A low-cost technique could help convert more than 50 per cent of solar energy into mechanical and electrical energy. Naren Sheth, a Mumbai-based businessperson, has recently developed a solar collector with the help of technologies and skills available in rural India. The device can concentrate nearly 1,200 watts from solar energy that is equivalent to 200-400 watts of electrical power. The solar collector can be of immense use to energy-starved regions such as Kutch, Rajasthan and Saurashtra. The collector is made of lens refractor which is capable of running a pump with nearly three-fourth Horse Power. This technology can generate temperatures ranging from 400-500C that may be used for desalination and purification of water, hot water for cottage industries and to run community kitchens. If the solar collector is properly maintained, it would be able to work for nearly five years. The new device could reduce the cost of energy by nearly 40 per cent than that of a conventional technology.
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