SOME FACTS: THE SILVER LINING

The non-conventional energy scenario in India is quite encouraging compared to other developing countries. India is leading the lot in most areas. However some facts are shocking perhaps. In our country, 96% of the energy source is fossil fuels with 52% being coal and 44% oil and gas. Hydropower comes only 2% and 1.7% nuclear energy. We use a whopping 157 million tones of Coal and 89 million tones of petroleum a year. Only 0.3% of the country’s requirement is met through non-conventional energy sources. Which means, at present not even a 1000th of the whole energy usage is through solar energy? A drastic change in our energy policy must be made to save the finite and fast dwindling conventional energy sources .

RET: RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES, THE SOLUTION

Renewable Energy Technologies bridge the gap between mounting global energy demand and diminishing supply of conventional source of energy. Popular awareness on the need of a cleaner environment and the increasing demand for more healthy and hygienic products encourages the use of RET in agro-industrial production processes. International efforts for maximizing the efficiency and minimizing the cost of RET is slowly enabling this technology to compete with conventional energy technologies. As conventional energy is exhaustible, polluting and responsible for environmental hazards like global warming, the renewable energy technologies are becoming more popular.

SOLAR ENERGY: THE INFINITE POTENTIAL

Solar energy, the mother of all renewable energy sources, is an inexhaustible, clean, renewable and cheap source of energy in India. Lying between 8° and 36° north, India has 2500 to 3200 hours of sunshine per year providing 5.4 to 5.8 kilowatts of power per m2 per day @ 1KJ/second per m2. Utilizing even a small portion of this immense resource would save our fossil fuels and forests without having to sacrifice our energy consumption. Solar hot air generation systems are the most reliable and durable cost effective energy production methods for agricultural and industrial processing that efficient, easily adaptable from exiting fuel-driven systems, environmental friendly and hygienic.

PLANTERS ENERGY NETWORK (PEN): RISING TO THE OCCASION

Planters Energy Network (PEN) was initiated as a Registered Trust in 1989 at Madurai Kamaraj University, under the patronage of eminent scientists, industrialists and planters. It has been empanelled as a Business Development Associate (BDA) of Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), New Delhi. PEN is engaged in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and saving fuel wood through patented SAHPS technology, carrying out energy audit in industrial units, installing solar collectors, conducting conferences and seminars and collaborating in development of innovative projects with Universities in Germany, Italy and Australia. It has installed solar Air Heating PEN system (SAHPS) in 45 projects so far.