will solar indeed be a significant energy technology?

I am working in INDIA's No.1 Solar cell producer that is IndoSolar Limited and my company has so much orders in upcoming years so we cann't say that solar energy is not for everyone.

Before 5 to 10 years efficieny of solar cell was 10 to 12.5% only but now the best efficiency actually achieved is about 25 percent. To do better, researchers and manufacturers are doing their best.

So,if Solar energy is not a booming field than why everyone involve in it why they are doing their best to improve its efficiency.

You can visit a site which can tell you about every new thing in solar field.

www.solarpv.tv

Thanks

remember i gave an idea about solar wurz, and in developing country like india the uprising of industries causing a lot of contamination to our environment leading to global warming. some industries release biotoxic chemical effluents which are highly contageous to us, so we can make these chemical effluents to evaporate by help of solar enregy as a result our rivers will not be polluted. in this way we can protect several aquatic lives mostly endangered species 

Solar is the perfect solution for free energy.

T

Yes. I fully agree with you. Government should accelerate all the programs related to solar power before it becomes too late. Instead of setting up or planning to set up large pwer plants which involves huge capital, Governemtn should try micro generation units like individual house or a colony and use the roof tops for setting up panels.

Yes I do agree and its really right time when all need to do deep thinking for this.

Day by day things are going out of our hand  so on global warming will keep on increasing then day is not far way when we will be face the music of nature.

Solar energy will help a lot to reduce the pollution level and it is again a renewable resource, so it  grate that we are nothing going to lose by the making use of it, it is but obvious that initial cost of such power houses  will be costly but once we implement the thing then we will do a lot favors to nature as well as to our society and running cost of same will be lesser  then the present systems.

Running cost indicate the resource cost and man power required to run the plant.

Presently is any thing is fruitful to nature then  it should be taken in most priority level.

Jaipur  city is having good plan and instruction  as they are making is compulsory in city.

Its really a grate step and I personally appreciate the move.

Renewable energies like solar energy is the future of power. It is free to get and will never become extict (Till earth is there). The only thing needed is to prepre proper machinary whi can use solar power for common use.

Hi,

I think we are reaching closer for mass level implementation of solar technology. Just read this blog post

Hi,

I think we are reaching closer to mass level implementation on the solar technology. Just read this

http://earthalternate.blogspot.com/2009/09/solar-cells-to-be-printed-like.html

Regards

Praveen

Solar Energy is indeed the future for a contry like India.

I deeply believe that in tough economic environment green energy is the way to go.

If demand supply gap for electricity has to be narrowed down, the solar energy could provide fast and big push to capacity addition in our country.90% of investments in renewable energy field has come from private sector.So this is a big opportunity.Efficient technologies are available for solar.So why not adopt them and implement them!! Of course, this would mean an all out support from government in form of policy and tax incentives.If thermal power plants and UMPP's are favourites with government why not solar power plant.Government has done its bit by introducing solar incentive scheme,but this is not enough.National Action Plan On Climate Change and other concrete action plans have to be developed if solar revolution is to take place in India.Geographically,Indian is well placed to harness the full potential of solar energy.big players have to play key role in R&D for solar technologies like Reliance and Moser Baer have done.

Hi,

Well, as we all know that India lies in the sunny belt of the world. India receives solar energy equivalent to over 5,000 trillion kWh (kilo watt hours) per year. The daily average solar energy incident varies from 4-7 kWh per square meter depending upon the location. The annual average global solar radiation on horizontal surface, incident over India, is about 5.5 kWh per square meter per day. There are about 300 clear sunny days in most parts of the country. The highest annual radiation is received in Ladakh, western Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat, while the north-eastern region of the country receives relatively lower annual radiation.

Two routes to harmess Solar Energy :

1. solar photovoltaic

    -direct conversion to electricity

2. solar thermal

   - conversion to heat energy

(1/3)

1. SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PROGRAMME

 India receives high solar radiations over most parts of the country. Therefore, the country has very high potential for utilizing solar energy through solar photovoltaic systems, which directly covert sunlight in to electricity. Solar photovoltaic systems are becoming increasingly  ttractive source for decentralized electricity generation, especially in remote and energy deficient areas for meeting the essential  equirements such as lighting, water pumping, powering primary health centers, community centers, schools and other similar requirements. Solar photovoltaic systems are most reliable power source for unmanned applications such as T.V. transmitters, battery charging etc. In order to encourage megawatt size grid power generation in the country during 2007-08 the Ministry has announced a new emonstration programme under which generation based incentive is provided to project developers, who set up solar power plants under 'build' own and operate basis, on fulfillment of the guidelines issued by the Ministry in this regard. More than 130 industries are involved in the manufacturing of SPV systems and above 21 industries are involved in the production of PV modules. During the year 2007-08, solar photovoltaic modules of about 80 MWp have been produced; out of which 55 MWp have been exported. So far more than 1.5 million SPV systems are powering a variety of applications in the country. The cumulative production of photovoltaic modules in the country as on 31st March, 2008 was more than 460 MW of which 325 MW was exported to Europe, USA and various other countries.

 Under the Solar Photovoltaic Programme, about 6.70 lakh Solar Lanterns, 4.03 lakh Solar Home Lighting Systems, 70,500 Solar Street Lighting Systems, 7148 Solar Water Pumping systems, Stand alone Power Plants of cumulative capacity 2.2 MW and Grid Interactive Power Plants cumulative to 2.2 MW have been installed in the country till March, 2008. In addition to the above, 3985 remote village and 1142 hamlets have also been electrified using solar photovoltaic systems.

(2/3)

2. SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY PROGRAMME

Solar thermal devices are being utilised for water heating, space heating, cooking,drying and can be utilised for space heating, water desalination, industrial process heat, steam generation for industrial and power generation applications, operation of refrigeration systems, etc. Low-grade solar thermal devices (for temperature range 100-300 degree C) like solar water heaters, air heaters, solar-cookers, solar dryers, etc., have been developed and deployed in the country. Solar water heaters of capacity ranging from 50 litre per day to 20,000 litre per day for domestic, commercial and industrial applications have been installed in the country. Over 2.3 million  sq m. of collector area has so far been installed in domestic, industrial and commercial sectors. The manufacturing base of water heaters is now well established in the country with 62 BIS approved manufacturers of Flat plate Collector based solar water heating system and 44 MNRE approved suppliers of Evacuated Tube Collector based system. Around 6.34 lakh solar cookers were also deployed. Solar concentrating collectors were installed for generating steam and the world’s largest solar steam cooking system for cooking food for 15,000 people per day was installed at Tirumala, in Andhra Pradesh. Dish Solar Cookers were also romoted in the villages, which are electrified or to be electrified with conventional grid for faster outdoor cooking for about 10 people. Efforts are also on to make use of solar passive architecture principles to reduce energy consumption and improve comfort conditions in buildings. Solar air heating systems have also been deployed for drying  of agricultural and industrial products which has helped in saving a substantial amount of conventional fuels.

Hope this information is good enough.

Regards,

Vijay

(3/3)

Hi All,

I have seen the post of all the poster but I would prefer to support the solar technology with the conditions:

1. The current set of solar panel available in market are not suitable or economical viable. The current set of panel can grab the energy from the sun light i.e. are effective only 8-9 hrs in day. This increases the burden on the backup battery. In recent development there are panels which can grab the energy from Ultravoilet and Infrared rays of sun. So virtually these panels are effective for around 14-16 hours in a day. So we should adopt these panels only.

2. The battries are huge recurring cost in solar technology. In current setup the life of battery is expected around 3-5 years. So this increases the overall operating cost. I support the solar technology with latest technology in field of batteries i.e. desulphater unit (to increase the life of battery by around 2 times) and radiant chargers (to bring the life into a dead battery).

Hey I am not jocking, that is fact that with the above two technologies the solar technology will become viable and cost effective. These technology exist and currently I am working on the circuit, which can bring the life into dead battery. The initial test are encouraging as we could energize a dead battery (zero volt) to some charge (11.56 volts).

So my support is with the above condition else the current technology is not worth implementing.

Regards

Praveen varma
0,9324289504
pvar06@yahoo.com

www.fuelsavedevices.com

yes solar will indeed be the next significant energy.....as Shyne has given a very good link regarding this, this will help reduce the carbon footprint of the nation, so yes it helps as solar is the most abundant energy that is available freely, and one needs to capitalize on this....

an additional news piece

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/557315-abu-dhabi-plugs-first-solar-plant-into-grid

I feel Solar energy shall be widely used within a decade. Effective generation, storage, cost factor etc were pulling back the application. But with the advancement in technology & wider application of sustainability principles these factors r being overtaken. Below are some advancements which I've come across-

solar powered decorative landscape lighting with LED bulbs- single unit as small as 10X10X10cm cube with solar panel & light fixture- no wiring, can fix anywhere.

State owned large solar farms where you can take your batteries n recharge- useful 4 Industrial applications.

A technology in which solar power is used 2 desalinate sea water by boiling, and also use the steam thus generated.

Each geographical area will find its own best ways to tap the solar energy. Even if it won't offset conventional energy sources, it can take the burden off to a much greater extent.

Yes solar energy though it has it's own limitations but still a better option, readily available with one time investment, non polluting and most economical available almost threoughout year except few months of monsoon. but if supported with additional R&D it may work throughout year. Professionals in this field need to tap this resources and help the contry to save all the exhausting natural resources.

Solar power will be successful for the following reasons:

1) Fossil fuels are not getting cheaper but solar fuel is free

2) Solar power equipment costs are coming down with increasing volumes.

3) Large capacity (50 MWe) solar power plants are a reality. Today, in the world, people are talking about setting up 500 MWe solar power plants in phases using solar Thermal.

4) Relatively faster installation periods. A parabolic trough plant (of 50 MWe capacity) can be up and operating in 2 years.

5) Storage solutions are available for heat storage upto 6 hours after sunset

6) Solar power is ideally suited for the "Hydrogen Economy". 

7) India should invest NOW in Solar Thermal power development, when the technology is just in the development stage the world over. Else India will be a perrennial "Borrower of Technology". It is NOW or NEVER. 

8) It is not correct to talk about "First Cost". Instead we should compare the "Levellised cost" and also consider the "Future Cost" of Fossil fuels before coming to any judgement about the cost effectiveness of solar fuel.

9) It is widely expected that by 2018, some sort of a cost parity between solar and coal will be achieved at least in the western world.

10) It is such a shame that when the power demand is the highest in the summer months when solar power production could be at its peak.

Yes, using technology to harness solar energy is the safest and most effective source of power.  We also cannot forget that the technology around this source of energy is not at its best and harnessing such energy to maximize usefulness is still at large lacking.

It would require a bit of innovation to be able to use this energy at full-scale.  Right now, this energy source is only considered as an alternative.  However, that does not take away the credit of this being one of the best energy sources - safe, non-polluting, natural, etc.

Definitely solar energy is the energy that will extensively be used in the future.But one hurdle is that it will be difficult to implement this technology in every home because of its expensive nature.

Definitely Solar energy is the energy which needs to be developed for future needs.It will surely be used in the future given its various advantages but one hurdle can be its

Yes solar energy is the best renewable source of energy as said by Narasihma ji.There are more pros of solar energy than cons and some of them are Greatly reduced pollution,Infinite energy resource,Reduced maintenance costs,Health and safety benefits.

Above are some of the positives of solar energy and i believe that if we can make use of it then most of the energy problem in our country will get solved.

Do you agree?

Mr.Pratik i definitely agree with you that we should utilise solar energy as the alternative source of energy because at some point in the future we may not be having current forms of energy such as nuclear or oil energy etc.And i am sure that if we start to harness this solar energy then it will solve the power crisis of india in a big way.

So yes solar energy is a very good option for us to utilise and we should definitely make use of it.

what do you say?

yes ofcourse its a definately true........but emmense experiments and projects are goin on for the better use of this energy which is free of cost....

you are wrong buddy.....solar energy installations are not limited to urbans but they now been used in rural sectors and that rual area is declared as model village.....

its most promising thing to be implemented as there are emmense long term benefits......

Yes, it will. Since here in INDIA we experience long days of sunny weather, its a viable option to set up / generate electricity using solar technology / energy.

Installation of solar energy system is a high cost for countries like India but in long run it will become cheaper,

We can expect huge number of industries to go for solar energy and I hope this shall improve the standard of living f the population.

Hope for best always. :)

I fully agree with you anup,In the past decade, solar energy has attracted significant attention from investors, policymakers and the public generally because it is widely available, geopolitically secure and environmentally sustainable. Indeed, solar energy does not create greenhouse gases as a byproduct of generating electricity. Not surprisingly, it is widely considered among the most compelling solutions available for the world's need for clean, abundant sources of energy. Skeptics need only consider the $7.5 billion solar-energy industry - still growing at a rate of more than 30% every year — to appreciate the growing popularity of solar energy in mainstream electricity markets. Still, in 2001, solar electricity provided less than 0.1% of the world's electricity.

I am of strong conviction that  solar  engery will rule is here to stay and will be most popular. Apart from the advantages of  its free availability, no pollution etc ., there  is nil maintenance. However  the prohibitive cost and non availability of appropriate cost effective  technology, huge  requirements   and  high cost of land makes the cost  of  generation very high. Further the reluctance  of Financial Institutions  to fund solar energy projects makes it more  difficult  for the investmentment to flow in this  segment

Yes, in our country we have large possibility of installation of solar power plants but it need hard determenation of Govt. and industrialists. Because it will need large funds and technical peoples for its functions. We have not planned yet and we are waiting for usa who will implement it and we follow it as usual.Yet we are in primary stage of metering of energy we are not updated yet. Though as said the need is mother of invention, i hope the someone will take a step ahead as already mention in Rajasthan same project is going to develop but simulteniously with this solar thermal generation power plant may be possible as the percentage of heat is more in this area. 

If America can do why cant we. America is not doing of themselves they are just getting it done from us. We are just doing the whole thing for others(MONEY). We are just behind proving THERE IS ALWAYS DARK UNDER THE LAMP. Dont just remain a lamp fire up like a sun there wont be dark anywhere

Very few people know about Solar Energy. People are hardly aware that electricity can be generated not just from Photovoltaic panels, but there are other technologies often referred as SOLAR THERMAL POWER. There are at least 4 technologies - Solar Parabolic Trough, Solar Stirling Engine, Solar Tower and Solar Chimney. Except for Solar Chimney, all the other technologies are well proven. Indeed, 50 MWe Solar Thermal plants based on Parabolic Trough are the current rage in US, Spain, Germany and Israel. There is even a Gulf initiative - MASDAR Initiative which is actively pursuing this technology. It is a common misconception that solar energy cannot be stored. Today, plants are being designed for storage using molten salts for storage.

"Coal is a necessity. Solar is an opportunity"

Today is the right time for India to invest in Solar Energy. It is a crime not to use Solar Energy, which is perhaps the only long term solution to energy security.

Why not use solar energy for Hydrogen fuel production? It was not long ago that Mr. Ratan Tata called for development of Hydrogen Economy.

Truly, Solar Energy holds the key to a vibrant future. Will the babus in the Government wake up and give importance to Research in this country. It is sad that IIM graduates are better paid than a R&D scientist or Technologist.

S.Chandrasekhar

Manager- L&T-MHI Boilers Pvt Ltd

Faridabad

yes the solor energy is the best renewable energy,

Thanks a lot for the information and detailed project description ... It will be interesting to see the future development and this is what is required to be done;

There may be many sceptics, but what is needed is concerted efforts and people's as well as Government's joint cooperation with the will to take it forward and applying some 'Applied Imagination - Lateral Thinking' to solve the teething / practical problems on the way and seeing the light @ the end of the tunnel

Thanks and Best Regards

A .....

Solar is cleanest source of power but still to work on the technology to make it more commercial and affordable.

Also govt has to push and give subsidies to promote the usage.

Lot of practical research work needs to be done to make it more economically viable and already it is being done in US and other western countries;

Also in India TERI (Dr Pachuri) is doing pioneering work but it needs to be supported by people's interest and strong intention to use and along the way, the maintenance hassles need to be overcome ...!

yes... people's initiative plays vital role here...

no doubt its running cost will be minimal(as source of enery will free)... but initial cost will be an issue... because here as we know even making of a flyover takes decades which increases the setup cost propostrous...

still though right now solar energy seems execellent option... & who abt future, we may come up with something new, which may be much better & more effective.. i mean u never know... but am very positive about it.

Yes, there are many advantages of Solar Energy

Here are some examples of what it has over oil, the world's current number one energy source:

•Solar energy is a renewable resource. Although it cannot be utilized at night or on cloudy days, its availability may be generally relied upon day after day. The solar energy supply will last as long as the sun.

•Oil, on the other hand, is not renewable. It takes millions of years to form. Currently, oil reserves are being depleted at a rate much quicker than more would take to develop.

•Solar energy is non-polluting. Of all the advantages of solar energy over oil, this is perhaps the most important. The burning of oil releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air. In addition to this, the process of obtaining it may result in damaged ecosystems through dredging or spills.

•Solar cells are long-lasting and require very little maintenance

• Although solar panels and their accessories (solar lights, etc.) may be expensive to buy at the onset, money is saved in the long run. This is because energy from the sun is widely available and free. Today rising( say, fluctuating)  oil prices are a major frustration on many government as well as individual levels.

•Solar powered lights and other solar powered products are very easy to install. This is because there are few wiring issues and little need to ever dig supporting trenches.

The many advantages of solar energy range from benefiting your pocketbook to benefiting the environment. In contrast, few features could be considered disadvantages. These include the current costliness of solar cells, as well as the fact that solar power cannot be created at night or on darkened days (though it can be stored during brighter times.)

Still, the advantages of solar energy far outweigh the disadvantages. In addition to this, the disadvantages are sure to be overcome as technology improves.

(source: http://www.solarhome.org/infoadvantagesofsolarenergy.html)

Sun is one of the foremost energy resource. It is based in every object we see or use in our daily life, but only in different forms. Our primary aim would be to harness that energy and transform it to other usable forms of energy. This will not be that easy at the initial point but may become very useful in some recent future when the oil resources and nuclear resources come to an end. At that time we don't have to stop the progress for the lack of energy source.

I do agree with the argument. Solar energy is indeed the next step to meet the electricity requirements. In fact Windmill technology is also good but won't be that effective in India. Solar energy is clean, free and easy to use.

And regarding what some people have commented that people in US can do anything they want. Its not about the country, its about the people. Here also we can do anything for the betterment. Its very easy to sit there and pass such comments, that other countries have superior technology. FYI.. its Indians there who are helping them develop all those. Regarding Solar Power, i am in Bangalore and i see it being used here. People have Solar Photo-Voltaic cell panels at the top of their homes to heat water from the power generated.

We can also do it and are already doing it. The only thing is mass usage of the Solar power technology. That will drastically reduce the initial cost involved as well as save our Carbon Fuels which anyways will be exhautsed in the next 100 years. But Solar energy is something that is there for another 1 million years till the Sun becomes a 'Red Star'.

In fact some engineering guys of a college here in India had built a prototype Solar powered car for their project.

I do agree with the argument. Solar energy is indeed the next step to meet the electricity requirements. In fact Windmill technology is also good but won't be that effective in India. Solar energy is clean, free and easy to use.

And regarding what some people have commented that people in US can do anything they want. Its not about the country, its about the people. Here also we can do anything for the betterment. Its very easy to sit there and pass such comments, that other countries have superior technology. FYI.. its Indians there who are helping them develop all those. Regarding Solar Power, i am in Bangalore and i see it being used here. People have Solar Photo-Voltaic cell panels at the top of their homes to heat water from the power generated.

We can also do it and are already doing it. The only thing is mass usage of the Solar power technology. That will drastically reduce the initial cost involved as well as save our Carbon Fuels which anyways will be exhautsed in the next 100 years. But Solar energy is something that is there for another 1 million years till the Sun becomes a 'Red Star'.

In fact some engineering guys of a college here in India had built a prototype Solar powered car for their project.

I dont agree with your argument that that your friend in USA can do anything in this space. My dera friend, we think because we care for money also we does not have spare money to put into the technology, which is yet to stablize.

With regards to the solar power, Yes it has got potential to provide us renewable energy but many issues like low cost solutions, maintenance free, longer life of battery, increased service timing etc needs to resolved. Today the cost of solar installation is 3-4 lacs per KW with huge maintenance and recurring expenses. If you compare it with the grid based supply then you will find Solar is not a cost effective solution. I think if the people are thinking then they are thinking wisely.

Praveen

Since Solar energy is abundant, in the areas where light is maximum, we may use it for application s like water heating, lighting, ,Domestic appliance like TV gadget, and all those low current utilities. This way power requirement of the nation can be saved for other greater purposes like running Train on electricity. Moreover solar energy is pollution free, if we go for this energy in areas like vehicles running on solar powered battery, environment will be safer to some extent. Petrol, Diesel and the like fuels will not last for more than 50 years to come. So we must think ahead to deal with situation without oil and gas.

Since Solar energy is abundant, in the areas where light is maximum, we may use it for application s like water heating, lighting, ,Domestic appliance like TV gadget, and all those low current utilities. This way power requirement of the nation can be saved for other greater purposes like running Train on electricity. Moreover solar energy is pollution free, if we go for this energy in areas like vehicles running on solar powered battery, environment will be safer to some extent. Petrol, Diesel and the like fuels will not last for more than 50 years to come. So we must think ahead to deal with situation without oil and gas.