Indian Railways Go Full Solar: Lights, Fans Inside Trains Will Be Now Solar Powered!
Approximately Rs 3 crore per train can saved in diesel cost, over a period of 25 years with solar energy!
Indian Railways has now decided to go full solar.
Soon, lights and fans being used inside train coaches shall be run by solar power. This is a huge step for renewable energy sector in India, as one single step can trigger thousands, millions more.
Kudos to Indian Railways!
Indian Rail Goes Solar: Main Highlights
Who Is Doing It?
Indian Railway Organization for Alternate Fuels (IROAF) has been allocated the task of fitting train coaches with solar panels, which will power lights and fans inside coaches.
Where It Is Being Done?
To start with, solar panels will be installed on the rooftop of Sitapur Delhi-Riwari passenger train coaches. Earlier, IROAF had installed solar panels on some coaches of diesel–electric (DEMU) trains, and the result has been fascinating.
Where Else?
Solar panels will be soon installed over coaches of 14203/04 Varanasi–Lucknow Intercity, 54255/56, Varanasi–Lucknow via Pratapgarh, 54334/33 Lucknow–Varanasi via Faizabad.
Note here, that as of now, IROAF is installing solar panels only above non-AC coaches of passengers and express trains.
How Much Will It Cost?
The cost of installing solar panels on each coach is approximately Rs 9 lakh, as per details shared by IROAF officials. However, if more and more trains are converted into solar, then the cost will come down to approximately Rs 4-5 lakh per coach.
How Much Energy Will Be Generated?
Each coach can generate 15-20 units of electricity per day, via solar panels. This means that if 10 coaches of a train is fitted with solar panels, then that train can generate 80,000 units of electricity, per year.
How Much Money Can Solar Panels Save?
After Indian Railways installed solar panels on some DEMU trains, it was found that solar energy can save a lot of diesel, which is wasted in powering lights, fans and mobile charging points. As per a rough estimate, installation of roof-top solar panels on top of trains can help to save Rs 3 crore worth of diesel, per train over a period of 25 years.
At the same time, 1350 tonnes per train of CO2 will be also avoided.
How Much Is The Weight Of Solar Panels?
In the first coach which have been converted into solar, total of 60 solar panels were used, whose weight is 120 kgs.
There are sensors fitted as well, which can monitor the amount of electricity produced.
These current solar panels has been manufactured by CEL; however Indian Railways will soon float tender for installing solar panels across 250 coaches
The Future?
Govt. has already announced that 7000 railway stations would be now powered by solar energy, and a budget of Rs 8100 crore has already been allocated.
Very soon, we will witness solar powered trains, and solar powered railway stations, thereby unleashing a new world of renewable energy for all.
Source: trak.in
