Foreign firms look to increase solar power presence in India

[Veeru]

1,000 MW Solar Project Initiative in Gujarat

The 1,000 MW Project Initiative

To further facilitate land allotment and development of solar projects, Charanaka, a village nestled in a remote corner of the Patan district in north Gujarat, was selected to develop the Solar Park in Gujarat. The cost of this initiative will be 80 billion (approx. €1.35 billion). It will be Asia's first such large-scale solar PV park. Daily average solar insolation is 5.9 kWh/m2. There will be two 440KV substations for power evacuation, with large, wide roads for the container-loaded trucks, as well as water, primary electricity, and land for residential buildings and material storage facilities. It is destined to become the State's solar power generation hub. It is expected that the basic facilities will be completed by January 2011.

Gujarat Power Corporation Limited (GPCL) will be the nodal agency overseeing the development. Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) is currently in the process of entering into a long-term PPA with 80 solar power project investors to commission almost 1,000 MW generation capacity. This capacity will help procure close to 1,700 million kWh of solar power.

Investorideas.com - Gujarat – The Emerging Solar Energy Capital of India

 

[somebozo]

still it wouldn't even help to power 1/5 of India...i guess.

The rajhistan dessert can generate 30,000 MW which is enough to feed india for very long time indeed.

 

[Veeru]

The rajhistan dessert can generate 30,000 MW which is enough to feed india for very long time indeed.

1.) Its Rajasthan not rajhistan.

2.) Due to India's economic rise, the demand for energy has grown at an average of 3.6% per annum over the past 30 years.

3.) In June 2010, the installed power generation capacity of India stood at 162,366 MW.

4.) The Indian government has set a modest target to add approximately 78,000 MW of installed generation capacity by 2012.

5.) The total demand for electricity in India is expected to cross 950,000 MW by 2030.

Forest about very long time 30,000 MW is not adequate for next 3-4 years.

 

[ajtr]

I think the biggest wind power generation farmhouse is already working in kanyakumari.

 

[jha]

There is no alternative to Nuke power plants..These Solar/Wind power plants can take care of the state where they are installed..We need to move towards localized production else shortage will be forever..

 

[Capt.Popeye]

since it requires lot of space, i guess wouldn't be too successful in India.

Not Really!
The model being commonly employed in Indian villages is one that utilises Solar Panels with CFL lamps for lighting. For example the village lamp-post has Solar Panels on top of the lamp-post, a storage battery unit built into the base and a CFL light source, how large would the foot-print of this contraption be?

Your ideas about this seem to be based on trying to run Refrigerators, Air-Conditioners, Vacuum cleaners and similar devices on Solar Panels. Does not work like that!

With some friends in the UK, we have funded and set up Solar Panel based lighting in a Madhya Pradesh village and it has worked very well. Now the intention is to replicate the model in some other villages.
My own project initiated in rural Maharashtra has been up and running for over a decade. And is fairly common in Maharashtra villages. In 2011, we intend to start a pilot project using LED lights to replace CFLs. Presently, supply of LED lighting in India is both sparse and expensive and the first batch was carried to India personally. But with time, these barriers are likely to be overcome. LED lighting is far more energy efficient and eco-friendly than CFLs- since disposal of used CFL lights is still an issue.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Why dont people find a way to put them on the sea?

Presently cost is the primary reason why structures have not been erected in the sea. However the technology for such systems is already in existence. In the North Sea off the coasts of Germany and Holland, there are many wind-farms operating in the sea.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Solar Energy needs much more investment than any other sources..

And for all who are saying that "our whole desert can be used for this purpose "..
A lot of different activities take place in our desert ( if you know what i mean )..No way Solar power plants can be erected in their neighborhood..

All this is basically premised on the idea that all appliances in a household or village can be made to run on solar panels. That can't be done-rather it can be done only at very great cost.
Solar panels can work very well to take up the load of lighting appliances only and quite affordably so. Especially if the lights are CFL or better still, LED based. Other motor driven appliances will put too large a load on the solar panels to sustain. And cost of installation will go up substantially. A cost effective solution is a combination of solar and wind powered generation for a household; i.e. a small wind generator combined with a few small solar panels. Personally, i am not a great believer in the mega solar and wind farm models for power generation.
Small can be beautiful and efficient too.

 

[BATMAN]

The current government has launched electrification of 7000+ villages in Sindh and Baluchistan by solar means...lets not be too carried away by mushy propaganda.

Launched?? Is govt. really going to give away solar power sets to 7000 villages?
What about those who do not live in those fictitious villages?
Govt. just need to give subsidy to those house holds who wish to convert to solar.
Where as IMF driven govt. is charge taxes on such trade.

Don't dream too much about P.Musharraf.

 

[sunpowerport]

I love solar power that is why I am planning to build one in India. I have one here in our place. Could anyone help give some help?




______________
sunpowerportcom

 

[ajay]

At the moment solar energy has too much high cost but over time if it becomes feesable India being a sun rich country will be set to benefit.