cultivated land per family was less than 1 ha (0.56 ha). Inaccessibility of the area and deprived socio-economic status of the locals are largely responsible for the total dependency of the local inhabitants on nearby forests for fuelwood, fodder and other life supporting demands. Extensive farming of fuelwood trees on less used, barren land and establishment of fodder banks could be the alternative to bridge the gap between the demand and supply. Active participation of local people is mandatory for the conservation of these forests.     

An investigation into the present situation and characteristics of china's energy consumption

The present situation of China's energy consumption and its composition in the past decade is introduced in this paper. The characteristics of energy consumption in China are: energy sources are mainly supplied domestically; coal predominates in the composition of energy consumption (average 725%); industrial energy consumption takes the largest proportion of the final energy consumption (average 65.6%); the utilization efficiency of energy is low; serious environmental pollution is caused by coal combustion. It is necessary to conduct technology innovation for energy conservation because of the low efficiency utilization of energy by appliances and the backwardness of industrial technologies. China must carry out continuously the principle ‘lay equal stress on development and conservation and give priority to conservation in the near future’ with the idea that the economy will have a high growth rate.     

An analysis of energy use and relation between energy inputs and yield in tangerine production

The objective of this study is to determine energy balance between inputs and output for tangerine production in Mazandaran province, one of the most important citrus production centers in Iran. Data is collected by administering a questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. The results show that the highest share of energy was utilized by application of chemical fertilizers and chemicals. Average yield and energy consumption are calculated as 26862.5 kg ha^?1 and 62260.9 MJ ha^?1, respectively. The energy productivity and net energy value are estimated as 0.43 kg MJ^?1 and ?8201.4 MJ ha^?1, respectively. The ratio of energy outputs to energy inputs is approximately 0.87. In addition, the Cobb–Douglas production function is applied to estimate the econometric relationship among different forms of energy consumption. The findings suggest that tangerine producers must optimize their use of indirect and non-renewable energy resources; they apply an excess use of some energy inputs, resulting in an inverse effect on yield as well as imposing risks to natural resources and human health.     

Cold or hot wash: Technological choices,cultural change,and their impact on clothes-washing energy use in China

Usage pattern of clothes washing (and clothes washers) are strongly related to local cultural practices. Such practices have led to the development of distinctive clothes-washing technologies in the US, Europe, and Japan. In emerging markets such as China, several types of technologies often co-exist. Some use less energy but more water (the impeller type), and some use more energy but less water (the horizontal axis type). The competition between different technologies is thought to lead to better consumer choices. However, it could also lead to changes in clothes-washing habits—from cold to hot wash, and therefore to much higher energy use. This paper examines the standard development process in China to illustrate that adoption of foreign technologies and technical standards, if not carefully calibrated to the local cultural practices, could have unintended consequences for energy use and environment.     

Dynamics of rural energy access in India: An assessment

India’s rural energy challenges are formidable with the presence of majority energy poor. In 2005, out of a rural population of 809 million, 364 million lacked access to electricity and 726 million to modern cooking fuels. This indicates low effectiveness of government policies and programs of the past, and need for a more effective approach to bridge this gap. However, before the government can address this challenge, it is essential that it gain a deeper insight into prevailing status of energy access and reasons for such outcomes. Toward this, we perform a critical analysis of the dynamics of energy access status with respect to time, income and regions, and present the results as possible indicators of effectiveness of policies/programmes. Results indicate that energy deprivations are highest for poorest households with 93% depending on biomass for cooking and 62% lacking access to electricity. The annual growth rates in expansion in energy access are gradually declining from double digit growth rates experienced 10 years back to just around 4% in recent years. Regional variations indicate, on an average, cooking access levels were 5.3 times higher in top five states compared to bottom five states whereas this ratio was 3.4 for electricity access.     

Comparative study of fuelwood consumption by villagers and seasonal “Dhaba owners” in the tourist affected regions of Garhwal Himalaya,India

The rural inhabitants of the Himalayan region have been exploiting forest resources for their livelihood for generations. The excessive and uncontrolled use of firewood for domestic purposes has ended up with severe deforestation. Therefore, quantification, assessment and restoration of such valuable but exhaustible resources and is imperative their scientific management. The estimates reflect that a total of 88 species are consumed as fuelwood (54 trees and 34 shrubs) by the local people. Fuelwood consumption by ‘dhaba’ (roadside refreshment establishments) owners (90–120 kg/household/day) was much higher over the common villagers (20–22 kg/household/day). The fuelwood is mainly burnt for cooking, water heating, space heating and lighting, etc. Among these, cooking consumes the fuelwood most. In addition, fuelwood demand increases due to influx of tourists. In the near future, this may also affect the status of the undisturbed forests at the middle elevation. The information in this communication could be utilized for developing various conservation and sustainable strategies in the region to mitigate the impact of forest resource for fodder and fuelwood.     

An outlook into energy consumption in large scale industries in India: The cases of steel,aluminium and cement

All the growth-oriented sectors in a developing economy consume enormous energy in their production processes. Steel, aluminium and cement are the key manufacturing industries in India which provide inputs to various other sectors such as construction, transportation, power transmission, etc. As a result, their demand is consistently rising. These industries are heavily energy-intensive and use raw materials such as iron ore, coal, electricity, steam, and fuel oil, whose supply can act as severe production constraints over a period of time and can hinder sustainable development. Hence it becomes imperative for these industries to continuously innovate more energy efficient techniques. This paper makes a foray into the energy demand for these industries and explores the potential of any future reduction in their energy consumption. The paper offers a projection scenario for 2001–2031 (based on the MARKAL Modeling exercise for India) for possible catching up in reduction in energy consumptions in these sectors under alternative situations. The analysis suggests the existence of some plausible energy efficiency enhancing techniques in these industries. Exploring these options will definitely ensure cost effectiveness and competitiveness of these three key sectors in the global market.     

Modern energy access to all in rural India: An integrated implementation strategy

Expanding energy access to the rural population of India presents a critical challenge for its government. The presence of 364 million people without access to electricity and 726 million who rely on biomass for cooking indicate both the failure of past policies and programs, and the need for a radical redesign of the current system. We propose an integrated implementation framework with recommendations for adopting business principles with innovative institutional, regulatory, financing and delivery mechanisms. The framework entails establishment of rural energy access authorities and energy access funds, both at the national and regional levels, to be empowered with enabling regulatory policies, capital resources and the support of multi-stakeholder partnership. These institutions are expected to design, lead, manage and monitor the rural energy interventions. At the other end, trained entrepreneurs would be expected to establish bioenergy-based micro-enterprises that will produce and distribute energy carriers to rural households at an affordable cost. The ESCOs will function as intermediaries between these enterprises and the international carbon market both in aggregating carbon credits and in trading them under CDM. If implemented, such a program could address the challenges of rural energy empowerment by creating access to modern energy carriers and climate change mitigation.     

An analysis of energy use and relation between energy inputs and yield,costs and income of garlic production in Iran

This paper studies the energy balance between the input and the output per unit area for garlic in Hamedan province of Iran. In this study, data were collected by administering a questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. Results showed that the highest share of energy consumption belongs to chemical fertilizers (41.7%) followed by diesel (13.94%). The results indicated that a total energy input of 40307.89 MJ ha^?1 was consumed for garlic production. The energy productivity and net energy value were estimated as 0.416 kg MJ^?1 and ?13477.82 MJ ha^?1, respectively. The ratio of energy outputs to energy inputs was approximately 0.66. Results indicated that direct, indirect, renewable and non-renewable energies were (28.14%), (71.85%), (36.73%) and (63.26%), respectively. Highest shares of expenses were found to be 45% and 19% for human labor and hired machineries, respectively. Cost analysis revealed that total cost of production for 1 ha garlic production was around 6969.11$. Accordingly, the benefit-cost ratio was estimated as 1.36. Using Cobb-Douglas model, energy function was estimated with the coefficient of determination, R² of (80%), and expenses function was estimated with coefficient of determination, R² of (83%).     

Modelling farmer uptake of perennial energy crops in the UK

The UK Biomass Strategy suggests that to reach the technical potential of perennial energy crops such as short rotation coppice (SRC) willow and miscanthus by 2020 requires 350,000 hectares of land. This represents a more than 20-fold increase on the current 15,546 hectares. Previous research has identified several barriers to adoption, including concerns over security of income from contracts. In addition, farmers perceive returns from these crops to be lower than for conventional crops. This paper uses a farm-level linear programming model to investigate theoretical uptake of energy crops at different gross margins under the assumption of a profit-maximising decision maker, and in the absence of known barriers to adoption. The findings suggest that while SRC willow, at current prices, remains less competitive, returns to miscanthus should have encouraged adoption on a wider scale than at present. This highlights the importance of the barriers to adoption. Recently announced contracts for miscanthus appear to offer a significant premium to farmers in order to encourage them to grow the crops. This raises the question of whether a more cost-effective approach would be for government to provide guarantees addressing farmers concerns including security of income from the contracts. Such an approach should encourage adoption at lower gross margins.     

An analysis of energy use efficiency of canola production in Turkey

In this study, a survey and economic analysis regarding the use of input have been performed with canola farmers in the Trakya region of Turkey; survey data were obtained from 100 farmers, face-to-face. The average energy use efficiency is 4.68 and this value increases as farm size increases; according to the results of this study, energy is used more efficiently in large farms. The difference between average input and output energy is 67259.36 (MJ ha⁻¹). The specific energies of small, medium, and large farms are 62584.37, 69836.21, and 74405.43 respectively. The ratio of direct and indirect energy sources are 24.69%, and 75.31% respectively, and the benefit–cost ratio of canola production is 2.09.     

Multi-farm economic analysis of perennial energy crops in Central Greece, taking into account the CAP reform

This study analyses farm level economic impacts of biomass production from perennial crops including Arundo donax L. (arundo), Miscanthus x giganteus (miscanthus), Panicum virgatum L. (switchgrass) and Cynara cardunculus L. (cardoon). Regional biomass supply curves are estimated with a dynamic, multi-farm, mathematical programming model. Micro-economic data for the model are generated from farm surveys covering 52 farms containing a total of 400 parcels, in Central Greece. The study also examines the potential effects of the Common Agricultural Policy reform in 2003 on regional biomass supply. Simulations show that the policy reform toward decoupled subsidies lowers the cost of biomass between 15 and 25 euro per tonne. Switchgrass appears to be the most attractive option, followed by cardoon and miscanthus. Due to high specific machinery cost, arundo is never preferred. Relative to the agricultural policy setting of Agenda 2000, the biomass potential increases more for farms of small economic size and farms with a higher share of cotton.     

The efficient use of energy: Tracing the global flow of energy from fuel to service

The efficient use of energy is a key component of current efforts to reduce carbon emissions. There are two factors which are important when assessing the potential gains from energy efficiency technologies: the scale of energy flow and the technical potential for improvement. However, most efficiency analyses consider only the potential gains from known efficiency technologies, while ignoring the complex flow of energy through the chains of conversion devices. In response, this paper traces the global flow of energy, from fuels through to the final services, and focuses on the technical conversion devices and passive systems in each energy chain. By mapping the scale and complexity of global energy flow, the technical areas which are likely to deliver the largest efficiency gains can be identified. The result is a more consistent basis for directing future research and policy decisions in the area of energy efficiency.     

Farm-level constraints on the domestic supply of perennial energy crops in the UK

There are a number of estimates of the land area that could potentially be dedicated to perennial energy crops such as short rotation coppice (SRC) willow and miscanthus in the UK, but little is known about how farmers will respond to the opportunities presented by these relatively novel crops. Perennial energy crops face competition from other, arguably more flexible, uses of farmland, and if not seen as attractive propositions to individual farmers, they will not be grown. Farmers’ decisions are therefore a key constraint on potential supply. This paper reviews the policy background and considers whether policy is based on any consideration of likely supply response, before presenting outcomes of focus groups composed of farmers who already grow or are considering growing perennial energy crops. There appear to be a number of barriers to adoption. In addition to concerns over the security of contracts, the current high wheat price increases the opportunity cost of committing land to perennial energy crops. There are also worries about the impact of willow roots on field drains and the cost of returning the land to other uses. This paper outlines a number of issues of importance to policy makers and suggests future research needs.     

Economical analysis and relation between energy inputs and yield of greenhouse cucumber production in Iran

This paper studies the energy balance between the input and the output per unit area for greenhouse cucumber production. For this purpose, the data on 43 cucumber production greenhouses in the Tehran province, Iran, were collected and analyzed. The results indicated that a total energy input of 148836.76 MJ ha⁻¹ was consumed for cucumber production. Diesel fuel (with 41.94%) and chemical fertilizers (with 19.69%) were amongst the highest energy inputs for cucumber production. The energy productivity was estimated as 0.80 kg MJ⁻¹. The ratio of energy output to energy input was approximately 0.64. Results indicate 10.93% and 89.07% of total energy input was in renewable and non-renewable forms, respectively. The regression results revealed that the contribution of energy inputs on crop yield (except for fertilizers and seeds energies) was significant. The human labour energy had the highest impact (0.35) among the other inputs in greenhouse cucumber production. Econometric analysis indicated that the total cost of production for one hectare of cucumber production was around 33425.70 $. Accordingly, the benefit–cost ratio was estimated as 2.58.     

Reducing energy use in the buildings sector: measures, costs, and examples

This paper reviews the literature concerning the energy savings that can be achieved through optimized building shape and form, improved building envelopes, improved efficiencies of individual energy-using devices, alternative energy using systems in buildings, and through enlightened occupant behavior and operation of building systems. Cost information is also provided. Both new buildings and retrofits are discussed. Energy-relevant characteristics of the building envelope include window-to-wall ratios, insulation levels of the walls and roof, thermal resistance and solar heat gain coefficient of windows, degree of air tightness to prevent unwanted exchange of air between the inside and outside, and presence or absence of operable windows that connect to pathways for passive ventilation. Provision of a high-performance envelope is the single most important factor in the design of low-energy buildings, not only because it reduces the heating and cooling loads that the mechanical system must satisfy but also because it permits alternative (and low-energy) systems for meeting the reduced loads. In many cases, equipment with significantly greater efficiency than is currently used is available. However, the savings available through better and alternative energy-using systems (such as alternative heating, ventilation, cooling, and lighting systems) are generally much larger than the savings that can be achieved by using more efficient devices (such as boilers, fans, chillers, and lamps). Because improved building envelopes and improved building systems reduce the need for mechanical heating and cooling equipment, buildings with dramatically lower energy use (50–75% savings) often entail no greater construction cost than conventional design while yielding significant annual energy-cost savings.

An investigation of co-integration and causality between energy consumption and economic activity in Taiwan

Applying Hsiao'a version of the Granger causality method, this paper examines the causality between energy and GNP and energy and employment by applying recently developed techniques of co-integration and Hsiao's version of the Granger causality to Taiwanese data for the 1955–1993 period. The Phillips-Perron tests reveal that the series with the exception of GNP are not stationary and therefore differencing is performed to secure stationarity. The study finds causality running from GDP to energy consumption without feedback in Taiwan. It is also found that causality runs from GDP to energy but not vice versa.