Solar energy applications in India

Abstract

The third meeting of the Solar Energy Working Group (India) was held at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, on 14 and 15 January 1971. Scientists from Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi; Motilal Nehru Engineering College, Allahabad; and Space Science and Technology Center, Trivandrum, participated for the first time, in addition to others already active in the field. Dr. K. N. Mathur was the chief guest and gave a special address. From reports and papers presented, it seems that more interest is being shown in work on air-conditioning and refrigeration at I.I.T Delhi and Madras, and Motilal Nehru Engineering College, Allahabad. Scientists at IIT Kanpur are concentrating on mass culture of algae, heat transfer studies, and agricultural drying. Defence Research Laboratory, Kanpur, is working on silicon solar cells. Scientists from Space Science and Technology Centre, Trivandrum, presented an interesting paper on ‘Solar simulation—state of the art’ as a part of space research program. The Deputy Director General of Observatories, New Delhi, actively participated in this meeting and gave assurance of having an improved network of solar radiation measurement stations in the country by the new stations which are starting to supply data. It is noteworthy that solar radiation distribution maps of India have now been prepared. The representatives of the Planning Commission (Government of India) outlined the present energy consumption in the country and stressed that in the coming years attempts should be made to use solar energy to partly replace kerosene (an imported commodity), which is a common source of energy in the rural areas of the country. This meeting clearly revealed the growing interest of Indian workers in solar energy and also their attempts to work in more varied fields, such as space applications and the mass culture of algae.