Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy

Overview

The Giving Green Fund plans to award a grant to the Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP) to complete two projects: (1) assessing the feasibility of implementing agrophotovoltaics and (2) conducting a techno-economic analysis of energy storage co-location. CSTEP, based in Bengaluru, India, conducts research and policy innovation for sustainable development, particularly in energy, environment, and technology. 

This falls within our philanthropic strategy of supporting an energy transition in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Please see Giving Green’s deep dive report for more information, including risks and potential co-benefits, recommended sub-strategies, theory of change, funding need, and key uncertainties.

Last updated: October 2024

What is the Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP)?

The Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP), established in 2005, equips policymakers with scientific and technological solutions around a clean energy transition, clean air, and advancing sustainability and security. CSTEP advances its vision of sustainable, secure, and inclusive societies through conducting modeling studies and techno-economic analyses, disseminating findings to state and national governments, and creating forums for civil society collaboration. CSTEP adopts an ecosystem approach by collaborating with government, think tanks, industry partners, and civil society organizations. 

What are we funding, and how could it help reduce greenhouse gas emissions? 

We are funding CSTEP’s work on research, knowledge creation, and policy engagement. We view CSTEP as a central actor in driving an ambitious energy transition in India, amongst other work, through exploring technologies in renewable energy generation and storage. 

Renewable energy generation—exploring the feasibility of agrophotovoltaics: In recent years, agrophotovoltaics (agriPV) have gained traction in India with the simultaneous use of land for agricultural outputs and energy production.[1] It has the potential to address one of the main challenges linked to solar renewable energy adoption in India: limited land availability and conflict over land use.[2] The technology remains nascent, with limited policies and financial incentives promoting its adoption. CSTEP plans to document the feasibility of agriPV in the semi-arid region of the Western Ghats by preparing a crop suitability matrix, a roadmap for utilities to incorporate agriPV in transmission plans, and an assessment of farmer-centric business models. We believe these outputs can act as a proof of concept to pursue policy advocacy for the subsidy design of farmer-centric schemes for agriPV, generation incentives for developers, and promotion by financial agencies.

Renewable energy storage - co-locating energy storage with renewables: Energy storage has been identified as one of the greatest possible disruptors to India’s power market in the 2020s.[3] Research around energy storage at the generation, transmission, distribution, and end-consumer levels remains limited in the Indian context. CSTEP aims to contribute to knowledge building, with a primary focus on coupling storage with renewable energy sites. CSTEP will conduct a techno-economic assessment of co-located storage with renewables by quantifying the configuration, technical parameters, value proposition, benefits, and costs of such projects. CSTEP will also advance policy innovation through state-level case studies and engagement with state departments. Through this project, CSTEP will incentivize mandatory geographical co-location of storage and energy sites in published tenders by the government and the private sector. As of this writing, only two tenders incentivize colocation. 

Knowledge gaps persist in envisioning how India’s energy transition will take place. CSTEP explores the adoption of energy generation and storage technologies in the Indian context. We think CSTEP’s work on generating and disseminating such insights will be critical in enabling a cost-effective and large-scale energy transition. Through close collaboration with Indian state and central governments, CSTEP can accelerate the adoption of renewables, leading to decreased greenhouse gas emissions. 

Why do we think CSTEP will use this funding well? 

CSTEP is a pioneering organization in agriPV and storage in India. Because it has been engaged in these fields from their onset in the Indian climate space, we believe CSTEP has a unique understanding of the ecosystem, gaps, and key stakeholders. CSTEP acts as a technical partner for state governments; for example, it supports the creation of state action plans for Kerala and Puducherry and acts as a close advisor to the Tamil Nadu and Telangana governments. CSTEP researchers participate in various government task forces and committees and have provided valuable inputs to COP26 negotiations and R&D policy (e.g., in Karnataka).[4] We think CSTEP’s active engagement with the Indian state and central governments, along with its technical capacities, suggest that its ongoing and future initiatives could have a high impact. 

[1] “In particular, the concept of land-neutral or dual-use applications has gained significant traction.” (CSTEP, 2024)

[2] “n. This approach seeks to maximize the utilization of available land by integrating solar installations with existing infrastructure or employing non-traditional spaces. By tapping into these alternative applications, we can overcome the limitation of land availability, remove conflict over land use and enhance overall efficiency and sustainability within the solar energy sector.” (CSTEP, 2024)

[3] “Energy storage systems (ESS) will be the major disruptor in India’s power market in the 2020s.” (JMK Research & Analytics & IEEFA, 2023)

[4] “CSTEP’s work has received wide recognition, with our researchers participating in various Government Task Forces and Committees. We have provided valuable inputs to COP26 negotiations and the R&D policy for the state of Karnataka, among others.” (CSTEP, 2022)

For more on the difference between the grantees of the Giving Green Fund and our Top Nonprofits, please see this blog post on the Giving Green Fund. This is a non-partisan analysis (study or research) and is provided for educational purposes.