The Delhi-NCR region has been in the spotlight for the past few days over air pollution shooting to alarming levels with toxic smog enveloping the region.
The authorities have finally woken up to the cause and banned diesel generators in the wake of increasing air pollution. However, the decision has not gone down well with masses, according to which diesel generators have no alternative.
Taking into account that the months of November-December and January herald a wedding season, people are further wary of the ban.
However, taking into account the alarming levels of pollution in the Delhi-NCR region, the ban appears a justified move.
"The ban on generators is absolutely justified. We all know that the capital has had very poor air quality for the past few years and the situation is getting worse day by day. A number of factors contribute to the high pollution level and generators are one of the major contributors. The fumes released from generators are hazardous for the environment and our health. It is high time the authorities took some concrete step towards it. If possible it should be banned in other areas also as it only causes harm and no gain," said managing director Su-Kam, Kunwer Sachdev.
Since long duration power cuts are a thing of the past, inverters are a possible solution to the power woes in the era of shorter but frequent power outages.
"Inverters and UPSs are a saviour for the Indian masses who were not only struggling with power cuts but also the cost and hassle of running a generator. The inverter wooed Indians instantly as it is cheaper, easy to operate and requires low maintenance," added Sachdev.
A 100 Kva generator consumes 24 litres of fuel per hour to run full load, which means every hour you are spending Rs. 1440 and in a year Rs. 5,25,600. This is just an assumption but in reality the situation is much worse because power cuts are shorter but frequent.
But an inverter which is equipped with state-of the-art technology simply converts one form of electrical energy to another (DC to AC). So the requirement of fuel is eliminated as batteries can be charged by solar energy which is free of cost. In the event of a power cut, the inverter will draw power from the batteries for only that duration so the battery's complete life cycle is never used. Simultaneously, the battery gets recharged through solar panels. So the battery remains fully charged thus increasing its life.
Charging batteries through solar energy also increases battery life because both solar energy and battery are DC and solar energy is the purest form of DC. Thus, when the battery gets charged by solar energy there is no impurity so automatically battery life goes up.
Combined with a quality battery, UPSs and inverters can help provide a back-up source of power to not only to households but also commercial sector. During power-cuts, a UPS automatically draws power from the battery and provides it to the appliances connected to it.
Hence such appliances enjoy uninterrupted or continuous power supply even in times of fluctuating and erratic power supply. This is not the case of a common generator. UPSs and inverters can power even sensitive appliances like computers and laptops. On the other hand, power produced by generators is impure. They cause spikes and surges which produce distortion that can harm electronic devices connected to it.
They also incur high maintenance cost. Even the fuel used in a generator is costly and one needs to take extra caution to store it. Handling the generator is not easy and if a person does not use it properly, it can be dangerous. Generators have moving parts which can corrode whether it is in use or not, so it must be maintained regularly.
A conventional generator requires maintenance every 50-60 hours. Those using high capacity generators to run heavy load may even require an in-house engineer to maintain their generators.
Inverters, on the other hand, draw power from solar energy (DC source) which is free of cost and convert DC power into AC power using electronic circuitry. This makes inverters completely environment friendly and with no moving parts like generators it is maintenance-free.
In the long-run, inverters have a potential to reduce the country's carbon footprint as they are a cleaner and noiseless source of power.
Su-Kam which has been among the pioneers in the field has successfully developed 100Kw inverter back in 2004. Nowadays, their inverters have a zero switch-over time which makes it possible to use it for sensitive equipment like computers, servers, IT equipment, lifts, medical equipment.
Su-Kam has also developed a technology through which an existing inverter can be converted to a solar inverter by installing a solar charge controller and panels. The system gives priority to solar for charging batteries thereby greatly reducing monthly electricity bills. Not just that, the device also has smart features, that enables a customer to see the amount of rupees saved by calculating the number of solar units generated.
Su-Kam is one of the few companies to manufacture high capacity solar inverters. Their pure sine wave inverters ranging from 5KVA to 100KVA are ideal for all types of commercial establishments. From a 40W solar system to power a small house in village to installing 1.3MW solar power plant to power Indian Army in Assam - the company has solarized lakhs of homes, offices, schools, colleges and petrol pumps in India and more than 90 countries worldwide.
It is high time that corporate come forward to promote the use of inverters over generators. They are the future and a cleaner, safer and more environment- friendly alternative to generators.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
