Innovative Energy Startups can apply to Berlin Bootcamp (July '16)

If you run an innovative energy startup you think will create a breakthrough in energy technology and has a clearly demonstrated demand in the market, and you already have a working prototype/proof of concept, you can showcase your venture at the Berlin Bootcamp hosted by GIZ India and Social Impact in the month of July 2016, in Germany. 

Yourstory reports that up to 5 startups from India (one person from each) will get a chance to participate in a 1.5-week-long bootcamp at Berlin, free of cost. For more information, terms & conditions, qualifying criterion, links to the organizers page, etc. please refer to this Yourstory.in post. Please read all the details before applying.

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GeoThermal Energy could make a big Impact in India

Geothermal energy is a renewable form of energy that can be applied to achieve heating or cooling of large and small organizations alike. 

Here is the story of GIBSS - Green India Building Systems and Services that has reduced energy consumption and demand in buildings by 60%. Read it.

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Ather Energy Launches S340 Electric Scooter

Ather Energy recently launched the S340 Electric Scooter at the SURGE Conference, Bengaluru. They claim that theirs is not just the best electric scooter, but also the best scooter among electric and petrol scooters! I am not sure if it's actually the best, but it's certainly the most modern, innovative and connected scooter available for Indian two-wheeler riders today. 

Salient Points about the Ather S340 Electric Scooter:

• Li-Ion Battery Lasts 50,000 KMs.
• Battery charges up to 80% within an hour. Consumes 2.5 units of electricity for full charge.
• Normal 5A sockets are sufficient, but charging is faster if larger sockets are used. 
• Capable of achieving a top speed of 72 KMPH. 
• 60 KM range with 300 Kg load. Range increases with reduced load. 
• Prototype can go 0-60 Kmph in 11s. 
• Scooter is 20% lighter than its petrol counterparts. 
• Maintenance, Navigation (Maps!), digital speedometer, and time management is available on the waterproof dashboard screen. 
• Connects to Internet via 3G SIM card. 
• The scooter can tell you the fastest route based on your riding habits.
• Designed and built in-house in India for Indian consumers, by IIT graduates.
• Price to be announced in Q2 '16, and the scooter to be available from Q4, '16 (mostly).
• Battery charging system is integrated into the scooter.
• Online purchase model with doorstep delivery and service, at least initially. Expected to be available in Bangalore, Pune and Chennai first. 
• Sleek form-factor with sufficient empty space to store two full-sized helmets.

As electric scooters can be powered using solar energy, I asked the Ather Energy team on Facebook if they would provide solar modules and charging infrastructure. They said they didn't have any plans to do that right now, but may provide it in the future. When Mahindra E20 Electric car provides solar charging infrastructure as an option, I am sure Ather Energy can also do it. That has the potential to create a revolution in the Indian automobile market.

Further Information: Ather Energy website. 

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Renewable Energy India Expo Noida from Sept. 23-25: Opening Today!

One of the major renewable energy exhibitions in India, Renewable Energy India Expo 2015 Edition, is open for public visits from today. It will be held from September 23 to 25 at India Expo Center, Greater Noida. Exhibition entry is free for everyone, but conference sessions are ticketed. The exhibition venue will be open from 10 A.M. to 6 P.M.

The organizers are expecting more than 550 exhibitors in the fields of renewable energy (solar, wind, bio, geothermal, energy efficiency & smart grids) from more than ten countries. This exhibition is held at a business space of 25,000 sq. meters and more than 16,000 foreign visitors are expected to attend. 

They also have conferences and other interesting events like startup pavilion, world of innovation, business matching, business plan competition, workshops, etc. lined up during these three days. 

There is a free mobile app that you can download to get all the latest information about this expo, and the organizers have arranged for a free shuttle from major locations in Delhi to the exhibition venue. Do attend, if your business is in the field of renewable energy, and if you are in/around Delhi on any of these days. You can learn about the latest technologies and products that are available in the international/domestic market and how dealers/customers can benefit from them.

Further Information: Renewable Energy India Expo website.

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Urban Tree Green Homes & Blogger's Meet

I went to a Blogger's meet organized by Urban Tree Constructions and echoVME in Chennai, last Saturday. Here, as usual, there were some events like quiz & adzap but the presentation by Urban Tree Constructions about Green Homes in Chennai, and how they are striving to make their properties (residential apartments) more green, impressed me much. In the above photo, you can see the CEO of Urban Tree addressing the gathering of Bloggers. 

Here are some highlights on Urban Tree's Green Home Initiatives:

• They use heat-reducing glass panels instead of normal glass panels (that allow all the heat to get in). This reduces the amount of air-conditioning necessary to cool the houses. 
• They use low VOC paints that have reduced lead (and other chemicals) that are harmful. 
• They use solid concrete blocks made with fly ash, which is a waste product from other industries. 
• Recycled water from sewage treatment plant is used for flushing and gardening. 
• Rainwater from terrace is collected and used for irrigation. 
• They have fixed Aerators and other water-saving fixtures, reducing water consumption.
• They use larger windows so that more light comes in and the requirement for daytime lighting is reduced. 
• Walls are gypsum-plastered, so heat coming in from outside is reduced. 
• LED lights (in common areas) and CFL bulbs reduce electricity consumption. 
• Thermal roof insulation tiles reflect sunlight and reduce heat penetrating inside. 
• Waste segregation and management/recycling processes are followed. 
• Landscaping around the apartments, including over one-lakh saplings planted in one of their apartments (Oxygen) helps maintain greenery and a more pleasant appearance/climate. 
• IGBC Green Buildings Certification enables standards-based compliance to green homes. 
• CFC-free air conditioning reduces ozone pollution. 

I spoke to their CEO for a short time and upon my suggestion, he said he will consider Solar Water Heaters for their properties in the future. Yay!! :)

For further information on Green Apartments in Chennai, refer to Urban Tree website. 

Disclaimer: All information given here are based on what was communicated to me on that day and what was written on their brochures. I have not verified any claims made above and hence encourage readers to do their own evaluation/verification before buying anything. This website is not affiliated with Urban Tree Homes in anyway and this blog post is for your information only. Readers should refer to the vendor's website for latest info/changes.

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Non-Renewable Energy posts/articles also from Now on . . .

When I think about why I started this blog, I realize I wanted to inspire people from different walks of life -- whether they know much (or are interested in) renewable energy or not -- to implement renewable energy or at least become inspired to consider renewable energy. 

But writing about renewable energy topics alone (as I am doing currently) is only going to bring people who want to know more about this topic. What about the innumerable others? How can I inspire them to adapt renewable energy in some form, in whatever little way, in their lives?

That's why I have decided to write about many topics of interest to common man/woman in this blog. You can expect posts on music, organic products, movies, green buildings, mobiles, opinions, and many other topics that interests the common man, from now on. That will help me to bring more people in and (hopefully) interest them or make them curious about renewable energy. 

Of course, I will also continue writing about renewable energy.

Thanking you,

Rajesh K

Administrator & Blogger,
http://www.solarwindhydroenergy.com
http://www.destinationinfinity.org

And one more thing: Now I have enabled Disqus comments on the blog. You can start commenting and interacting from now on... :)

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Airier: Biomass Pellets, Stove & Burner in India

I met the representatives of Airier Natura Private Ltd, during the recent Green Summit 2015 renewable energy expo at Bangalore. They are the manufacturers of Biomass Pellets, Biomass Stove & Biomass Burners in India.

What are Biomass Pellets?

Biomass Pellets are a type of fuel that releases heat energy when burned. These are packed densely and have a low moisture content (less than 10%), hence they can burn with high efficiency. Biomass pellets are available in different sizes like 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 20mm, etc. 

They are generally made from compacted/compressed biomass like sawdust, wastes from wood products manufacturing, left over tree felling, palm kernel shells, groundnut shells, coffee husk, etc. Different types of biomass pellets are available for commercial and industrial applications.

Biomass Pellet Stove:

The Biomass pellet stove burns biomass pellets in a more efficient manner. There are two types: Natural Draft, Forced Draft (that use fans, etc.) There are different biomass stoves for different applications like domestic & commercial, respectively.

Biomass Pellet Burner:

Biomass pellet burner uses biomass pellets as fuel and is intended to replace oils and fossil fuels to provide energy to boilers and furnaces in a variety of industries. There are different types of biomass burners, depending on the application. 

Further Information/Manufacturer's webpage:  Airier Natura Pvt. Ltd.

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Large-Scale BioGas Systems in India: ENERZEA Power Solution Pvt. Ltd.

Biogas is produced by anaerobic fermentation of biomass. It can be used to generate electricity. Biogas can be produced from food waste in hotels & hospitality industries, animal waste in slaughter houses, cow dung in diary farms, agro residues in agriculture industries, decaying biomass in landfills, etc. 

Enerzia Power Solutions is a Bangalore-based company that provides large-scale biogas producing systems to customers. I met their representatives in the recently concluded Green Summit 2015, Bangalore. The company is also into solar power generation. They provide Biogas Gensets from 80 kWe to 200 kWe & 370 kWe to 2000 kWe.

Further Information/Company Website: Enerzea Power Solution Pvt. Ltd.

Note: This website is not affiliated with the above mentioned company in anyway. Customers are requested to do their own evaluation and research before buying anything from them. This article is for your information only and for the latest details, refer to the company website mentioned above.

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Highlights of Green Summit 2015, Bangalore

I went to the recent Green Summit 2015, the Renewable Energy Exhibition held in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. This expo was held between April 23 - 25, 2015 in White Orchid Convention Center, Bangaluru. In this post, I'll summarize some interesting highlights (renewable energy products/services) I found there. This is not comprehensive, but only a partial listing. I'll do detailed blog posts on some of these products in the coming days.

The first thing that attracted me as soon as I entered the exhibition was the Solar Car. Yes, an electric car with embedded solar panels on the top! This was exhibited by Manipal Institute and Tata Power Solar. Unfortunately, this car is a prototype that is meant to participate in solar racing competitions and not a commercial one that people can buy. Let's hope we'll be able to buy such cars in the future. Good first step taken by two Indian organizations.

• I met with the officials of Su-Kam, who have come out with a number of interesting products for the renewable energy market. Some of them include: Solar inverter conversion unit, remote gateway for monitoring, MPPT Solar PCU, a system that helps compare efficiency, etc. 
• Right next to them was SOLATUBE, the company that enables customers to light up their premises during the day time using the natural light available outside.

• Then there was clickpower.in, a portal that connects producers and consumers of green power and enables power purchase transactions for open access customers. 
• A Hybrid Solar/Wind generator was exhibited by Wind Stream. 
• Anu Solar had exhibited their Solar Lighting system that can be controlled via a remote control.

• Then I saw the new Solar Water Heater displayed by Bosch: BLUTHERM. This model has a 100 L capacity and they have done a number of enhancements like screwless design, thinner bezel, solar heat retaining glass, etc. 
• I found small scale biogas plants exhibited by synod.in and large-scale biogas plants exhibited by enerzea.com. 

• UNIPAR had displayed their Hybrid Solar Inverter that retains power for PC during power cuts (without restarting) as it has a 6ms response time compared to 20ms response time, normally.
• Kamal Solar had displayed their solar water heaters. 
• kenandbambooz.com had displayed their bamboo construction capabilities.

• BHEL, the Govt. enterprise, had exhibited their solar and renewable energy R&D capabilities.
• AIRIER NATURA had displayed their biomass gassification burner and biomass pellets.
• insolare.com had displayed their Wisys smart street and office lighting solutions.

Please note: These are the highlights of some of the products that I found there. This post is only for your information and is not a recommendation for any company/product mentioned above.

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Renewable Energy Exhibition in Bangalore: Green Summit (Apr. 23 - 25, 2015)

Green Summit 2015, organized by FKCCI & MM Activ, is the upcoming Renewable Energy exhibition and Conference in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. This expo is scheduled to be held from April 23 to April 25, 2015.

Exhibition Address: White Orchid Convention Center, No. 9, Adjacent to Manyata Embassy Business Park, Hebbal - KR Puram Ring Road, Nagavara, Bangalore, Karnataka - 560045. Google Maps Location Link.

The Green Summit 2015 is a B2B exhibition that seeks to connect sellers and buyers in the Renewable Energy segment. They also want to promote the exchange of ideas and information by bringing together Govt. officials, decision makers, industry representatives, investors, and customers on a single platform. Along with the exhibition, there will also be a Conference & Other events. 

Focus Areas for the Exhibition: Solar Energy, Wind Energy, Geothermal, Bioenergy, Waste to Energy, Energy Efficiency, Mini Hydel, Fuel Cell, Tidal Energy, Flywheel Energy, etc. 

Exhibition timings: Thursday, April 23 - 12 Noon to 8 P.M; Friday, April 24 - 10:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M; Saturday, April 25 - 10:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Participation in the Renewable Energy Exhibition is Free of Cost and Visitors can Register Online or visit directly.

There will also be parallel conference & other sessions/events on all three days. The program at a glance for the renewable energy conference/events with topics, timings, and venue can be downloaded from here. Or, you can refer to this webpage link for more details. This is a paid conference and when I checked on their website, the charges were mentioned as Rs. 5,500 or USD $125 + Tax for individual participants. Do check their site for latest pricing and applicable discounts (if any). 

For exhibitors who wish to promote their products/services, do check this page for stall size, tariff, floor plan and availability. I think there are some stalls available to be booked - do check their website to see if you can still exhibit there now. 

I will be attending this exhibition (not conference), and I will try to present the important and interesting products, services, and companies I find there. Stay tuned and follow this site (via email, RSS, G+) to keep yourself updated, especially if you are connected with the Renewable Energy segment in India.

Looking forward to my visit next week. Bengaluru, here I come :)

Rajesh K
Administrator & Blogger - http://www.solarwindhydroenergy.com

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Battery Health Monitor from Sukhila Power Electronics

During the recently concluded HYREX 2015 in Hyderabad, I visited the stall of a company called Sukhila Power Electronics. They had displayed their Hybrid UPS there, and I noted their company website to get more information on their solar products. When I visited their website, I found an interesting product that could be useful to renewable energy installations that use batteries to store energy: Battery Health Monitor!

Their website says that their Battery Health Monitor can monitor up to three strings of VRLA, Lead-Acid, and LMLA Batteries, each string supporting up to 24 batteries/cells. It seems this is a micro-controller based system that can test and display various battery parameters manually or automatically (at programmed intervals). It can monitor each battery, and can identify failing/failed batteries so that they can be replaced. There is also an auto monitoring mode through MCM (Monitoring and Control Module) and remote monitoring. 

The system can read and display battery parameters like voltage, temperature, conductance, string voltage, current, etc. 

For further details, refer to Sukhila Power Electronics Product page.

Note: This website is not affiliated to the above mentioned company in anyway. The information mentioned here might change, hence refer to their website for latest info. This article is not a recommendation; hence customers are encouraged to do their own valuation and research before buying anything. 

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Turn your Kitchen Waste into Biogas for Cooking!

In the kitchen (and sometimes outside it) we produce a lot of organic waste. When we mix this waste with plastics, metal, chemical waste and send it to a landfill, it not only creates a lot of pollution but also makes it difficult to separate and recycle waste. All the smell from the dustbins/landfills are caused due to this organic waste from kitchen, mostly. 

So can we do anything about it?

Yes. We can collect organic waste (food waste, vegetable peels, fruit leftovers, cooked meal leftovers, etc.) and inorganic waste (plastic, metal, etc.) in separate dustbins and deposit only the inorganic waste in the dustbins/dumps. 

But what do we do with the Organic waste?

Turn it into money! You can generate both biogas for cooking and compost for plants in the garden if you deposit the organic waste into a biogas digester plant.

But aren't the biogas digester plants very big & require a lot of space?

Some are, not all. There are small biogas digester units for homes/families too. For example, a 1m3 (one meter cube) biogas digester plant requires a space of 4 x 5 feet only. It generates 1m3 of biogas when 6 - 10 Kgs of organic waste is digested by it, which gives a continuous flame for 2 hours. The biogas stove/burner is separate from (but similar to) the normal LPG stove/burner and requires simple piping system for carrying the gas. It may not replace LPG cylinders but can reduce the no. of LPG cylinders required for a family. 

What about Compost?

After organic material is digested, compost will come out of the digester (as a byproduct) which is mixed with water and can be used as manure for home/kitchen garden. Note that this byproduct may induce some smell and hence need to be stored in closed containers. However, there will be no smell coming from the main unit unless there is a leak. There is no need to buy or make compost for your garden/kitchen garden if you have this system.

Can I Install it in my House?

Yes, if you have some space - preferably open space exposed to sunlight - you can install this unit in your house/terrace. 

Of course, there are separate (larger) biogas plants for organizations like eateries, hotels, etc. that generate a lot of organic waste. 

If you live in Chennai, have a look at B-Sustain who offer Biogas Digester plants in varying capacities. Or you can contact Vibrant Marketing if you have any sales enquiries.

Please note: This website is not affiliated with the above mentioned companies in anyway. I am just trying to help spread the word as the product generates biogas, which is renewable energy. Readers are requested to verify & evaluate the products and services offered thoroughly before buying.

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HYREX 2015: Inaugurated by Shri. Muhammad Ali, Deputy CM, Telangana

The fifth edition of HYREX 2015 - Renewable Energy Expo with focus on Solar and LED - was inaugurated today by Shri. Muhammad Ali, Deputy CM, in Hyderabad, Telangana. He was accompanied by Shri Hanumantha Rao of TRS. Mr.  Sundara Murthy, the organizer of this event from Spoorthy Padham, a Telugu Magazine, introduced the Dignitaries, and the expo.  In the below picture, you can see Mr. Muhammad Ali speaking with the mic in the center of the photo, and Mr. Sundara Murthy on the left corner of the photo.

Prior to the inauguration, both Shri. Muhammad Ali and Shri. Hanumantha Rao, visited the various stalls in the exhibition, and went through the products and offerings provided by the vendors. While speaking, the Deputy CM assured Government support for the expo, and for popularizing renewable energy in the state.

I'll feature some interesting renewable energy products, services and companies I found in this expo, shortly.

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HYREX - Hyderabad's Renewable Energy Exhibition (Feb. 20 - 21, 2015)

HYREX 2015, to be held during February 20 - 21, 2015 @ Nizam's College, Basheerbagh in Hyderabad, Telangana, is an important renewable energy exhibition that covers both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states in India (mainly). HYREX 2015 is the second edition of this expo, after the successful completion of the first edition in 2014. The HYREX expo is being organized by ECO SURE, part of Spoorthy Padham, a Telugu magazine. 

There will be an exhibition, conferences, product launches, demonstrations, and few more activities related to renewable energy technologies as a part of this expo. 

Some Focus areas of HYREX 2015 are:

• Solar PV, Solar Thermal
• Wind
• Biomass, Biofuels
• Small Hydro
• LEDs
• Energy Efficiency
• Renewable Energy Finance and Investments
• Green buildings
• Renewable chemicals
• Climate change and global warming solutions
• Green IT, etc. 

The space booking charges for this expo is outlined here. It's quite less when compared to other exhibitions, hence if you are a vendor in this space and have operations in these two states, you may want check if space is still available to exhibit your products/services. Three types of sponsorship options are also available, check their website for details.

Further Details/Website: HYREX 2015, Eco Sure Expo.

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Energy Savers: Website on Energy Efficiency by BEE

Energy Savers is a website created and managed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Government of India. BEE is a Government body involved in energy efficiency regulatory and promotional functions including development of energy performance standards, energy conservation building codes; creating awareness and disseminating information on energy efficiency, preparing educational curriculum on energy efficiency, etc. 

The website is focused more on creating awareness and giving information on energy efficiency best practices. For example, in the Energy Saving Tips page you can find useful information including:

• Light colored exterior walls absorb less heat, and hence the house requires less cooling. 
• Using air conditioners along with fans, and switching off air conditioners after 30 minutes reduces energy consumption by ACs (which consume electricity @ Rs. 10 per hour). 
• Allowing hot foods to cool before putting them into the fridge, and not keeping liquids openly in the fridge (covering it with plates, keeping them inside sealed boxes) reduces electricity consumption by refrigerators. 
• Setting washing machine to use cold water (instead of hot water) saves up to 90% of power.
• Try to bring the cold items taken from refrigerator to room temperature, before putting them on the stove. Blue flame indicates efficient cooking, but yellow flame indicates inefficiency and burner needs cleaning. 
• Try to use solar cooker/solar water heater.
• Screensavers save the screen, not energy. Switching off the laptop when not in use is important to save energy. A flat LCD monitor/laptop is more power efficient. 
• Ceiling fans should be mounted at least 24 inches below the ceiling for them to operate efficiently. 

You can find many more useful tips to save energy on this page. 

BEE has published an exhaustive guide on energy efficiency: Doing More With Less: A Handbook on Energy Conservation and Efficiency. You can download/read (pdf) from here.This guide contains information on energy star and labeling, energy calculation, energy efficient buildings, energy use in various sectors, etc.

The website also has information on activities for schools and kids like painting competitions, energy club, etc. Interested schools can register themselves too. 

While you are there, don't forget to check the Downloads section that contains a lot of downloadable information on energy efficiency, including guides and information brochures in Hindi & English, cartoons for kids, posters, handbooks on energy conservation, etc. 

Here is the website link again: Energy Savers. Do check it out!

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Ather Energy: The Tesla of India?

Ather Energy has created a lot of excitement in the recent days by obtaining funding from the Co-Founders of Flipkart for their revolutionary electric vehicle start up company, based out of the Incubation Cell, IIT Madras. 

They want to build the best scooter, not just the best electric scooter, and they are designing electric scooters from scratch by developing their own chassis, suspensions, battery technology, etc. (According to their website.)

One look at their conceptual electric scooter, and I am already excited. Have a look at the features for yourselves from here. While you are on their website, you can also sign up to be intimated for a test drive (whenever the vehicle becomes available) if you live in Chennai/Bangalore. So go ahead, and register your name. 

I hope the future of automobiles in India will be oil-free, and I hope we move towards that vision quickly. But that can happen only if innovators and manufacturers bring interesting vehicles and support system to the market, and customers encourage them by buying. Government is already encouraging electric vehicles with a lot of investment plans.

The best thing about electric vehicles is: They can be charged using Solar Panels directly. It's possible to have a solar shed at home (like Mahindra e20) or it's even possible to put a solar panel directly on the roof of the bike/scooter. Not only can the scooter supplement its energy, but the commuter below can be protected from sun, rain, etc. WIN-WIN :D

At the least, all of us can spread the news. Go share the link of Ather Energy on your Facebook wall, NOW :)

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Why Not Live in Beautiful Tiny Houses in India?

Tiny Houses are that - TINY! There is a revolution of tiny homes going on around the world, but in India, since many people are already living in tiny houses, maybe it's not as telling!

The reason why tiny houses click is not because they are small or are cheap (although they are). But because they can be designed beautifully and they will stand out from all those larger houses and apartments coming often by the dozen. Of course, it's easy to power tiny houses using solar panels or micro wind turbines, as it consumes lesser power.

Tiny houses don't mean a compromise in luxury, as some people think. You can have all luxurious elements within a small house. In fact, designing such a small house might take more effort than designing a larger home with standard components, and hence encourages DIY culture. Besides, one is not struck in life-long loans or unnecessary items cluttering one's life.

Have a look at this tiny house constructed in Portland:

 
Or take a look at this tiny house with wheels built out of an old van:

Tiny houses are not only beautiful, elegant, compact and different, but come with a number of advantages over larger houses. Some are,

• Low cost of construction, less tax, less land required.
• Low maintenance cost, low electrical cost, low water consumption, etc.
• Takes less time to clean and maintain.
• Some are mobile and can be easily moved.
• Discourages unnecessary buying of furniture and appliances. Forces one to buy only essential items.
• Encourages better inter-personal relationship and communication.
• Can be better designed with more luxury, at a lower cost.
• Encourages people to spend more time on leisure activities than work, as there is no big house loan to pay off. That also keeps many lifestyle ailments away.
• Can be powered with renewable energy more easily (solar, micro-wind, geothermal) as the power requirements are less.

So why don't you consider building a beautiful luxurious small home in India? Tiny homes mean freedom in every sense :)

Photo credit: By Tammy (Weekend with Dee) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons.

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We need to build Green Homes in India

Green Homes use renewable energy, and utilize lowest possible energy (or better produce more energy than what is used). It is possible to build a green home in India today and every customer should push their builders to incorporate as many green elements into their homes. Green homes is not only environment friendly, but also saves a lot of money in the long run. Let's look at some features of green homes, below.

• Utilize renewable energy to create power. Store energy in batteries or sell excessive energy to the grid. 
• Utilize energy-efficient appliances (LED lights, energy-efficient fans, A/C, refrigerator, washing machine, laptop, etc.)
• Use building automation systems to switch off lights/fans when no one is present and control appliances remotely. 
• Use daylight as much as possible inside the home. 
• Use natural wind from windows to cool the house. 
• Use water and plant trees around the house to cool it further. 
• Don't use concrete, glass and other materials that increase the heat. 
• Insulate the walls/roofs.
• Reuse grey water for gardens, etc. 
• Have a kitchen garden to grow organic vegetables.  
• Segregate organic/inorganic waste. Use organic waste to create compost and give inorganic waste for recycling. 
• Harvest the rainwater into the well/sump or channel it do directly travel into the water table.

There are many more factors that help build a green home. But you need to insist your builder/architect to include as many green measures as possible while constructing homes. You can find more information about green buildings from here, here, and here. 

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Zigor Hybrid Inverters: Connect Solar, Wind, Batteries, Grid & Generator

In the recent RENERGY 2014 expo at Chennai Trade Center, I came across a stall by Zigor, the manufacturer of Hybrid Inverters for connecting multiple renewable energy technologies (solar & wind), grid, batteries, and even generators. Zigor is headquartered in Spain and has a direct office in Pune, India. 

Among other products, Zigor manufactures Solar On-Grid Inverters, Solar-Wind On-Grid Inverters and Hybrid Inverters for Small, Medium, and High power solutions covering 0.3 kVA to 1350 kVA on four different topologies, as given below -

• KIT assemblies of DC/AC Inverters with PWM & MPPT regulator controls, and battery controllers for low-cost requirements. 
• HIS11 Compact for remote telecom sites, domestic users, small power grids, etc. covering 4 kW - 6.6 kW. 
• HIT3C for medium power grid, small communities, water pumping, etc. covering 30 kW - 100 kW. 
• HIT3D for Multi-MW generation, distributed hybrid micro grids, etc. covering 150 kVA - 1350 kVA. 

They also manufacture and supply micro wind turbines in the range of 300 W - 6000 W. Remote control and monitoring web server based SCADA firmware is embedded into systems. 

For further info, refer to Zigor website or this technical document. 

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Can you design a Smaller Inverter? Participate in The Little Box Challenge

An Inverter is a device that converts DC current output from solar modules, wind turbines, etc. into AC current, which is required for powering residential/commercial (electrical) devices. Google, along with IEEE, has recently announced The Little Box Challenge that requires you to design a smaller Inverter than what is currently available. 

To be specific, they want you to design and build a KW-scale Inverter with the highest power density (50W per cubic inch). That means, the existing water cooler-sized Inverters need to be shrunk to the size of tablets! So, if you belong to a company or research institution that specializes in designing/building such complicated electrical power engineering components, you might want to participate in this contest. 

Because, they are giving away one million dollars to the winner. And the winner can be from any country, across the world. Only, once your design is selected, you'll need to be able to build a working model and carry it to a testing facility in the United States. If your company/org. will support you with that, anyone can participate. 

Google is looking to build such a small scale Inverter because they want it to run their data centers more efficiently, and perhaps use renewable energy also. But such an Inverter will have many applications in everyday life, especially in the field of renewable energy and electric mobility. So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and participate if you can! Do remember: The last date for registering your team is September 30, 2014. There doesn't seem to be any entry costs. 

Technical Details: The Little Box Challenge specifications & testing info (pdf document). 

Website: The Little Box Challenge. 

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