The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Solar cooker research centre likely at Tirupattur college

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Sunday, Aug 24, 2008
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Solar cooker research centre likely at Tirupattur college

Staff Reporter

Move to motivate people of 100 villages to use such cookers

TIRUPATTUR: A proposal is being worked out to set up a solar cooker research centre and an energy park at Sri Nandanam College of Engineering and Technology, Tirupattur, S. John, Senior Deputy Director and Scientist, Central Electro Chemical Research Institute, Karaikudi, said here on Saturday.

Addressing mediapersons on the college campus, he said the centre for solar cooker research at the college would help to create awareness of renewable source of energy. It would motivate people belonging to 100 surrounding villages to use solar cookers, which were environment-friendly.

Dr. John said the energy park at the college would be equipped with solar lights, solar drier, solar water heater, solar hot air and biogas materials. Both the energy park and the research centre would be set up soon.

Stating that in the future people would be forced to use solar hydrogen energy, Dr. John said that owing to space constraint it was difficult to use solar cooker in metropolitan cities. But, the concept could be easily introduced in villages. The cooker could be manufactured in the villages with available materials such as thermal insulation aluminium sheet. The minimum expenditure incurred on such a cooker would be Rs.300.

Dr. John said a workshop on fabrication of solar cooker was held at Nagapattinam. But, the concept was yet to reach the people. There was a need to create continuous awareness. A workshop was also being planned at Tirupattur.

Later, participating in a national symposium on ‘Energy Independence 2030,’ he said the energy demand met by fossil fuel led to release of toxic gases. As per statistics available, about 30 billion tonnes of toxic gases was released every year. The environment had been polluted to such an extent that it could not be reversed.

Dr. John said the only alternative available was renewable source of energy.

Nuclear energy would not be the best alternative and only solar energy would be the right choice. Students should tap solar energy for the betterment of mankind.

P.M.M. Nandagopal, college chairman, S. Thiaagarajan, principal, E. Vidyasagaran, senior scientist, also spoke. P. Ramesh, lecturer, welcomed the gathering and S. Srinivasa Rao Madane, vice-principal, proposed a vote of thanks.

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