Solar Hot Water Technology and Approach to Popularise the same

Abstract

Indian scientists had realised the importance of solar energy just after Independence when a beginning to develop solar thermal devices was made at the National Physical Laboratory in early 1950s. At that time only a few nations of the world were engaged in the R&D activities in this direction. However, today it is being advocated all over the world that various renewable sources of energy in general and solar energy in particular are the future sources of energy as the reserves of fossil fuels are disappearing fast and may not last more than 100 years; some may be exhausted much earlier. Tremendous changes and advances are now taking place in different parts of the world in the fields of co-generation, total energy, waste heat recovery/utilisation, generation of energy from biomass and waste materials utilising different methods like incineration, pyrolysis, gassification etc., and renewable sources of energy. The primary objectives of all these technological developments are to save fossil fuels and to develop sources which may be long lasting, pollution free, easily available and cost effective.