Panaji: As a coastal state, Goa has immense potential to harness wind and solar energy but despite favourable conditions, the state has failed to harness these renewable sources of energy, said industry stakeholders.
Prohibitive costs and maintenance issues have either prevented or derailed efforts to utilize and harness wind and solar energy, they added.
The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) has now tied up with a company to promote a hybrid wind turbine which harnesses both wind and solar energy.
“There has to be a hybrid solar and wind energy system,” said Prateek Gupta, the founder and chief executive officer of Revayu Systems.
“Solar energy alone cannot be enough and neither can only wind energy be enough,” added Gupta.
The company has joined hands with GCCI to explore the renewable energy potential in Goa.
“Goa has good wind speed, consistent wind speed,” Gupta said.
GCCI director general R S Kamat said though the price of power units was low here, the industry was plagued by erratic supply.
“Industry needs consistent power supply,” he said.
A hybrid wind and solar power unit with a capacity of 4 KW has been installed at Verna to study and showcase the benefits of using the hybrid turbine. Revayu officials said the system ensures uniform energy output with the solar component working in the daytime and the wind turbine working mostly in the evening and nighttime. The pilot project will be undertaken for three months at the Verna Industrial Estate.
“We are storing the energy in a battery and using it for periphery lighting on the compound and garden,” said Gupta.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
