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When avid readers picked up 100000 copies of the novel Oath of the Vayuputras, each priced Rs 350, during the first week of its release in March 2013, the media celebrated the rise of a Literary Pop Star. The Shiva Trilogy written by Amish has captured their imagination and heralds a healthy appreciation of new sensibilities. Kochi Metro and the entire populace of Kerala look up to Er.E.Sreedharan to deliver their dreams. Forbes analyses the celebritys traits and style. T.Ravindran comes up with a well-timed Tutorial on Solar PV Installations. This subject should ideally be prescribed as a lesson for Class XI / XII for effective penetration to and acceptance by the people in the powerstarved homes of Kerala. And, it appears as though we have to turn to the Sun not only for Electricity but for wellness too! Essential vitamins provided by Sun promote good health. It is not uncommon that wild prophecies/claims accompany a new product; they often get forgotten by the appearance of an even better Technology; NFC is an interesting Technology. Gangadharan & Madhavamenon join regular contributors - Sasi, KNC, GHK and Suhair- with valuable and interesting stuff under a misleading captionTRIVIA. They are all priceless.
HAPPY READING! K.E.DAMODARAN NAYANAR
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INBOX
Received the March issue of Lineage and many thanks. The appearance and diversity of contents are impressive. Keep up the good work. Suhair Received the March issue of Lineage. Beautiful layout and useful contents. I read all the materials except 'Heart Beats', because it is quite long. I would read it later. Kollam unit conducts meeting regularly and the discussions are very interesting and beautiful. However, in communicating the minutes to Lineage, some lethargy prevents our colleagues and of course, myself. The Prayer I sent for Lineage was only garnered, and not made by me. Someone may think that I authored it. Regards,
G.H. Krishna Iyer
Delhi Metro was just one feather in E Sreedharans cap, albeit a large one
He faced a lot of interference from politicians in the early years, but Sreedharan put his foot down and demanded that he be given a free hand.
In 2000, following a long and ugly public spat with the Ministry of Railway, E Sreedharan wanted to quit Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). He had wanted to use coaches of standard gaugeused globallyfor the Delhi Metro, while the ministry wanted to use broad gauge, like the rest of the rail network in India. The issue went to a group of ministers, which favored the railway ministry. Sreedharan, who had
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been selected on the basis of his competence, found that the government did not trust his judgment. He saw no reason to continue with DMRC. He then turned to the Bhagwad Gita. For more than 15 years, he has been reading a couple of stanzas every day and ruminating on their meaning. On that day in 2000, he reflected on the central theme of the Gita, where Arjunlooking at the gathered armiesfeels despondent, drops his weapons, and tells Krishna he will not fight. Krishna says that, no matter what, Arjun has to fulfill his duty. Sreedharan decided not to quit, but, instead, to stay on and fight his battles.
and the project willbe completed in three years. Sreedharan givestalks on project management to managers and engineers all over India. He speaks to them, shares his experiences, and takes questions. The senior officials, many with greying hair, lap it up like undergraduates listening to a star professor. This roleof listening, advising, motivatingseems to fit him like wheels on a track. He is a good speaker, and his advice doesnt come across as pontification; its almost like a suggestion. His sense of humourwhich sparks off a few spontaneous bursts of laughterreveals the absurdities of corporate life. Sreedharan could well have opted for a placid life, and yet sated his sense of duty by being a source of knowledge, wisdom and inspiration. Why would he take up responsibility that might pull him into the world of politics, bureaucratic turf wars and even put his reputation at some risk? To know why, one needs to look not at what he has accomplished, but how. What Makes Him Tick Sreedharan might as well be 80, but there is little sign of ageing. He walks fast, smiles often, and his eyes glisten with curiosity while discussing any engineering project. He gets in and out of a small car with the agility and speed of a young man. Sreedharans day begins at 4 am. He meditates, reads the Gita, listens to a spiritual discourse, has a bath and breakfast, and gets into his home office at 9.30 am. There are meetings, discussions and calls, unless he decides to work from Kochis DMRC office, or when he is travelling. In the evenings, after work, he takes a long walk with his wife. Its family time, he says. His routine was no different when he was implementing the Delhi Metro project on tight deadlines. He always knew how to manage his time. His colleagues say he is very punctual. He is never a minute late, and never a minute early. He never took files home, and discouraged colleagues from calling him unless it was an emergency. At the project sites of Konkan Railway and Delhi Metro, he set up reverse clocks to show impending deadlines. Sreedharan sets deadlines that can be achieved Whether we take two days or 10 days, in reality we only spend just a few hours on this activity. It can be done. The biggest problem in implementing projects is the delay in taking decisions. P Sriram, who has worked with him since the 1970s, recalls an incident during the Konkan Railway project. At one point, his team hit a stone wall while digging a tunnel and an additional tunnel had to be dug. He wanted Sreedharan to take a look. He agreed on the second tunnel, and asked him to go ahead. When can we start? asked Sriram. Sreedharan replied, What do you mean when? Of course, start your work now. But, what about approvals, what about the budget? Sreedharan said, Dont worry about that. Ill take care of it. The more the work is delayed, the more it will cost. So, start now. The ability to take quick decisions entails a range of other skills, including the ability to quickly process information, calculate probabilities, assess risk, and, have a thorough knowledge of the subject. A wrong decision can prove costly. Once during his visit, a senior manager asked him about dealing with changes that creep in mid-way through a project. Sreedharan told him about the Japanese, who spend a lot of time on planning. But once the plan is finalised, they never allow any changes, for good or bad. One should not get into a situation where changes need to be made to a plan.
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Sreedharan never had the luxury of time while planning. But his mind works several times faster than ours. Sreedharan encouraged his team to strive for mastery. For the first phase of Delhi Metro, DMRC had engaged consultants. Sreedharan sent his team abroad to study the best metro networks, and by the time work started, they knew enough to challenge the consultants. For the second phase of Delhi Metro, there were no external consultants. His approach to ethics is both idealistic and practical. If someone made a mistake, he turns everyones attention towards a solution. But, he can be ruthless when it comes to ethical lapses. He believes in creating a system where there is little incentive for fraud. For instance, at Konkan Railway he did away with paying contractors based on measurement books. It took months to complete, and affected the contractors cash flow. Instead, he brought in AV Paulose, an authority on railway finance, to device a system where payments can be made faster, based on bills contractors submit. By this method, 85 percent of payments were made within 24 hours, no questions asked, and the rest within a week after the bills were scrutinised. It is based on trust, and penalty for breaching it is high. But, once the cash flows are certain, contractors had little incentive to cut corners. Sreedharan followed the same system at DMRC. His definition of success is not just about completing a project on time, but completing it with transparent integrity. More than Engineering For Sreedharan, there is more to a metro project than engineering excellence, effective project management and use of the latest technology. Its about serving the people. Its about saving lives. Once, he did a quick calculation of the number of lives the Kochi Metro could save. Even if 10 percent of the traffic moves to the Metro, 20 lives can be saved in a year, and 100 grievous injuries can be avoided. Finishing the project fast is a social responsibility as well, for every single days delay in the project will result in a loss of Rs 50 lakh. For him, its the right thing to do.
The instinct to do the right thing has often landed him in trouble, and each time he came out unscathed. He attributes this to doing what he believed was right, rather than doing something for personal gain. He has been prepared to work any where. In the first 15 years of his service, he was transferred 25 times. And he was also prepared to quit any day. The detachment gave him the courage to always do what he believed was right. That, in fact, is the message of the Gita: To act, without desire for the fruits of the action. In Sreedharans sparse room at the DMRC office in Kerala, there is a plaque with a line from Yoga Vasishta Ramayan. It reads: Whatever to be done, I do. But in reality I do not do anything.
Forbes India Magazine
4.
5.
Let deadlines motivate you rather than pressurize you Start your day early, finish your day early Work with honesty, others will co-operate Believe in your self, believe in the impossible Let awards and accolades not affect you, and similarly, let not criticism deter you.
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Coordinates:
12040N 75138E
Folklore has it that the seven hills are part of the Rishabadri mountain that fell to the earth when Lord Hanuman was carrying the mountain with Mrita Sanjivani and other herbs to Lanka. The academy's campus is spread over 2,452 acres (9.92 km2) with 7 km of beach front on the Arabian Sea. The INA is divided into three zones -- a Training zone, an Administration zone and an Accommodation zone. The Mount Dilly Light house is in its premises. The training zone contains the main academic building complex, as well as physical-training, aquatics and outdoor-training complexes, auditoriums, a firing range, cadet's Mess and cadet's dormitories. The main academic building complex is situated on the highest point of the academy. It includes the Service and Technical Training wings, laboratories, workshops, library, and a 1800-capacity auditorium. The academy accepts up to 1200 cadets for officer-training each year. This includes officertrainees from foreign countries, as well as interim training facilities for the Indian Coast Guard. Several members of the team had associated with some activity connected with power supply to the Naval Academy at some point of time in their service. The church on the hillock with the jovial European priest encouraging visitors to use his binoculars, the ashram in serene surroundings and the expansive sea in the background were among their cherished memories. But none had the opportunity to see the transformation of the ancient Ezhimala as a modern training campus. Perhaps they were discouraged by the awe-inspiring protocols of Defence Security. No wonder there was a mix up while giving the bus driver directions - the11okV substation at the southern tip that we reached first was not the entry point for the visitor to Indias premier Naval Academy! The commotion over the capture of Bitty Mohanthy- a suspected criminal living incognito in the small town; had not died down when we passed through Pazhayangadi at 10 am. Further ahead, the large statue of Hanuman on the slopes of the Ezhimala hillock gave a breath-taking view. We were shown around by a guide provided by the academy. The scenic beauty of the verdant village and the serene beach gave a surprising ambience to the functional areas like stadium, stables, parade ground and swimming pool. The residential, administrative and
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academic buildings blend perfectly with the scenic splendor. Something worthy of National Pride! Er.K.V.Padmanabhan had thoughtfully carried tea and home-made snacks all the way from Payyanur. The steam cooked, plantain leaf-wrapped adas tasted heavenly. By the time we arrived at Payyanur, after spending two hours at Ezhimala under merciless scorching sun, every one was hungry and tired. After lunch the formal Unit meeting was held. There was a lively discussion on the 1kWp solar PV system GOK was offering to 10000 homes with subsidy. The debate kept us awake, denying the pleasure of a well-earned siesta! It went on and on, seemed endless, till the bus driver reminded about the scheduled time of departure. The feed back on the days adventure was enthusiastic; high praise was liberal. The few who missed it really suffered a loss. Inclusion of family members in such outings in future was a suggestion worthy of consideration. Mohanan Nambiar and his team cannot run out of ideas! NAYANAR
GITAMRUTHAM
An enlightened man treats every one equally. He sees no difference between a learned, a brahmin, animals or others. Those who treat everyone with equality are self- realised and have conquered the cycle of birth and death. Thus they are one with GOD. One who is neutral in good, bad times remains unaffected by present situation; Such a person is in transcendence.
M. M. KATHOLIL Contributed by Madhava Menon, (courtesy: A. Chandran)
LAUGH
READERS DIGEST
Lying on his deathbed, a loving husband was wavering between life and death when he thought he smelled chocolate chip cookies baking. They were his very favourite, so he dragged himself out of bed, crawled to the kitchen and was just reaching up to take a cookie off the plate when his wife slapped his hand with a spatula. "Don't touch!" she commanded. "They're for the funeral." Most of the cooking in our house is done by my husband, but occasionally I get to make dinner. One day it dawned on me that our four-year-old daughter was willing to help mein the kitchen but not her father. I asked her why. "Well, Mom," she replied, "Dad seems to know what he's doing." Two elderly couples were walking down the street, the women a couple of metres ahead of the men. One man told the other that they'd had a wonderful meal the night before-great food, reasonably priced. His friend asked for the name of the restaurant. "Well, I'll need your help on this. Let's see, there's a flower that smells great and has thorns on the stem?" "That would be a rose," his friend responded."That's it!" the man replied. Then he shouted to his wife: "Hey, Rose! What's the name of the restaurant we ate at last night?" TOP
Books:
SHIVA TRILOGY
Amish Tripathi
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NAYANAR
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- asuhair
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed incapable of doing anything." Its important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!
(A Transuranic radioactive material element produced artificially from Curium . US military considered making pocket size nukes using this, but found too expensive.) 3. Diamonds 4. Tritum costs 55000 dollars per gm costs 30000 dollars per gm
(A hydrogen isotope used in watches) 5. Taaffeite costs 30000 dollars per gm (4000/carat)
It is one of rarest gemstone in the world 6. Painite costs 9000 dollars per gm (1800/carat)
(A rare borate mineral named after a gem dealer) 7. Plutonium costs 4000 dollars per gm
(It is called the big bang of nuclear energy.) Contributed by Gangadharan Courtesy T.O.I.
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The Hindu
Take up an outdoor activity. Besides fitness, you'll enjoy an increase in your vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D deficiency is emerging as a more common menace than we thought. Why do we need to be in good D company?
Most Indians are at a genetic disadvantage with regard to vitamin D. Dark skin, with its melanin pigments, prevents sunlight and UV light from converting pro-vitamin D to vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) in the skin. Vitamin D deficiency can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, leading to deformed bones in children and increased risk of fractures among the elderly. Nearly every tissue or organ in the body has receptors for vitamin D: immunity, cardiovascular health, depression, diabetes prevention and cancer prevention are some of the potential areas of benefit. Our ancestors started the day with prayers and suryanamaskars facing the sun, outdoors. We spend the best part of the day in enclosed spaces both at home and work. Lack of vitamin D manifests itself through acute pain in the feet, shoulders, neck and joints in some individuals. Research has also shown link between vitamin D and low immunity levels, obesity and diabetes. Fair-skinned individuals require only 20 minute exposure to direct sunlight three to four times a week for the skin to make adequate vitamin D. Darker-skinned individuals with more melanin pigments require 30 to 40 minute exposure three to four times a week. The best source of vitamin D is UV-B radiation from the sun. UV radiation levels vary depending on location, season, time of day, cloud coverage and the environment. UV-B levels are most intense during the mid-day, but longer exposures in early morning or late evening can be adequate. Spend a few minutes in the sun without applying sunscreen. Only the exposed parts of the skin help in manufacturing vitamin D. Keep moving while out in the sun. Being stationary will make you prone to sunburns. TOP
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1. ONLY I hit him in the eye yesterday. (No one else did.) 2. I ONLY hit him in the eye yesterday. (Did not slap him.) 3. I hit ONLY him in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit others.) 4. I hit him ONLY in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit outside the eye.) 5. I hit him in ONLY the eye yesterday. (Not other organs.) 6. I hit him in the ONLY eye yesterday. (He doesn't have another eye..) 7. I hit him in the eye ONLY yesterday. (Not today.) 8. I hit him in the eye yesterday ONLY. (Did not wait for today.)
G.H. Krishna Iyer
UNIT PULSE
Senior Engineers Kozhikode The monthly meeting of Senior Engineers Kozhikode was held on 09.03.2013, 10:30 am at Calicut Towers. Er N .Ravindran presided the meeting in the absence of Er A.Chandran. One minute silent prayer was observed in memory of Late Sri T.Balan Asst Executive Engineer,(Rtd). Sri Balan had worked at Kakkayam PH, Nadakkave Ele. Section and Kozhikode T C Division Being a bus strike day, the attendance was poor. In his presidential remarks Er Ravindran informed the developments during the last one month. Er Chandrahasan explained the position of DCRG arrear and interest. Er V.Ramachandran then explained the 10000 roof top Solar Electric panels promoted by Anert and M N R E, Govt of India. This 1000 watts solar panel will be almost 50% subdised by Govt. The total cost will be just below 2 Lakhs at present The solar energy generation in Kerala is at present of the order of Kilowatts and the immediate aim is to bring it in MW levels Er Krishnanunni then read out Lineage March, followed by a discussion on it. Er T.Ravindran, Madhavamenon and Er Sudhakaran participated in the discussion. The meeting ended at 2.30 pm after lunch Ramachandran
SENIOR ENGINEERS, KANNUR
The meeting commenced at 02.30pm after the visit to Ezhimala Naval accademy and lunch at the Auditorium of Hotel Top Most, Payyannur on 09-03-13 with Er.K.E.Damodaran Nayanar in chair. 35 Engineers attended the meeting. After silent prayer Er..E.P.Ravindran welcomed the gathering. One minute silence was observedas a mark of respect to the memory of Smt. Karthyayani M/o M.C.Reghusudhan who expired on the 24th of February 2013. May her Soul Rest In Peace. In the presidential speech Er.K.E.D.Nayanar high lighted the need of get together and the pleasant trip performed. Er.A.V.Mohanan Nambiar presented the minutes of the last meeting and reported the follow up actions taken and was passed as such. Rose bouquet was presented to Er.V.Velayudhan Nayanar, who has
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celebrated his Seventieth birth day since last meeting. A ponnadai was also presented to Er.Velayudhan Nayanar. Er.Velayudhan Nayanar replied to the toast. Er.K.E.Damodaran Nayanar Chief Editor briefly touched upon the main contents of the Lineage issue for the month of March2013 Er.A.V.Mohanan Nambiar talked about the importance of Solar Power Generation in the present scenario. General discussion followed - mainly on the Solar Power Generation.Ers. E.P.Ravindran, T.C.Govindan, K.E.Damodaran Nayanar, P.U.Bhaskaran Nambiar, M.V.Gopalakrishnan, C.Mohandas, and P.K.Chandran took part in the discussions. The secretary proposed vote of thanks to all and the meeting came to a close by 4pm. A.V.Mohanan Nambiar / Secretay
LIFE LESSON
A FROG HOMILY
A scientist conducted some experiments on frogs a long time ago. He dropped a frog in a pot of boiling water. The frog immediately jumped out. He then placed the frog in a pot full of cold water; the frog settled down comfortably. The water temperature was raised gradually. The frog kept adapting to the increasingly warm and then hot water till it finally died. from the novel: The oath of vayuputras
What is NFC?
Your credit cards: gone. Bus passes and train tickets: vanished. Those dog-eared loyalty cards for high street coffee shops: binned. You've been the victim not of theft, but of the future a future where the wallet, purse, paper ticket and pocket have all gone digital and together live solely on your phone. Welcome to Near Field Communications (NFC), a contactless, Wi-Fi-lite style tech that could already be in your smartphone, and could soon be a regular feature of your commute. Near Field Communication (NFC) technology makes life easier and more convenient for consumers by making it simpler to make transactions, exchange digital content, and connect electronic devices with a touch. A standards-based connectivity technology, NFC harmonizes today's diverse contactless technologies, enabling current and future solutions in areas such as: Access control -Consumer electronics - Healthcare Information collection and exchange - Loyalty and coupons Payments - Transport. At its core, all NFC is doing is identifying us, and our bank account, to a computer. The technology is simple. It's a shortTOP 13
range, low power wireless link evolved from radio-frequency identification (RFID) tech that can transfer small amounts of data between two devices held a few centimeters from each other. Unlike Bluetooth, no pairing code is needed, and because it's very low power, no battery in the device being read. By tapping your phone on a contactless payment terminal in a shop, train station or coffee shop is able to identify your account (and even your personal preferences, shopping habits and even your most frequently travelled route home) and takes payment through an app on your phone. Passive NFC 'tags' on posters, in shops and on trains could contain a web address, a discount voucher, a map or a bus timetable that passers-by could touch their phones on to receive or to instantly pay for absolutely anything. NFC is only one technology, with Bluetooth and RFID just as able to strike-up a conversation between two gadgets, but there are distinctions within NFC, too. In comes in both passive and active flavours, including P2P mode (exchanging information, such as business cards or contacts) and SecureElement NFC (where a machine recognises a NFC phone as a bankcard). NFC has long been supported by the makers of Android handsets. Flagship and mid-range handsets from the likes of Samsung, HTC, Motorola, Nokia, LG and Blackberry all include NFC. NFC is still in its trial phase, but promoters have great expectations. ABI Research predicts that 1.95 billion NFC-enabled devices will ship in 2017, largely in smartphones, though NFC will also enter the living room. WiFi routers will swap passwords for a simple 'tap' from any smartphone, tablet or games console, with 395 million consumer electronics devices to ship in 2017 in other words, NFC will be in everything.
SOLAR POWER
Solar power is a general term for generating power, whether heat or electricity, from the power of the sun. There are two methods used for generating electricity from the solar power. One is by using Photovoltaic solar panels (PV) and the other is concentrating solar power technologies (CSP). CSP is a power generator technology that
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uses mirror or lenses to concentrate the suns rays and, in most of the cases, they heat a fluid and produce steam. The steam drives a turbine and generates power in the same way as conventional power plants.
1.
In this system the power generated by the solar panels are stored in a battery and then used as required. The power generated is never connected to the supply grid.
2. Grid-Tie system
In a grid tie system the power generated by the solar panels are tied to the supply companies grid. There are no batteries connected in this system. In this system, your home
runs on solar power during the day and any surplus energy you produced is fed in to the grid, actually you are selling the surplus power to the supply
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company at an agreed rate per kWh. In the evenings and at night when your solar energy system is not working, you then buy your power from the supply company. One disadvantage is that if there is a power cut, power from your solar array is also cut. The simplified block diagram of grid tie system is shown above. The solar array ( Multiple panels link together to provide high voltage) is connected to the grid level inverter which feeds AC supply to the main grid and also distribute electricity to the devices in the building and grid level voltage. The grid level inverter monitors the power fed from the grid. If it detects any power failure it also cut power from the solar panel to ensure that no energy is fed back to the grid. The grid tie meter monitors how much energy is taken from the grid and how much is fed back in to the grid using solar energy system.
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Connecting the panels in series allows a solar array to run at a higher voltage. If solar array is made of four solar panel (each individual panel is rated as a 12-volt, 12-watt panel) connected the solar array will be rated as 48-volt, 48- watt array with 1 amp current. Connecting the panels in parallel allows a solar array to produce more power while maintaining the same voltage as individual panels. . If solar array is made of four solar panel (each individual panel is rated as a 12-volt, 12-watt panel) connected in parallel, the solar array will be rated as 12-volt, 48- watt array with 4 amp current. When you connect multiple panels together, the power of the overall system increases, irrespective of whether they are connected in series or in parallel. There are two main
technologies of solar panels on the market: amorphous and crystalline solar panels. Amorphous solar panels are the cheapest one available in the market also quite reliable also. For the purpose of working out how much space youre going to need to fit the solar panels, you need to know that a 1m amorphous solar panel generates in the of 60 watts, whilst a 1m crystalline solar panel generate in the region of 160 watts. If we select amorphous panels more area is required for the generation of same power. However, amorphous panels are good at generating power even on overcast and extremely dull days. They are also far better in extreme temperature conditions, with significantly less power loss at higher temperature than other solar technologies. Amorphous panels have a bad reputation in the past, with poor product reliability and questionable life span. This technology has matured significantly over the past five years. Big name manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Sharp etc now manufacture high- quality amorphous solar panels, and life span is also increased to 10 to15 years. Over the past three years, amorphous solar panels cost have dropped by around 30% each year. They are expected to drop to around half their current (2012) cost by 2015. Polycrystalline solar panels far more efficient than amorphous panels and they are often around one third size of an equivalent amorphous panel, which can make them easier to fit many installations. These panels have a life expectancy of about 25 years but more expensive, costing 20- 30 % more than amorphous solar panels. For the past five years crystalline solar panels prices also have been dropped by 25% per year. Of course, these trends are the lime light of solar power to be the next generation power.
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Batteries:
Solar panels are not directly connected to electrical equipment because the amount of power the solar panel generates varies with the strength of sunlight. This makes the power source too variable for most electrical equipment to cope with. However, in a grid- tie system solar array connected directly to inverter and the inverter handles this variability. For stand-alone or grid fall back system, batteries store the energy and provide a constant power source for your electrical equipment. Typically, this energy is stored in deep cycle lead acid batteries. These look similar to car batteries but have a different internal design. This design allows them to be heavily discharged and recharged several times without damaging the batteries .Most batteries are 6-volt or 12-volt batteries and, like solar panels, these can be connected together to form a larger battery bank. Like solar panels, multiple batteries used in series increase the capacity and the voltage of a battery bank. Multiple batteries connected in parallel increase the capacity whilst keeping the voltage the same.
Controller
Controller is required to manage the flow of electricity (the current) into and out of the battery. If your system overcharges the batteries, this will damage and eventually destroy them. Likewise, if your system completely discharges the batteries, this will quite rapidly destroy them. A solar controller prevents this from happening.
Inverter
The electricity generated by a solar electric system is direct current (DC). Electricity from the suppliers grid is high-voltage alternating current (AC). If you are planning to run equipment that runs from grid by voltage from a solar electric system, you need an inverter to convert the current from DC to AC and convert the voltage to the same as you get from the grid. There is usually one central inverter in a solar system. A more recent invention has been the micro inverter. Micro- inverters are connected to individual solar panels so that each individual panel provides a high voltage AC. Micro inverters only used with grid -tie system and are not suitable for systems with battery backup.
Electrical devices
The final element of your solar system is the devices that you are going to use with solar system. Theoretically, all the equipments power with electricity can be powered with solar electricity also. However, many electrical devices are power hungry, which makes running them on solar energy is very expensive. Of course, this may not be an issue if you are installing a grid-tie system. If you have to run high- power appliances on an off-grid system
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means, you have to have a more powerful off grid solar system to cope with the peak demand even though it is used for a short period.
appliances. The block diagram shown above is stand alone system with batteries as
described above. The solar controller charges the batteries and supply power to the low voltage devices using either from solar power or batteries as the source of power, the arrows indicates the power flow in the diagram. Generally, it is more efficient to use the electricity as DC supply than AC supply in solar electric system
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JAN FEB
5.78 6.43
5.52 5.70 5.51 4.85 4.52 3.25 3.29 3.69 4.24 4.22 4.63 5.23
6.90 7.12 6.89 6.06 5.65 4.06 4.11 4.61 5.30 5.27 5.79 6.54
MARCH 6.84 APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC 6.63 5.74 4.10 4.17 4.82 5.48 5.02 5.07 5.39
The above data were taken from web site .www.Solar Electricity Hand book.com
The data revels a fact; irradiance is more when panel set at 790 angle and directly to south. The amount of energy you capture from the sun differs on the tilt of solar panels. If you mount your solar panel horizontally or vertically, you will capture less energy than if you face them due south and tilt them towards the sun. The angle shown is the angle of adjustment from an upright (Vertical) position i.e. angles are degrees from vertical.
significant drop off in energy production is noticed. Where cells are hard shaded, the production of the entire array will drop down to the same level as the affected cells. If the cells are covered completely, you may see a complete power shutdown. Hence it is better to avoid such areas where the bird droppings are more for the installation of solar panels.
1. Is there anywhere on the site that is suitable for positioning your solar array 2. Do nearby obstacles such as trees and building shade out too much sun light?
By answering the second question, you can identify how much of the available sunlight you will be able to capture. Since Kerala stands on the equator, the sun passes overhead so we need to consider the obstruction in the east and west only. When considering a position for your solar array, you need to consider how easy it is going to be clean them. Dirt and grime will reduce the efficiency of your solar system overtime and requires cleaning. Some time the space available is not sufficient to install all required panels then you can split the solar array in to several smaller arrays. If you split in to two, virtually you are creating two separate solar energy systems, which you then have to link together. For a grid tie system you would require either a micro inverter system or an
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inverter that can accept inputs from more than one solar array. For stand- alone system you would require a battery controller for each separate solar array. Another important thing is that you have to identify a suitable location for batteries, controller and inverter. Plan the cable runs and measure the length of required cables. Cable should as short as possible in order to reduce the voltage losses through the system.
Safety
Electricity is a good servant if it is properly controlled otherwise it will become a bad master. Even solar electricity will also turned out to be a bad master if we neglect the fundamental of electric safety. More detailed discussion is required in this area alone
Conclusion.
Solar electric power is an excellent and practical resource. It can be harnessed relatively easily and effectively. To get the best out of a solar electric system, we have a long way to go in research and development. It is important to do youre planning first and to be meticulous with detail, then only you will have a system that will perform properly. Our ancestors worshipped Sun as God and God gives them light, water, fire, wind and rain with their hard work they produced food and prosperity on earth. The present generation completely exploited the wealth on earth and the coming generation is going again to worship the Sun. This time Sun will bless his sons that is in the form of Electricity. Compilation : Ravindran Terampath.
References: 1. Solar Electricity hand book- 2012 Edition Micheal Boxwell. 2. A case study of 3MW scale - grid connected Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant at Kolar, Karnataka, by Indian Institute of Science.
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Smt Sugathakumari won the Saraswathi Samman for 2012 recently. This poem appears in MANALEZHUTHthe collection which earned her the Rs Ten lakhs award. -Editor
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