Kerala: Solar power only way out of electricity woes

Thiruvananthapuram: With no additional power generation on the cards, the only way for Kerala to prevent a blackout is to go green and tap solar power, an expert said on Tuesday. The state requires another 2,000 MW of power in the next five years. Presently while neighbouring states is reeling under blackouts, Kerala today has an hour's load shedding with half an hour duration in the morning and in the night.

"From what we have come to know from our studies is that in the next five years the state would require an addition of a minimum of 2,000 MW in addition to the present various energy sources that is around 3,000 MW and solar power is the only option," said Subind Kamalasanan, managing director of Eliotec, who are into solar energy using German technology. Today the state's power sources come from hydel (1,997 MW)which constitutes a giant share, followed by thermal (559) ,central pool and a minuscule share through wind energy.

Kamalasanan told reporters here that Germany went for 'green power' way back in the early nineties and today their company is making giant strides in the various Middle-East countries. "We are in the process of finalising our talks with the Kerala State Electricity Board to help them generate solar power through households and even by setting up a solar farm. We have the option of supplying power generated in households using solar panel and then supplying to the KSEB grid," said the UAE-based Kamalasanan.

The Kerala government has now announced a programme of launching a programme in 10,000 households where panels are put on roof tops to generate solar power that can be used for own consumption and for even supplying to the KSEB grid. "With an investment of Rs.300,000 one household can place six solar panels on roof tops and on average 150 units of electricity can be produced monthly through the panels," he said.

"Today an average middle class household requires around 200 units of power in a month. And see the difference, if you have a panel all you need to pay for power is for just 50 units," pointed out Kamalasanan.