Presentation of Vert l’Horizon at the Indian Institute of technology Delhi

Julien Peyrard Mickaël Edon

28 January 2014

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Who are we ?

Julien Peyrard28 yrs, French

Space Engineer

Mickaël Edon 27 yrs, French

Energy/Environmental EngineerStudied at EMN (partner of IIT)

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What is Vert l’Horizon ?

Vert l’horizon (“Towards a green horizon” in English) is a biking journey around the world in order to discoverer our sustainable future in the domain of environment and energy.

Numbers1-year journey2 best friends26 countries70 km per cycling day100s of people to meet767 points of interest mapped15’000 km cycled (approx.)

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Our itinerary

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Our mission

• Discovering local projects• Alerting about endangered regions• Accomplishing a physical challenge• Meeting new people• Experiencing new cultures• Climbing 3 symbolic summits• Managing a complex project• Sharing our learnings (book, conferences, …)

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Our vision

• Major challenge of the 21st century• Transgression of planetary boundaries• Change of mindset is needed• Overcome political and social barriers• Get inspired by local initiatives

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Our carbon offsetting

• Offsetting GHG due to plane travels• 20.66 tons of CO2 equivalent in total• Flexiway Solar Solutions• Solar Muscle: Solar LED lights replacing

kerosene lamps• 1 light will save 0.3 tons of CO2 eq.• 69 lights needed

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What we have learned:Green School in Bali

• High quality international teaching• Efforts for integration with locals• Efforts for sustainability: bamboo buildings, PV, …• Foster interest to sustainability by education• See TED conference of John Hardy

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What we have learned:CDM project on composting

• Clean Development Mechanism projects (as per Kyoto Protocol) provides Carbon Credit that can be traded.

• David Krüpper, project initiator, explains us:– Organic waste recycled into compost– Prevent methane creation in landfills (strong GHG)– Difficult financial situation & complex bureaucracy

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What we have learned:NEWater

• Water scarcity in Singapore: 4 taps• Public campaigns for saving water• Spearhead of waste water recycled to drinking water• 3 steps: microfiltration, reverse osmosis, UV desinfection• Ultra pure water: used mainly for industry

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What we have learned:Singapore energy outlook

• Meeting with Ho Hiang Kwee, Researcher for the government• 80% of electricity from gas (expensive but cleaner)• Strong potential for Solar PV (10% of production)• Levellized cost of PV nearly competitive with retail cost• Strong efforts on transportation:

– Public transports very well developped– Huge taxes on private cars, bonus-malus system, city toll, need of

specific certificate

• Objective of 80% of Green Buildings by 2030

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What we have learned:Malaysia and sustainability

• Meeting with Luqman Chuah, Professor and Deputy Dean from the Universiti Putra Malaysia

• 60% of electricity comes from gas-petrol• Big gas-petrol reserve in Malaysia. Big subsidies to fossil fuel

and public opposition when decreased• Beside hydro, main source of renewable: biomass, used in

small-scale power plant• 40% emission reduction by 2020 will not be attained• Lucrative palm oil industries caused deforestation of 60% of Borneo and Sumatra: externalities should be included in final cost

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What we have learned:Thailand

• Meeting with Doctor Sopitsuda Tongsopit, from the Energy Research Institude, Bangkok

• 68% of electricity from gas. Developping hydro in neighbouring Laos

• Alternative Energy Development Plan to reach a 25% of renewable energy consumption by 2021

• Attractive pricing structure for renewables (feed-in tariffs)• Future developments of biomass (from agricultural residues), biogas, solar and wind (2GW proposed projects)

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What we have learned:China

• Meetings with Shu Chen, Vice Director of the SWUST and with Dr Jing Xu, Professor at the SWUEF.

• Greatest energy consumer (mainly coal) and main GHG emitter• Complicated to set up an environmental legislation and enforce it

(resistance, corruption, bureaucracy, …)• Important air pollution problems in all the big cities. Obligation for

power plants to instal filter for SO2.• E-waste: very polluting industry. Legislation forbidding «wild»

retreatment. Innovations for recycling (using waste heat).• PV waste: no solution yet. Starting to be investigated

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What we have learned:Nepal

• Meeting with Mr. Gurung, CEO of Wind Power Nepal and Mr. Adikhari, National advisor of AEPC

• Electricity scarcity (20% of household connected. Up to 18 hours / day of shortage).

• Big potential of RET: 2nd water ressources in the world. 300 days of sun.

• Lack of governmental stability and commitment. Lack of long-term view prevent development of renewables.

• Cooking is 80% of primary energy demand. • Programme for clean cooking stove launched in 2013

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Further readings

• Fifth assessment report, from the IPCC: http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/uploads/WGI_AR5_SPM_brochure.pdf

• On the German energy transition: http://energytransition.de/wp-content/themes/boell/pdf/en/German-Energy-Transition_en.pdf

• A Renewable energy roadmap, from IRENA: http://irena.org/remap/REmap%20Summary%20final_webdisplay%20no%20links.pdf

• Accelerating the transition to Clean Energy Technologies: http://www.cleanenergyministerial.org/

• What is resilience: http://www.stockholmresilience.org/download/18.2f48c3c31429b6ad0a61cde/1388130768344/SRC_whatisresilience__sida.pdf

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About cycling

• More than 4000 km cycled so far, at the average speed of 15-20 km/h

• Between 70 and 140 km on a cycling day• 20 kg bicycle + 20 kg stuff + 5 L of water • Full autonomy (tent, stove, water filter, …)• 120 Liters capacity per bicycle• Equipped for very hot, very cold (-20 deg C) and humid

climates.• Use of good components: not a single flat tyre so far!

Use of a Rohloff gearbox (14 speeds)

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The beast

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Bicycle, transportation of the future !

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”, Albert Einstein.

The bike is great for health, for the mind, for the environment, and for the fun !

Best fuel efficiency (kWh/100km/pax) of the bike: 8,4 times better than an efficient car.

How fast do you REALLY drive your car?Speed = distance / (time spend to drive it + time spent to pay for it (cost of the car, gas, insurance, …)) = 6 km/h according to an American study.

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Travel diary, Indonesia

Bali as seen from Mt Rinjani (3726 m) Our first hosts, Refi and Hannah

Blue flames of Kawah Ijen Prambanan Hindu temple

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Travel diary, Singapore

Singapore by night Singapore by… day

Couchsurfing meeting A green city

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Travel diary, Malaysia

Meeting locals Putra Jaya, administrative capital

Beautiful mosque Trying sarung

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Travel diary, Thailand

In the South Ton Sai bay, rock climbing site

Buddhist temple Looking at the horizon

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Travel diary, Cambodia

Towards Siem Reap World Heritage, Angkor temples

Teaming-up Phnom Penh, royal palace

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Travel diary, Vietnam

Typical hat The road kings (…)

Trails, our favorite terrain Ha Long bay

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Travel diary, China

Fighting winter in Yunnan A geologist In the Wen Shu temple

Unusual faces… On the radio

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Travel diary, Nepal

Pushkar Shah (Nepalese legend) “Tour de Gorkha, our history, our pride”

Dhaula Giri and Annapurna Cycling on crazy/beautiful roads

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Travel diary, India

Crossing an unusual vehicle Crossing Ghagra river

Maut Ka Kuaa (crazy) Varanasi

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Thanks

Thank you Professor Mukesh Khare for your kind invitation;

Thank you all for listening;

You can follow us on our website !