[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
power and petrol
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Please help make the Manifesto better, or accept it, and propagate it!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends
Please bear with my large sized posting. The urgency is such.
Opec has again declared in the coming future they are cutting back on
supplies which US etc are
vehemantly opposing. For them it may mean a few cents rise in price
pergallon or may have some more
impact on their economy. But their economies are too strong and are more
than prepared to take the shock.
But we ? we are waiting 'Pathetically' at the fence like desperate people
watching a Game between big bulls
for any eventual ripple advantages. That is, if US succeeds in convincing
OPEC from cutting back, then we may also benefit !
If not-- it can prove somany hardships for us. The spurt of price raise, and
the turmoil in an already subsidy stabbed economy
is any ones imagination.
Each time OPEC does this, it is like ' whipping ' a person slowly raising
his back recovering from previous lashing.
The best solution is to RELEAVE OURSELVES From Such DEPENDANCE on OPEC
gradually.
I donot know if our policies or any thing in our Manifesto of IPI reflects
such Far Reaching Measures.
First Method :
There is one way we can come out of this tangle. By using our natural
resourse SOLAR POWER (Large Scale).
We do not have toomany oil reserves. But we also do not have too much snow ,
tornadoes etc.
Looking at the way Canada, US, Germany are running in the race of technology
invention hand in hand with
novel methods of financing schemes with tax breaks etc, we also seem to be
considerably close to such policies by way of
IREDA guidelines for any non conventional energy systems to have 100%
depreciation, 85% loans on soft interest etc.
but as on date it still becomes unviable because of high costs .These
technologies expect individual home owners to be highly motivated to spend
lot of capital to reach the 15% of investment, repaying 85% to Banker. No
body goes through such hazzles unless it is a remote place where there is no
power supply at all.The schemes are running at snails pace even in
usa.Public respones is very poor.
Looking at such handicaps , emphasis on 'Large Scale' Solar power generation
seems a must.
Any body might be aware of domestic solar power in remote areas, which is
financed by intricate systems of financing and some battery operated cars in
the making which may eventually get charged by solar source -- both of which
are any way not Taking Off as expected.
The only Large scale solar power system , we can emulate is the one in
Mojavi desert in usa, which has got more than
300 Mega Watts of power generated from one source ! As regards Large Scale
solar power tapping, this is the only source I could gather information
about. www.kjcsolar.com If investors like Tatas, BPLs come forward for such
initiative or any Foreign Conglomorates
Quick Implementation of Large Scale solar power AUTOMATICALLY AUGMENTS the
need for Fossil fuel -- when Supported by other methods given below, taken
up SERIOUSLY as POLICY of Government !
When I corresponded with them, they wrote many people from India 'visited'
the plant, but may be due to unstable Govts
it is not taking off. Reading BHEL sites, I try to infer that BHEL does have
such plans in Thar desert area for a 100 MW plant.
The system in the above plant is based on some thing called 'Parabolaic
Reflectors' which absorb heat of sun, inturn heat
a fluid which runs turbines.If you see in the web site, it is a breath
taking plant. And we need that.Though there is
one and half to two times the initial capital compared to a normal
powerplant (thermal), the initial cost may not be
more than an equivalent Hydel Power plant.For a hydel plant we need the
exact source, environment impacts etc. Here all that we need is few acres
of space to generate 50 MW which is enough to feed a Town. Infact we can
have in every Town one such plant with Grid connectiuon as stand by ! Our
Policies some how should educate, and encourage Private enterpreneurs to
take up construction of such
plants.One plant may have to be imported.. Later ones may be probably made
locally.
Our scientists' recent invention of better Solar Cell alternative is also
useful for retail use. This technology or some thing from above has to be
used in large scale, on war footing.This supported by AGRESSIVE Measures
from Govt discouraging fossil fuel automobiles,
encouraging solar powered/ Battery powered automobiles only can reduce our
dependance on OPEC !
I would imagine a town with 50 MW plant with a dozen stations which supply
batteries for replacement (just like gas station),
for local commutation with in Town.
Second Method :
Each Town and City Must have 'Electricity Driven' Public
Transportation.(Policy Driven).
Now one may think how to establish
a) Large network of electric wiring like in Calcutta or
b) How to dig expensive tunnels still protecting drainage and
telephone lines for some thing like Calcutta Metro.
c) Or how to build rails across length and breadth of towns and
cities .
All these problems can be solved in one STROKE by one method of
transportation which I would strongly recommend.
It may be available else where but I saw only at one place in Germany, a
place called Uppartal.
There, for last 100 yrs and more, some thing called mono rail transportaion
system is used.
Here they took advantage of a thin rivulet passing through the town,
erected supporing posts on both sides
of rivulet, supporting a bridge which accommodates single rail for each
way. Now a shuttle which has wheel atop its
bogey (not undeneath) runs driven by electric power.As it is running high
(alomost three storeyed building high)
they have platforms at vantage points which are also three storeyed high.
There are no real estate acquisition and relocation problems in this
method. It is proven running last > 105 yrs, accident free,
claimed proudly by locals as one of modern wonders of world.There is no big
technology here which is unknown to us.
Electric traction we already have, Triangular beams erected all along a
barren land or rivulet, canal which we have in many
of our towns can easily be utilised to support the mono rail system . I
shall put a couple of pictures in website
depending on enthusiasm shown here. What we need is a POLICY Support from
Govt that, our future plans will Focus on
such means of transport ONLY. Not crazily depending on hazy economy with
fuming automobiles.Current transportation is
'ADDICTED' to fossil fuel means which can be 'Controlled' only by Govt
POLICY, with simultaneous encouragement
to these alternate means. I can not explain the URGENCY any further.
Third Method :
Start encouraging aggressively, improved designs of peddled
Rickshaws.Define all down town roads in cities as well as towns EXCLUSIVE
for Non automobiles ! Now Look at Rickshaw not as some thing Communistic
Proletariet Tool, but a common Family Vehicle
in the 'new era' which looks all together different from conventional
ricshaws by way of 'lightweight materials', and new 'mechanical design
technologies', and new designs used. Scores of designs of such novel
vehicles (again which are already in use seen sporadically in west) will
come up in market once our 'Policies are Poised' to encourage such Family
Transport !
We always borrow ready made technology from west. That is reflected in heavy
automobile congestion in our cities.Let us atleast show a better way of
local commutation in a town or city..which depends NOT on fossil fuels any
more but on various other means !
At the most we may need fossil fuel driven vehicles for LONG Distance
transportation on our highways untill some technological breakthrough which
equals the performance of current automobile !
Needless to explain how our economy will be Stimulated and Employment
generated by these Policies towards Radically
Modified means of transportation !
Thanks for your Patience
Parameswar
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the National Debate on System Reform. debate@indiapolicy.org
Rules, Procedures, Archives: ../debate/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------