Sivanappan Kumar

Asian Institute of Technology · Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Change, School of Environment, Resources and Development (SERD)

Socio-technical transformations towards low-carbon energy systems are on the way in developed countries. Conversely, developing countries tend to be locked in fossil fuels and foster coal-based energy structures, emphasizing reliable and cost-effective energy provision and sidelining environmental concerns. In this study, we identified and analysed...

This chapter investigates the cost of deployment of low-carbon technologies (LCTs) in India, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam to successfully achieve their Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) targets by 2030, through the deployment and upscaling of their prioritized technologies. Solar PV is...

Though the economies in Southeast Asia have been experiencing growth over the years, they also face economic, social and environmental challenges, primarily due to substantial exploitation of natural resources and the region?s vulnerability to climate change. The lower income countries of the Mekong Sub region, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar...

The energy access status of urban poor in Dhaka is low inspite of being in an urban setting where the physical availability of modern energy like electricity and natural gas is prevalent. A demand-based approach of estimating energy poverty showed that more than one third of population in Dhaka slums are poor and a monthly minimum 2.38 kgOE of usef...

Housing is not only one of the major sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but it has been increasingly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters, particularly those sheltering the urban poor. Both mitigation and adaptation measures are therefore required for the design and construction of low-income housing to encourage low carbon development a...

Photovoltaic micro utility (PV MU) systems are feasible both technically and financially in Bangladesh. This paper presents the user opinions towards photovoltaic micro utilities installed at rural areas in Bangladesh as user acceptance could lead to the further expansion of these systems to meet electricity requirements at the rural areas.Five poi...

In order to plan, manage and use municipal solid waste (MSW) in a sustainable way, accurate forecasting of MSW generation and composition plays a key role. It is difficult to carry out the reliable estimates using the existing models due to the limited data available in the developing countries. This study aims to forecast MSW collected in Thailand...

Tourism generates employment and contributes to socio-economic development in many cities. It also consumes resources, generates wastes and emits greenhouse gases (GHGs). Taking Hue City in Vietnam as a case, this paper suggests that the dominant approach to sustainable urban tourism, in the context of climate change, is the amalgamation of low-car...

Drying trials were conducted for drying mackerel using solar biomass hybrid tunnel dryer (SBHTD) and open sun drying (OSD) at air temperatures 32.4-57.7°C, relative humidity 23.9-85.8% and air flow rate 0.20-0.6 ms⁻¹. Solar radiation ranged between 287-898 Wm⁻² during the experimentation. At night time, drying was carried out by combusting biomass....

Reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions throughout the building lifecycle and climate vulnerability have recently become important environmental concerns in the development of low income housing. To address these concerns, several sustainability assessment tools have been developed to evaluate new development at urban scale. To evaluate the e...

The energy security performance of Thailand has been assessed using the “Aggregated Energy Security Performance Indicator (AESPI)” for the period 1986–2030. During 1986–1991, AESPI had a sharply decreasing trend from level 9 to level 7 (maximum is 10), implying that the country’s energy security status reduced during that period. The energy conserv...

This study presents the optimization of the continuous flow potassium hydroxide-catalyzed synthesis of ethyl ester from palm oil with ultrasonic assistance. The process was optimized by application of factorial design and response surface methodology. The independent variables considered were ethanol to oil molar ratio, catalyst concentration, reac...

Wind turbine used for electricity generation is known as clean and renewable energy technology. The worldwide increasing trend of wind turbine installation present and future projection addressing the issue of energy required for manufacture and environmental impact due to energy consumption. The life cycle energy and environmental impact of wind t...

Simulation of a copper cylindrical heat pipe was carried out assuming steady state laminar flow, incompressible flow in liquid-wick and ideal gas incompressible flow in vapor section in three dimensions to estimate the temperature, pressure and velocity profiles. The model used non-Darcian transport through porous wick to determine liquid flow in l...

The availability of energy and environmental quality is the fundamental needs of modern living. Renewable energy technologies (RETs) are considered clean energy technology in the context of energy crisis and global environmental problems. Though RETs does not consume fossil energy and produce emissions during the operation but it consumes significa...

This paper presents the design of a solar-biomass hybrid system for air-conditioning. Three possible overall system configurations were first considered, based on which the most suitable configuration considered for the design. The principles of component selection of a flat plate solar collector with storage, biomass gasifier with boiler, and a Li...

This chapter describes a new approach to education, addressing professional development and individual competence to alleviate poverty. The approach involves local capacity-building through an innovative professional degree programme in which a “fit-forpurpose” oriented approach to professional competency development at the local level is utilized....

This study presents the development and optimization of the KOH-catalyzed synthesis, transesterification reaction, of fatty acid ethyl ester from palm oil by factorial design and response surface methodology. The variables considered were ethanol/oil molar ratio, reaction temperature and catalyst concentration by weight of palm oil and the response...

This paper analyses the potential of renewable energy for power generation and its energy, environmental and economic implications in Pakistan, using a bottom up type of long term energy system based on the MARKAL framework. The results show that under a highly optimistic renewable portfolio standard (RPS) of 80%, fossil fuel consumption in 2050 wo...

Since the turn of this century, development of biofuels have progressed rapidly in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand the major biofuels producing countries in the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations). The article analyses the biofuel polices, underlying drivers, and way forward for sustained biofuel development in these count...

Photovoltaic micro utility (MU) systems introduced in the rural areas of Bangladesh in 1999 currently number more than 10,000 systems. This paper presents the details and results of component and system performance of 35 MU systems installed by Grameen Shakti in 7 districts of Bangladesh through survey and performance studies. 50 Wp was the most co...

Renewable energy based technologies can be introduced for building cooling applications. Most studies on solar absorption cooling use fossil energy based auxiliary heaters. This paper presents experimental studies of a solar-biomass hybrid air conditioning system. The system performances at quasi-steady state conditions were analyzed. The results d...

The paper presents an insight to the household energy consumption in urban Afghanistan, and is based on household surveys conducted in one of its growing cities – Kandahar. The analysis shows that the energy consumed in residential sector has the major share in the total energy consumed in urban Afghanistan. About 72% of the total residential energ...

Experimental and theoretical studies were conducted to study the water vapor condensation in the presence of air, simulated for flue gas from natural gas fired boiler system. A vertical annulus tube of 2 m length was used for the study. The inlet water vapor mass fraction ranged from 3 to 12% and the gas mixture Reynolds number was between 4600 and...

The paper provides an assessment of first generation biofuel (ethanol and biodiesel) development in Thailand in terms of feedstock used, production trends, planned targets and policies and discusses the biofuel sustainability issues-environmental, socio-economic and food security aspects. The policies, measures and incentives for the development of...

Renewable energy for power generation is gaining attention around the world, and for Pakistan, these resources can fulfill the present and future energy demands of the country. Though the potential of renewable energy resources has been assessed in earlier studies, their assessment did not consider the most promising technologies. Moreover, their e...

An “Aggregated Energy Security Performance Indicator (AESPI)” has been developed by considering 25 individual indicators representing social, economy and environmental dimensions. The principle used, data required and the methodology for the development of AESPI have been detailed. AESPI requires time series data for its development and its value r...

Nestled between nature, garden houses can be a prime tourist attraction in the otherwise busy streets of Hue City. Garden houses combine nature, local cultural heritage and tourism making it a perfect combination to promote sustainable urban tourism. Moreover, it helps income generation for the owners and garden workers from the sale of fruits and...

This study presents the analysis of phase change material (PCM) based solar air heating system to achieve comfort conditions in a living space during winter season. The technical feasibility of PCM based solar air heating system has been demonstrated, thus reducing the risks due to indoor air pollution caused by the use of fossil fuel or biomass co...

Renewable energy for power generation is gaining attention around the world, and for Pakistan, these resources can fulfill the present and future energy demands of the country. Though the potential of renewable energy resources has been assessed in earlier studies, their assessment did not consider the most promising technologies. Moreover, their e...

The access to modern forms of energy (Electricity and LPG) and its services are crucial for socio-economic development and poverty reduction. This paper presents the energy access status of the urban poor in Bangkok, and recommendations to overcome the barriers to energy access. The study was based on literature review, policy studies, field survey...

This study presents an assessment of the energy security of Thailand using nineteen indicators. The assessment period is for a 45 year period (1986–2030), and used published data for 1986–2009, and applying three energy scenarios for the period 2010–2030. The three scenarios considered were “high economic growth and least cost option (HEG&LC)”, “lo...

An attempt was made to optimize the parameters that influence the performance of a box-type solar cooker with an inbuilt paraboloid reflector using Cramer's rule. Explicit expressions were derived for the temperature of the base of the cooking vessel, cooking fluid, stagnant air inside the box and lid of the cooking vessel. Simulation modelling of...

This paper analyzes the co-benefits of introducing a time variant carbon (C) tax scheme in Nepal, a hydropower resourceful country, by using a bottom up integrated energy system model based on the MARKet ALlocation (MARKAL) framework with time horizon of 2005–2050. It discusses the effects of C tax on energy mix, environmental emissions, energy sup...

Interfacial properties at the photoelectrode of dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) play a vital role in determining its efficiency. This research examined the role of annealing temperature on the photoelectrode interfaces properties, and to find the annealing temperature that provides the highest overall solar cell efficiency. The electrical characte...

Knowledge of the spatial distribution of biofuel crops is an important criterion to determine the sustainability of biofuel energy production. Remotely sensed image analysis is a proven and effective tool for describing the spatial distribution of crops using vegetation characteristics. Increases in the number of options and availability of satelli...

This chapter does not aim to be prescriptive in policy making, but seeks to introduce the challenges, conditions, and key issues that should be taken into account in the quest for a policy on access to modern forms of energy.

A double slope floating cum tilted-wick solar still has been fabricated and transient theory of floating cum tilted-wick type solar still has been proposed. Analytical expressions have been derived for the different temperatures components of the proposed system. For elocution of the analytical results, numerical calculations have been carried out...

The world is currently confronted with challenges of energy crisis and global warming. To address these serious problems, renewable energy is one of the major options. Solar energy along with biomass utilization is a win-win solution. This paper reports on the experimental study of a solar-biomass hybrid air conditioning system. The study aims at d...

Experimental studies on the Phase Change Material (PCM) storage unit for building ventilation in dry and hot climates were conducted to determine its thermal performance. The PCM unit stored the night time coolness and used it for cooling the hot ambient air during day time. The influence of air flow rate and the inlet air temperature on cold accum...

In this communication an attempt has been made to review in brief on passive solar distillation. The review includes the historical background, passive solar distillation and classification of solar still. The heat transfer modes responsible for the analysis of various design of solar stills have been discussed.

In recent years, increasing efficiency in organic solar cells is due to the bulk heterojunction concept. Hybrid solar cell (HSC) based bulk heterojunction is flourishing in the field of solar cell. This device is the combination of inorganic and organic materials. The efficacy of the power conversion efficiency has reached above 5% by following thi...

This paper presents the results of a study conducted at a rural (island) community to understand the role of PV hybrid system installed on an island. Until 2004, most islanders had installed diesel generators in their homes to generate electricity, which was directly supplied to appliances or stored in the batteries for later use. A field survey wa...

In this study, a non-edible vegetable oil was produced from Jatropha fruits as a substitute fuel for diesel engines and its usability was investigated as pure oil and as a blend with petroleum diesel fuel. A direct injection (DI) diesel engine was tested using diesel, Jatropha oil, and blends of Jatropha oil and diesel in different proportions. A w...

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to analyze the effect on centralized dispatching generation cost under the condition where the single‐buyer electric supply industry (ESI) with independent power producer (IPP) scheme (the ESI structure that is widely implemented in developing countries) is opened for bilateral trading. The analysis is based on t...

Dew point evaporative cooling system is an alternative to vapor compression air conditioning system for sensible cooling of ventilation air. This paper presents the theoretical performance of a novel dew point evaporative cooling system operating under various inlet air conditions (covering dry, moderate and humid climate) and influence of major op...

The importance of using biomass efficiently to address global warming and resources shortages are well-known and documented. Biomass, which is environment-friendly, can replace fossil fuels for thermal and electricity applications. Biomass gasification, due to its high electrical efficiency compared to other biomass-based electricity generation sys...

This energy policy briefing is based upon country reports on energy security and efficiency produced by member centres of the Global Network on Energy for Sustainable development (GNESD) in 2010. This policy brief is a summary of key issues and recommendations emerging from the GNESD study that investigated the energy security threats facing develo...

A simulation study to assess the performance of a renewable energy (solar–biomass) based single effect LiBr–water absorption chiller suitable for residential applications was conducted. The model took into account the characteristics of all the components of the system. Using Bangkok meteorological data and component specifications from manufacture...

In hot and dry climatic conditions of South Asia, summer night temperatures are low, and phase change material (PCM) based heat storage technique could be used as heat sink to reduce ambient air temperature during hot day times, as an alternate of current ventilation techniques for the building sector. This can help in reducing electricity consumpt...

A novel dew point evaporative cooling system for sensible cooling of the ventilation air for air conditioning application was constructed and experiments were carried out to investigate the outlet air conditions and the system effectiveness at different inlet air conditions (temperature, humidity and velocity) covering dry, temperate and humid clim...

Executive Summary Thailand imports oil, coal, gas and electricity to meet its increasing demand, and accounts for 46% of the total primary energy consumption. In term of available energy resources, Thailand has some reserves of coal (lignite) and natural gas. The estimated reserve to production ratio is 12.5 years in the case of natural gas and 100...

Models of the gasification process are mostly based on lumped analysis with distinct zones of the process treated as one entity. The study presented here was conducted to develop a more useful model specifically for the pyrolysis zone of the reactor of a downdraft gasifier based on finite computation method. Applying principles of energy and mass c...

A solar-regenerated liquid desiccant ventilation pre-conditioning system has been installed and experiments were carried out for a period of nine months covering rainy, cold, and hot seasons in a hot and humid climate (Thailand). A heat exchanger was used to cool the dehumidified air instead of typical evaporative cooling to maintain the dryness of...

With rising price of oil and other conventional fuels, world is turning towards renewable energy to enable it to meet the growing demand for electrical power requirements. As an option, solar photovoltaic (PV) is gaining popularity, though its high initial cost is a major barrier for its widespread use. It can supply electricity, as stand alone gri...

A solar-regenerated liquid desiccant ventilation pre-conditioning system has been proposed for use in hot and humid climates. The system aims to dehumidify the ventilation air which is the major source of latent load. A heat exchanger is used to cool the dehumidified air instead of typical evaporative cooling to maintain the dryness of the air. The...

Access to modern forms of energy has been recognized as a prerequisite to achieve sustainable development and overall improvement in the quality of life. In the literature, there exist very few studies that are focused on access to and use of modern forms of energy by the urban poor in developing countries. The aim of this study is to examine the e...

Eight trials were conducted for drying mackerel by a solar biomass hybrid cabinet dryer (S-BHCD) and open sun drying (OSD) at air temperatures of 32.39–57.69°C, relative humidity 23.9–85.8%, and air flow rate of 0.20–0.60 m/s. The solar radiation ranged between 287 and 898 W/m during the time of experimentation. At nighttime, drying was carried out...

Urban development traditionally takes different physical and spatial forms. Taking development control and geographical location as common denominators, there are among others, three generic urban development forms in the cities of developing countries, namely controlled residential cum commercial areas, unplanned peri-urban areas, and planned sate...

A solar biomass hybrid air heating system that does not require a conventional auxiliary heater but can still provide a daily load fraction exceeding 90% and supply hot air at a steady temperature and flow rate continuously for 24 h a day has been developed. The system, which combines an unglazed transpired solar collector, rock bed, and a biomass...

Photovoltaic (PV) hybrid systems can make a positive contribution to the sustainability of rural communities in developing countries that do not have access to electricity grid. Integration of solar photovoltaic system with diesel generator for remote and rural areas would assist in expanding the electricity access in the tropical region. A survey...

Unglazed transpired collectors or UTC (also known as perforated collectors) are a relatively new development in solar collector technology, introduced in the early nineties for ventilation air heating. These collectors are used in several large buildings in Canada, USA and Europe, effecting considerable savings in energy and heating costs. Transpir...

A renewable energy-based air heating system that does not require a conventional auxiliary heater, but can still meet a daily load fraction exceeding 90% and supply hot air at a steady temperature and flow rate continuously for 24 hours a day, has been developed. It combines an unglazed transpired solar collector (UTC), r°Ck bed, and a biomass gasi...

A simple transient performance of floating cum tilted-wick type solar still has been presented by incorporating the effects of water flowing over a glass cover, heat capacity of tilted-wick water surface and floating-wick water surface. Explicit expressions for flowing water, glass, tilted-wick water surface and floating-wick water surface temperat...

An analytical expression for the thermal efficiency of evaporative heat loss and heat transfer for a open- and closed-cycle systems of floating tilted wick solar stills in terms of system design and climatic parameters has been derived. The expression for open- and closed-cycle systems was validated by performing experiments for both systems. Optim...

The design and applicability of solar water heating systems requires a satisfactory prediction of collector outlet water temperature and the useful energy delivered over a wide range of climatic conditions. Transient system simulation program is extensively used for this purpose, and recently artificial neural networks have also been considered. Th...