New Delhi (NVI): The CSIR-CMERI has set up the world’s largest solar tree at its residential colony in Durgapur, West Bengal. The solar tree has an installed capacity above 11.5 kWp.
According to CSIR-CMERI Director Harish Hirani, the annual capacity of the solar tree will include generating about 12,000-14,000 units of clean and green power.
The Solar Tree has been designed and developed in a way to ensure maximum exposure of each Solar PV Panel to sunlight and create least amount of shadow area beneath. There are a total of 35 Solar PV Panels in each tree with a capacity of 330 wp each.
Hirani said, “The CSIR-CMERI developed Solar Tree besides being the World’s Largest Solar Tree also has certain customizable features for application at diverse sites. The Solar Trees were designed in a manner to ensure minimum Shadow Area, thus potentially making these Solar Trees available for widespread usage in Agricultural activities such as High Capacity Pumps, e-Tractors and e-Power Tillers.”
In addition to this, these Solar Trees can be aligned with Agriculture for substituting price-volatile fossil fuels.
Each Tree has the potential to save 10-12 tons of CO2 emissions being released into the atmosphere as Greenhouse Gases when compared with fossil fuel fired energy generation. Besides, the surplus generated power can be fed into an Energy Grid.
“This Agricultural Model can provide a consistent economic return and help the farmers counter the effects of the uncertain variations in Agriculture related activities, thus, making farming an Economic and Energy Sustainable practice,” Harish Hirani added.
Furthermore, each Solar Tree will cost Rs 7.5 lakhs and the interested MSMEs can align their Business Model with the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers, for developing a Renewable Energy based Energy Grid.
Significantly, the solar trees can also be connected to CSIR-CMERI’s solar-powered e-Suvidha Kiosks may for real-time access to the vast majority of agricultural database and the National Agricultural MarketPlace (eNam) for instant and real-time access to a unified online market.
-CHK
