5 Fatal Attractions to go for Solar in India

By Himanshu B Patel, Founder & CEO of Triton Solar

While solar adoption is fast catching up and industry analysts believe that in next few years, the adoption of solar will completely transform the Indian society.

Going by the statistics, according to the latest population index of India, the total population is around 1.22 billion. This shows an increase of 181.96 million persons in absolute number of population during 2001-11.

Out of this figure all together, 833.5 Million people live in rural areas, which was more than two-third of the total population. For this population and a majority of the population that is living in urban part of the country the advent of solar energy can be extremely vital. However, on the other hand, almost 11 percent of total household income goes in the fuel and energy consumption. Here are few key attractions of Solar Energy use:

1.                Power pumps with Solar Energy

No words can explain the joy of any farmer of having a well-equipped pump for their farming purpose. As a matter of fact, other than power supply, there is no major problem that is getting faced by Indian farmers in terms of having a water pump. You can use solar energy to run a DC motor that will slowly circulate the water throughout your home or in and out of your water heater. This way, the cost of the system is minimized further. Now, the skeptics will say that's great, but what do we do when there is no sun?

You can have a battery backup system that can run the pump and the battery could be connected to a solar battery charger.

2.                Solar Energy for Battery Charging

Straying from the rural areas of India, let’s consider the semi urban and urban areas this time. Have you considered solar energy for charging batteries? These batteries can be an inverter, mobile, etc. These could be used to supply power for any household related work or for farming. Battery chargers are used in homes to charge all of the batteries used for video games and such as well. If you have a reserve battery bank that is charged through the day while sunlight is present and it’s used through the nighttime hours.

3.                Solar Energy for Cooking

Oh yes, we can all relate to this one. After all, we all have to eat. When you consider the energy and resources that are used to cook, the utility bills may surprise you. Cooking with the use of solar energy is much easier than you think.

In typical Indian rural households it becomes a big challenge and time consuming affair for the ladies of the house to ensure better cooking standards for their daily cooking needs. They spend more than half of their days in arranging the fuel, which could be wood sticks, conventional household fuels, etc. Solar energy can transform the way cooking is done in the rural parts of the country.  As well as in the urban parts where cooking gas is the main source of fuel for the domestic purposes. With solar becoming an option, the problem of growing cost of cooking gas can also be handled.

4.                Solar Energy for Lighting

With the invention of LEDs (light emitting diodes) lighting, your home can now have optimal lighting with minimal power consumption. These small, electronic light or set of lights can be connected through a battery-charged system that is powered by sunlight through the day and batteries through the night. Not only does it aid in a clear view of the walkway area, a clear view of keys and the entrance door, but also it serves as a deterrent to unwanted guests.

5.                Solar Energy Heating Household Water

Heating your water from solar energy instead of using gas or conventional electric water heaters can be a great idea for those households that struggle on getting consistent electricity. In a country like India where, nearly 70 percent of total country’s population lives in rural areas, this can be a great game changer.

For the industrial water heating purpose, the solar energy method may increase the efficiency by 15-30% by replacing the unit. There is an up-front cost associated with that change as well. The change will help reduce costs over the years, so that should be considered over a period of time.