IIT-D Researchers Develop More Efficient Solar PV Towers

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-D) have developed highly efficient, shadowless and auto rotating solar PV towers for photovoltaic power generation in a particular area throughout the day.

According to the institute, the “non-mechanical” and “mechanical” tracking solar PV towers with reflection concentration are viable for all Indian seasons with high energy density.

The solar PV towers of 3kW and 5kW capacity are useful for electric vehicle charging stations and rooftop solar power generation, said IIT-Delhi officials. They are also useful for vehicle-mounted solar towers with solar tracking for power generation and can be utilised for agriculture purposes such as solar water pumping, charging battery for tractors and alike, the officials further said.

Professor Dalip Singh Mehta who led the research team said, “We achieved success in arriving at the light weight and cost-effective novel design on mounting solar PV towers along with high reflectivity mirrors to follow the sun movement.”

“Both non-mechanical and mechanical solar towers are able to generate 20-25% and 25-30% more power, respectively, while utilising only 50-60% rooftop space compared with conventional solutions,” he said.

A leading research institute, IIT Delhi has been involved in many an initiative on renewable energy in the recent past. In October last year, the institute signed an MoU with major electric utility Tata Power to collaborate on smart grid technology and clean energy solutions.

The two parties agreed to together identify projects that can be transformed from R&D stage to pilot stage and scaling in areas such as EV infrastructure, artificial intelligence, machine learning, hydrogen technologies, battery energy storage systems, monitoring and sensing solutions, microgrids et al.

Further, in addition to partnerships with major Indian companies and institutions, IIT-D is also cultivating academic discourse on renewable energy through new pedagogical undertakings: A new undergraduate course, B.Tech. in Energy Engineering, has been recently launched by the institute’s Department of Energy Science and Engineering (DESE).

“The B.Tech. programme in energy engineering is designed to equip the students with the essential knowledge and skills to take up challenges in the energy sector and help achieve sustainable energy, which is accessible, available, and affordable,” Professor KA Subramanian, Head of DESE, has stated.