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The Economic Times
COIMBATORE: With the much-awaited
nuclear deal finally getting the nod in the US Congress, scientists across the
country foresee a solution to the energy crisis. In the meantime they feel that
the immediate solution to India's energy problem lies in tapping of solar
energy.
Three decades long barriers for nuclear commerce have
crumbled opening the doors for setting up state of art nuclear power projects
and access to nuclear fuel, but the problem is not going to ease in near future
as nuclear projects have long gestation periods.
According to the
United Nations Human Development report, India suffers a huge power deficit with
over 400 million of its billion-plus people having no access to electricity.
Considering this, the scientists believe that government should
concentrate on tapping the conventional sources of energy like wind and solar
energy to meet the country's immediate energy requirements.
"Although we have got nuclear deal it would take some time before
the deal actually materializes in terms of electrical supply. Where as the solar
energy is available, right now various ways of tapping the solar energy is
possible. The cells are easily available and you can convert the solar energy
into electricity and use it for various appliances," said Professor T Michael
Kumar, Director, School of Mechanical Science, Karunya University.
Most parts of the country receive clear sunshine for major part of
the year.
However, only about 1, 748 MW power is produced from solar
energy while India needs 130,000 MW of electricity every year.
According to one estimate, peak demand in India today exceeds
electricity supply by 14 per cent.
The vast Indian countryside,
where more than two-thirds of the country's 1.2 bn people live, accounts for no
more than 13 per cent of electricity consumption while some 40 per cent of the
country's electricity supply is lost in transmission as well as due to theft.
Renewable sources contribute about five per cent of the
country's electricity while coal-fired thermal power stations account for about
65 per cent of the total capacity and in the process pollute environment.
Solar energy with an appropriate technology promises to be one of
the most replenishing, pollution free and inexhaustible sources of energy.
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