The document summarizes a group's visit to Mithradham Renewable Energy Centre to learn about renewable energy sources. It discusses how the Centre uses solar, wind, and biomass systems as models for sustainable development. The group learned about energy security and the need for renewables due to increasing population. Global warming occurs due to increased greenhouse gases, and can be mitigated by reducing fossil fuel use and promoting renewable alternatives like solar, wind, and hydro power. The excursion highlighted how social, physical and environmental topics are interrelated, and motivated the students to reduce pollution and energy consumption.
6. Mithradham
A pilot NGO initiative in India for
propagation of renewable energy.
A model for sustainable and holistic
development.
A model for organic cultivation of
The Renewable Energy Centre
vegetables, fruits and spices.
Mithradham initiated by Mrs. A model for Indo-German cooperation
in environment and renewable energy.
Rosemarie Zaiser, Stuttgart-Germany,
and Dr. George Peter Pittappillil,
Kerala-India.
8. RENEWABLES @ MITHRADHAM
Photovoltaic Power Plant for Wind Energy Solar Warm
Electricity Generation Generator Water System
Data: Data: Cooking.
5 KWp Power. 24 V, 900 Watt. Drinking water.
3 KW Inverter. Wind speed Minimum 4m/s. Dish washing.
1200 Ah Battery Storage. Charges the battery storage
1 KW Wind generator. during monsoon period.
Electricity for a building complex with 40
rooms including lights, fan, TV, radio,
computer, PC, Fridge, Washing Machine,
telephone, fax etc.
Energy from
Biomass
Biomass System in
Mithradham.
Biomass Fermenter.
9. WHAT CAN WINDPOWER ACHIEVE?
Wind Energy
Generator
Data:
24 V, 900 Watt.
Wind speed Minimum 4m/s.
If the windmill operates at 100% capacity, it
Charges the battery storage would generate 900x24 = 21600 W or 21kWhr
during monsoon period. or 21 units per day
Assuming a 30% wind availability, the
generation would be 21.6*30% = 6.48 units per
day
A typical LED lamp would consume 6-8 W and
and hence abut 300 LED lamps can be lit up
using this energy
11. Why do we need renewables energy ?
World population grew 110% from 2.4 Bn to 5
Bn in 35 years from 1950 and is expected to
soon touch 8 Bn.
Energy Security Reduce Global Warming
People need energy and most of it are from
Fossil fuels – Coal, Petroleum and Nuclear.
They are exhaustible and polluting.
14. World Energy Consumption by Source
Solar Energy constitutes only
0.23% of the energy sources
and less than 1% for
electricity generation
15. India’s Power story
Of the 198 GW installed power capacity, Renewable Energy sources contribute only 12%. Solar
has the highest potential and least exploited of the RES
16. It is said that if we can capture
energy from the sun for one hour, it
will meet the energy needs of the
world for one year!
India has great potential to generate
power from solar energy.
On an average India has 300 sunny
days, among the highest in the
world.
18. The Solar Energy Solutions
Photovoltaics
Solar water heater
Solar Cooker
19. The Solar Cell
Silicon wafer thickness
– 180 microns Roof top Solar Modules
1 micron = 1
thousandth
of 1 mm
20. Solar modules used to harness energy from the sun are made up of
photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaic cells are constructed of semiconducting
materials, usually silicon. The cells use either crystalline silicon or amorphous
silicon.
Pure silicon acts as an insulator, but by doping the silicon with phosphorus, an
element with five valence electrons, an n-type semiconductor is created.[5] .
Because silicon has four valence electrons, phosphorous provides additional
electrons to the silicon crystal lattice so that there are more electrons in an n-
type semiconductor than there are places for them to fit into the
lattice.[6] These extra electrons will carry electric current and generates
electricty.
Semiconductors can also be of p-type. Dope silicon with boron, which has
three valence electrons, to create a p-type semiconductor. P-type
semiconductors have “holes,” which are empty places for electrons in the
lattice, as their majority carrier because boron has one less valence electron
than silicon. When the two types of semiconductors are placed next to one
another they form a p-n junction where holes drift from the p-side to the n-side
and free electrons drift in the other direction. This movement of charge
(negative electrons) produces an electrical field across the junction, or the
location where the two sides meet. Negative ions are left behind when a hole
leaves the p-side and positive ions are left behind when a free electron leaves
the n-side.
21. India’s Solar Initiatives
Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission to generate 20 GW of power through solar by 2020
Solar Panels in remote
Ladakh
World’s first canal top Roof top solar in a village
solar farm in Gujarat in Tamil Nadu
10000 rooftop solar
homes in Kerala
24. What is Global Warming?
Global warming is caused by an increase in the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is not a bad thing
by itself -- it's what allows Earth to stay warm enough for life to survive.
When the sun's rays hit the Earth's atmosphere and the surface of the Earth, approximately 70 percent of
the energy stays on the planet. The other 30 percent is reflected into space. But even the 70 percent that
gets through doesn't stay on earth forever (otherwise the Earth would become a blazing fireball). The Earth's
oceans and land masses eventually radiate heat back out. Some of this heat makes it into space. The rest of
it ends up getting absorbed when it hits certain things in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane
gas and water vapor.. The heat that doesn't make it out through Earth's atmosphere keeps the planet
warm. This is all part of the greenhouse effect that keeps the Earth warm.
The greenhouse effect happens because of certain naturally occurring substances in the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, since the Industrial Revolution, humans have been pouring huge amounts of those
substances into the air.
25. What is the effect of Global Warming?
Some possible effects of global warming are the inundation of low-lying
Rise in sea levels
islands due to rising sea levels, increased frequency of severe storms
Increased frequency of severe
and the retreat of glaciers and icecaps.
Photo courtesy NASA storms
Retreat of glaciers and Ice-caps
Flooding of low lying costal areas
26. How can we reduce Global Warming?
Reduce CO2 Emissions by reducing
Hydrogen-powered cars, the increased use of solar cells, and hydro-electric
use of fossil fuels
power plants are possible ways to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Promote use of renewables
Courtesy BMW AG, Munich, Germany; DOE/NREL; SunLine Transit Agency Hydro
Wind
Solar
Bio-Mass
Geo-Thermal
Fuel Cells
Hydrogen powered vehicles
28. Learnings from our day out
The power of Renewables
How they can provide us unlimited energy & reduce global warming
Everybody can have access to power - we do not need big power lines!
The many subjects that we study at school are interconnected..
Social Science – population growth and energy needs
Physics – mechanical to electrical energy, light to electrical energy, potential to electrical energy
Mathematics – dimensions, data representation and data analysis
Biology, Chemistry and Earth science – water cycle, global warming, greenhouse effect
In short everything in the world is interconnected!
29. Our Renewed Commitment
Do not Pollute!
LOADS OF Use more
Reduce
FUN!
Energy
renewables!
consumption!
We also enjoyed learning as a team and had…
Good MorningMaam, Teachers and friends.Team Vindhya presents “Visit to Mithradham..Discovering the Power of Renewables”
Our team consists of Praghna, Adithya, Lijo, Surya, Sudharshna, Parvathi, Akshay and me Viswesh.
On the morning of the 14th February, we went on a day trip to Mithradham near Alwaye.
Mithradham is an institute for the propogation of renewables energy and founded by Dr George Peter and Mrs Rosemarie Zaiser.
Mithradham promotes solar, wind, biomass and water treatment technologies.
The many forms of renewables we saw are electricity from Photovoltaic, Wind energy, solar cooking and water heating system and energy from biomass.
Population needs energy for transport, heating, electricity etc. Energy is largely from Fossil fuel – coal, petroleum and nuclear. These are exhaustible. They also pollute. We need clean energy and hence the need for renewables energy.
Nonrenewable EnergyWe get most of our energy from nonrenewable energy sources, which include the fossil fuels — oil, natural gas, and coal. They're called fossil fuels because they were formed over millions and millions of years by the action of heat from the Earth's core and pressure from rock and soil on the remains (or "fossils") of dead plants and creatures like microscopic diatoms. Another nonrenewable energy source is the element uranium, whose atoms we split (through a process called nuclear fission) to create heat and ultimately electricity.We use renewable and nonrenewable energy sources to generate the electricity we need for our homes, businesses, schools, and factories. Electricity "energizes" our computers, lights, refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners, to name only a few uses.Most of the gasoline used in our cars and motorcycles and the diesel fuel used in our trucks are made from petroleum oil, a nonrenewable resource. Natural gas, used to heat homes, dry clothes, and cook food, is nonrenewable. The propane that fuels our outdoor grills is made from oil and natural gas, both nonrenewable.
Nonrenewable EnergyWe get most of our energy from nonrenewable energy sources, which include the fossil fuels — oil, natural gas, and coal. They're called fossil fuels because they were formed over millions and millions of years by the action of heat from the Earth's core and pressure from rock and soil on the remains (or "fossils") of dead plants and creatures like microscopic diatoms. Another nonrenewable energy source is the element uranium, whose atoms we split (through a process called nuclear fission) to create heat and ultimately electricity.We use renewable and nonrenewable energy sources to generate the electricity we need for our homes, businesses, schools, and factories. Electricity "energizes" our computers, lights, refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners, to name only a few uses.Most of the gasoline used in our cars and motorcycles and the diesel fuel used in our trucks are made from petroleum oil, a nonrenewable resource. Natural gas, used to heat homes, dry clothes, and cook food, is nonrenewable. The propane that fuels our outdoor grills is made from oil and natural gas, both nonrenewable.
Solar energy solutions are the Photovoltaic cells, which use the light from the Sun. Heat from the sun is used to heat up water and in cooking.
Light falls on a solar cell – which is made of Silicon. The thickness of the cell is typically 180 microns. I micron is 1 thousandth of a millimeter or one millionth of a meter. Human hair is about 60 microns and hence a solar cell is typically 3 times the thickness of a human hair.
Government of India has plans to generate energy from solar. The Jawharlal Nehru Solar Mission aims to generate 20 GW of power through solar energy by the year 2020