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How a Kerala Based Entrepreneur Saved Major Cash on Electricity Bills Using Solar Modules
Ever wondered exactly how much money could you save by switching to solar energy for generating electricity? Sure, photovoltaic solar module manufacturers always talk about how you can save money by using their products, but without undeniable proof. Well, a Chalai, Kerala based entrepreneur decided to find out just how much money he could save every month, by using solar energy equipment. In a bold initiative, the company, named Trivandrum Tube Corporation, purchased and installed solar modules and panels right on the roof of the office building. Their target – to power the single computer used in the business, along with 5 fans, and 10 each of compact fluorescent lamps and conventional tube lights. The solar energy system they invested in came equipped with an intelligent solar power management system. As such, any time the power stored in the solar batteries fell below the 70% mark, the system would automatically switch to grid power. The initiative started on May 2010, a month when Truivandrum Tube Corporation had paid INR 1,771 as electricity bills. This included an INR 300 charge for meter rent just like any other commercial organization has to bear. A year later, on May 2011, the amount had come down to just above the INR 500 mark, and yes, that too included the constant INR 300 charge. The difference is quite shocking, isn't it? The company had paid roughly INR 2 lac, in order to buy the solar energy system and get it installed. If they were saving around INR 1,200 every month, then in just about a year, they would recover around INR 14,400. Now, if you keep in mind that an average set up with solar modules and associated equipment last for around 25 years, then their total savings made by using the system would amount to around INR 3,60,000. Surely you can see how much of a profit they would be making in the long run. As you can see, switching to green energy is no longer just a stylish act. It can actually help you save big on electricity bills that you have to pay at the end of every month. So, if you are the owner of a small business, then you might want to give this technology a try. Simply install the solar PV modules on the roof of your office building, and you are likely to see the difference in your electricity bills within just a couple months or so. Try this today – you are guaranteed not to be disappointed.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
India Needs to Make Use of Super Critical Technologies to Generate Power, Says PM
Dr Manmohan Singh, Honorable Prime Minister of India, believes that Indian citizens need to be more energy efficient, in order to achieve the growth target of 9% mentioned in the 12th Plan (2012 – 17). According to his viewpoint, Indians are heavily dependent on electricity generated by burning fossil fuels. As such, any improvement in the energy efficiency of thermal power plants across the nation will contribute towards bringing down the energy intensity of the GDP of India. In order to make that happen, he commented, Indians need to use “super critical and ultra-super critical technologies for power generation”.According to Singh, Indians also need to rely more on public transport to get around than take their own cars everywhere. Transfer of freight should also be carried out using rail, rather than road, which would help in optimizing the usage of fuel to a great extent. Besides, using latest, cutting edge technologies like Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle in power plants fueled by gas should be encouraged, which can help in improving energy efficiency of the plants. Singh stated these facts at a recent program, organized by the Ministry of Power on the occasion of National Energy Conservation Day. The Prime Minister was all praise for the National Solar Mission, which was started with the target of generating 20,000 megawatts of electricity annually from solar energy, by the year 2020. He stated that success in achieving this target would help the nation cut down on usage of fossil fuel by as many as 23 million tons of oil equivalent. What the Prime Minister said should be of great interest to photovoltaic solar module manufacturers in India. The National Solar Mission has indeed spiked interest among the general population of the nation. More and more people are now interested in using solar modules to generate electricity in their own homes. As prices of solar energy equipment keep getting reduced, more and more people are likely to invest in solar PV modules, making the industry flourish all over the country. Let us hope that we are able to achieve the target of the National Solar Mission. It would go a long way in solving the greatly increased demand for energy that is likely to hit the nation in just a few years from now. Besides, can't we all benefit from having cleaner air to breathe?
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
India to Offer Electricity Generated Using Solar Modules/ Panels and Fossil Fuels At Same Price By 2017
Will Indian consumers have to pay the same rates for electricity generated using solar modules and that generated using fossil fuels, by the year 2017? It sure seems that way, if a recent speech given by Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Renewable Energy is taken into account. According to Mr Kapoor, the prices of solar PV modules, panels, and associated equipment are bound to go down drastically in 2012, and are likely to keep plummeting from then on. Earlier, one of the primary objectives of the National Solar Mission was to achieve grid-parity by the year 2022. If the present trend persists, then that deadline may be brought forward by 5 years, achieving the target for grid-parity by 2017 itself! Also, quite a few major investors have come forward to finance large scale solar energy projects. If this trend continues, then pretty soon, projects of capacities as high as 2,000 MW may be set up across the nation. This will not only allow citizens to have access to electricity for cheap, it will also improve the carbon rating of the entire country to a great extent. Mr Kapoor also pointed out that prices of solar energy equipment have come down in international market. Coupled with rapid advancement in technology, this trend would greatly contribute towards flourishing of solar industry in India, in the coming years. The situation in India is highly favorable for photovoltaic solar module manufacturers. As the interest in their products keep spiking, these companies are likely to get soaring profit margins and attract the attention of plenty of new (and prospective) consumers as well. Now, all these manufacturers need to do is to keep the quality of their products as high as they possibly can, and keep prices within acceptable levels. The future of solar industry in India is definitely bright, and these companies are most likely to benefit from the same.
Vikram Solar | Tags: photovoltaic solar module manufacturers -
San Diego Prison To Get 14% Power From Solar PV Modules
As the energy prices continue to rise, cash-strapped public agencies in all over the California are switching to solar energy that is more effective and affordable.A 1 MW solar power system was activated in San Diego County Jail on Monday. The installed solar PV modules are mounted on dozens of steel canopies at the parking lots of the East Mesa Detention Complex in Otay Mesa that will produce 14% of the required amount of electricity for the jail complex.In the first year, the installed solar power modules are expected to produce around 1.6 million KW hours of energy and over the next 20 years it will save the county $1.3 million.Which was once a bare parking lot is now generating electricity by harnessing the power of the sun. According to experts, it's a smart and affordable way for the county to save a lot of taxpayer money while utilizing a sustainable and clear source of energy.According to Sheriff Bill Gore of the county prison, they often need to work 24x7 inside the jail. That requires a lot of electricity consumption. Moreover, the jails of the county will be housing more inmates, so the demand for electricity will also increase. The installation of solar PV modules will definitely bring a lot of changes and help them save a hefty amount of money on their electricity bills.According to a government official, in southern California, more such projects are underway at state prisons, universities, libraries, and schools. In February of this year, the county switched to a 259 KW solar power system in Kearny Mesa. 10 more solar projects are running at other county facilities including Fallbrook Community Center, North County Regional Center, and Ramona Library.That statistics reveal that, people are switching to solar power like ever before taking advantage of the weather of the place that is not too hot as getting exposed to excess amount of heat can affect the efficiency of the solar PV modules. Moreover, as the electricity bills are rising more than $100 every month, more and more people are utilizing solar power as an effective yet affordable option to hedge against rising future energy costs.Moreover, the solar PV manufacturers and solar EPC companies are continuously trying to take a hold of the market that is leaning towards solar power. This competition has resulted in steep drops in prices of solar PV modules across the US. This clearly indicates that numerous organizations and businesses are going to be benefited from the drastic reduction in solar module prices.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
Thanks To The Indian Government - Solar Generation Cap is Ready To Grow 400%
The Indian government is focusing on bringing in policy changes to increase growth of the solar power sector that is steadily getting popular for the last few years. The government is planning to increase the viability quotient of the renewable energy market for entrepreneurs to grab the attention of new investors into the sector. Moreover, top solar module manufacturers are uniting in their mission to make solar PV modules affordable for everyone.Bharat Bhargava, director at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has stated, they are focusing on building specific targets for generation of power requirements. The government is building different policies to achieve the goal. Bhargava thinks, one of the most important steps would be to increase in the cap of generation capacities.At the moment, each project alloted under the National Solar Mission has a limit of maximum 5 MW. The Indian government is planning to boost it to 20 MW per project. For massive commercial usage, the maximum capacity can grow up to 50 MW. Moreover, the government has set a goal of reaching 2 GW solar power generation capacity by the year 2013. The projects that have 400 MW capacity will be included by the end of this year.According to Bharat Bhargava, the target is to add two Gigawatt by March 2013. At the moment, there are three major solar initiatives in the market. The first one is of course, the National Solar Mission, then the Gujrat Policy, and the third one is Maharashtra’s initiative. These three major initiatives are changing the scenario and grabbing the attention of numerous potential investors willing to utilize solar energy.As the requirement is intensive, solar module prices have dropped. The easy availability of silicon and this increasing demand for solar power has not only created a healthy market, but is also offering numerous green jobs for installation and proper maintenance. A decade ago, installing solar PV modules was a dream for many, if any problems occurred, there were no technicians available in small towns, but now there are plenty of solar EPC companies and top solar module manufacturers in or around your region offering cost-effective services to people.Perhaps, it would be better to conclude with a little example of a father, Mr. Narayan. A resident of Tamil Nadu, who gifted his son solar gadgets and solar modules to install in his home when he was completing his PhD in Sundarbans where availability of electricity was extremely unreliable. As the government is helping people to utilize solar power and the entire planet is under a serious threat from global warming, these practical gifts are becoming ideal for people around us.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
Recent Reports From Frost And Sullivan Reveal Solar Power is The Next Big Thing
Over the last 10-15 years, solar power has drastically emerged into a mature, sustainable, and adaptive technology. It's getting popular with every passing day as an affordable and clean alternative to conventional energy sources like coal and oil. This popularity of solar power partly stems from the ever increasing efficiency of the solar PV modules and rest from the government subsidy programs and availability of cost-effective solar modules.On the basis of this thriving popularity, a critical market analysis done by the research firm Frost and Sullivan has stated that, solar power has become the second fastest growing alternative energy market all over the world. After wind energy, solar power is on its way to become the leader in the league of fulfilling heavy-duty industrial requirements.Recently, a shortage of coal and sagging power production targets has forced industrialists to search for alternative sources, solar power is claiming the top spot and is emerging as the best bet. According to Frost and Sullivan, more and more people are switching to solar power because the solar PV modules are more efficient, aesthetically pleasing, and affordable due to increasing capacity of multi crystalline solar module manufacturing facilities and silicon supply. According to Georgina Benedetti, the senior industry analyst at Frost and Sullivan, the popularity of solar power is driven by solid backups from government subsidy programs, and plenty of other renewable energy policies, incentives and mandates.The research of Frost and Sullivan also reveals that, by the end of the year 2017 cumulative installed global photovoltaic capacity will increase to 188, 461 MW which is at the moment somewhere near 39,611 MW. On the other hand, concentrating solar powers is likely to grow more drastically in the given period, from 1,327 MW to a staggering 15,554 MW. This growth has the potential to meet a large number of global power requirements by 2022.According to Georgina, the economic stimulus package offered by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of the year 2009 and renewable portfolio standards is helping people to implement solar energy in the United States. On the other hand, European government has passed quite a few favorable solar module manufacturing laws and incentives that has led people to utilize solar power in countries like Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, and Portugal.In most of these countries, the increasing energy crisis has been coupled with an unexpected slower growth in fuel production. According to experts, these countries are getting exposed to a drowning fuel supply market that is serious and volatile. So quite obviously, people are choosing solar energy as the only alternative to avoid paying excess electricity bills and build a better planet for our future generations.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
Is Any of These Misconceptions Stopping You From Installing Solar Power Modules?
Are you tired of paying a hefty amount of electricity bills every month? Well, it's not just you. There are millions of other people facing the same issue. Most of them are switching to solar energy and reduced their electricity consumption by a great extent. However, there are some misconceptions about solar power floating around that is preventing a lot of people from installing solar modules for residential or commercial purposes.To get rid of these misconceptions, people have to start addressing them. Compared to fossil fuels, solar power is still a new concept in the market. So, it's likely you haven't had a chance to know about these myths or misconceptions. Let's not forget, the price of electricity is going up drastically. In the next few years, you will be paying double on your electricity bills. This article will let you know why switching to solar power is a smarter choice than to pull a cable from a far-away grid or power plant.Misconception 1: You need the support of additional technologies to utilize solar powerResearchers from different corners of this planet are continuously trying to improve the functionality of solar power modules and their efficiency. Utilizing solar power is the new trend in the market that has already become a multi-billion dollar industry with billions of dollars in new investments pouring in every month. According to the researchers and photovoltaic module manufacturers, they are trying to increase the efficiency of solar power modules but if this research and additional technologies gets stopped all of a sudden, the demand for solar PV modules would still be thriving from 30-50 years from now.Misconception 2: Solar energy does not work on overcast or cloudy and rainy daysWhen solar power is touted as one of the most effective replacements for the consumable energies of coal and oil, a question still confuses a lot of people: what will happen if it is not a sunny day? Solar power is all about harnessing the energy of sun. However, there's this misconception that solar power is useless in cloudy days when the sun is not there. This is far from the truth. Solar power produces electricity when people need it the most. Solar PV modules will work effectively even in places that are typically windy and gloomy most of the time. Solar PV modules do not depend on sunlight. These largely harness the required energy from solar radiation. To tell you the fact, this UV rays are transmitted and captured by solar PV modules even on cloudy days. Thanks to the advancements made by the solar module manufacturers, people always get the required amount of electricity even when it is raining, cloudy, or cold.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
Drop in Solar Module Prices Will Increase Solar Power Capacity in India By 2013
Over the last few years, India's solar energy market is catching headlines as the country is witnessing major developments in its renewable energy consumption. It has become one of the most significant and promising PV markets across the globe. It is now a well-known fact, and if you keep yourself updated on renewable energy developments, then perhaps you have already witnessed, with every passing day more and more people around us are switching to solar energy. This massive change is mainly from the urge of building a greener planet without putting any pressure on their pockets. Why do you think this is happening? The recent drops in the solar module prices have made India a favorable market that is catching the world's attention of late. The announcement, that the country is projected to get 2 GW of electricity from solar energy by March 2013, has added another feather on its cap.According to experts, 2 GW growth in electricity is quite a tiny fraction of the overall electricity requirements of the country. Nevertheless, this growth reveals the promising market and the sunny future of the nation. The rapid decline of the solar module prices, and the growing rate of efficiency has made solar energy competitive with other energy resources. In fact, for some analysts, India may become the most favorable PV market of the planet in the upcoming days. Well, there are certainly quite a few reasons behind that, but the most significant one is, India has been surging ahead aggressively in the field of renewable energy to tackle with its recent energy crisis.The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has recently come up with a plan to increase the capacity to 400 MW by March 2012. The director and in-charge of solar power projects at MNRE Bharat Bhargava told, that the mission is to install 20 GW of solar power by the year 2022. This has encouraged some of the largest solar module manufacturers and solar PV EPC companies to take advantage of the massive photovoltaic market of this country.In a critical situation where fossil fuels comprising of oil and coal are the primary sources of energy for our daily requirements, this mission is like a blessing not just for the country but for the entire planet. Consumption of fossil fuels do not just emit harmful hydrocarbons, but according to a recent research, if the trend continues, the earth is going to face the doom day within 30 years. So, when the entire earth is under tremendous pressure, solar module prices have dropped drastically and has led people to switch to cost-effective, alternative sustainable, and environment friendly solar energy. This major growth is offering hopes to over come energy crisis and build a green earth for our future generations.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
The Sun is Rising For Photovoltaic Solar Module Manufacturers in Asia
According to a recent research conducted by NPD Solarbuzz, and presented in its Asia Pacific Major PV Markets Report, the photovoltaic installation in Asia Pacific market is all set to reach more than 4.8 GW in 2011. That means, the market is going to increase around 39% in the final quarter of 2011. As the European solar market has recently witnessed a drawback, analysts say, photovoltaic solar module manufacturers are focusing on the Asian market as it is projected to be the major player in the upcoming years.After taking a close look at the annual statistics, between Q4 2010 and Q4 2011, the Asia Pacific market is expected to grow around 130% pretty soon. The report has also stated that the photovoltaic installation capacity of the region is about to rise to more than 2 GW in the fourth quarter of the running year.According to experts, Europe's slowdown is going to affect its PV market and it has paved the way for Asia as the next big thing in the world of renewable energy. For analysts, this tremendous growth in the second half of 2011 is mostly because of India and China. These two countries are emerging with their most promising markets and a lot of possibilities.This is largely because multi crystalline solar modules manufacturers have started providing solar PV modules at affordable prices. This affordability has grabbed the attention of numerous people who were in search of an effective solution to reduce their electricity consumption. Though, both of these countries have quite a few issues like immature markets, land use, some regulatory hurdles, and a limited downstream access, but despite of all the odds, the trend is shifting.In India, the regional demand is being driven by government incentive programs that has led photovoltaic solar modules manufacturers to provide solar modules for sale. On the other hand, the PV market in Japan is also growing rapidly because of its new FIT program. Other expected big markets in the region are South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Thailand. Together they are all set to deliver a staggering 700 MW of additional demand in the upcoming year.According to NPD Solarbuzz, Indian market is shaped by both commercial and residential requirements. As the European market is no longer holding the throne, international companies are looking forward to utilize the market of Asia Pacific region. Photovoltaic solar module manufacturers, who are seeking to take a share of this tremendous growth, are quite impressed with the regional market opportunity. For them, this is just the beginning, and the sun is rising again. This time in Asia.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None -
Solar Energy Can Do Wonders For Small And Medium Sized Businesses
It is a well-known fact, that the rapid growth of industrialization and launching of new businesses have started putting tremendous stress on India's energy resources over the last couple of years. However, things are changing quite fast as more and more businesses are opting for solar energy for a better future ahead. Let's take a look at what this new solar power generation entails for India and how it is all set to change the energy consumption scenario of the country.Over the past few decades, India has witnessed a string of high-profile commercial solar projects taking place. They have triggered so much hype that one can hardly watch news channels without listening to someone updating us on how a solar project has benefited a rural area, a power plant, and so on. Corporate giants have already started implementing solar energy for commercial purposes, but what about small and medium sized businesses? This is where a million dollar question remains unanswered for a long time. Is it only for big brands or can installing solar PV modules help small and medium sized businesses as well?To promote the usage of solar power, Government of India has announced an allocation of INR 10 billion (US$202.8 million) in the latest budget for 2010-11. The total amount has increased around INR 3.8 billion (US$77.1 million) than the last budget. This hefty allocation has encouraged solar module manufacturers to reduce the costs of solar modules and make those more affordable to entrepreneurs all over the country.True, Fortune 500 companies cannot be compared with small businesses. However, to tell you the fact, solar module manufacturers in India have already started marketing solar modules that are not just highly effective, but also affordable at the same time. Moreover, there's a misconception in the market that installation of solar modules is something that is only for people who have a lot of cash in hand. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, the size of your business doesn't matter at all. Despite the financial strength of big brands, the basic premise of solar energy remains pretty much the same for businesses of all kinds.Utilizing solar energy is the best way to save a considerable amount on the electricity bills of your company and reduce the demand for energy during peak hours. How you are intending to use it entirely depends on the energy usage of your company. If you think the initial prices of installation is quite high, then solar PV module manufacturers, solar EPC companies and Government subsidy programs are here to help you. Just a one-time investment will help you sow the seeds of a green and profitable future for your company.
Vikram Solar | Tags: None
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