India on the Nuclear Edge...?

The Fukushima disaster is not slowing India's pursuit of nuclear power, but columnists Gunjan Bagla and Stephen B. Huttler say New Delhi needs more pro-nuclear policies

Image Source: NPCIL.nic.in 

India is the fifth-largest producer of energy in the world at 167,000 megawatts. But its large population means that per capita consumption is exceedingly low, just 50 watts, compared with 226 watts in Brazil and 1,460 watts in the U.S. In addition, power outages and brownouts are a daily drag on India’s economy. Virtually every successful business must depend on auxiliary electrical power in the form of battery backup, diesel generators, and more. To fill this gap, and to facilitate its goal of bringing hundreds of millions of its people out of poverty, India is seeking to deploy every form of electrical generation that it can access, including nuclear power.

India plans to expand its nuclear energy capacity from the current 5,000 megawatts to 63,000 megawatts by 2032, a target that will require upwards of $100 billion in investment. The 2008 Civil Nuclear Agreement between the U.S. and India opened the door for Western companies to compete for this substantial business. Reactor makers, equipment builders, engineering and construction companies, materials and parts suppliers, and a myriad of experts from overseas stand to gain from this bonanza.

Read More at: BusinessWeek

Exide Industries plans prices cut to boost sales

There is a buzz in the market that Exide Industries is planning to cut prices by 10% for car batteries and, by 15% for inverters in an effort to boost its sales. The talk, however, led to concern over prospects of the company, which was also reflected in a weak movement in the stock.

On Thursday, Exide underperformed the market to end 2.4% down at Rs 142.7 on the BSE. When contacted, the company spokesperson declined to comment on the possibility of price reduction.

Analysts, however, feel the price cut was necessary as it will help the company combat loss of market share to Amara Raja Batteries.

via: economictimes

Setting it straight about science fair solar energy breakthrough

There’s been a lot of stories about arranging solar panels to mimic leaves on a tree, thereby boosting their efficiency. But before reading that story you might want to check out this blog post correcting some flaws in that breakthrough.


Before we go any further, we’d like to point out that the original work was done by a seventh grader. He looked at leaves on trees and postulated that the Fibonacci sequence can be found in the layout of leaves, and that by laying out solar cells in the same way you can capture more sunlight. Comments can get negative fast around here, so remember that trashing his work may discourage other kids from participating in science fair events.


Anyway, long story short: there were some issues with original assumptions, and about what was actually being measured during testing. The article linked at the top covers the fact that the cells were not measured under load, and that simple calculations can show why the tree-mimicking-cell-placement can be proven sub-optimal to 45 degree, south-facing solar farms.


[Thanks Jeffery and Steve for the original article and Brian for the follow-up article and cached link]


Via:Hackaday

KACO new energy expands PV inverter production capacity by 4 gigawatts

KACO new energy (Neckarsulm, Germany) has invested EUR 30 million in its headquarters in Neckarsulm and has expanded its peak capacity by 4 gigawatts (GW). The new, scalable manufacturing facility enables flexible production in line with market developments, the company emphasizes in a press release. 


The third largest inverter manufacturer has therefore secured itself logistic advantages at the international competitive level. As with all its other manufacturing facilities, the production in Plant 5 is also climate-neutral.


Read more at : SolarServer

Su-Kam Signs Distribution Agreement with Global Infonet Distribution

Su-Kam the leader in the Indian Power Backup Industry has recently signed an exclusive agreement with Global Infonet Distribution Pvt. Ltd. thereby appointing them as an exclusive National distributor to distribute its UPS Products across India.


Global Infonet Distribution headed by Vishal Sopory who is the Executive Director, was established in January 2008 with its head quarters in New Delhi. Commercial operations commenced in May 2008. They aim to provide superior market access to leading technology brands and support their expansion plans in India.


With leading technology brands in industry and a nationwide network of 30+ branch locations connected through real time on-line ERP platform enables Global Infonet to distribute a portfolio of over 5000 SKUs to over 4000 customers.

Su-Kam signs Agreement with Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric

Su-Kam has signed an agreement with Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric for distribution of large central solar PV inverters. After signing the distribution agreement with Toshiba Mitsubishi Electric, Su-Kam is to bring to India large central grid tie inverters, available in capacities of 100, 250, 500 and 630 KW. This will enable Su-Kam to bid for large projects to generate 1 MW and more of solar power.


Su-Kam is to also offer complete consultancy for the optimum product configuration, installation, commissioning and after sales support across the length and breadth of India as well as offer components and accessories to the customers.


Via: VArIndia

Ford to Sell Solar Panel System Alongside Electric Cars

Ford Motor Company is teaming up with San Jose-based solar panel maker SunPower to offer a rooftop solar system option which will be sold alongside the upcoming Ford Focus EV. The “Drive Green for Life” program, as it’s being called, involves mounting solar panels on a customer’s home.


These panels wouldn’t be used just to charge the Focus itself, however. They actually help offset the cost that comes with having to charge the car, something which most electric car owners do every night.


The 2.5 kilowatt solar panel system would offset the cost of about 1,000 miles per month, says Ford. After federal tax credits, the cost of the system would be around $10,000. Some local and state rebates may also be available, but it’s still a fairly pricey system.


At least Ford and SunPower are targeting the appropriate demographic. The option should appeal to environmentalists who want to buy an electric car, but don’t want to  feel guilty about consuming all the extra electricity needed to charge it. After all, it’s not really that “green” to drive electric when you’re charging your car using fossil fuels.


Read More at: Techcrunch