Instances Where Solar has been a Game Changer.

Solar power has been gaining popularity around the world as a source of energy that can be used as substitute to conventional sources like petroleum and coal in order to power our houses and local amenities. But there is still a lot of suspicion among the Indian consumers about its practicality and dependence & you can't be blamed at all because up till now solar power has been making its way into the households in isolation and there is no proper community and government collaboration to consolidate it as chief alternative power option. But Erigeron Energy as an Solar Energy procurement Company(EPC) feels it has to instil belief among the Indian Consumers especially with all the pollution and energy crisis incident going on in the National capital, where we are currently operational. Thus we will discuss about different places around the world who have been hugely benefited by robust solar power structure.  

Japan: Solar power in Japan has been spreading its roots since the late 1990s. The country is one of leading manufacturer of photovoltaic's (PV) and a large installer of domestic PV systems with most of them grid connected. With most of them being Grid connected every family is involved in a small scale business of selling power while generating power for themselves too. Japan is world's fourth largest power consumer in the world and its solar power installation is sufficient to provide for 5% of its total power needs. You might think 5% is not a big deal but think of its land area and you will rise to applaud the kind of revolution they have brought in to support their stand of a "Greener World", especially after the Fukushima in 2011. The Japanese Government has made target to reach 53MW solar PV electricity production by 2030 and are well in line to achieve it as they have already achieved 20MW by 2015.

Germany: Germany is the world's leader of photovoltaic capacity since 2005. The overall capacity has reached 36 gigawatts (GW) by February 2014. Photovoltaics contribute almost 6% to the national electricity demands. But is this so Spectacular as to be mentioned in the list of game changer? The answer is 'yes' it is simply because of its land mass and the climatic conditions in Germany. It's amazing how in the period from 2012-2014 more than 23 GW installation was done. This is the kind of aggressive approach  needed by country like ours to curb emission problems resulting in sharply deteriorating environment and to meet rising power demands.

United States: Solar power in the United States includes utility-scale solar power plants as well as local distributed generation, mostly from rooftop photovoltaics.

The United states started late with its Solar policy but the work they have done in past 2 years with the encouragement from Obama Administration is admirable. They have already clocked 27 GW in solar power production and are one of the countries that has prepared and started implementation of solar dependent energy management systems. The advantage that USA has is very identical to India because of the land mass similarity and availability of sunlight in abundance in most places. They have set a target of clocking 100 MW by 2021 and they are well in track with their proactive policies.

Written by Suresh Kumar

About the Author : Suresh Kumar is blogger by hobby and Managing Director at Erigeron Energy Private Limited by profession. He has a deep interest in exploring renewable energy opportunities and a perfect solutions for the same.  

Community solar : Answer to woes of power and pollution menace in Indian Cities.

Solar technology was originally developed to power satellites circling in the space orbit but soon due to rising carbon emissions, resulting in global warming and health hazards accompanied by power crisis around the world, scientists and engineers started research and development at a large scale that made solar power available for domestic and industrial use at commercial scale. But despite all scientific advancement there are roadblocks which has made it very difficult to be adopted by households. Does that means that this article is all about conceding to what cannot be done?

The answer is loud and clear and it's a big "NO". Solar power can still be harnessed and used in every possible way and application and it can only be done with the participation of each one of us in a well thought, planned and researched method of "Community Solar". One its model -mega watt solutions is already being adopted in India, but today we will get know about a more inclusive and revolutionary model and we bet it's magical how a source of energy which is free of cost, abundantly available and is perpetual, can power our home, office, schools, Hospitals, Community centres and anything you can think off.  So let's know what is community solar, how it works, what are its advantages, Is it practical for you?

As the solar energy market rapidly expands, more and more people are exploring the possibility of going solar, and the surprising part is that this phenomenon is hegemonies both in rural and urban areas. While it's not possible for everyone to install panels on their roofs, due to unsuitable roof space, rented living space or living in a large condo building, alternative business models like community solar and shared solar are gaining popularity and increasing possibilities to access clean solar energy. 

In Figure 1:( community group Purchasing)- You can see various families living in a community, purchase solar in bulk and uses and shares each other's space in order to get the best orientation and energy output.

In Figure 1:( Offsite shared Solar)- In this approach a suitable site away from the living community is used after consultation with experts, the site can either be purchased or leased. Usually there is government subsidies on purchase or lease of lands if it's being used for domestic purposes by a community. An array of solar panel is installed at this site and the power generated is used by the community which contributed in its establishment, The excess power can even be sold back to the grid and standard rates through net metering.

In Figure 1: ( multi unit building) - multiple people living in a building with just one terrace, like in apartments can invest in contribution and reap the benefits as a family.

In Figure 1: ( community Driven Financial model) - It is similar to offsite shared solar except for, in this case you take external investors and donations instead of investing from your often coffers, this model can be used by families short on liquid funds.

Community solar business models increase deployment of solar technology in communities, making it possible for people to invest in solar together. Shared solar falls under the umbrella of community solar, allowing multiple participants benefit directly from the energy produced by one solar array. Shared solar participants typically benefit by owning or leasing a portion of a system, or by purchasing kilowatt-hour blocks of renewable energy generation.

This might not sound magical to you as you see it in isolation but the kind of impact this model can have with proper government and public partnership is immense and we need to think of this kind of adoption, especially after the Level of air pollution seen in Delhi and other metros in recent times. The following picture will broaden your imagination and justify our point as even the buildings can be made of materials generating power through solar technology and although its expensive right now, price can be brought down significantly by mass adoption.

BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES

By aggregating customer demand, shared solar programs and organizations like can reduce the financial and technical barriers to going solar. Instead of acting alone to purchase panels and hiring professionals to complete individual site assessments, shared solar programs divide those costs among all of the participants. This also makes it easier for participants to buy in at a level that works best for their budgets. Sitting flexibility is also beneficial to participants. Since shared solar arrays can be located on or off site thanks to virtual net metering, it allows for strategic placement on sites such as commercial rooftops, marshlands, and municipal land, which can optimize grid operations and aid local economic development.

The red tapes created by paperwork and government scrutiny makes it a challenge  but with proper marketing messages and help of agencies like ours you just have to show the motive, while we work tirelessly to make your dream of clean energy a reality by handling paperwork, assessment, presenting proposals, installation and maintenance. 

Written by Suresh Kumar

About the Author : Suresh Kumar is blogger by hobby and Managing Director at Erigeron Energy Private Limited by profession. He has a deep interest in exploring renewable energy opportunities and a perfect solutions for the same.  

Over 1,900 parties in India, 400 never fought polls: EC

`They Could Be Conduits For Black Money'

Politics seems to be ingrained in Indians as the country has the largest number of political parties in the world, over 1,900 according to chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi, but over 400 of them have never contested any election.

Zaidi suspected that these could be conduits for turning black money into white.

However, the Election Commission (EC) has started an exercise to strike off such parties from its list. “Striking off their names will disentitle them from income tax exemptions on contributions and donations,“ Zaidi said. Asked why the EC was not deregistering them, the CEC said deregistration was a long-drawn process.“Eventually, we may have to do that, but this is the immediate action taken by the EC on finding the anomaly,“ he said. The EC has asked state CECs to send it a comprehensive report of lists of registered parties which have never contested an election and also the contributions received by them, Zaidi said. He said that from now on, it would be an annual exercise to prune the list of registered parties.

More than 20 nations join India-led International Solar Alliance

The International Solar Alliance (ISA), brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, moved to the next level with more than 20 countries, including India, France and Brazil, inking its framework agreement on Tuesday on the first day it was opened for signature on the sidelines of the UN climate conference (COP22) here on Tuesday .

More countries are expected to join it formally in coming weeks. The ISA -a collective voice of sunshine rich nations --will enter into force when in the next step 15 countries ratify it after completing their respective domestic processes. It will help these countries bargain as a group for get ting access to low cost finance and technology to boost solar energy. 

The ISA was launched at the UN climate change conference in Paris on November 30 last year by Modi and French President Francois Hollande after the former had given a call to all solar rich countries to form a coalition to specifically address energy needs by tapping the power of the sun.This alliance provides a platform for 121 prospective member countries to collaborate and address the identified gaps through a common agreed approach.

Welcoming the countries move to sign the ISA framework agreement, within 11 months of its launch, India's environment minister Anil Madhav Dave said, “The ISA activities have increased significantly and many initiatives are under implementation. With legal framework in place, the alliance will be a major international body, headquartered in India.“

News Source : TOI | 16Nov2016| Wednesday

Solar vs. other Renewable Energy Sources

The world has been growing increasingly energy hungry due to host of reasons  like advancement in consumer electronics and smart lifestyle utilising monstrous amount of energy. while we consider all these as a boon to the society, the  majority of the world's current energy supply is still generated from fossil fuels such as oil ,coal and natural gas. These traditional energy sources pose a number of challenges including rising prices, Financial security concerns over ultra dependence on imports from a limited number of fossil rich countries, and ever growing environmental concerns over the green house effect causing adverse climate associated with power generation using fossil fuels. 

The cumulative effect of these and other challenges of using traditional energy sources, consumers, businesses and governments are increasingly supporting the development of alternative and renewable and non-polluting energy sources and new technologies for power generation.

Potential alternatives such as such as solar, wind power, hydroelectric biomass and geothermal have emerged in order to address some of these concerns. But the question here is which one is best suited to us and in what proportion should all these alternative energy sources be developed to reap maximum benefits ?

The two main choices for renewable energy are wind and solar if we consider an off grid or grid connect power system. 

So which is best suited for you?  wind or solar ? 

It really depends on your energy requirements and geographical location. For most urban, suburban and rural areas and applications; solar power is usually the best choice. 

Before discussing the reasons behind the superiority of solar power over all other renewable energy sources lets use an informatics to establish that the best way forward is SOLAR.

The single most dominating factor behind solar's superiority is it abundance. Figure 1: clearly illustrates that solar energy has huge reserve that dwarfs all other energy sources including the fossils that is dominating currently and its perpetual too.

Following are some other reasons establishing solar energy superiority over all other sources:

Reduced Dependence on Fossil Fuels.    Solar energy power production is free from fossil fuel requirement and is therefore less dependent on this limited and increasingly expensive natural resource. Although the solar radiation is variable in amount and timing throughout  the day, season and year, a properly configured  and sized solar system can be designed to be highly reliable while providing fixed price electricity supply for long term.

Environmental Advantages.    Solar technology using Photo Voltaic arrays generates electricity with a very less impact on the environment as compared to other forms of electric power production. 

The first and the second points are perfectly illustrated by Figure 2.

Modularity and Scalability.    The size and the power generating capacity of a photo voltaic (PV) solar system are a function of the number of solar panels installed, thus applications of solar technology are readily scalable and versatile.

Flexible Locations.    Solar electricity production facilities can be installed at the customer site which lowers the required capital investments in production and transportation infrastructure.

Other reasons to choose solar over other energy sources are:

• Is totally silent in operation
• installation is quick with less cable requirement
• Is less susceptible to lightning damage
• Has no moving parts
• Highly reliable and a 25 year warranty
• less susceptible to high wind damage.
• Requires less space in most cases as the panels can be installed on a roof.

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Written By : Suresh Kumar

About the Author : Suresh Kumar is blogger by hobby and Managing Director at Erigeron Energy Private Limited by profession. He has a deep interest in exploring renewable energy opportunities and a perfect solutions for the same.  

Savings Through Solar

Nature has bestowed us with a tool to cut down inflation, let’s BE GRATEFUL AND REACH for Solar energy and technology.

Today the world is grappling with power crisis as the demand for power is rising sharply due to host of reasons like rapid urbanization, industrial growth and advancement in the fields of electronics and computer science that has given birth to plethora of smart devices like computer, television, smart phones, washing machines and countless other modern gadgets. As the need for more and more power aroused we started exploring multiple sources but sadly most of them are non-renewable and polluting like coal, nuclear plants and Petroleum. But as the global attention fell to the deteriorating environmental condition, we started exploring sustainable and non-polluting source of energy and thus the attention fell to the Ultimate source of Energy “The Sun”. Today solar energy is gaining popularity all over the world and is being extensively used in the form of solar water heater, solar inverter or solar power plants. But still the question for the middle class family stands lurking – Can I afford to Go solar? Is it Economically Viable? Will it add long term value? Is solar power reliable?

In this blog, we will discuss about how can we save money by cutting on our power bills and in some cases even earn profits?

Solar definitely helps you save on your electricity bills:

For sure- the biggest advantage of using solar energy is immediate electricity bill savings. No matter what is the size of your installation, you begin receiving smaller monthly bills from your local power company. But again the bigger question is how much can you save? As we live in a world where data analytics has left us spoilt with choices, Let’s try and make it more specific by understanding how the quantification of savings can be made.

The answer to “how much” depends on the following two factors:

Ø  Solar energy is a modular technology, which means you can install as many or as few panels as you like and at any point of time. For every new kilowatt of installed solar capacity, bigger electricity bill savings can be made.  With a large enough installation, it’s possible to reduce your energy bill completely. Thanks to solar energy, many people in India already pay Rs.0/- a month to their local power board.

Ø  Whatever may be the size of your installation, you are assured to increase your electricity bill savings with time. As power rates increase, clean energy from the sun remains consistently free. Solar is an intelligent investment that pays increasingly large dividends with each passing day.

The cost of solar has come down tremendously due to mass manufacturing and technical advancements, accredited to growing market demand. As the power prices are on all time high and Environmental concern is the talk of the town this is the best time to turn to solar power as a secondary power source and try to exploit this freely available, zero maintenance source.

Written By : Vinay Sood 

About the Author : Mr. Vinay Sood is blogger by hobby and Director - operations at Erigeron Energy Private Limited by profession. He has a deep interest in exploring renewable energy opportunities and a perfect solutions for the same.  

Solar Inverters-- Their types and suitibality

One of the most important component of any Solar PV system apart from Solar Panel’s  is Solar Inverter. Inverter  converts the DC power generated by Solar panels to AC Power and make it suitable for use. To understand what type of inverter to use, we first need to understand the basic function of inverter and how it works.

Reference Voltage

 As the amount of sunlight falling on the panels varies during the day (due to clouds, etc.), the power output from the panels also varies. As this variation could damage equipment that is powered by solar, the inverter continuously matches the PV plant’s output to another source of steady power. Therefore a rooftop solar PV that generates AC power will always needs another source of power (whether the grid or diesel generator or batteries) to provide a reference voltage in order to function. If the inverter is designed to use only grid power as a reference voltage, the plant will not generate power even if there is ample sunlight.

 Anti-islanding

When a power failure occurs, a portion of the grid isn’t energised. This non-energised portion of the grid is known as an island. If the solar plant is pumping electricity into this non-energised portion of the grid during a power failure, it might cause utility personnel who are working on the grid to be electrocuted. To eliminate this risk, the inverter in the solar power system turns off the power from the plant. (See related blog- Do rooftop solar plants generate power during power failure? )

Kinds of inverters

 As it is the inverter that determines whether the plant continues to function or not during a power cut, we need to only understand the different kinds of inverters to ensure we have a rooftop solar plant that generates electricity even during power cuts. There are basically 4 kinds of inverters. 

Grid-tied –

These inverters are primarily designed to supply the generated power to the grid and also power the load while grid power is available. This inverter will NOT generate power during a power failure because it uses only grid power as a reference voltage and cannot function in the absence of grid power.

Off-grid –

These inverters do not work with grid power and are designed to work only with a battery backup or diesel generator in off-grid applications. They are suitable for applications where grid power is not available at all, but are not the right choice if you need your solar plant to work in conjunction with grid supply.

Grid-interactive or Hybrid Inverters–

 

These inverters work both with the grid supply and with either a battery backup or diesel generator to support the load even during a power failure.

Hybrid inverters (also known as bidirectional inverters) are a one system solution for a complete solar PV system. They can automatically manage between 2 or more different sources of power (grid, diesel, solar). They have inbuilt charge controllers, MPPT controller, Anti Islanding solutions, DC and AC disconnects and other features like automatic turning on/off of the diesel generator, automatic data logging, and various kinds of protection for the different components of the system, making them ideally suited for applications that require management of power from different sources

Conclusion- It is therefore critical to understand the purpose the rooftop solar PV plant is to fulfil before selecting the inverter. As vendors use various terms to refer to different components we urge you to verify if the inverter will supply power during power failure by specifically discussing this issue with the vendor, rather than going by any label assigned to the product.

Why we should go SOLAR

Switching over to solar energy isn't an easy and cheap decision to make. It's a major decision which can affect the quality of life that you and your family will live for the rest of your time on earth. There are a number of things you need to know about solar power before you can arrive at a decision.

So to help you make the best decision for yourself and your family, here are six reasons more and more people have decided to go solar and why it would be wise for you to say yes, too.

6 Compelling Reasons You Should Go Solar
1. Solar power benefits the environment.
Thinking of how you can help Mother Nature? Going solar is one of the answers. When you go solar, you didn't only do yourself a favor but the environment as well. Since it's a clean source of energy, the pollution it creates is way lesser than other energy sources. It doesn't produce greenhouse gasses and other harmful emissions which hurt Mother Nature. Amazing, right?
2. Solar energy helps you save money.
It looks contradicting at first given the amount of money you have to shell out to have it installed (if you pay for it lump sum). But in the long run, using solar power will help you save more because of how cheap it can be (and because you don't pay for electricity). It's also a sound investment given that its value will be added to your home's property value.
3. Solar power helps you be independent of electricity.
You won't be in the mercy of utility providers. They can raise energy costs all they want but it you won't be affected at all. When there are blackouts, you'd still have power since you rely on solar energy, which is a renewable source. As long as the sun is up there, even during cloudy days, you're good.
4. Solar panels are easy and safe to install.
Aside from the fact that efficient solar panels have no moving parts making them durable, they're easy to install, too. They only need a number of bolts to hold them secured.
5. Solar energy can be used anytime of the day.
There's this myth that you can only use solar power when the sun is up there in the sky. However, the truth is most of the providers of solar energy will get you connected to the grid so you don't risk a power outage at night. Aside from that, if the solar panels you've picked have a battery backup system, you're able to store power that you can use in case of emergencies.
6. Solar energy is the future.
Going solar puts you ahead of the curve. Plus, there's nothing way cooler than powering your entire home using energy from the sun, right?
Deciding whether you'll add solar panels at home is like pondering about your very first home purchase. It requires careful thought and consideration but the benefits you'll reap are undeniable. Go solar today and see how it can transform your life for the better

Solar Energy- It's Pros & Cons.

As the name suggests, Solar energy is the energy from the sun. Solar panels use sunlight to produce electricity. These panels are generally mounted on the roof and angled to face the sun. Countries all around the globe  are using solar energy to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels and making it as a sizable share of their energy supply. Solar PV systems are being used in large numbers by roof owners to reduce their monthly electricity bills due to  less need of electricity from utility companies and this results in extra savings to them.

Solar energy has now become an incredibly important part of the world that we live in. However, there are a lot of things that we need to consider if we are going to include solar energy as part of our life.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at solar energy and its pros and cons so that one can make an intelligent & informed decision about whether or not this is the right choice for him and his family to consider when switching your energy resources.

Solar Energy- It’s Pros.

1. Clean Energy Source: First & foremost is that “Solar systems  do not pollute” ; the only pollution that occurs is during manufacture  of solar panels & its other accessories in industrial facilities & the transportation of the system components.. That means, once solar roof top system is  actually installed on your home, it is doing absolutely nothing negative to the atmosphere; & this is a huge difference from other forms of standard energy.

2. Renewable and Sustainable: Solar energy is a RENEWABLE source of energy which means we will not run out of it. Unlike fossil fuels, which will expire in another few decades, solar energy is never going to expire. We will continue to get solar energy as long as sun is there. Apart from being renewable, solar energy is sustainable. Sustainable simply means to be able to meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of the future generations. Sun is going to last for another 6.5 billion years,( according to NASA) and there is no way that we could over consume it!

3. Power Remote Areas: One of the most incredible benefits of solar energy is its capability to bridge in the  power gap  in remote areas that are not connected to a national electrical grid.  The establishment of solar panels in remote areas is substantially more financially viable than laying the high voltage wires that are necessary to provide these areas with electricity. Solar energy is & can  be extremely productive in an remote regions of the globe.

4. Can be Installed on Rooftops: Solar panels can be installed on any number of roofs, which wipes out the issue of trying to find enough space for solar panel arrangement. Since most of the roofs either on residences or on any factory or commercial buildings are not being used, installing Solar panels on them not only save you space, but it can also end up saving you a lot of money as well. Even though the initial cost of solar systems can be high, depending on how large they are and other factors (we will talk more about this in the “cons”), they give us a free supply of power, which means that they will eventually pay for themselves in the long run.

5. Reduce Electricity Bills: The utilization of solar energy to create power allows you and your family to be free of the limitations of fossil fuels that could negatively affect the power that your home is able to use on a regular basis. Moreover, homeowners can sell surplus electricity generated to utility companies to reduce their monthly electricity bill.

6. Availability: Sunlight is available throughout the world and can easily be harnessed by every  body. The only drawback is that it can only be used during daytime. It is estimated that the world’s oil reserves will last for about 50-60 years, whereas sunlight is available forever and can be utilized till the end of this planet.

7. Low Maintenance: Modern solar PV systems require less maintenance as they don’t involve any moving parts and typically  last for about 25 years. They require few meters of space for residential use and require cleaning a few times a month.

8. Silent: The creation of energy from the use of fossil fuels and other renewable energy sources (e.g. wind turbines) cant be incredibly noisy, but solar energy produces power quietly. This way, you won’t have to worry about adding noise  pollution to the area that you live in either, which will make it that much more pleasant for your family and those who live around you. They operate silently and are therefore favored by many people.

Cons of Solar Energy

1. Initial Cost: The most significant con of solar energy is how much it costs to install the solar panels on your home. Presently, costs of the best quality solar systems might be above Rs 75,000/- per KW, and a most families may require more than 1 KW.  An average family requirement would be  around 5-7 KW. This makes the starting cost of solar systems expensive.

2. Produce Power During Day: Solar energy is only capable of producing power during the daytime (when the sun is out). This implies that, for around half of the day, solar panels are not delivering energy for your home. The climate and weather patterns of your area can influence how well your solar panels work as well.

3. Solar Panels Effectiveness:  If there is already air pollution in your area, it could cause some problems for you. Pollution levels can influence solar panel’s effectiveness; this would be a significant con for organizations or industries that are looking to introduce solar panels in high pollution zones .

4. Large Area for Setup:

If you own a business that wants to use solar energy, another issue which   may come up is the large area required for higher capacity plants. You may not be able to fit them on the roof of your building, and you may need to have a large area of land to to set your panels in so that the right amount of power can be produced.

5. Expensive Storage: Solar power is also utilized to charge batteries for the home or business, so that during the evening and night  hours you will still have access to power. These batteries are heavy and large and expensive. You’ll need to find somewhere to store them, and you will have to replace them occasionally, which can add to the cost.