Dr Asangba Tzudir
With depletion of convention, non-renewable sources of energy, there is an urgent need for finding out means to harness and increase the production of alternative sources of energy, and one such alternative source is the solar energy. The uses of solar power and why we should use it is one of paramount concerns today.
In the Indian context, as per the reports of Indian Power Sector, 2014, the amount of solar energy received by India is a whooping 5000 trillion KWH per year. India being partly tropical and sub-tropical, she receives sunlight all through the year, however, it is the land usage pattern, the country’s harness-able solar power has remained low. Despite India’s National Solar Mission which was launched in 2010 with a target to achieve 20 GW and which was re-revised in 2014 with a huge target of 100 GW installed solar capacity by 2022.
This mission is the World’s largest energy expansion program, and by 2018 the 20 GW installed capacity increased the solar capacity of India by 370 percent (Economic Times, January 2018). However, there is a huge difference between installed capacity and the actual amount of energy generated. This is mainly due to the fact that solar energy is not present throughout the year because of India’s erratic seasonal changes and other factors.
Despite the geographical challenges, solar power in India is abundant, and it every household had the ability to harness the solar energy, the country would have a situation of energy surplus. While solar energy can be generated through Photovoltaic Cells that absorb the incident sunlight, solar water heating, passive solar energy systems, solar thermal electricity and solar heating and cooling. The system applied for harnessing solar energy is primarily the roof top solar panels.
In Nagaland too, because of the challenges of power requirement especially in the peak summer, such alternative measures requires a serious consideration. While each household at the domestic level can harness solar energy through the installation of roof top solar panels, the state government can bring the desired transformation by setting a target to set up at least roof-top solar panels in all govt. institutions and offices, hospitals, educational institutions etc. and then on to households.
The construction of houses especially in Kohima and Dimapur is so closely huddled that lighting may be required even during the day. As such, construction should also be done in such a way that the light from solar energy can be used in the day time to light up home spaces. This can be done by building skylight in the roof or using transparent sheets, or more conveniently have bigger window fitted with unbreakable glass.
The present situation of power deficit in the state is going to become more challenging, as such, in all small ways possible, it becomes a collective responsibility to harness solar energy as much as possible to bridge the deficit situation while also adapting to the alternative. Let it also be known that energy saved is energy conserved.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
