Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Monday, 29 January 2024

Unleashing, Electrifying, Roof Top Solar Power


 

Context :

Peer-to-peer solar power trade likely to be a reality in state soon  .. DH / 30 Jan 2024


Extract :

If you are someone who wants to run the chores using green energy but have no option to install a rooftop solar power system, there is good news in the offing. 

In a big push for the use of solar energy, Karnataka will soon allow peer-to-peer trading of solar power produced through rooftop photovoltaic systems.

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has published draft guidelines to put in place a system that could allow such trading.

While peer-to-peer solar energy trading using a blockchain-based technology is increasingly becoming popular in the country, the producers in Karnataka could not venture into peer-to-peer trading owing to a lack of guidelines.

While the installation of solar rooftop systems was said to be declining across the state owing to the ‘Gruha Jyothi’ free power scheme, this new power sharing model is expected to give a boost to the sector since it could open up the market for new customers. 


Once the guidelines come into force, owners who have installed solar rooftop systems in their houses and establishments can sell the excess power to other consumers at a price negotiated by the producer and the consumer.

So far, the users of solar rooftops could sell the excess power only to the Electricity Supply Companies (ESCOMs). “It is aimed to benefit small consumers who are willing to adopt green energy. This new technology will also help producers earn more,” a senior official from KERC told DH.  

Peer-to-peer trading comes with a host of advantages. While on one hand, it could promote the use of clean energy, on the other hand, it could also increase the state’s power production and provide better returns to those adopting clean energy. 

The peer-to-peer trading model helps those who do not have space to install solar power generation systems but want to adopt green energy. The demand for green energy will increase drastically once the system falls in place,” a researcher from World Resources India (WRI) said. 


The guidelines, which fixes the responsibility of every stakeholder, suggest that both the producer and the consumer should register with the distribution licensee (ESCOMs) and pay network charges for the use of infrastructure set up by the supply company.

“The peer-to-peer solar transactions offer various benefits, the success of which depends on regulatory support, technological advancements, and widespread adoption within communities,” the draft said.

The service provider is held responsible for creating awareness and training the producers, consumers, and ESCOMs regarding the functioning of peer-to-peer platforms.

“The service provider shall ensure that the systems installed by it for facilitating peer-to-peer exchange do not disrupt distribution licensee's system and shall ensure that there is a seamless settlement between the peer-to-peer partners,” the draft said. 

=============================================

My  Take  :

 

Ø  Is Sun setting on Solar ?   ……………………  20  Sept 2018


Extract :

What is the way out ?

·   Shift focus to Roof Top Solar ( of course , continue with Utility Scale )

 

·   Why Roof Top ?

No Govt tendering / No transmission lines / No PPA with DISCOMs / No metering

No land cost / Hundreds of small suppliers who will compete / quote / install / commission / maintain / service / 30 % Govt subsidy

      

·   What is holding back the roof top

    #  Local permissions / Subsidy procedures / Balance 70 % of Capital

        Cost to be borrowed from banks @ 15 % interest ( tedious procedures

        / guarantees / collaterals ) . Individuals stand no chance. Only Coop

         Hsg Societies benefit

          

 #   Bribing of electricity suppliers’ officers for “ reverse metering “

 

 #   Non availability to store the power for use at night ( lack of Storage

      Batteries )

 

·   What is required to be done ?

 

 #   Amend Electricity Act

 

     Anyone can generate solar power , anywhere , any time and

     sell to any one at any price

 

With regards,

 

Hemen Parekh

 

Create Your Own Digital Avatar    //  30 Jan 2024

     

Related Readings :

Harvesting Solar Power Through Cooperation ………… 30 Dec 2023

 

A Tale of Two States  …… ………………………………………….28  Oct  2020


Extract :


Introduce “ Co-operative Farming of Solar Power / CFSP


    Solar Farm company can “ Sell “ ownership rights of solar panels to

    individuals in modules of 1000 sq ft, ( costing Rs 4- 6 lakh per module )

 

    These rights can be sold / transferred to any buyer, only with prior

    permission of the Solar Farm Company concerned


    Each module ( of 1,000 sq ft ) will generate 10 KW of power, which

    Company will feed into a NATIONAL GRID ( free ) .


    Each such Co-operative Company can reserve / own by itself, 30 % of

    Solar Panels for generating power for sale in free market 


     My nearest DISCOM will supply me those 10 KW, free of cost ( ie:

     deduct from my monthly usage ). Any excess over my actual

     consumption, to be credited to my account


    Depending upon my usage / need, I as an individual CO-OPERATIVE

   OWNER , can “ buy “ any number of STANDARD MODULES, and from any

   number of Cooperative Farming companies or other Co-op Owners


    This set-up will require NATIONAL SOLAR EXCHANGE in

    which ALL discoms will be mandated to become members

 

 

Is Sun setting on Solar ?... …………………..20 Sept 2018

Suryodaya Yojana.. …………………………………28 Jan 2024

My 163 blog's on solar power  ..(upto )  10 Mar 2022

 

2023

A small beginning for a Big Dream………………………………………. 31 July 2023

Power Play : Day or Night  ………………………………………………….  28  Apr 2023

Kardinia - a warm / sunny Welcome………………………………….   25 May 2023

No Solar Cookers yet ? Clear as Daylight ? ……………………….., 26 Apr 2023

Solar Cookers : Of course , but Delivery When ?  ………………. 03 Feb 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 















Sunday, 28 January 2024

Suryodaya Yojana

 


 

What is this Yojana ?


PM Suryodaya Yojana was announced By PM Shri Modi on 22 Jan 2024 . Under this scheme , Central Government will undertake installation of 1 crore ( 10 million ) Roof Top Solar ( RTS ) plants on the roofs of middle / poor households , within one year . Altogether there are 300 million families in India


Idea is to provide FREE electric power to these families and possibly enable them to earn some income by selling their surplus solar power to DISCOMS

 

Which agency has been made the Nodal Agency for this Scheme ?


Rural Electrification Corporation ( REC ) has been tasked to implement this scheme . For this , REC has ear-marked Rs 125,000 crore and decided to rope in 8 CPSU ( Central Public Sector Undertakings  ) to distribute these funds ( by way of loans ? )

Detail procedures of the scheme are under preparation by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy ( MNRE ) headed by Shri R K Singh

   ===================================================


What was its need ?

 

Against a target of 40 GW to be achieved by the end of 2022, only 5.87 GW of rooftop solar projects was installed, which is less than 15% of the target.

 

Currently grid-connected solar rooftop capacity stands at 11.08 GW out of the total solar capacity of 72.31 GW, according to the ministry of new and renewable energy.

 

Under the government’s energy transition plans, solar power is expected make up 292 GW out of a total renewable capacity of 500 GW by 2030.

 

Today, less than 1% homes in India have solar,

 

What is the monthly electricity consumption for Middle / Poor families  ?


Middle Class families :

These comprise 30 % - 40 % ( of total of 300 million families ) and consume 150 – 250 Kwh / month

Poor Families :

These comprise 40 % - 50 % of total households and consume 50 – 100 Kwh / month 

==================================================

 

What are the obstacles to accelerating Roof Top Solar ( RTS ) ?


#  Lack of awareness among people about the benefits of Roof Top Solar ( RTS )


#  Unavailability of easy RTS finance / Central Govt Subsidies / State Govt Subsidies

 

#  Implications of Gross Metering / Net Metering Schemes

 

#  Apathy / Reluctance / Outright discouragements by DISCOMS ( due to loss of revenue )

 

#  High initial cost of RTS installations ( beyond reach of most users even after subsidy )

 


How can Govt overcome these obstacles ?

 

By incentivizing :


( A )  Consumers

         #  By giving 100 % subsidy . Totally FREE installation of 3 Kw Roof Top

             Solar


( B )  DISCOMS

         #  By fully compensating for loss of revenue + some incentive


( C )  Funding Agency ( REC )

         #   By transferring all Carbon Credits earned by 1 crore ( 10 million )

               installations  

 

How will such a COMPOSIT scheme work out ?


Look at the following calculations :


Parameter

Roof Top Solar Installations

Purpose

Provide free electric power to Middle / Poor class families

Agency tasked

REC-CPSU - DISCOMS

Total Installations planned

10 million ( 1 crore )

Specifications

3 KW RTS plant

Ave cost / Unit ( Rs )

1.25 lakh ( assume mass purchase benefit )

Total Investment ( Rs Crore )

125,000

Units generated / month by RTS installation

360 Kwh

Units consumed / month

Ø For lighting,

Fans, Fridge etc

80 Kwh

Amount of GHG emission reduction per installation

12,200 Kg

GHG reduction / month

12.2 tonnes/month x 10 million = 122 million tonnes / month

Multiplying by No of Installations

1464 million tonnes/year

No of Carbon credits earned per year by this reduction

120 million

Price of 1 credit ( assumed )

Rs 1,000 ( $ 10 )

Hence, amount that can be earned each year by selling these credits on Carbon Trading Exchange

120 million x $ 10 = $ 1200

 

million = Rs 9960000000 =

 

Rs 9960 crore

Pay Back Period in Years

12.6 years

 

Can your proposal be made more attractive to the Central Government ?

 

Certainly, in following way


#  Merge Suryodaya Yojana with National Efficient Cooking Programme  


    - announced by Shri R K Singh , MNRE ( through EESL ) are in the process of

      distributing 20 lakh ( 2 million ), 1.5 Kw Induction Electric Stoves

      ( I have no info re the target families or whether this will be FREE )


Under my proposal, this number to be raised to 1 crore ( 10 million ) AND those

eligible for free RTS , will also get a FREE electric stove


 No one else will get that FREE stove

 


How will this help ?

 

3 Kw RTS will generate 360 units / month .


Out of this , family will use only 80 units for lighting-Fans- Fridge etc, leaving 280 units / month, un-utilized


If this surplus power is fed back to DISCOM , it will earn :

Rs 3 / unit x 280 units = Rs 840 / month ( what Shri Modiji hinted to as “ earning extra income “ )


Let us consider alternate scenario as follows :


280 units / month = 9 units / day ( for 30 days )

Now electric stove is 1.5 Kw . If used for 4 hours/day , it will consume only 6 units/day ( 180 units/month )

So , the family will now feed into the GRID ( through Net Metering ), balance 100 units ( 280 – 180 for stove )

 

And earn Rs 300 / month ( from DISCOM @ Rs 3 / unit ) – instead of Rs 840 / month

 

BUT ,

Now that family will NOT need any LPG cylinder for cooking !


A unsubsidized LPG cylinder could cost Rs 900


A subsidized cylinder costs the poor family , Rs 600 ( after subsidy of Rs 300 / cylinder for 12 cylinders / year )


Hence , by using an Electric Stove ( coupled with 3 KW solar panel ), that family will give up Rs 300 subsidy ( DBT )


But , country as a whole , will need to reduce its LPG import bill by Rs 900 / month / each poor family


Multiply with 1 crore families . That works out to Rs 900 crore / month = Rs 10,800 crore / year  !


And all it takes to save this FOREIGN EXCHANGE is 1 crore Electric stoves , whose purchase price EESL can bring down from Rs 2,000 each to Rs 1,000 each , by MASS PURCHASE


( EESL had, earlier brought down the price of an LED lamp from Rs 360 each to Rs 60 each, through MASS PURCHASE )


In which case , total purchase cost ( investment ) could be > Rs 1,000 x 1 crore = Rs 1,000 crore !


Resulting in a approx. saving of Rs  11,000 crore !

 

 Now consider this :


#  Current number of poor families covered under UJWALA scheme  .. 9.6 Crore

#  Revised target for coverage ……………………………………………………………..10.35 crore  

 

If electric stoves were given to 10 crore UJWALA families , SAVING will be, Rs 1.1

LAKH*CRORE / year

 

Questions / Suggestions ( to MNRE officers ) :


Could switching over to “ Roof Top Solar Panel + Electric Stove “ from a “ LPG

cylinder + Gas Stove “ , entitle government to earn CARBON CREDITS ? If yes ,

how many credits for 10 crore electric stoves ? And at what price can these credits

 be SOLD on a Carbon Trading Exchange ?


An investment of Rs 1,000  ( in electric stove ) can be recovered in just 3 months

( @ Rs 300 / cylinder subsidy )


For offering this COMPOSIT and FREE scheme to UJWALA beneficiaries , make it a

condition that they will get their concerned DISCOM to install a Smart Meter in

their home


This IoT enabled meter will :


Ø  Link all the appliances / devices in the home with DISCOM

Ø  Manage Battery operations ( BMS ) for Electric Stove

Ø  Compute Carbon Credits earned daily ( Nos and Rupees ) and display it


The details can be viewed at :

Airtel is Smart : IntelliSmart  .. …………..23 Dec 2023

 

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

Create Your Own Digital Avatar   //  29 Jan 2024

 

Related Readings :

 

2024 ( 1 )

Energy Efficient Appliances ………………………………….20 Jan 2024

 

2023 ( 4  ) :

Green Credit Initiative at COP 28  .. ……………………18 Dec 2023

The Verdict : A is better than B .. …………………………23 Aug 2023

Here comes : DEEES of My Dream………………………..23 Aug 2023

Thank You , Vishal Kapoor ………………………. ………… 15 Aug 2023

===================================================


No Solar Cookers yet ? Clear as Daylight ?  .. ……..26 Apr 2023


 Extract :

Therefore, the proposed solar-powered cooker will be entitled to 51.48 carbon

credits per year.

Each Solar Cooker User will earn $ 514.8 / year by way of selling Carbon Credits .



That is approx.. Rs 41,200 ( at $ 1 = Rs 80 )

 

The proposed Solar Cooker is targeted for use in all cities / towns, where households are currently served LPG cylinders / piped gas

 

Altogether, in India , there are 290 million households , which is the potential

market for Solar Cookers

=================================================== 

2021 ( 2 )

Welcome, Prepaid Smart Meters  ………………. ………25 Sept 2021

Carbon Finance through Carbon Credits ……………….12 Mar 2021

 

2018 ( 1 )

A Smart Move , Shri Singh !  …………………….. 07 June 2018

 

2017 ( 3 )

 A Pre-paid Electricity Meter ?  …………………. 18 May 2017

 Electrifying : Smartly  ……………………………….. 25 Sept 2017

 Smart Meter : No Pending Payments ?........ 08 Dec 2017

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, 24 January 2024

Yogiji : Queue System won’t work

 


 

Context :

Crowd Control Steps Help Bring Back Some Order in Ayodhya ….  Eco Times / 25 Jan 2024

Extract :

Yogi Adityanath held a meeting on Tuesday with the local administration and the Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra to review arrangements. The CM directed officials to implement a queue system and create holding areas for darshan.

My Take :

 

Dear Shri Yogi Adityanathji  ,

cmup@nic.in  /  yogiadityanath72@gmail.com

 

At best , Queue systems could only be a temporary solution for controlling the number of pilgrims which are expected to visit Ayodhya in near future . Current estimate is 2 lakh / day , gradually rising to 5 lakh / day , by the year end . And many times more over next years

A queue, no matter how orderly , implies people WALKING . And a queue , in front of Shri Ram Mandir could easily stretch for 10 Km ( 10,000 meters ) , even if only 10,000 persons are occupying ONE METER length of that queue

And , when a person ( in that queue ) reaches in front of the idol , she would FREEZE for at least 30 seconds ( ½ minute ) , before being pushed ahead by people from behind . Hence the 10,000th person at the end of that queue will need to stand for 5,000 minutes { 83 hours }  !

Now imagine if , that queue has to hold 50,000 persons  !

Ropeways / Conveyors / Horizontal Escalators ( running at constant speed and may be in bucket seats mounted one on top of another – ie. several stacks – or stacked one behind another like rows of seats in a theatre ) , are the ONLY permanent and fool-proof solutions

In absence of such INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION , stampedes – and consequent deaths – could not be ruled out

In fact , probability is quite high

Agreed , no one could be blamed when this happens ( it is not a question of “ if this happens  ) . It could not be considered an “ Act of Commission “

But it would most certainly be considered , an “ Act of Omission “{ not to Act , knowing well , something terrible is likely to happen }

I am sure , your government would implement my suggestion detailed in my following email of yesterday :

Ø  Protect the Pilgrims  ………………  23 Jan 2024

 

With regards,

Hemen Parekh

Create Your Own Digital Avatar  

25 Jan 2024