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Solar Power Subsidies India
What would be income/profit on a 1 MW solar power plant( on an average)?
I wish to set up a small scale solar power plant in India. With current subsidies given by govt, what would be the monthly/annual income on say 1 MW solar power plant.
I don't know India, but your best bet may be to find someone else who has already set up such a plant, and inquire. If there are no others, there's probably a good reason.
1 MW is not exactly small, by the way. That's on the order of the size Google has installed on their headquarters.
"Is the hype about using solar electric power a conspiracy of politicians and the photoelectric device manufacturers? It is only misleading the public." This is not my statement. A very agitated friend of mine had said this to be a few days ago. I am afraid a few others also may be having the same thought; so I am trying, in my small way, to dispel the misgivings. I shall be very happy to know that I am utterly wrong in my thinking!
Solar energy does not cost anything, it is free; but providing capacity for it does. Initial cost of solar electric systems is undoubtedly high in spite of various subsidies, tax cuts, etc. So in order to run your home on a reasonably small solar power system, you are being advised that you need to make a number of changes in how you live, make many adjustments in how you perform certain chores. You will need to learn to cook on gas or propane cooking appliances and not electric ranges, use gas or propane for heating water and not electricity. May be you ought to buy high efficiency fridge or one that runs on gas. You will need to change electric bulbs from filament type to CFL type. You will have to learn to use evaporative cooling instead of electrically run air conditioners. And many more things!
It sounds ridiculous, isn't it? You spend a lot of money to install solar power, then you spend more money to buy new devices and equipment because you don't have enough solar generated electricity, then you change your lifestyle for sake of that solar power - for whose benefit are you doing all this? And in any case, if you were to stop using electrical apparatus like fridge, air conditioner, electrical water heating system, etc., and then even without setting up solar electric system, you would be saving a whopping amount!
On the face of it my friend's irritation and rage seems to be justified! But, is it, really?
A breakup of electricity consumption in residential sector gives the following data (source: "Energy Conservation"- Wikipedia):
o space conditioning, 44%
o water heating, 13%
o lighting, 12%
o refrigeration, 8%
o home electronics, 6%
o laundry appliances, 5%
o kitchen appliances, 4%
o other uses, 8%
This shows that if air conditioning as well as space heating, water heating, laundry appliances, kitchen appliances were to be removed from electrical system you will be using only 34% of electricity that you use presently. Bear in mind another factor that, in general, power stations operate at about 30% energy conversion efficiency; this means that to provide that 66% of your consumption, the utilities are burning fossil fuels giving more than 2 times the total energy consumption of yours.And mind you , most of that 66% of your energy consumption we are talking of is related to heating applications. Does it not make more sense to burn fuel in your home for heating - which is far more efficient - than getting power houses to burn a whole lot more ? More over you will be releasing far lesser amount of carbon emission in doing that job of heating at home than the power stations do!
If you stopped using electricity for all these appliances, you will argue, you are anyway going to save power bills; so why bother to set up solar power? You are forgetting that for the remaining 34% you will continue to use electricity from the grid/utility and continue paying their escalating bills in perpetuity! By installing solar electric system you stop paying those bills - in perpetuity!
In any case, the whole idea of going for the use of solar power is to cut down carbon emissions; and you won't be doing a favor to anybody else by doing so than to your own children and grandchildren by saving them from the hell they will have to face otherwise!
S. Phadke is a retired electrical/control engineer, with over 45 years experience in senior positions in India & abroad. He has wide ranging interests. He enjoys writing and has been writing articles on Real Estate, Conveyancing, Retirement, Energy Conservation, Home Based Industries , Online Data Storage, Networking, etc. He can be contacted at snphadke@gmail.com. He has currently been writing a series of blogs matters related to alternative energy on bloger. His blog URL is http://snphadke-energytalk.blogspot.com He can be contacted at snphadke@gmail.com
