Solar power can be used to run high voltage machines and equipment only if the solar system is connected to the Discoms or grid. That’s one of the primary reason why solar power is adopted by the heavy load industries that you are going to read further in this whole article. So, let’s start with the first topic.

Can Factories Gain Benefit From Solar Power?

In the global market, one of the biggest consumers of electricity is the manufacturing industry because of the vast quantity of machines and equipment that requires to receive power along with other utilities for the manufacturing process & office facilities. These companies require an enormous amount of electricity, and that also for a never-ending time period. Moreover, with the increasing understanding and awareness towards the environmental degradation, which has arisen because of the conventional sources of energy. Today, the businesses and consumers, both of them are changing their direction by opting for renewable energy sources. Manufacturing industries such as the automobile and electronics sectors are shifting towards the usage of clean energy, which means solar power.

Important Factors For Application Of Solar Power In Manufacturing Industries

Here are some of the critical aspects for implementing solar power in the factories that need to be considered :

• Heavy Load Requirement – Factories that are energy-intensive generally make use of high accuracy machines and equipment for maintenance. However, the consumption rate of energy by these types of machinery must be documented, and an apparent draft must be created for the load consumption. All the machinery & equipment must be accounted for along with the co-related power consumption, for example, water filtration and lighting.
• Exposure of Rooftop – As we all know that these manufacturing factories are located in extensive territories, which means that they have a lot of vacant space on the roof. The rooftop space can be used for vast installations of solar panels. Regardless of having a lot of space, it becomes essential to examine the actual requirement of energy for running the factories efficiently.
• Shift Timings – The timings of every shift in the factories are usually fixed. Obviously, many factories have multiple shifts during the 24-hour cycle, so the power generation should be scaled according to the timings of every shift. Factories functioning during the night must assure enough solar exposure and to conserve extra power in the batteries for high energy conversion factors.

Advantages Of Implementation Of Solar Power In Manufacturing Factories

Here are some of the prominent advantages of installing solar power in the manufacturing factories

• Easy Maintenance – Solar power doesn’t generate any kind of disturbing sound and is noise-free, which makes it environmentally friendly. Furthermore, solar power doesn’t have any moving parts or mechanical components that are complex. They are reliable in every way as solar power has less risk of breakdown and equipment failure.
• Delivers Energy During Peak Hours Of The Day – The maximum manufacturing happens during the day, which occurs simultaneously with the timings of extreme solar exposure. Likewise, the factories can select to opt for solar power instead of relying on the grid, which may lead to saving costs.
• Customisation and Flexibility – There are many restrictions when it comes to utilizing power from the main grid that grid operators place in the area. Sometimes, factories don’t have the independence of managing the power supply and optimise their energy cost. This freedom and liberty is given to then factories by solar power as the factories can regulate the power supply, and it will help in managing their shifts in a better way.

Why Can Manufacturing Industries Run Their Heavy Machineries On Solar Power?

Earlier, the solar systems were in contact with the batteries that were used to store the energy before it could get supplied to the machines and other equipment. These types of solar systems are known as off grid solar systems, and they’re generally used for limited purposes as a backup. Furthermore, with the advancement of the technology and the increase in the favourable trustworthiness of the supply of electricity from the Discoms. The solar systems of the modern age connect directly with the Discoms panel and energy meters through specific protections. The requirement for batteries has been eliminated after the introduction of On-Grid Solar systems as much need of stability to catch up with the intermittent behaviour of solar power. Consequently, for the on-grid solar power plants, Discoms play a vital role as the large-sized battery.

During the day, the on-grid solar power plants generate power around 1400 average hours in a year in the region of Delhi & NCR, i.e. Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida etc. Now, out of 8760 hours in a year, solar is accessible for around 16% of the time speculating the full potential of the solar power plant.  Additionally, the electricity bill of the factories are reduced because of the electricity units produced during the peak solar hours, on the other hand; it also helps the Discoms to minimise the peak loads in its system. With the help of Banking Facilities and Net Metering, the Discoms also provide relief in setting up the rooftop solar systems.

Relatively, as the solar system runs in convergence with the on-grid solar power plant or the Discoms, all the machines, motors and other fundamental equipment can be run virtually by the solar power. Nowadays, solar power is gaining immense attention and are being adopted by the heavy load industries/companies such as electronics, automobiles, steel & textile,  pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cold storage, furniture and much more.

Also, there is no risk to the solar systems as they do not supply power directly to the heavy machinery and equipment.