Solar Power Solutions in Thailand

[george]

SPECIAL REPORT: Solar solutions

BANGKOK: -- Oil price rises make the search for an affordable way to harness the Sun’s power more urgent

At first glance Soontorn Boonyatikan's house in suburban Bangkok doesn't look much different from those of his neighbours. But once you talk to the owner, you may be surprised to learn that he has not received one electricity bill from the power agency for several years.

That's because Soontorn's place is powered by solar energy via power-generating cells on the roof. The system, which cost around Bt1 million to install a few years ago, supplies all the power needed by household appliances such as a TV, a computer and a stereo system.

Soontorn, an architect, designed the energy-saving house himself to optimise resources and capitalise on free-of-charge sunlight energy as the house's main source of power.

"Sunlight is a key power source here. The solar-cell technology allows the house to generate its own electrical power," he said, adding that his 120-square-metre living area, for three to four occupants, requires 35 square metres of solar cells on the roof.

The imported cells produce 14 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day, enough to power necessary electrical appliances.

As the bio-solar house is specially designed for energy-saving, the total power consumption is only 10kWh per day, while other houses of comparable space usually need 50kWh to 60kWh per day.

Soontorn, a professor of architecture at Chulalongkorn University and chief executive officer of architectural design company Vida, is now offering clients similar house designs that feature solar-cell technology.

That technology is an alternative energy source that can partially substitute for fuel oil in electricity generation. Solar energy also reduces environmental problems caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

Even though Soontorn doesn't have to pay for electricity, he initially had to invest a large sum in solar-cell installation. At the time he built his house several years ago he spent around Bt1 million on the cell system.

Now he hopes that if demand for solar-cell technology increases the price of solar cells will drop.

His hope is becoming reality. After six years of research and development the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) has come up with a solar-cell technology-development programme to lower the cost of the technology.

NSTDA plans to license its know-how to private firms for local manufacturing as early as next year. It is estimated that the price of solar cells will be reduced by more than 50 per cent compared to that of imported products.

So a comparable solar-energy system for Soonthorn's house could cost only Bt300,000 to Bt400,000, instead of Bt1 million.

At present local know-how in solar-cell technology is said to be second only to that of Japan, since Thai cells can convert as much as 15 per cent of solar power into electricity from each installed unit, twice the average productivity of other products on the market.

Porponth Sichanugrist, a senior NSTDA official in charge of the solar-cell programme, said two layers of cells were used to absorb more solar energy, which made the new design more efficient.

A healthcare centre in Chiang Mai is testing this new design over a 20-square-metre solar-cell system that will have a power-generation capacity of 1kWh per day.

Similar tests will be conducted at 10 other healthcare centres by the end of this year.

NSTDA is also testing a hybrid solar-cell system that can produce both electricity and hot water simultaneously, with metal plates added beneath each of the cells to heat water.

However, each solar cell will only be able to convert power into electricity at a rate of 8 per cent, instead of 15 per cent. In this hybrid version, a 50-square-metre cell panel can generate 2,500 litres of hot water a day.

Banglamung Hospital is testing this design in Chon Buri province.

Given the need to create alternative energies amid rising crude-oil prices, Porponth said, solar energy could increase the country's energy independence.

Science minister Korn Dabbaransi, who supports the idea, said the government would give full backing and expressed hope the price of cells would go down significantly so more people could afford them.

According to a 2005-2012 development programme, solar energy is supposed to substitute for 10 per cent of electricity during peak hours of power consumption.

By 2012 peak-hour power consumption is projected to reach 30,000 megawatts. Hence, a combined 3,000mW solar-energy system will be required.

Cabinet will soon be asked to approve a Bt1.85-billion plan to create clusters of solar-cell developments, comprising government units, research labs and private businesses, so as to promote the solar-cell industry. The plan encourages the use of alternative energy in households, public- and private-sector organisations and manufacturing plants.

Solar energy is projected to save oil bills to the tune of Bt3 billion a year.

When it comes to solar energy, Japan is a good example. Last year around 65,000 Japanese households turned to solar-cell panels for power generation.

Since 1974 the Japanese government has been promoting the so-called Sunshine Programme, providing Bt2 billion annually to finance solar-cell research and development. Government subsidies have also been used to encourage households to turn to solar energy.

Japan has one of the largest solar-cell installation bases in the world. By 2010 its government hopes to increase power generation from solar cells to 48,000mW.

In Thailand an ambitious government scheme, called the Solar Home System, aims to install solar cells in 300,000 rural households, especially in remote areas off the electricity grid.

Bid for affordable technology

Solar cell technology must be highly efficient and cost less before its use is widespread among Thai people, a national science agency said recently.

That is the goal of the eight-year solar cell development plan created by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA).

Even though the agency can develop and produce its own solar cell technology, which can convert 15 per cent of the total solar power into electricity, the production costs are prohibitive, acting deputy solar cell project director Porponth Sichanugrist said.

The cost of producing electricity from solar cells is Bt250 per watt using existing technology, he said.

"To make the technology worth the investment, the technology itself must be improved to increase its efficiency to absorb solar energy, and thus, more than halve costs," Pornpoth said.

The goal of the programme is to push the cells' electricity conversion rate to 18 per cent, and electricity production costs down to Bt100 per watt, he added.

Porponth said that apart from developing technology, machines and raw materials to produce the cell should be developed locally.

About 20 per cent of solar cell production costs come from investment in equipment, while 40 per cent is spent on raw materials. Thailand however must import both, and this keeps production costs high, he said. "So, if we want to lower the costs of solar cell production, we must produce the machines and the polymer, the raw material, to coat the cell ourselves."

The NSTDA is planning to work with academic research labs to achieve that. If developed locally, savings of at least 50 per cent can be made compared with buying machines and polymers from abroad, he said.

Meanwhile, the agency will work with construction companies and manufacturers to produce a new kind of roof that includes solar panels. Apart from the convenience of the new product, solar-cell-installed roofing will help people lower the initial cost of investment when they switch to solar power, Pornponth said.

--The Nation 2004-06-20

[stumonster]

may be thailand needs a research centre something like this:-

http://www.det.csiro.au/energycentre/index.htm

because of my cynicism I will reserve my judgements on thailands wish to create a renewable energy industry.

[simon43]

I thought (from previous posts), that it was actually illegal to install solar power generating sysems in your house in Thailand, on the basis that it takes possible revenue away from the electricity companies??

[joinme2leave]

illegal to save energy????

never heard of this.

but - ok, this is thailand - everything's possible.

illegal or not? curious to read proper information...

[KevinN]

I thought (from previous posts), that it was actually illegal to install solar power generating sysems in your house in Thailand, on the basis that it takes possible revenue away from the electricity companies??

That is what I heard also, But then the gov't is supposed to get solar panels to people off the grid for enough to run a TV and a 10W light or some such thing.

But without battery's to store the electric energy and then everything will have to be direct current either 12 or 24 Volts,or you will need and inverter to make 220V 50H. power.

And if they want people to invest in large solar arrays then they are going to have to change some laws about power generation and allow people to generate power and to run thru their meters back to the grid and pay for the surplus energy that is generated by the public.

Even tho the customer can not generate more than he uses per month,during the day when his use is low and his generation is high,it will turn his meter back be used by other users, and as such,like putting money in the bank,he can draw on it during hours of low or no sun.and during low use high sun,the power generators at EGAT will slow down production and then at night pick up the slack.

But everyone in the system will have to have large banks of battery's to use inverters to power standard volt appliances,and the way Thai consider ecology,I think it will cause more pollution than solar will prevent,as battery's are very nasty to the environment.and Ni Cads are even worse.

Solar is a very expensive way to make power in its self,but to make usable power and storage of that power is even a more complicated thing. Just for a computer,a TV,a few fans and lights,,No reefers,air cons or large pumps over 1/4 hp,and no large electric appliances over about 1000W, you are going to have a large inverter and between 1000 and 2000 kilos [1-2 tons] of battery's.

Great stuff for dreams but hard to make a reality.unless you are willing to do without a lot of comfort.

[KevinN]

But where water with a head of 50+ feet is available,such as at water falls power generation is a snap, A small pelton wheel,an automobile alternator and a few battery's and an inverter and you can run anything you want,because 24 hrs a day the power is flowing into your battery bank,with a large enough pelton wheel and the amount of head,you can generate your own 220V power 24/7, but that is a horse of a different color.

A hydro system of $5000 will surpass a solar system $100,000

[chingy_]

get rid of the green bus first and we'll talk about solar

[kwiz117]

Few months back, I did some study on this and found Solar Power is still expensive in ROI terms. I contacted two leading Thai Solar Cell manufacturing companies. (Not the whole unit). The most reliable company for this now is http://www.bpsolar.com (yes..check the link, they do not pay me for any affiliate program ). They operate in US and also has a branch in Thailand (I think it’s a JV with a Thai Company).

Anyway, according to one of my friends, one of the cheapest to generate alternative energy is from Wind. No, not those big Wind Mills. What he says is a system to fix parallel to the roof (horizontal). According to him, by doing that, it is possible to rotate the axel which is linked to the small turbine even in less windy days. But the only issue is, this type of units need frequent maintenance. Anyway, I am not an expert in this field. But thought this will give some more insight to this discussion.

[astral]

illegal to save energy????

never heard of this.

but - ok, this is thailand - everything's possible.

illegal or not? curious to read proper information...

Probably correct.

Remember all these organisations have monoplies,

and you will be infringing on that monopoly!!

Crazy? YES.

Look at the way TOT and CAT fight over who can do what in the telephone service field.

[simon43]

My comment about it being illegal stems from a previous post on this topic a few months ago. Yes, the government is ok about people off the power grid using solar systems. But if you can get connected to the grid then you cannot install alternative energy systems that detract from your power usage!! (Yes it is MAD!!).

And as for running your electricity meter backwards during peak energy generating times - they only agreed to this in the UK a year or so back, so what hope is there for Thailand?

[camel_jockey]

Lads,

check this site, tis in Aus, it has "kits available(grid connected) and the government will even pay for some of it!I'm sure it would'nt be to hard to convert to a non-grid system.And using wind is good, look at boats, where do they get power from! solarzone

[KevinN]

Lads,

check this site, tis in Aus, it has "kits available(grid connected) and the government will even pay for some of it!I'm sure it would'nt be to hard to convert to a non-grid system.And using wind is good, look at boats, where do they get power from! solarzone

It has been that way for a few years in most states and countys in the US.

Yuo hook up with a special switch to your system and when you are making more juice than you use,it runs back thru your electric meter and in turn spins your meter backwards. and the power co. has to let you do it and if you made more than you used total for the month they have to pay you or a credit for so many KWH.

I have a friend that has a good spring up on a hill on his ranch in northern cal. and he makes about 150 KVA of power,he is running about 24 inch penstocks I think it is,I never payed to much attn.and with over 200 feet of head and is using a reg. commercial turbine and generator and PPL has to pay him money every month,.he said if he had another spring,he would get rid of about 300 herford mama cows and get out of the cow ranching business.