Akshay Urja Volume1 Issue 3: A Special Issue on Solar Thermal Energy is available now

It is newsletter of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. Taking the cognizance of solar thermal energy in our daily life, the present issue of Akshay Urja has the solar thermal energy as its focus.

The sun is the ultimate source of energy on the earth and India, being a tropical country, is blessed with plenty of sunshine throughout the year. So in India solar energy, today, is being harnessed through two major routes, that is, solar thermal and solar photovoltaic. The solar thermal route provides wide applications including water heating, air heating, cooking, drying of agricultural and food products,distillation of water, water purification, detoxification of wastes,cooling and refrigeration, process heat for industry, and electricitygeneration. The designing of energy-efficient buildings based on solar passive architecture concept is also an upcoming field. Many of these systems and devices have been developed in India and are being used commercially.

The MNRE is also promoting the applications of solar thermal energy through various incentives. In this issue the two major articles titled Development and promotion of low-temperature solar thermal technology in India by Dr Ashwini Kumar and Electricity from solar energy: the thermal route by Dr Bibek Bandyopadhyay present a comprehensive information on solar thermal energy applications. The schemes of the ministry relating to solar thermal energy have also been highlighted.

To read the pdf version of the newsletter click here