SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

1Clean energy research

UPES turns its roots in petroleum and energy into research on solar power, bioenergy, storage, hydrogen and the materials behind the energy transition. The figures below cover UPES research publications on energy from 2021 to 2025 (source: Scopus, October 2026).

1,308energy research publications, 2021–2025

31,734citations to these papers

24.3citations per paper

926journal articles and reviews

29%open access

What the research covers

Number of 2021–2025 energy papers on each theme (a paper can appear under more than one).

Theme	Papers
Solar energy and photovoltaics	270
Biofuels and bioenergy	193
Hydrogen and fuel cells	89
Batteries and energy storage	86
AI for energy	69
Energy efficiency	59
Smart grids and power systems	54
Electric vehicles and mobility	50
Wind and other renewables	34
Waste-to-energy	12

Most cited energy work

Energy efficiency in cloud computing data centers: a survey on software technologies (Cluster Computing, 2023), cited 471 times.
Recent Advances in Machine Learning Research for Nanofluid-Based Heat Transfer in Renewable Energy System (Energy and Fuels, 2022), cited 314 times.
Perspective review on Municipal Solid Waste-to-energy route: Characteristics, management strategy, and role in circular economy (Journal of Cleaner Production, 2022), cited 305 times.
Agro-waste to sustainable energy: A green strategy of converting agricultural waste to nano-enabled energy applications (Science of the Total Environment, 2023), cited 262 times.
Recent advances in consolidated bioprocessing for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol – A review (Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023), cited 262 times.

The full list of publications, with links, is on the energy research publications page (also available as a spreadsheet).

Research spotlights

Solar microgrids for the high Himalaya

The Defence Research and Development Organisation awarded UPES, with IIT Roorkee and NIT Rourkela, a ₹5.15 crore project led by Prof Devender K. Saini to build battery storage, battery management and smart inverters that keep solar microgrids running in places like Siachen and Ladakh, where temperatures fall below –30°C. It is the first time DRDO has entrusted such a project to a private university.

R&D Newsletter Jul–Dec 2025, p. 6 · LinkedIn post

Turning city waste into clean fuel

With a ₹97.4 lakh ANRF grant, Dr Siddharth Jain's team is scaling up technology that gasifies unsorted municipal waste and converts it into methanol, targeting 2.5–3 tonnes of CO₂ avoided per tonne of waste and methanol at ₹25–30 a litre.

R&D Newsletter Jul–Dec 2025, p. 7

Better batteries and fuel cells

Dr Bhawna Gupta won an Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship to research high-performance materials for next-generation batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors at Heidelberg University, Germany.

R&D Newsletter Jul–Dec 2025, p. 32

Sensors for a hydrogen economy

Dr Shikha Wadhwa received a French Government SSHN-2025 fellowship and worked at CERMAV, Université Grenoble Alpes, in November 2025 on flexible hydrogen sensors.

R&D Newsletter Jul–Dec 2025, p. 32

Critical minerals for green energy

Prof Sunil Kumar Khare of the School of Advanced Engineering published a study in the Geological Journal (Wiley) on the 2.46-billion-year-old Dongargarh granite in the Bastar Craton. It shows significant potential for rare earth elements, lithium and tin, minerals India needs for batteries and clean energy technology under its Critical Mineral Mission.

LinkedIn post

Other work includes research led by Dr Bhawna Lamba, worth ₹73 lakh, on turning waste into clean biofuels, and the Centre for Alternative Energy Research, which works on biofuels and waste-to-energy.

Patents and intellectual property

In UPES's mapping of its intellectual property to the Sustainable Development Goals, Affordable and Clean Energy is the second-largest of the ten goals the portfolio covers, after Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (UPES R&D, December 2025).

Sources and further reading

2A low-carbon campus

UPES has measured its carbon footprint, set public targets to cut it, and planned the energy upgrades to get there.

20–25%cut in total emissions by 2030, from 2024–25

30–40%of electricity from renewables by 2030

2060net-zero target, a decade ahead of India's 2070 goal

8,271tonnes CO₂e baseline, 2024–25

Energy and divestment policies

The UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy (2025) commits the university to the following.

Energy-efficient new buildings and renovations. Every new building and renovation must follow the Bureau of Energy Efficiency's Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) and the National Building Code of India, use GRIHA or IGBC green-building ratings where feasible, and specify BEE star-rated lighting, air-conditioning, pumps and motors.
Upgrading existing buildings. Energy audits identify which buildings to upgrade. Old lighting and air-conditioning are replaced with star-rated equipment, insulation, ventilation and natural lighting are improved, rooftop solar is added where feasible, and upgraded buildings are brought in line with ECBC.
Carbon management. Following the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064, UPES measures its carbon footprint regularly, sets reduction targets, and cuts CO₂ through energy efficiency, renewable energy, less diesel generator use and electric vehicles, reporting progress periodically.
An energy efficiency plan. Guided by ISO 50001 and BEE guidelines, the plan sets a baseline for energy use and reduction targets, uses periodic energy audits to find savings, and assigns actions, responsibilities and timelines.
Annual reporting. UPES will publish an annual energy and carbon report covering energy consumption, energy use intensity, greenhouse gas emissions and progress against targets.

An Energy, Environment & Sustainability Committee implements the policy. It reviews the design of new buildings and renovations for compliance and approves and monitors the building upgrade plan, the energy efficiency plan and carbon reduction targets.

The UPES Divestment Policy, embedded in the Energy Policy, Environment Policy, Green Campus Policy and Climate Action Plan, moves the university away from fossil fuels such as coal-based electricity, diesel and petrol. In practice this means solar power and solar water heating, LED lighting, electric carts and battery-operated vehicles for getting around campus, restrictions on fossil-fuel vehicles on campus, and cleaner cooking and heating.

The RISE Centre

UPES set up the RISE (Research on Impact, Sustainability and ESG) Centre with Aspire Impact in September 2024 to lead its work on climate change and carbon neutrality. It works through three pillars:

Sustainability Projects: measuring UPES's impact, setting net-zero targets, running the Climate Action Plan and building a live Green Dashboard.
Environment Education: including the ESG, Sustainability and Impact Specialist Programme, run with Mahindra University and Aspire Impact, which trains mid- and senior-level professionals to lead net-zero and circular-economy transitions in their organisations.
Aspire Circle Fellowship: nurturing young leaders in sustainability and ESG.

UPES has also received the Gold Leaf certification from Aspire Impact, becoming the first university in India to complete a standards-based impact assessment with full Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas accounting, with Platinum-level performance in emissions management.

Climate Action Plan

The RISE (Research, Impact, Sustainability and ESG) Centre's Climate Action Plan sets out a phased path to net zero. Purchased electricity makes up 55.3% of emissions, commuting and procurement 40.7%, and direct fuel use 4%.

Planned actions include:

More solar. Expand rooftop solar from 100 kW to 300–400 kW, and buy renewable power through purchase agreements or certificates.
Efficient buildings. Upgrade lighting and HVAC with smart controls and more efficient units, cutting an estimated 180–275 tonnes of CO₂e a year.
Cleaner fuels and transport. Replace LPG with biogas and bio-CNG, electrify campus service vehicles and promote greener commuting.
Better tracking. Report greenhouse gases every year, pilot an internal carbon price, track Scope 3 emissions more fully and adopt sustainable procurement.
Offsetting the rest. Invest in regional afforestation to neutralise emissions that cannot be avoided.

A Climate Action Task Force of senior leaders, academics, operations staff and students oversees the plan, and the RISE Centre is building a live Green Dashboard to report progress.

Measuring energy and emissions

An ISO 14064-1 greenhouse gas inventory by Colliers covers June 2023 to May 2025, tracking diesel generators, LPG, vehicles, refrigerants, grid electricity and air travel. Grid electricity use rose from about 45.2 lakh kWh to 51.0 lakh kWh, while refrigerant emissions fell by a third.

Emission source (tonnes CO₂e)	2023–24	2024–25
Grid electricity (Scope 2)	3,718	4,197
Refrigerants (Scope 1)	1,806	1,203
LPG (Scope 1)	480	491
Diesel generators (Scope 1)	297	371
Air travel (Scope 3)	82	92
Vehicles (Scope 1)	16	20

The audit's roadmap shows that adding 600 kWp of on-site solar would cut direct emissions by more than 15%, and 1,650 kWp would cut total emissions by more than 15% by 2029.

As the Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy requires, these periodic audits serve as energy reviews. They show where UPES uses the most energy and creates the most emissions: grid electricity first, followed by refrigerants from air-conditioning, LPG in kitchens and diesel generators. That evidence shapes where savings are targeted, through on-site solar, renewable power purchases where rooftop space is limited, and the lighting and HVAC upgrades in the Climate Action Plan.

UPES used about 51 lakh kWh of grid electricity in 2024–25, along with diesel and LPG. Under the policy, the university's annual energy and carbon report will track total energy use and energy use intensity (energy used per square metre of floor space) against its reduction targets.

Sources and further reading

3Clean energy beyond the campus

UPES shares its energy expertise with schools, industry, policymakers and start-ups.

Schools in the Himalaya. A Department of Science and Technology project led by Dr Mohammed Yaqoot ran sustainable energy workshops for students in remote schools of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.
Industry. In December 2023 UPES signed an MoU with HCLTech to develop sustainability and low-carbon solutions for the oil and gas industry, with internships for UPES students and researchers and joint webinars and forums.
National energy policy. NITI Aayog, the Government of India's policy think tank, lists UPES among the partners of its Energy Division, alongside IITs, TERI, CEEW and the International Energy Agency. UPES's role is research, modelling and paper writing on energy-sector policy. Through the RISE Centre and its summits, UPES also hosts policy dialogue with the Governor of Uttarakhand and international bodies such as IRENA.
Public dialogue. The annual Energy Summit, run since 2022, brings researchers, industry and policymakers together on renewables, storage, smart grids and the social side of the energy transition, with an industrial fair. Its 4th edition, the International Conference on Sustainable and Affordable Energy (ICSAE 2025), was held in hybrid mode on 11–12 November 2025. The Sustainability Fair and Himalaya Calling 2025 also covered renewable energy and climate-resilient technology.
Advocating renewable energy. Through the RISE Centre, the Energy Summit and its net-zero roadmap, UPES speaks publicly for a shift to renewable energy beyond its own campus. Its Climate Action Plan commits to raising renewables to 30–40% of its electricity by 2030, on the way to net zero by 2060.
Training in renewable energy. From 5 to 9 February 2024 the School of Advanced Engineering ran a short-term online course, Emerging Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies, open to outside participants. Speakers came from IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras, IIT Jodhpur, IIT (BHU), CSIR-IIP, MANIT Bhopal and Capgemini, with a Scientist-F from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy as chief guest.
Faculty development. UPES faculty completed a five-day online Faculty Development Programme on AI and machine learning in renewable energy forecasting, run by D Y Patil International University, Pune, in May 2026. It covered time-series forecasting, ARIMA/SARIMA, random forest and XGBoost, LSTM models, smart grid applications and explainable AI.
Student action. The student-led GreenUp Club of the Sustainability Cluster runs clean energy awareness for students and children. During ATMOSFAIR 2024 its "Haz Hunt" treasure hunt set challenges on climate change, renewable energy and cutting carbon footprints, and its members taught children at an orphanage simple ways to save energy at home.
Green start-ups. Runway, the UPES incubator, supports start-ups working on low-carbon technology. It runs mentorship programmes, start-up bootcamps and business-model workshops for renewable energy, green tech and circular-economy ventures, and offers technical support, prototyping facilities, investor-connect sessions and financial guidance for scaling.

Students of the GreenUp Club pose together outdoors on campus — GreenUp Club members at the Haz Hunt during ATMOSFAIR 2024.

UPES students lead an interactive session for children in a classroom — GreenUp Club volunteers teach children about saving energy and the environment.

Panellists around a boardroom table at the Himalaya Calling 2025 summit at UPES — Renewable energy and climate-resilient technology were on the agenda at Himalaya Calling 2025.

A speaker at a podium addresses the Himalaya Calling 2025 summit at UPES — Himalaya Calling 2025: accelerating the SDGs together.

A speaker addresses the Energy Summit 2025 at UPES in front of a banner for the 4th edition — Energy Summit 2025, 4th edition (ICSAE 2025), 11–12 November 2025.

A speaker presents on start-up innovation in India's sustainable energy space at the UPES Energy Summit — A session on innovation in India's sustainable energy start-up space at Energy Summit 2025.

A speaker presents to the audience at Energy Summit 2025 — Young researchers present their work at Energy Summit 2025.

Poster for the short-term online course Emerging Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies, 5–9 February 2024 — Short-term online course on emerging renewable energy technologies, February 2024.

Sources and further reading

Events and activities

37 events from UPES schools and departments support this goal. Each links to the original LinkedIn post.

School of Advanced Engineering

Welcoming brilliance, one frame at a time.

The School of Advanced Engineering kickstarted its academic journey for the Class of 2025 with two vibrant days of inspiration, interaction and insights. From…

SDG 7SDG 8SDG 11

Source	Type	Used in
UPES R&D Newsletter, July–December 2025	PDF	1. Clean energy research
Climate Action Plan, RISE Centre	PDF	2. A low-carbon campus
Energy audit and GHG inventory	PDF	2. A low-carbon campus
UPES Energy, Environment & Sustainability Policy, 2025	PDF	2. A low-carbon campus
UPES Divestment Policy	PDF	2. A low-carbon campus
UPES energy research publications: full list	Publication list	1. Clean energy research
UPES Research	Website	1. Clean energy research
RISE Centre at UPES	Website	2. A low-carbon campus
Executive education programmes for ESG leaders	Website	2. A low-carbon campus
UPES earns Gold sustainability impact certification	News article	2. A low-carbon campus
Sustainable Energy Workshops for schools in Chamoli	Government website	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
GreenUp Club Haz Hunt, ATMOSFAIR 2024	LinkedIn post	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
GreenUp Club environmental awareness drive	LinkedIn post	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
HCLTech and UPES collaborate on sustainability solutions	Press release	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
NITI Aayog Energy Division	Government website	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
Energy Summit 2026	Website	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
Energy Summit 2025	Website	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
Sustainability Fair 3.0	Website	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
UPES start-ups and Runway Incubator	Website	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
Energy Summit 2025, 4th edition	LinkedIn post	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
Short-term course: Emerging Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies	LinkedIn post	3. Clean energy beyond the campus
First private university to win a DIA-DRDO-funded project	LinkedIn post	1. Clean energy research
Rare earth elements research, Prof Sunil Kumar Khare	LinkedIn post	1. Clean energy research

1Clean energy research

What the research covers

Most cited energy work

Research spotlights

Solar microgrids for the high Himalaya

Turning city waste into clean fuel

Better batteries and fuel cells

Sensors for a hydrogen economy

Critical minerals for green energy

Patents and intellectual property

2A low-carbon campus

Energy and divestment policies

The RISE Centre

Climate Action Plan

Measuring energy and emissions

3Clean energy beyond the campus

Events and activities

Welcoming brilliance, one frame at a time.

Sustainability Fair 3.0 at UPES School of Advanced Engineering was a celebration of ideas, innovation, and…

National Workshop on Data Science in Astronomy | UPES

ICAMEES 2.0 | #Engineering the Future of #Materials, #Energy & Environmental #Sustainability

Energy Summit 2025 – A Convergence of Ideas, Innovation & Impact

Bridging Research and Innovation | Energy Summit 2025

Driving the Energy Transition: UPES at the 16th World Petrocoal Congress

Short-term course: Emerging Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies

First private university to win a DIA-DRDO-funded project

Rare earth elements for India’s green energy future

Fueling the Future: Insights on Challenges in Petro Retailing

Fuel retail in India is at a turning point!

New beginnings. New ambitions. One journey.

Unleashed: The MBA Class of 2025

Cheers to New Beginnings, MBA Batch of 2025!

UPES School of Business Researchers Publish in Prestigious ABDC A-Star Journal Energy Economics !

From Aspiration to Achievement: A Success Story in the Energy Sector!

Exploring the Future of Trade, Energy, and Maritime Technology!

SAKSHAM 2026

UNIPER: Software Engineering in the Energy industry

NAFTANOMICS25

Knowledge Session on Challenges in Petro Retailing

The #global energy landscape is transforming faster than ever!

Powering Responsible Leadership in Energy

When Business Education Meets Energy Industry Leadership

Fuelling the Future: Reflections from FIPI Naftanomics 2025.

Exhilarated to share highlights from Aarambh, the orientation ceremony of Buzz-The communication society !

Welcome to the Beginning of a Thrilling Journey, SoCS UG Batch of 2025!

WEEK ZERO is HERE & it’s anything but basic

What to pack for Week Zero at UPES School of Design?

We had the privilege of hosting Mr. Mayank Bhardwaj (VP - Legal, Hexa Climate) and Mr. Arpit Jain (Chief…

The School of Law, UPES is proud to host a special alumni panel ‘Purani Jeans’ bringing together cherished…

We’re proud to announce that Krishnakant Dwivedi, a student of B. Com.

Empowering the Future, One Placement at a Time

We proudly celebrate Vihaan Pathak, student of B. Com LL.B.

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding achievement of Ms. Anushtha Srivastava, a distinguished alumna…

Heartiest Congratulations to Aditi Sharma - B.A.

All sources