The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Solar energy use "will help to save power"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Sep 16, 2006
ePaper

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Solar energy use "will help to save power"

Staff Reporter

Hotels and hospitals could use it

CHENNAI: The use of solar energy and biogas in hospitals and hotels can help save considerable amount of electricity, according to V. Subramanian, Secretary, Union Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources.

At a seminar, Mr. Subramanian said that last year renewable energy applications contributed 19 billion kilowatts of energy to the power grids around the country.

Dilip Nigam, Principal Scientific Officer of Urban, Industrial and Commercial Applications Group of the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources, said the use of non-conventional energy in 1 per cent of land area, with the equipment conversion efficiency of 2 per cent, would provide 6 lakh megawatts.

Hotels and hospitals could use solar energy for a wide range of applications, including heating, drying and power generation. A solar heating system could replace a two-kilowatt electric geyser and would help to save 1,500 units of electricity a year. The solar heating system would pay for itself in two years.

A solar air heating system installed over 100 square meters could save more than 1 lakh litres of diesel over 15-20 years, depending on the use.

Through 25 banks, the ministry was offering low-interest loans to individuals and industries wanting to purchase solar energy systems, he said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu