11 Sept 2013

Guilty yes, but why Bray for Blood!

Guilty said the court, and in my opinion rightly so! Personally, I feel the crimes these rapists committed last year in December, deserve them the death penalty. The Nirbhaya case, as it is called, is heading to its conclusive end.

Yet, when I listen to the TV channels clamouring for death, it disappoints me to hear the baying for blood! It is only after courts pronounced them guilty, could we confidently and freely attribute the crime to them. In similar line, whether these criminals get sentenced to death or another penalty, is again a decision for those who understand such matters. I do not find it wholesome to hear phrases like, “the country awaits for Friday to see if justice is truly served”, “the youth wants to know if the courts will give justice”, etc. These are poor insinuations and calls that go against our judiciary.

4 Sept 2013

What’s with Solar panels and their usage…

Why do stand alone SME industrial units, homes and I include cold storages, shy away from installing solar panels to generate electricity?

Yes, cost is a factor as always. But that is one factor that is continually showing a downwards trend. (Today, if reports are true, the selling price per watt of solar photo voltaic is about 0.50 USD. Reports also suggest that this price is expected to come down to 36 cents per watt in 5 years. Past records show that in 1977 the price per what stood at USD 76 per watt).

SolarFeedThe other reason quoted is the hassles of operations and maintenance. This is typically because the implied concept of Solar PV panel requires the use of a bank of batteries to store the cheap electricity. And batteries need to be replaced every now and then. The electricity that is generated from solar insolation would need to be stored in batteries, which in turn would be sourced to create AC power for use in common utilities. Another limitation for industries is that they may need 3 phase input into their machines.

But why store this electricity, why bother with batteries and et al? What if the solar power is fed directly into the local grid. I am not talking about sharing the surplus generated with the grid… the concept is to feed ALL that the sun generates for you, straight into the grid.