NISE has a dedicated division for Solar Thermal Energy comprising of researchers and scientists committed towards developing and promoting Solar Thermal Technologies for the benefit of the Nation. Solar Thermal Division has undertaken both in-house and collaborative R&D with a number of National/International research Institutions/Organizations/Industries with emphasis on commercial applications benefitting the common people. The Institute hosts various state-of-the-art solar thermal technologies for different end use applications such as power generation, air-conditioning, cold storage, process heat, desalination, cooking, space heating, hot water, etc.
A Few thrust research areas are:
- Innovative Product Development using thermal energy storage
- Performance mapping and characterization of solar thermal systems
- Research on low & high-temperature applications
- Engineering, measurements & benchmarking of solar thermal systems
- Research on power generation, process heating, desalination, thermal energy storage, space heating applications and other related topics
- Policy making, testing protocol, and standardization
Solar Thermal R&D
NISE solar thermal division is focussed on research, development, and demonstration of various solar thermal systems and products in a novel, innovative and environmental friendly way, to meet various energy needs of the Nation. NISE, remains fully committed at the highest levels to supporting commercialization of these innovation.
Our latest R&D success stories includes:
Solar Dryer
NISE has indigenously designed and developed an innovative solar dryer cum space heating system with thermal storage system, specifically useful for the colder regions of the country. The solar dryer can heat the inlet air up to 60°C above ambient and is used for drying of variety of agricultural and horticulture products including crops, fruits, vegetables, spices, tea, fish, etc. In cold regions like Ladakh, where ambient temperatures during winters drop to -20 °C, the system is also used for space heating purpose thus keeping inside temperatures of homes and offices comfortable during harsh winters. The system is modular and can be installed in any size and numbers as per the requirement of drying and space heating.
NISE has successfully deployed 10 solar dryer unit (5 in Leh and 5 in Kargil) on trial basis to evaluate its performance in actual field conditions in July 2018. Based on the satisfactory performance of the system, NISE has installed 300 units of solar dryer system in Ladakh.
Solar Powered Cold Storage
NISE in collaboration with an industry partner has developed a solar powered cold storage unit with thermal storage. The unit runs on power generated from Solar Photovoltaic and can store fruits and vegetables at a temperature as low as 3°C, even for extended duration of hours after sunset. During sunshine hours the electricity generated from solar photovoltaic is used to provide cooling to cold storage unit as well as charging in the Thermal Storage System. During non-solar hours, the cooling needs of cold storage unit are met through the stored cooling in the thermal energy storage. Commercial units have been installed in the across India.
NISE and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoAFW) have jointly decided to undertake a few pilot scale installations in different states through Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) scheme. NISE has done 3 pilot installation of Solar Cold Storage for Horticulture Research Center, Agartala, Agricultural Department Komalpur, Dhalai and Krishak Bandhu Center, Gomti Udaipur in Tripura state.
Innovative Products
Solar Thermal Division is also working on design and development of Innovative Products such as-:
- Solar Chullah-: The Solar Chullah is an indoor solar cooking system designed for 4 person use during both day and early morning cooking. The solar challah works on electricity from Solar PV panels and stores heat in Thermal energy storage system for off sunshine hours cooking. The stored heat enables various cooking methods like boiling, steaming, and frying, ensuring convenient, clean-energy cooking.
- Instant Solar Geyser-: The Instant Solar Geyser is a clean energy system that converts solar power into heat using a DC heating element and stores it in a thermal fluid. A heat exchanger transfers this stored heat to water on demand, providing hot water even during off sunshine hours and cloudy weather.
- Solar Cabin-: The Solar Cabin is an insulated space heating system that uses solar power to maintain a warm indoor environment in extremely cold regions. Solar energy is converted into heat via a DC heating element and stored in a thermal mass of stones or sand. This stored heat is gradually released, ensuring a comfortable indoor temperature even during freezing nights of Himalayan region.
Solar Thermal Consultancy
NISE has an impressive team of researches and scientists equipped with the latest technical expertise and equipment; dedicated to deliver optimised solutions in various solar thermal applications.
For any consultancy enquiry; pls. mail to: consultancy@nise.res.in
