Solar energy - The current resourse for the brighter tomorrow

SOLAR ENERGY- TODAY'S RESOURCE FOR THE BRIGHTER TOMORROW

                                                                                                                                   Ramesh.S

Day by day the population is growing; the strong economic growth and emerging economies will lead to substantial increase in energy demand in the coming decades. Some estimates state that more than half of the energy used in the world since the start of the industrial revolution has occurred in only the past two decades. By 2050, global energy demand is expected to triple.

In the future, civilization will be forced to research and develop alternative energy sources. Our current rate of fossil fuel usage will lead to an energy crisis in this century. More than 86% of the energy is fulfilled presently by fossil fuels like Coal, Oil and gas. In order to survive the energy crisis, it is our moral duty to explore the new sustainable renewable energy resources. Many companies in the energy industry are inventing new ways to extract energy from renewable sources

 We therefore, we need to tap fresh sources of raw materials and open up regions with new resources. Supplying the world with electricity, heating, cooling systems poses a massive challenge and this has to be achieved with economically, ecologically and socially accepted manner. In short, it is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future.

 The three sustainability objectives- Categorized as 3A’s

Accessibility -to modern, current affordable energy for all;  

Availability in terms of continuity of supply, quality and reliability of service;

Acceptability in terms of social and environmental goals;

Identifying the most promising renewable energy sources is no easy task. Based on the 3A’s solar and wind has evolving as sustainable resources for the energy need for the future. Since wind has its own limitations, Solar has been most promising and seen tremendous growth in the past decade. The global installed capacity for solar photovoltaic (PV) has grown from a couple hundred megawatts to over 19 gigawatts over the past decade. Costs have come down considerably as the industry has matured. The cost of generating electricity from solar is becoming competitive with coal plants.

Use solar energy for brighter tomorrow

Solar energy will be most well-known in the form of photovoltaic solar panels but it is only one variety. There are mainly two groups of solar technologies, such as active and passive systems.

Active solar convert’s solar energy into heat in addition to electricity. Photovoltaic and concentrated solar energy are examples of active solar.

Passive solar design refers to the use of the sun’s energy for the heating and cooling of living spaces. In this approach, the building itself or some element of it takes advantage of natural energy characteristics in materials and air created by exposure to the sun. Passive solar is designed to the extent that it doesn’t have any other strength, it make by using the temperature variances. Solar architecture, natural roofs, and solar chimneys come under the category of passive solar.

Solar Energy Advantages

• The power source of the sun is absolutely free.
• The production of solar energy produces no pollution.
• The technological advancements in solar energy systems have made them extremely cost effective.
• Most systems do not require any maintenance during their lifespan, which means you never have to put money into them.
• Most systems have a life span of 25 years.
• Unlike traditional monstrous panel systems, many modern systems are sleeker such as Uni-Solar rolls that lay directly on the roof like regular roofing materials.
• Solar energy can be fed back to the utilities to eliminate the need for a storage system as well as eliminating or dramatically reducing your electric bills.
• Solar energy can be used in remote areas where it is too expensive to extend the electricity power grid. Solar energy systems can design for particular needs. Like Grid power, stand alone home lighting, Street lighting, Garden lighting, water heating, steam generation and other heating applications.
•  It is estimated that the world’s oil reserves will last for 30 to 40 years. On the other hand, solar energy is infinite (forever)

Is the India perfect place for Solar Energy?

·         High Solar Radiation all over the country

·          High population density all over the country and energy demand is spread across the country

·          Very high population (~412 million) still not on the electricity grid yet

·          Very high power  deficit amongst those on the grid (13% deficit) in the country

·          More number of villages (85,000) not on the grid, at least an equal number on- the- grid but electricity supply is very short