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.
