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It is clear that developing countries will have to be part of the global mitigation effort to avoid 'dangerous climate change', and, indeed, many of them are already undertaking significant actions on multiple fronts to help address this problem, even if they have not yet taken on legally binding commitment under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Since the deployment of GHG-mitigating technologies is already a significant part of this effort and likely to be even more so in the future, drawing lessons from existing programmes can help accelerate and enhance the effectiveness of this deployment process. Accordingly, this article aims to examine the deployment of wind and solar power in India, paying specific attention to the role of public policy in incentivizing and facilitating this deployment, how these policies have evolved over time, what has shaped this evolution, and what the learning has been over this period. Through this analysis, the intention is to draw out key lessons from India's experience with deployment policies and programmes in these two sectors and highlight the issues that will need to be given particular consideration in the design of future domestic policies and international cooperation programmes to enhance the move towards climate-compatible development in India. Many of these lessons should also be relevant for other developing countries that are attempting to balance their climate and developmental priorities through the deployment of renewable energy technologies. Policy relevanceFor developing countries, such as India, that are expected to enhance the pace of climate change relevant action in the coming years, an informed policy design within this domain is crucial. This paper analyses the evolution of two climate relevant sectors within India, exploring the factors and imperatives shaping the pertinent policy framework over the years, offering insights into specific developing country constraints and considerations. A better understanding of policies (and their drivers) that have played a role in deployment of low-carbon technologies as discussed in this paper will be useful towards the design of future domestic policies and international cooperation programs to facilitate a more efficient and effective move towards climate-compatible development.

Biodiesel is produced in the United States to D 6751, an ASTM standard. The source material in this fledgling industry in the U.S. is primarily soy oil, though other sources such as canola oil, waste oils, and greases from food and other sources are beginning to be exploited. At present, the referenced ASTM standard does not specify cloud and pour points values that are much higher for biodiesel than diesel derived from petroleum but allows them to be specified by the customer. There can be significant variation in these values, depending on the nature of the source material used to produce biodiesel, all of which meet the ASTM standards. This has the potential to create problems in applications as the quality of the biodiesel produced could vary widely. This study focused on quantitative measurements of cloud points of blends of biodiesel made from different sources. A correlation of these measurements with the saturated components was developed and was shown to correlate data reported in the literature as well.

Upgrading of fast pyrolysis oils produced from swtichgrass was carried out using 5 wt % Ru and 5 wt % Rh on a carbon support as catalysts slurried in a polyethylene glycol solvent in a 300 mL Parr batch reactor in the presence of hydrogen. A hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) reaction was evaluated in the temperature range of 200−280 °C under hydrogen pressure of 300−1000 psig. The raw pyrolysis oil and the upgraded products were characterized by gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques to establish the effectiveness of the hydrogenation process. With Ru/C at 280 °C and 1000 psig, the GC/MS data showed the absence of acetic acid and the principal liquid product slate included alcohols, hydrocarbons, cyclic compounds, and phenolics at a relative concentration of 5.2, 21.2, 3.8, and 35.7%, respectively.