SPECIAL SESSION ORGANIZER

Renewable Energy for Integrated Development

Dr. Anumakonda Jagadeesh
RMK Engineering College, India

Abstract

Developing countries often lack access to power, which hinders their growth. Renewable energy is a useful supplement to conventional energy; unfortunately, most of the renewable energy gadgets are expensive, and often imported from outside. There is a need to encourage innovation and ingenuity in the design, demonstration, and dissemination of renewable power systems, especially in developing countries. The author designed and tested renewable energy gadgets, such as vertical and cylindrical solar water heaters, simple solar driers, solar disinfection to provide safe drinking water, improved Savonius rotors for battery charging, energy conservation in electric irrigation pump sets, microhydro devices for low heads, hand-operated battery chargers, and manually operated washing machines. This session will present the design details of these tools and also the economics of a wider dissemination of renewable energy.

Biography of the Special Session Organizer

Dr. Anumakonda Jagadeesh obtained his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Physics from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India, and his Doctorate degree in Wind Energy from the prestigious University of Roorkee (now the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR)). He has been involved in teaching and research for the last 30 years. In 1973, he founded the Society of Science for the People, an NGO that formulates innovative science and technology programs and projects.

Dr. Jagadeesh has interacted widely with several global and national organizations in science and technology projects; his programs have attracted worldwide attention, especially in the areas of appropriate technology, afforestation, renewable energy, and environment.

In 1994, Dr. Jagadeesh also founded the Nayudamma Centre for Development Alternatives in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, India, which has been acting as a think tank in promoting energy, environment, and appropriate technology programs and projects. He has been the resource expert for several organizations connected with sustainable development in India and abroad.

Dr. Jagadeesh has travelled to over 30 countries and has worked in Italy, Denmark, and the Sultanate of Oman, among others. He has held many important positions such as Director, Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre, Chennai, India; Vice President, Subhash Projects and Marketing Ltd, Bangalore, India; Director, Infrastructure Consulting and Engineers Pvt. Ltd, Bangalore; and currently Professor and Head, Centre for Energy and Sustainable Resources, R.M.K. Engineering College, Kavaraipettai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Dr. Jagadeesh's pioneering work has won several national and international awards, including the prestigious Margaret Noble Foundation Award for Research in Energy. He is a member of several international and government bodies in India. It is rare to find an innovator, social scientist, and crusader for the promotion of science and technology for sustainable development, all blended into one.

Submissions

Please email all submissions to anumakonda.jagadeesh@gmail.com by April 15, 2010.