Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (IANS): Kerala should follow the steps taken by Narendra Modi, when he was the chief minister of Gujarat, to tap the huge potential of solar energy, said former ISRO chairman G. Madhavan Nair.
"Under Modi government in Gujarat solar panels were install, which now generate 400 mw of power. Kerala has a good number of dams and lakes and the same could be done here. This will solve Kerala's power woes," Nair said while giving an example of how to harness solar energy.
He also gave an example about Noorul Islam Group of Institutions that established a 220-kw solar power plant in its NIMS Medicity campus which now powers the cardiac catheterization lab making it Asia's first Green Cardiac Catheterization Lab.
It was under Nair's guidance that the NIMS group set up the 220-kw solar power plant in a span of nine months by the Mitra Samyoga Energy, a sister concern of the NIMS group.
"Solar power has immense potential. The need of the hour is public private partnership. Just look at the NIMS group, it has come with its own solar power project. Youngsters should be given all necessary help and guidance," said Nair.
Talking about the operational mechanism, M. Faizal Khan, managing director NIMS Medicity said the direct current generated by the solar panels is fed into alternating current in a synchronous mode that is directly interfaced with the power grid in the hospital.
"The primary supply will be from the solar cells placed in the hospital premises, just above the lab. When power demand goes up, it automatically takes energy from the grid without any interruption and switch over. Even if the grid fails, generator back up is fed into the system. So uninterrupted power supply is provided to the lab," said Faizal Khan.