The Hindu 13.06.2013
School to get solar concentrator
The Coimbatore Corporation will soon install a solar concentrator at its North Coimbatore School. The decision was taken at a workshop organised in the city on Wednesday.
United Nations Development Fund-GEF Concentrated Solar Heat Project, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and ICLEI, a non-government organisation, organised the ‘Workshop on use of concentrating solar technologies for community cooking and air conditioning application in institutions and religious sectors.’
The Corporation decided to install a solar concentrator at the school to tap heat energy to cook noon meal for students.
If the technology available was good and helped the Corporation save money, then the civic body might extend it to other schools.
Sources said that the seminar and the decision to use solar concentrators was part of the civic body’s move to tap solar energy in a big way as the city was one of the ‘Solar Cities’.
Mayor S.M. Velusamy said that just as the State Government had initiated several measures to tap renewable energy sources, the Corporation too had taken many steps.
Sixteen Corporation schools had solar cookers, three Amma canteens used solar power for lighting and running fans and as many canteens used solar power for heating water.
The Corporation had also installed solar panels at a few of its buildings. For the Corporation to do more, the Union Government should release funds without delay. Only if it does so will the objective of tapping solar energy to the fullest possible extent get fulfilled.
The workshop was useful for not just residents but also for commercial and industrial establishments.
Commissioner G. Latha, senior Corporation officials and solar concentrator and other equipment manufacturers participated.