Chennai is a city which has the benefit of solar power even during most of the winter time. The heat in the city is high and if proper use of this heat is made then lot of power and money can be saved by the people. There are many upcoming residential apartments in Chennai and this has increased the need for power supply in the city. People often overlook the power of solar energy but if optimum utilisation of the same is made then power shortage can be reduced.
The common view among people is that setting up a solar plant at home is costly and strenuous but that is not the case in reality; though the setting up cost is a bit high and it takes long time to derive the investment, this is a great long term investment. Installing a solar power system is not very complex. It’s similar to adding an inverter to your house, with the extra step of setting up photovoltaic cells in a nice sunny spot and cabling them to the inverter. In our house, the system is wired so that the batteries charge from the photovoltaic cells, and these cells also provide electricity to run lights, fans and light electrical appliances during the day. At night, the batteries provide electricity. If, at any time, the batteries begin to run low, the system switches to charging from Government Power Supply.
Apart from this, the energy requirements can be cut down by fitting the entire house with LED bulbs and by having consciousness about turning off unused lights or appliances. The house can also be planned to maximise natural light and ventilation. The windows can be well-aligned to allow air to flow through the house. Light enters through windows and skylights, ensuring we never need electric lights during the day. Hot water is provided by a solar heater that is effective even after a stretch of cloudy days.Following these points, one can save a considerable amount of energy and money.
