CSIR-NCL Installs Solar Thermal System for Direct Cooking Application

CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune has installed a solar thermal system for in-house canteen cooking applications. The canteen caters to about 700 users every day.

Prof. Ashwini Kumar Nangia, Director, CSIR-NCL inaugurated the system on April 19, 2018.

The solar system delivers hot water in the range of 45-50°C for the washing section and 85-95°C for the cooking section separately. It reduces electricity requirement by 60-70% in the washing area and LPG consumption by 55% for boiling. The system uses Evacuated Tube Collectors (ETC) and Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) solar technologies, along with storage tanks, steam cooking vessels, electric boiler and piping.

The solar system includes two ETC solar panels that provide hot water for washing purpose and three CPC solar panels that serve the purpose of cooking water. The volume of the tank on roof is around 300 litres. An extra tank is installed in kitchen where an electrical heating utility is also provided, which can be used to bridge the temperature deficit. It serves the purpose of supplying consistent hot water for cooking in all weather conditions. The capital expenditure for the solar system is around Rs. 6 lakh.