Green Energy Solutions

As consumers and companies across the world become more and more aware of the dangers of generating energy through conventional methods, the need of the hour is to find ‘green solutions’. Solutions that do not pollute, and that are sustainable and renewable. Green Energy Solutions is a generic term for all the solutions that generate cleaner energy without polluting the planet. There is so much interest and research into the non-polluting energy solutions that it is important to keep track of the types of green energy that are being explored. Some of the better-known sources of green energy are solar power, wind power, hydro power, geothermal power, biomass power and biofuels. While these ‘green’ solutions are about supplying energy, there are other solutions that make existing infrastructure ‘green’ – making a safer planet. These include: rain water harvesting systems, energy star HVACs, house insulations solutions, double-pane window installations, energy monitoring, energy star appliances and smart power strips installation.

Let us compare the various forms of green energy:

• Wind energy

  needs high altitude and offshore locations to be harnessed as winds are strongest there. Wind turbines convert the wind’s kinetic energy into mechanical power. A generator then converts this mechanical power into electricity.



• Hydropower plants

  use the energy of falling water to generate electricity. A turbine converts kinetic energy of falling water into mechanical energy. Then a generator converts mechanical energy from the turbine into electrical energy.



• Geothermal energy

  emerges from the hot springs which have been used by humans for thousands of years. First, hot water is pumped from the underground source through a well at high pressure. When the water reaches the surface, the pressure is dropped – causing the water to turn to steam. The steam then turns a turbine which is connected to a generator that produces electricity.

Of all the green solutions that are being explored, solar power seems to be the most feasible as sun rays reach most parts of the the country. Also, the benefits of solar power are already known because of the emergence of solar water heaters over the past few decades. Solar photovoltaic energy has gained traction and is all set to make a significant contribution to the energy portfolio of the world. Consumers are familiar with the use of solar power as a substitute for conventional means of power.

While many green solutions have the potential to save huge amounts of money in energy costs, others are costly and require a lot of time for the installation. One of the reasons solar energy is gaining popularity is that the installation and operation costs are much cheaper. Today, solar energy systems can be said to be at an all-time low. Within the market for distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, the costs in 2015 reduced by approximately. INR 13 per watt 5% year-over-year for residential systems by approximately. INR 19/W (7%) for smaller residential systems.

Information gathered from the preliminary reports from the first half of 2016 suggests that prices are continuing to fall. Read the detailed report here.