CMERI Hands Over Solar DC Cooking Tech to 2 WB Entities

The CSIR-CMERI developed solar DC cooking system was handed over to two business entities of West Bengal, namely Asansol Solar & LED House and Meeco Solar & Infrastructure Associates, Durgapur, yesterday.

The transfer was done by Prof. Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI. The Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CMERI) is an institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The solar DC cooking technology developed by the institute is a solar energy-based cooking system which consists of a solar PV panel, charge controller, battery bank and cooking oven. The technology provides a clean cooking environment, inverter-less direct operation, fast and uniform heating and a potential to save 1 ton carbon dioxide emissions year/household, said an official statement.

“Prof. Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI, while addressing the Press Conference, shared his privilege at being able to hand over the indigenously developed Solar DC Cooking System to the Asansol Braille Academy, which has been doing a tremendous job in serving the Specially-Abled Children. It was a Dream of a ‘Pollution-Free India’ and the CSIR-CMERI developed Solar DC Cooking System is a small step towards realization of that dream,” added the statement.

The newly developed system is more economical and 20-25% more efficient in comparison to conventional solar-based cooking systems which lose efficiency owing to AC-DC conversion, claimed the institute. Its simple design also ensures ease of manufacturing and thus provides a substantial economic opportunity to micro-industries, it stated.

The institute believes that the system substantially curb carbon dioxide emissions as even LPG usage emits CO2. The technology, once it reaches the market, will cost in the range of Rs 65,000- Rs 70,000.

“Similar to other solar energy-based products, if government subsidies are provided there will be a significant reduction in the price of the product. Widespread usage of the CSIR-CMERI developed solar DC cooking system can also play a critical role in achieving the target of 200 GW of solar energy,” said the statement, adding, it may help save “290 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions.”