In India, apart from transportation, large quantities of diesel and other petrochem products are consumed in other two economy driving sectors: telecom indistry, where gensets are provided which supplies standby power to wireless mobile towers; and in Agriculture, where diesel gensets are used to power motors that pump water.
In the former, there is a move to go green by using solar power instead of diesel, though cost and weather are yet barriers. But the latter is where the exciting and ideal use of solar power is hidden. The Solar pumps are ideal for fields as Water for irrigating the fields is required to be pumped when there is no rain, which means clear sky and abundant sunshine. Also, there is no need for the pump to function at night. This makes solar power the perfect source for irrigation.
The easiest and quickest approach would be to replace the diesel generator with a solar pack. It would, of course, necessitate the re-conversion of power - stored in a battery - to alternating current that is fed to the pump. However, there is the interesting possibility of using a direct current motor for the pumpset, obviating the need for DC-to-AC conversion and, thereby, leading to a saving of 25% in power consumption.
With the growth of solar power, the widespread use of DC motors would make eminent sense. Their efficiency and cost saving will generate demand that, in turn, leads to lower costs. Industry should work with academic and research institutions to develop DC motors for various applications with optimal design parameters to minimise cost, while delivering the required performance.
Source: ET
