Renewable Cogen Asia

Solar PV based power generation started picking up after 1973 oil crisis and 1979 energy crisis through R&D efforts by the developed countries.  Though the investment cost per kW capacity is much higher than conventional power generation, solar energy is still competitive in certain applications, especially in remote areas where grid power is not available. Large scale solar thermal power plants are in operation around the world but not so commercially viable.

Such applications include (but not limited to) cathodic protection of pipelines, power for offshore oil rigs, rail-road crossings, light-houses, domestic lighting, street lighting, traffic signal, village electrification, water pumping, powering of remote telecommunication station, battery charging, etc.  PV based large power plants are also in operation in some parts of Asia e.g. a 1 MW power plant started its operation in Philippines from 2003 onwards.

Among various applications using solar energy, solar water heating systems is the most promising technology and the cost is comparable and better than the conventional heat generation technologies.

In several cases, these SWH systems have very low pay back period and the plant operation and manufacturing processes are very simple. Solar water heaters are installed in various parts of Asia and the market is growing steadily. Several countries have their own scheme to promote the technology. For example, Indian government introduced SWH to the market in 1980s with the help of subsidy. Today, even though the subsidy system is removed, the industry is still sustainable. For services related to solar energy, contact us.