[rajathv8]

Originally Posted by null

Has anybody from Bangalore installed a grid tie system at their home here? If yes, what were the legal hassles? how easy was it to get the approvals & connectivity? Any palm greasing involved?(obvious I guess, how much)

My bad. Looks like DDIS has a off-grid setup.
I too am interested to understand the redtape related aspects to an on-grid solution.

[ecenandu]

The prices of solar modules and solar inverters have been falling over the past year. A recent study by solar consultancy Bridge to India showed that module prices had dropped 29% in the past year and 8% in the past quarter. Inverter prices too dipped 21% year-on-year and 5% in the last quarter. Most solar modules used in India are imported, primarily from China. The rupee too has been strengthening against the dollar in the first months of 2017 and currently stands at Rs64.65.

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...campaign=cppst

[Holyghost]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...campaign=cppst

A 5KW grid tie setup was 3.3L in 2016 Mar and it now stands at 2.3L. Though I feel bad since I could have saved a lot more if I had waited for an year, I do feel happy that the technology is becoming affordable for a common man.

Last month, the whole sale prices of electricity in California became 0 even going into negative due to surplus power production from Solar. The Solar production crossed 50% of total power generation between 8AM to 2PM.
2% to 50% took just 10 years for California and The Govt simply cannot allow more solar production until they figure out an alternative to store the surplus energy. It would be an interesting year ahead.

[rajathv8]

Zero cost of electricity plus electric drive transport systems without the use of batteries like the metro and trams can greatly help reduce mobility related pollution.
However my faith in the government machinery to enable such a state to be achieved in Blore is very low.

[ecenandu]

We had heavy rains in June, the solar production was 398 Units approximately 13.3 units a day. Which is 4 units down per day from what we got during summer. But even then it isn't that bad. If it is raining through out the day, the production will be around 4-8 units, I think we got the 13.3 average because of few sunny days in between.

[null]

Originally Posted by rajathv8

My bad. Looks like DDIS has a off-grid setup.
I too am interested to understand the redtape related aspects to an on-grid solution.

Did you get any further inputs on this? check your inbox here. Thanks.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by ecenandu

We had heavy rains in June, the solar production was 398 Units approximately 13.3 units a day. Which is 4 units down per day from what we got during summer. But even then it isn't that bad. If it is raining through out the day, the production will be around 4-8 units, I think we got the 13.3 average because of few sunny days in between.

I have 2 KW unit and on sunny days getting 8-9 units and on cloudy days 4-6 units and on rainy days 3 units. My consumption is 10 units per day.

[ecenandu]

Previously on KSEB website, I could see separate reading for solar export to the grid and consumption from the grid. Now, I am not able to see that information. Anyway, for the last three months we were supplying excess to the grid and the electricity bill was only 92 INR.

This is the screenshot from the KSEB website, I think 349 units is the excess supplied to the grid.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

However, A word of advice for you and all others who are planning to install grid-tie systems: Please WAIT for next 6 Months - 1 Year.
The new range of Hybrid Grid Inverters have started hitting the market. These inverters are Grid-Tied systems with Battery backup. In short it is both a Grid-Tie and an Off-Grid system in one unit.

I could only find 3 manufacturers selling it here in India. Schneider and Studer are officially selling imported units, but costs a bomb (4 times the cost of normal Grid Tie). I saw another manufacturer FlinSlim selling rebranded Chinese Inverter with same features. Once other manufacturers starts selling these inverters, the prices will come down significantly.

FlinInfini Smart and Lite models on their site now

Smart

Lite

[Trojan]

Hello Friends,

I have a farm at Panna, Madhya Pradesh, since it is bordering the forest and far from the village, there is no electricity over there.
I have the option to procure a separate Transformer for the same or I can stay off the grid. I am interested in staying off the grid, but I have no clue how or where to start.
The farm is going to have a 3-4 huts with lights and fans. There won't be any TV but we will need a fridge (in the future).
I am also planning to have stand alone Solar lamps for the compound lighting. We are also getting a bore-well dug, and we would need to have an electric pump to fill up the tank - can this be done through solar as well?

My questions

- What should be the power output that I should be looking at
- Which companies, manufacture these, what components are required (panels, inverter, charge controller, batteries (what type))
- What is the cost of setting up a total off-grid set-up
- Can trained electricians do the job for me or do we need specialists to install - asking as since the region is remote, availability of specialists may be an issue

Thanks a lot in advance!

Cheers,
Trojan

[subuiyer]

Perhaps off topic.

Solar panels don't seem to do justice to the amount of energy available from Sun in a tropical country like India.

Solar panels (seem to me) make use of ONLY the light (photons) from Sun falling on them. This is perfect above a certain latitude where air is clean and even on a day with clear sky, brilliant sunshine, temperatures can be very low. Higher latitudes is where these things were invented.

In the tropics, bulk of the solar energy is in the heat accompanying sunlight. My car parked in the open here in Mumbai is at 35-50 Celcius for at least 10 hours a day for 8 months a year. So lot of energy in heat from sunlight.

Clearly all the expensive, imported solar panels seem to be doing half the job and not fit for our context. Seems like a lot of wasted energy/money to me.

Why are Indian scientists/engineers (numbering > the population of bottom 100 countries) not inventing/building material that convert both light and heat into electricity? Clearly an opportunity to be exploited?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Substitute a boiler and turbine for the coffee pot. ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPoOvy3elD8

Maybe even vacuum-tube water heaters can be built and tuned to actually boil the water and produced pressurised steam. I don't know, I'm guessing it has been done. Sadly, probably built in China rather than India.

[Holyghost]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Maybe even vacuum-tube water heaters can be built and tuned to actually boil the water and produced pressurised steam. I don't know, I'm guessing it has been done. Sadly, probably built in China rather than India.

Large scale Solar steam power plants are already in service in different parts of the world. Such power plants are called Concentrated Solar Thermal Power plants (CSP). Even in India we have 3 CSP plants. Major one in Jaisalmer producing 100+ MW built by Reliance. Majority of such thermal plants are located in Spain and USA.

Ivanpah Solar Power plant in California is currently the worlds largest CSP plant producing 400MW.


PS10 and PS20 in Spain.


However, unlike PV plants, these plants are harmful for the local biological habitats. Lot of birds and other animals die due to the enormous heat produced by these reflectors. The Ivanpah plant has even scaled back its power production to reduce its impact on the desert habitats.

[maddy42]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

Large scale Solar steam power plants are already in service in different parts of the world. Such power plants are called Concentrated Solar Thermal Power plants (CSP).

However, unlike PV plants, these plants are harmful for the local biological habitats. Lot of birds and other animals die due to the enormous heat produced by these reflectors. The Ivanpah plant has even scaled back its power production to reduce its impact on the desert habitats.

Seen these plants on the LA Vegas route. The biggest one was funded by google but took years of delays and is not functioning at full capacity. The CSP plants in comparison to solar panels are currently producing power at a higher cost in comparison thanks to the chinese and their solar industry. After the fall in panel prices, a lot of CSP plants were put in the backburner. Now with battery storage you can see further drop in adoption of the CSP.

I live in a location with 6 months of winter, so looking to meet someone with a panel on their roof to see how the winters affect performance.

Maddy

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Holyghost

Large scale Solar steam power plants are already in service in different parts of the world. Such power plants are called Concentrated Solar Thermal Power plants (CSP). Even in India we have 3 CSP plants. Major one in Jaisalmer producing 100+ MW built by Reliance. Majority of such thermal plants are located in Spain and USA. ... ... ...

Thanks for the information and pictures. It looks amazing. What a shame, though, that the environmental aspects don't work out.