Tuesday, October 11, 2022

India’s Biggest Floating Solar Power Plant

 

Indian Economy

India’s Biggest Floating Solar Power Plant

  • 12 Mar 2021
  •  
  • The project is in line with India's commitment to attain the target of 175 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022 including 100 GW of solar installed capacity.

Key Points

  • Floating Solar Plants:
    • It refers to the deployment of photovoltaic panels on the surface of water bodies. They are a viable alternative to land-based solar arrays with applications in India.
      • There are a large number of major reservoirs in the Southern Region which provides a huge opportunity to go for renewable energy in the floating solar method.
    • Projects Coming up in India:
      • The thermal plant at Ramagundam would be one of the renewable (solar) energy plants being developed by NTPC with an installed capacity of 447MW in the Southern Region and the entire capacity would be commissioned by March 2023.
      • The renewable energy plants that are likely to be commissioned in the next three months are 25MW floating solar plant at Simhadri thermal power plant near Visakhapatnam and 92MW floating solar plant at Kayamkulam in Kerala.
  • Advantages:
    • Address Land Acquisition Issues: The key challenges that face renewable energy plant owners are land acquisition, grid connectivity, regulations and off-take.
      • Floating solar plants balance high population density and competing uses for available land. The land can be used for other purposes, such as farming or construction.
    • Cooling Effect: The bodies of water exert a cooling effect, which improves the performance of solar photovoltaic panels by 5-10%.
      • Over time, this translates into significant cost savings.
    • Other Advantages: Reduced grid interconnection costs, reduced water evaporation, improved water quality, and reduced algal blooming.
  • Challenges:
    • Increased Cost: Engineering and construction costs are usually higher than those of a ground-mounted solar farm.
    • Safety Issues: Since floating solar involves water and electricity, more consideration must be given to cable management and insulation testing than on land, especially when cables are in contact with water.
    • Degradation and Corrosion: A floating solar plant has moving parts that are subject to constant friction and mechanical stress.
      • Systems that are poorly designed and maintained could suffer from catastrophic failures.
      • The installation is at risk of degradation and corrosion due to moisture, especially in more aggressive coastal environments.
    • Understanding of Water-bed Topography: Developing floating solar projects requires a thorough understanding of water-bed topography and its suitability for setting up anchors for floats.
  • Other Solar Energy Initiatives:

National Thermal Power Corporation Limited

  • NTPC Ltd. is a central Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Power.
  • It is India’s largest energy conglomerate with roots planted way back in 1975 to accelerate power development in India.
  • It aims to provide reliable power and related solutions in an economical, efficient and environment-friendly manner, driven by innovation and agility.
  • It became a Maharatna company in May 2010.
  • It is located in New Delhi.

Source: TH

Wednesday, May 4, 2022

My interview in ETV_vijayawada/explosions-of-e-bikes

 https://youtu.be/4WeVi-fDiqw


https://www.etvbharat.com/telugu/andhra-pradesh/city/vijayawada/explosions-of-e-bikes-are-causing-panic-among-motorists/ap20220424054622056056979

Friday, December 11, 2020

Battery vs fuel cell: Which electric vehicle is better?

 

Battery-electric cars would be better at cutting carbon emissions, and at a lower cost than fuel cell vehicles, too, researchers find.


Electric vehicles can run on either rechargeable batteries or fuel cells that convert hydrogen into electricity. Both have zero tailpipe emissions. But when it comes to long-term sustainability, one is a clear winner, according to a new study.

Battery-electric cars would be better at cutting carbon emissions, and at a lower cost than fuel cell vehicles, too, researchers report in the journal Energy. That’s mainly because hydrogen fueling stations are much more expensive to install than battery-charging stations.

Carmakers seem to have taken sides in the EV debate. Battery-electric cars from companies like Chevrolet, Nissan, and Tesla are already on the market. Leading carmakers Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai, meanwhile, have been enthusiastic proponents of hydrogen fuel cell cars. Fuel cell technology has the advantage of a quick fill-up time of minutes as opposed to the hours-long charging time that batteries need. But the lack of hydrogen infrastructure is still a key hurdle.

Researchers at Stanford University and Technical University of Munich in Germany set out to analyze how large-scale adoption of both types of EVs would affect total energy use in transportation and buildings. They focused their analysis on Los Altos Hills, a California community of 8,000 residents that has one of the largest shares of solar power generation and EVs in the state.

The team considered various hypothetical test scenarios from 2025–2035. These scenarios assumed widespread adoption of EVs, as well as solar power and solar-generated hydrogen that are cost-competitive with the electric power grid.

The researchers used a computer model to assess the most cost-effective way to meet the community’s energy demands. They fed the model with data on the community’s daily energy needs, the cost of making solar panels, batteries, and producing hydrogen, and the expense of building energy infrastructure.

Battery EVs turned out to be the winners in the analyses. To be cost competitive, fuel cell cars would have to be priced significantly lower than battery-powered EVs, said lead study author Markus Felgenhauer, and that is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future. “Investing in all-electric battery vehicles is a more economical choice for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, primarily due to their lower cost and significantly higher energy efficiency,” he said.

You can help make the future electric

 


You can help make the future electric (even if you’re car-free).

From cars to buses to trucks, electric vehicles are transforming how we move goods and ourselves, cleaning up our air and climate — and your voice can help advance the electric wave.

  • Urge your city to invest in electric buses, trucks, and charging infrastructure. Speak with your local elected officials and write letters-to-the-editors 
  • If you (or your friends) are in the market for a car, buy electric. Check if your local utility offers rebates or other incentives for installing electric vehicle charging stations at your home.
  • Enlighten your friends. Share the amazing electric facts you’ve learned. Encourage your friends to find out how much carbon pollution they could save by going electric.

  https://www.qeios.com/read/3NZ5FK Revie wed paper entitled " Performance Evaluation and Analysis of Electric Vehicle Parameters – A T...