The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : `Non-conventional sources can avert energy crisis on campus'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 04, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

`Non-conventional sources can avert energy crisis on campus'

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, JUNE 3 . There is need to increase awareness of the environmental and cost benefits of non-conventional energy sources among students, said P. Radhakrishna, Director, Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources.

A study by its regional office found that 265 educational institutes consumed almost 900 megawatts of power everyday. An institution, with an average of 1,500 - 3,000 students, consumes almost one megawatt everyday.

"In the long-run, these institutions will be facing an energy crisis. The price of energy will shoot up and become prohibitive," he told a press meet here.

However, almost 50 per cent of the energy needs of educational institutions could be met with non-conventional sources such as biomass, photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies, lowering their expenditure significantly.

One kg of domestic LPG, which generates 11,400 kcal of energy, costs Rs.18 a kg while a kg of commercial LPG costs twice as much. However, the same quantity of energy can be generated from three kg of waste wood for just Rs. 3.50. The Forest department was providing wood to the Ministry at that cost.

By switching to renewable sources, educational institutions could also avail themselves of subsidies and a 70 per cent depreciation, said Mr. Radhakrishna.

The Adhiparasakthi Charitable Medical and Educational Trust is planning to stop using all conventional sources of energy in its institutions within five years. As a first step, it will produce 500 kilowatts of power for captive consumption from biomass available on its agricultural farms.

The trust is also planning to integrate all hostels with solar water heating systems and a biomass thermal gasifier, said V. Arumugham, principal, Adhiparasakthi Polytechnic College.

Mr. Radhakrishna has appealed to the University Grants Commission and the All-India Council for Technical Education to consider renewable energy infrastructure as a basic equipment requirement while approving sections for modernisation of institutes with research and development facilities.

He urged engineering colleges to provide a basic course in non-conventional energy sources as part of the syllabus. "Most students come out of engineering colleges but have no idea of renewable energy," he said.

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