A Report on
National Exhibition & Conference on New and Renewable Energy
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering of Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU) recently organized a National Exhibition & Conference on New and Renewable Energy (NECONRE-2017) with the main theme “Renewable Energy for rural India: the present and the future”, in association with Assam Energy Development Agency (AEDA), at its Azara Campus on 6-7 October 2017.
The conference was inaugurated by Mr. Ajanta Kumar Goswami, CGM, Assam Power Distribution Company Limited as the Chief Guest. The Inaugural program started off with the lighting of the lamp by the chief guest, Keynote Speaker of the conference and globally distinguished personality- Prof. D. P. Kothari, Prof. Monoranjan Kalita, Chairman of NECONRE-2017 & Director of School of Technology (ADBU), Fr. Jospeh Nellanatt, Pro Vice Chancellor of ADBU, Prof. Shakuntala Laskar, Convener of NECONRE-2017 & HOD of EEE dept. and Mr. Mrinal Krishna Choudhury, Co-Convener of NECONRE-2017 & Addl. Director of AEDA. The program proceeded with a melodiously performed invocation song, and a beautiful prayer recitation by Fr. Joseph Nellanatt. All the invited dignitaries were felicitated with ‘phulam Gamusa’ and mementos as a mark of Assamese tradition and mark of gratitude as well.
Prof. Manoranjan Kalita, Chairman of NECONRE-2017, formally welcomed everyone with a special mention of Prof. D.P. Kothari’s lifetime work in the Electrical Engineering field extending a heartfelt gratitude to him for attending the conference despite his present physical condition. Prof. Kalita, in his welcome speech, stressed on the gap of demand and supply of energy in India, highlighting the scope of research for optimizing & maximizing the efficiency of the renewable energy sources. In his inaugural address, Fr. Joseph Nellanatt stressed on the need of sharing information with researchers, students & implementing agencies to take the renewable energy throughout the country especially rural areas. He also talked about the conference being organized for the first time. The chief guest Mr. Ajanta Kumar Goswami, in his address, talked of India’s target of 22% of renewable energy by 2020, which today stands at 2%. He also mentioned about the potential of wind power & biomass energy in areas of some districts of Assam like Dhubri, Karbi Anlong and Silchar and some small hydro power as well and concluded by talking about the commercial problems & their relevance and the need to solve them to make generation as well as distribution much more efficient. The overview of the event was presented by the convener of NECONRE-2017, Prof. Shakuntala Laskar, mentioned about the purpose of organizing the event i.e., to unite policy makers, business leaders, students to exchange knowledge. The gathering was also addressed by Mr. Mrinal Krishna Choudhury, Co-Convener, NECONRE-2017. A Bosconian, Mr. Choudhury talked of the hardships & hurdles to make renewable energy available throughout the region. He also highlighted about installation of a Roof Top Solar PV System of 160 kWh each at the two campuses of ADBU, one at Azara, and the other at Tapesia Gardens, Sonapur and need for the students to be involved in the installation of the unit.
It is to be highlighted that on the occasion of inauguration of NECONRE-2017, the university honored eminent Prof. D.P. Kothari with Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifelong contributions to Electrical Engineering domain. Prof. Kothari, in his keynote address titled “Energy & Environmental Problems Facing The Third World And Their Probable Solutions For Sustainable Development”, mentioned how “impossible is just I’m possible” and urged the students as well as teachers to keep the good work going, in spite of the problems faced by third world countries like India eg. population explosion, voltage stability, need for private energy corporations etc. and stressed upon energy saving.
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| Lifetime Achievement Award to Prof. D. P. Kothari |
In the two day technical session of the national exhibition and conference the resource persons were Mr. Mrinal Krishna Choudhury, Additional Director, AEDA, Dr. Sisir Kumar Nayak, Dept. of EEE, IIT Guwahati, Mr. Biswajit Maji, GM- Rooftop, Ujaas Energy Limited, Dr. Bani Kanta Talukdar, Dept. of EE, Assam Engineering College, Dr. Sadhan Mahapatra, Tezpur University, Prof. Durlav Hazarika, Assam Engineering College, Prof. Kaustubha Mohanty, Centre For Energy, IIT Guwahati, Mr. Nilankha Chaliha, Head, North Eastern States, Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers Association (IEEMA), Mr. Anuj Goswami, AGM, RAPDRP cell, APDCL, Dr. Sunandan Baruah, ADBU, Dr. Sandip Bordoloi, GIMT and Mr. Bhaskar Ganesh, NITS Mirza. They delivered invited talks on various aspects of new and renewable energy. The conference was attended by more than 70 participants and 31 technical papers on various topics supported by new and renewable energy such was solar energy, wind energy, hydro-electric Energy, bio-fuels and miscellaneous new and renewable energy sources were presented in four technical sessions. Technical Session-I of the oral presentations was chaired by Prof. D.P. Kothari, and an Invited Talk was delivered by Mr. Mrinal Krishna Choudhury, Additional Director, AEDA in which he presented about AEDA’s initiative of “First Floating Solar Plant of Northeast at Bhurbondha”. Mr. Choudhury explained the various programs under AEDA & how they’re working the rural areas of Assam to expand the use of Solar Power. Technical Session-II was chaired by Dr. Sisir Kumar Nayak, Dept. of EEE, IIT Guwahati. Technical Session-III of the conference was chaired by Dr. Bani Kanta Talukdar, Dept. of EE, Assam Engineering College, in which an Invited Talk was delivered by Dr. Sadhan Mahapatra, Tezpur University titled “Biomass Gasification in an Open Top Downdraft Gasifier”. The last Technical Session of oral presentations was for online presentations, was chaired by Prof. Durlav Hazarika, Assam Engineering College in which he delivered an Invited Talk titled “Understanding Nature and Electrical Energy System”.
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| Online Presentation Session, Chaired by Prof. Durlav Hazarika |
Together with the deliberations of experts in the conference, an exhibition was held, to enlighten the students, developers and policy-makers on the various opportunities under the latest “new and renewable energy investments”. This national level project exhibition competition for the students was organized in two categories; where total of 26 groups of students from various academic intuitions participated. In Category-I (for Class IX-XII) of this competition, the first prize was begged by the group of Mrityunjay Chakraborty, Ayaz Rahman, Aryan Pratap Rai from St. Clare's Convent High School, Borjhar, Guwahati and was awarded with cash prize of Rs. 3000/- and certificates; the second prize was begged by the group of Bhriguraj Boro, Dhiraj Kakati, Aman Rohi Lakra from St. Claret School, Borjhar, Guwahati and was awarded with cash prize of Rs. 1500/- and certificates; whereas in Category-II (for Degree and Diploma students), the first prize was begged by the group of Queen Kalita, Arnaan Ronghangpi, Joram Henjum from ADBU and was awarded the cash prize of Rs. 4000/- and certificates, and the second prize was begged by the group of Marqueen Sun, Ferdinand Lyngdoh, Baskhemlang Rynjah from ADBU and was awarded with cash prize of Rs. 2000/- and certificates. In a separate technical Poster Presentation Competition, the group of Ms. Darihun Sawkmie, Ms. Julene Seka H Thabah, Mr. Maitshaphrang Lyngdoh, Ms. Smriti Dey from ADBU was selected for the best poster and was awarded with cash prize of Rs. 1000/- and certificates.
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| National level Project Exhibition Competition for students |
Alongside the presentation and the exhibition, R&D practitioners, and Industry delegates were invited to showcase their equipments, materials, services, innovative findings, new knowledge and other practices relevant to addressing energy poverty. 5 companies engaged in renewable energy sector nationally participated in the Industrial exhibition, viz. Free Power Technology Private Ltd., Susconnect Pvt Ltd, Havells India Limited, Ujaas Energy Limited, Greenlight Planet India Pvt. Ltd.
NECONRE-2017 also featured a Panel Discussion session among experts from various fields who are associated with renewable energy sector. The session successfully benefited the participants by creating awareness in them in critical issues of renewable energy sector.
The event finally came to an end with a formal valedictory session where Certificates were distributed to all the paper presenters, participants, winners of various competitions. Fr. (Dr.) Stephen Mavely, Vice Chancellor of ADBU thanked all the dignitaries who have attended, chaired or judged various sessions of the national exhibition and conference. Positive feedbacks were received from the participants’ side. In the Vote of Thanks, the Organizing Secretary of NECONRE-2017- Mr. Jesif Ahmed, Asst. Professor, ADBU extended his heartfelt gratitude to all invited delegates, management of ADBU, Judges for various sessions, and other distinguished resource persons, sponsors, exhibitors, participants of papers, student volunteers, supporting staff of ADBU, the most importantly the organizing team of NECONRE-2017, specially Pro VC of ADBU, the Chairman and the Convener of NECONRE-2017 and the departmental members for their dedication, team work and untiring efforts and for making NECONRE-2017 a grand success.
It is worthwhile to mention that this is the first time in ADBU when online paper presentation took place in any conference. 5 papers from different parts of the country were presented via video conferencing under the organization of Mr. Jesif Ahmed, Organizing Secretary of NECONRE-2017. The whole event of NECONRE-207 was co-sponsored by Ujaas Energy Limited, CNS Academy (Guwahti), MJ Consultancy (Guwahati) and Greenlight Planet India Pvt. Ltd.
Please find the photographs in this Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bx5af5UuXOmwSkZVWWtpTmlMems?usp=sharing
Special Thanks to the following Core Team
Mr.
Bikramjit Goswami
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: In-Charge
of Food, Finance and Reporting
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Mr.
Jyoti Barman
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: In-Charge of Venue
Preparation, & Exhibition
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Mr.
Gitu Das
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: In-Charge of Venue
Preparation, & Exhibition
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Ms.
Smriti Dey
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: In-Charge
of Registrations & Certificates
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Ms.
Papul Changmai
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: In-Charge
of Transportations & Hospitality
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Ms.
Pushpanjalee Konwar
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: In-Charge
of Volunteers, Anchoring & Felicitation
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Ms.
Sarbani Das
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: In-Charge
of Volunteers, Food & Hospitality
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Mr.
Biswajit Sengupta
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: In-Charge
of Hospitality and Transportations
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| Panel Discussion |
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In Panel Discussion: Prof. Durlav Hazarika and Mr. Nilankha Chaliha |
Please find the all photographs in this Google Drive folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0Bx5af5UuXOmwSkZVWWtpTmlMems?usp=sharing