Development and Integration of Biomass and Concentrating Photovoltaic System for Rural and Urban Energy Bridge: BioCPV

0cca5c80-1974-4f27-952d-916eef955b23

Closed

EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC
EPSRC

£5,093,130

Feb. 1, 2013

July 9, 2016

Given the threat posed by global warming it is widely accepted that the reliance on fossil fuels for our energy need must decrease rapidly. To tackle the global threat and self dependency on fossil fuels, renewable energy such as solar, wind, wave and biomass gives the pathways to reduce the overall CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. This project addresses the issues related to integrated solar photovoltaic system - converting incoming solar energy into electricity and biomass power technologies - generation of electrical power from waste materials, for rural electrification.
This project seeks to develop a new class of solar photovoltaic technologies - Concentrating Photovoltaic (CPV) to integrate with Biomass and waste power generation as a backup source and develop high efficiency hydrogen generation and storage from the integrated systems. The integrated system will be installed at Uttar Sehalai Tribal Hamlet, located in a remote village, 200km west of Calcutta for rural electrification with key focuses on satellite based remote monitoring technologies. The village comprised of 80 households and has a population of approximately 400. It is located very close to Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan (a probable World Heritage Site).
The scalable prototype developed in this project will be the first ever such integrated system (Biomass, CPV and Hydrogen) for the provision of electricity that will be installed in India. Due to the lack of electricity in the village, the major fuels currently used are kerosene, firewood and wood based raw coal. Most of the nearby villages are also without any grid connections and as a result, children from the poorer families do not have the motivation and necessary resources to take advantage of basic education and health. Many of them that start schooling are forced to discontinue their studies due to the need to work to provide for their families. Availability of energy is a critical driving factor in economic development, while limited fossil fuel resources and environmental hazards drive the need for sustainable and environmental friendly solutions based on renewable energy. Thus, the project will brings together Biomass, Concentrating Photovoltaic, and Hydrogen Generation and Storage expertise from University of Leeds, Heriot-Watt University, University of Nottingham in the UK and Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, PSG College of Technology in India with the goal of developing a low cost autonomous power generating system for rural electrification.

Potential Impact:
DIRECT BENEFICIARIES:
Commercial Private Sector:
Several industries such as NaREC, ANSYS, West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Limited (Green Energy), Genotex and Rensol Power Limited have expressed an interest in participating in the project as detailed in their 'letter of support'. NaREC will benefit from this project by the new developments of concentrating photovoltaics system. ANSYS will benefit from the new algorithm development in computational fluid dynamics techniques for biomass power generating system. Green Energy will benefit from the different renewable energy system integration techniques and their application to the rural society. Genotex will benefit from the development of Solar and Biomass integrated control algorithm development and Rensol power will benefited from the development of novel, low-cost and high efficiency solar energy technology proposed - a new class of concentrating Photovoltaic devices. Developing optics, receiver and integration for solar power generation in CPV system is the challenging issue. In addition, Genotex and Rensol will potentially commercialise the new development given a successful outcome of the project in relevant areas as stated in their letter of support.
Training of Researchers:
This project will support 13 PDRAs (3 PDRA in the UK and 10 PDRA in India) and 10 PhDs (4 in the UK and 6 in India) and the training and development that we have planned in this research will provide personnel fit for the renewable energy industry, high performance modelling industry and digital technologies. This will create technical expertise in their specific tasks. In addition, bi-lateral research staff exchange will enhance their educational experience, cultural exchange to prepare them for being top researchers in the global platform.
Indirect Beneficiaries:
Successful outcome of this proposal will have a greater impact on wider economics and to the society in both the UK and India via the development of low cost and high efficiency autonomous power generating systems. In addition, wider acceptance of BioCPV technology in rural parts will directly benefit society by reducing environmental pollution. In addition, being experts in Solar energy, Biomass, Hydrogen generation/storage, power electronics and rural energy needs in two continents, all the academics in this consortium have the opportunity to share the valuable knowledge of their own expertise to the wider public and policy makers. Some of these research developments will provide valuable information to the regional and national government agencies and policy makers to influence decision making for the deployment of low carbon technologies.
In the most remote Indian villages, uncontrolled modes of localised power generation lead to large-scale environmental pollution over time. The project is being implemented in a remote village where the villagers have no access to conventional grid power and the community has only a single option for power generation that of using conventional fuel, generating flue gas exhaust, causing environmental degradation and health problems. This project, which utilises solar and biomass power, will not only eliminate environmental degradation but will also provide an educational example to this new generation, where the illiteracy rate is almost 100%.