Rambans Institute Of Solar Energy

04/12/2018

Mahindra-owned Automobili Pininfarina is currently working on a spectacular car, the PF0, capable of topping 400km/h at top speed and doing 0 to 100km/h in two seconds.

07/11/2018

04/11/2018

Wishing you joy and prosperity this Diwali

04/11/2018

Solar Cell I-V Characteristic Curve
The above graph shows the current-voltage ( I-V ) characteristics of a typical silicon PV cell operating under normal conditions. The power delivered by a solar cell is the product of current and voltage ( I x V ). If the multiplication is done, point for point, for all voltages from short-circuit to open-circuit conditions, the power curve above is obtained for a given radiation level.

With the solar cell open-circuited, that is not connected to any load, the current will be at its minimum (zero) and the voltage across the cell is at its maximum, known as the solar cells open circuit voltage, or Voc. At the other extreme, when the solar cell is short circuited, that is the positive and negative leads connected together, the voltage across the cell is at its minimum (zero) but the current flowing out of the cell reaches its maximum, known as the solar cells short circuit current, or Isc.

01/11/2018

India’s draft National Energy Storage Mission focuses on reducing costs of domestic EV batteries
Lithium battery pack assembled by Indian maker ACME. Image: ACME.

Battery manufacturing represents a “huge economic opportunity for India”, according to a draft ‘National energy storage mission’ (NESM) document, which outlines how the country could capture value across the supply chain and accelerate the country’s adoption of renewable energy.

01/11/2018

India’s present Solar capacity
Banner

India is set to meet its target of adding 10,000 MW of solar capacity in 2017-18, almost twice that of the increase in 2016-17. The country had added 5,526 MW of solar capacity in the last fiscal, which was itself a record at the time. The solar cumulative capacity was 19,584 MW in end-February, will cross 22,000 MW by March 31.

The total capacity at the end of 2016-17 was 12,288.8 The total capacity at the end of 2016-17 was 12,288.8 MW, which means that 7,295 MW had been added till end-February and another 2,700 MW is expected to be commissioned in March. Government of India has bid out 10,500 MW of solar projects this 2018, as against 5,000 MW in 2016-17 , also brought solar tariffs down to affordable levels.

Of the 7,295 MW added until end-February, the highest was by Karnataka, which commissioned a record 2,628.62 MW of projects in 11 months. This was followed by Telangana, which added 1,995.69 MW. Capacity addition in other states was way lower, with the third highest being Rajasthan with 502.83 MW.

But with its spurt of activity in 2017-18, Karnataka is now the new No. 1in solar among Indian states, with a total capacity of 3,657.52 MW as of end-February. Telangana follows in second place, with a cumulative 3,282.67 MW of solar projects. Rajasthan is in third place, with 2,317.11 MW, and Andhra Pradesh in fourth with 2,170.32 MW. Gujarat has fallen to sixth place with 1,587 MW, behind Tamil Nadu at 1,822.57 MW.

01/11/2018

FOSSIL FREE BY 2050

Denmark’s decision to become independent of fossil fuels by 2050 is backed by an ambitious policy framework as well as a multiple-solutions approach. The ambitious goal will be reached by increasing energy efficiency and resource optimisation; by expanding the share of renewable energy from sources such as wind and biomass; and by driving the development of an intelligent energy system capable of managing the fluctuations of renewable energy.

31/10/2018

Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD)

The deep-cycle batteries used in renewable energy systems are designed to be discharged by about 80 percent. If they are discharged 100 percent, they are immediately damaged. Imagine a pot of water boiling on your kitchen stove. The moment it runs dry, the pot overheats. If you wait until the steaming stops, it is already too late!

Similarly, if you wait until your lights look dim, some battery damage will have already occurred. Every time this happens, both the capacity and the life of the battery will be reduced by a small amount. If the battery sits in this overdischarged state for days or weeks at a time, it can be ruined quickly.

The only way to prevent overdischarge when all else fails, is to disconnect loads (appliances, lights, etc.), and then to reconnect them only when the voltage has recovered due to some substantial charging. When overdischarge is approaching, a 12 volt battery drops below 11 volts (a 24 V battery drops below 22 V).

A low voltage disconnect circuit will disconnect loads at that set point. It will reconnect the loads only when the battery voltage has substantially recovered due to the accumulation of some charge. A typical LVD reset point is 13 volts (26 V on a 24 V system).

All modern inverters have LVD built in, even cheap pocket-sized ones. The inverter will turn off to protect itself and your loads as well as your battery. Normally, an inverter is connected directly to the batteries, not through the charge controller, because its current draw can be very high, and because it does not require external LVD.

If you have any DC loads, you should have an LVD. Some charge controllers have one built in. You can also obtain a separate LVD device. Some LVD systems have a "mercy switch" to let you draw a minimal amount of energy, at least long enough to find the candles and matches! DC refrigerators have LVD built in.

If you purchase a charge controller with built-in LVD, make sure that it has enough capacity to handle your DC loads. For example, let's say you need a charge controller to handle less than 10 amps of charge current, but you have a DC water pressurizing pump that draws 20 amps (for short periods) plus a 6 amp DC lighting load. A charge controller with a 30 amp LVD would be appropriate. Don't buy a 10 amp charge controller that has only a 10 or 15 amp load capacity!

29/10/2018

Delhi Power Minister Launches BSES’ Solar City Initiative Phase-2
The BSES said in a statement that, this phase, which will cover the Shakur Basti area, follows the success of the first phase started by the company in Dwarka where around 100 housing societies and apartment complexes have signed up for the initiative.
The second phase of Delhi power distribution company BSES’ Solar City Initiative was launched by Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain.
The BSES said in a statement that, this phase, which will cover the Shakur Basti area, follows the success of the first phase started by the company in Dwarka where around 100 housing societies and apartment complexes have signed up for the initiative.

“The Shakur Basti area is home to several colonies and has a substantial rooftop solar potential of around 15 MWp. BRPL (BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd) is targeting to realise around 5 MWp of rooftop net metering from the area by 2019-20,”