Energy needs

Stepping out of 'dark ages'


By Galileo

So, many among the Mumbaikars feel the city is going back into the 'dark' ages. Its a new phenomenon. Mumbai hardly had power cuts like it does now, especially in the suburbs.
May be, that way, some Mumbaikars are justified to feel that they are going backwards instead of forward.
But what about Bangalore, the 'Science Capital' of India?
It is time to call it the shame of modern India. Why on earth should the city be termed as 'Science Capital of India' while offerring no imaginative solutions to overcome the power problems its has been suffering over the decades now.
If Mumbaikars feel being pushed into the dark ages, just imagine the plight of Bangaloreans. Probably, they have got used to the dark ages by now.
And why just Mumbai or Bangalore, or for that matter any urban centre in an apparently resurgent India, what about the huge rural hinterland? Who is to strive for 'power' there?
Our learned politicians are doing every bit they can to achieve power, but still no power to light up the homes of the millions living in villages?
Amidst this scenario, Bangalore recently hosted Solar India 2007, a conference tat brought several international players in solar energy on a single platform.
One of the delegates was a person named Pranav R Mehta. He happens to be the Director (India operations) for a California-based company named Space Island Group Inc. In his remarkable presentation, he made an even more remarkable offer - that India exploit the solar power given to them from space at just 10 cents (about Rs 4?) per kilowatt-hour. And this rate is to remain unchanged till the year 2030.
The company, formed by a group of former astronauts and technocrats, plans to launch two solar satellites which would be placed in a geo-stationary orbit. This means that the satellites woud constantly be above a particular reference point on Earth. In other words, the satellite's revolution around the Earth would take the same time as the earth's rotational time.
The two satellites that would be loocated in space about 22,000 miles altitude, and each over opposite sides of the Earth, would store solar power procured from the high radiation conditions that prevail in space and send it down to Earth through microwave signals.
Specialised antennae spread across the globe would receive the signals, convert the microwave signals into electricity and distribute it in the immediate localituies or a unit household.
Mehta says, this is a revolutionary technology that would emulate the direct-to-home (DTH) television concept in bringing electricity from solar power.
Which means transmission and distribution losses that have bugged countries like India would be completely eliminated.
The company has already spoken to the Ministry of new and Renewable Energy to accept power through this mode and also play the role of a 'broker' in helping set up the antennae in other countries to help rural areas there be electrified.
The deal is tempting, because India's projected energy requirement by the year 2031-32 would be about 800,000 MW, while its is 160,000 MW at present. imagine the costs incurred if India had to meet the projected requirement using the conventional energy sources. It would be in the region of an estimated $570 billion.
Also, solar power procured this way could ensure meeting at least 90 per cent of the energy needs in the country.
Now when such an offer comes by, it is up to the 'power'ful politicians to prove what their real aims are - power retention or 'power' to the people.
Since imaginative solutions are failing us, it is time we at least opened our ears to crativity coming from abroad. At least some consolation to the ultra-patriotic that it was ultimately an Indian who carried this concept to them.
Whay say?