Thirteen years of Hard work of Professor Bilal Ahmad is finally paying off. Bilal started making the first Solar Car in Kashmir valley in the year 2009. The prototype of the car is ready, and India's biggest car companies have approached Bilal.&nbsp;

Bilal Ahmad, a math's teacher by profession, always wanted to make an affordable, sustainable and luxurious vehicle that not only wealthy people could buy but also people from the lower economic strata. Bilal has been taking out two hours every day for over a decade to work on this solar car and paying for it from his own pocket.&nbsp;

Bilal says that it is the right time for launching a solar car in the Indian market. He has spent around 15 lakh Indian rupees for making this solar car. He says the car could be made in around one million rupees if all goes according to his plan. And after the successful trial run of the solar car on the Srinagar roads, many Indian car manufacturing companies have approached him to work further on his project.&nbsp;

''My morale has been boosted by major companies approaching me for it. I knew my hard work would not go to waste. I spend so much time on this, every day I used to sit on it for two hours. And I knew I would get a great response and with God's help I have got good companies approaching me. It's an eco-friendly car with zero pollution, Its extremely affordable and it is a future car. '' said Bilal Ahmad, Inventor/ Professor.&nbsp;

Bilal's solar car is unique and everybody part of the car is covered with a solar panel. From the bonnet to the rear windshield every possible space is covered by these panels making sure to generate the maximum energy for the vehicle to work smoothly.&nbsp;

Bilal has chosen monocrystalline solar panels, which have photovoltaic cells completely made of single silicon crystal. These cells produce more kilowatt-hours of electricity than the regular ones. The other important feature of the car is ''Gullwings, which open upwards with solar panels fitted to them.&nbsp;

Bilal's dream of making India's Solar car is slowly coming to realisation. He has spent thousands of hours on making this car and now he is further working on the speed and mileage of the car.&nbsp;

''I started making this car in 2019, I had read at that time that the future petrol prices would skyrocket, and It gave me an idea to make a car which will be free energy, that is solar energy. I made an electric car and then converted it into a Solar car. There were many solar cars made in India, but they were only a prototype and those didn't have the regular features. My car has all the regular features, and I can proudly say that it's India's first Solar car with all the luxury. It's just the start and I will work on it more and it will be a challenge for other companies. It took me 13 years, the weight was the major issue which took me a long to work on, the battery pack is less at the moment and needs to be increased which will make it a fast car with good mileage. '' said Bilal Ahmad, Inventor/ Professor.&nbsp;

The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah took to twitter and said '' Solar Car with #DeLorean #BackToTheFuture style doors. Certainly, looks the part. ''

Chairman of Mahindra Car Company Anand Mahindra also tweeted and showed support to Bilal and said his company would be happy to explore and develop it further. ''Bilal’s passion is commendable. I applaud his single-handedly developing this prototype. Clearly the design needs to evolve into a production-friendly version. Perhaps our team at Mahindra Research Valley can work alongside him to develop it further''.&nbsp;

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Thirteen years of Hard work of Professor Bilal Ahmad is finally paying off. Bilal started making the first Solar Car in Kashmir valley in the year 2009. The prototype of the car is ready, and India's biggest car companies have approached Bilal.

Thirteen years of Hard work of Professor Bilal Ahmad is finally paying off. Bilal started making the first Solar Car in Kashmir valley in the year 2009. The prototype of the car is ready, and India's biggest car companies have approached Bilal. Bilal Ahmad, a math's teacher by profession, always wanted to make an affordable, sustainable and luxurious vehicle that not only wealthy people could buy but also people from the lower economic strata. Bilal has been taking out two hours every day for over a decade to work on this solar car and paying for it from his own pocket. Bilal says that it is the right time for launching a solar car in the Indian market. He has spent around 15 lakh Indian rupees for making this solar car. He says the car could be made in around one million rupees if all goes according to his plan. And after the successful trial run of the solar car on the Srinagar roads, many Indian car manufacturing companies have approached him to work further on his project. ''My morale has been boosted by major companies approaching me for it. I knew my hard work would not go to waste. I spend so much time on this, every day I used to sit on it for two hours. And I knew I would get a great response and with God's help I have got good companies approaching me. It's an eco-friendly car with zero pollution, Its extremely affordable and it is a future car. '' said Bilal Ahmad, Inventor/ Professor. Bilal's solar car is unique and everybody part of the car is covered with a solar panel. From the bonnet to the rear windshield every possible space is covered by these panels making sure to generate the maximum energy for the vehicle to work smoothly. Bilal has chosen monocrystalline solar panels, which have photovoltaic cells completely made of single silicon crystal. These cells produce more kilowatt-hours of electricity than the regular ones. The other important feature of the car is ''Gullwings, which open upwards with solar panels fitted to them. Bilal's dream of making India's Solar car is slowly coming to realisation. He has spent thousands of hours on making this car and now he is further working on the speed and mileage of the car. ''I started making this car in 2019, I had read at that time that the future petrol prices would skyrocket, and It gave me an idea to make a car which will be free energy, that is solar energy. I made an electric car and then converted it into a Solar car. There were many solar cars made in India, but they were only a prototype and those didn't have the regular features. My car has all the regular features, and I can proudly say that it's India's first Solar car with all the luxury. It's just the start and I will work on it more and it will be a challenge for other companies. It took me 13 years, the weight was the major issue which took me a long to work on, the battery pack is less at the moment and needs to be increased which will make it a fast car with good mileage. '' said Bilal Ahmad, Inventor/ Professor. The former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah took to twitter and said '' Solar Car with #DeLorean #BackToTheFuture style doors. Certainly, looks the part. '' Chairman of Mahindra Car Company Anand Mahindra also tweeted and showed support to Bilal and said his company would be happy to explore and develop it further. ''Bilal’s passion is commendable. I applaud his single-handedly developing this prototype. Clearly the design needs to evolve into a production-friendly version. Perhaps our team at Mahindra Research Valley can work alongside him to develop it further''. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Kashmiri Teacher makes a solar car, Indian car manufacturers offer to develop further

As per the Ministry of Renewable Energy, India achieved the fifth global position in solar-powered deployment by surpassing Italy. Solar Power capacity has increased by over 11 times in the last five years, from 2.6 GW in March 2014 to 30 GW in July 2019. India is blessed with vast solar potential. About 5000 trillion kWh per year of energy is incident over India’s land area. And most parts of the country receive 4-7 KWh per square meter per day. Till now India has done a remarkable job harnessing solar energy. From an energy security perspective, solar is the most promising source of energy than conventional energy. 

National Institute of the Solar Energy (NISE) has assessed the country’s solar potential of about 748 GW assuming 3 per cent&nbsp;of the wasteland to be covered with PV panels. Solar energy has taken a central place in India’s National Action Plan on climate change with the National Solar Mission (NSM) as one of the key missions. NSM is a major initiative of the government of India with active participation from the state to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security. In order to achieve the set target government of India, has launched various schemes to encourage the generation of solar power in the country, like solar parks scheme, VGF scheme, CPSO scheme, Defence scheme and many more.

&nbsp;Solar panel systems are divided into two systems: off-grid and on-grid. Off-grid solar power systems aimed to provide energy to areas where power is not available or unreliable. On-grid solar power system generates power using solar power system and is directly connected to the utility grid and works in collaboration with the power grid. On-grid is best suitable when power demand is high. 

Recently, MNRE has proposed a 25-year document which has proposed replacing coal-based power generation capacity by setting up the installed renewable energy generation to 85 per cent&nbsp;of the total requirement. The vision of the document is to freeze coal-based power generation capacity and gradually cease the plants as they age. This means renewable energy is the target to replace the coal in coming future.

But how environmentally friendly is solar energy? Is it true that putting so many panels is healthy for the environment?

Emission of CO2

To meet the net-zero carbon emission target by 2070, the government plan to create an additional solar manufacturing capacity of 25 GW each of solar cells and modules and 10 GW of wafers. India currently has a manufacturing capacity of 3 GW of solar cells and 15 GW for modules. The plan is to escalate the manufacturing process following an additional allocation of Rs 19,500 crores for the production-linked-incentive (PLI) scheme for high-efficiency solar modules in the FY23 Union Budget. PM of India claims the budget will not only ensure green growth but will also generate green jobs. India’s largest solar PV module manufacturing company is Waare Engineers. They have the largest solar PV module manufacturing capacity of 2 GWs in Surat and Umbergaon in Gujarat. From there they transport solar panels to the rest part of the country. Apart from this, India imports more solar from China (87.67%), Malaysia (94.65 per cent), Taiwan (1.70 per cent), and Singapore (1.03 per cent) as per data from 2017.

A study was conducted where LCA in Australia for complete PV solar system that was manufactured in Germany and was shipped to Australia, where they were installed in each capital city of Australia. Raw materials are needed to be mined, transported and processed and then assembled. According to the study the production of a 1KWh PV solar system production release over two tonnes of greenhouse gases. Almost 85 per cent&nbsp;of which is manufactured by the solar module themselves. The rest of the greenhouse emissions are because of invertor production (7 per cent) and roof frame and wiring contribute around 4 per cent&nbsp;of the total greenhouse gas production. Transport of the PV solar system is very efficient, producing only 4 per cent&nbsp;of the greenhouse gas associated with the system. Transport of the solar system from Germany to Australia by ship is only responsible for 2 per cent&nbsp;of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Although several studies have been done in LCA including in India. But the study which was done in Australia is unique because it has analysed the detail of mining, transportation, inverter and wiring. 

Toxic Chemicals

Solar-powered generation of electricity does not involve any noise, or toxic greenhouse gas emissions. But PV industry is associated with the use of harmful chemicals. The manufacturing process is responsible for many hazardous byproducts, like sulphuric acid, hydrogen fluoride, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acids. However, the amount of chemical use depends on the type of cell manufactured.&nbsp; These hazardous chemicals are used for cleaning wafers and removing impurities.

Silicon tetrachloride is produced during the refining of silicons. It can be recycled or reused, although whether or not produced products do so is unknown. Otherwise, there's a good probability that these chemicals will wind up in groundwater.

The area that needs an assessment is finding an alternative solution to these harmful chemicals.

Waste and Groundwater Contamination

PV panel waste will increase alongside worldwide deployment. As per the IRENA report, India could have an expected average of 50,000-320,000 tonnes of waste by 2030, possibly culminating in 4.4-7.5 million tonnes by 2050. PV panel waste generated is covered by general waste regulations. India has no regulation mandates, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the 2016 Solid Waste Management rules manages waste. The legislation covers requirements for the general e-waste and restrictions on the hazardous substance in the electronic e-waste rule of 2016. However, it does not include PV waste. The lack of recycling guidelines and infrastructure puts India in a poor position to handle solar PV waste, and the cost of recycling is also very high. Recycling needs to be profitable.

As per Ayush et al. India will produce around 2.95 billion tonnes of waste by 2047, this waste will comprise 51 per cent of glass for covering, 31 per cent&nbsp;aluminum for module frames, 5 per cent&nbsp;EVA for panel lamination, 6 per cent copper for cable, and 1 per cent&nbsp;silicon for PV module cell.

India lacks infrastructure, technology, and regulations to dispose of PV waste. There are high chances hazardous chemicals mentioned earlier might leach into the water and can have serious effects on the environment and human health. If the panels are cracked and dumped into landfills without proper recycling and monitoring, then leaching can take place and these chemicals can make their way to groundwater. India is under-prepared to manage the increasing e-waste.

Solar panels are not entirely green, it has own challenges. It’s high time to address all the challenges and come up with some solutions that are actionable, economical, and sustainable. 

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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As per the Ministry of Renewable Energy, India achieved the fifth global position in solar-powered deployment by surpassing Italy. Solar Power capacity has increased by over 11 times in the last five years, from 2.

As per the Ministry of Renewable Energy, India achieved the fifth global position in solar-powered deployment by surpassing Italy. Solar Power capacity has increased by over 11 times in the last five years, from 2.6 GW in March 2014 to 30 GW in July 2019. India is blessed with vast solar potential. About 5000 trillion kWh per year of energy is incident over India’s land area. And most parts of the country receive 4-7 KWh per square meter per day. Till now India has done a remarkable job harnessing solar energy. From an energy security perspective, solar is the most promising source of energy than conventional energy. National Institute of the Solar Energy (NISE) has assessed the country’s solar potential of about 748 GW assuming 3 per cent of the wasteland to be covered with PV panels. Solar energy has taken a central place in India’s National Action Plan on climate change with the National Solar Mission (NSM) as one of the key missions. NSM is a major initiative of the government of India with active participation from the state to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security. In order to achieve the set target government of India, has launched various schemes to encourage the generation of solar power in the country, like solar parks scheme, VGF scheme, CPSO scheme, Defence scheme and many more. Solar panel systems are divided into two systems: off-grid and on-grid. Off-grid solar power systems aimed to provide energy to areas where power is not available or unreliable. On-grid solar power system generates power using solar power system and is directly connected to the utility grid and works in collaboration with the power grid. On-grid is best suitable when power demand is high. Recently, MNRE has proposed a 25-year document which has proposed replacing coal-based power generation capacity by setting up the installed renewable energy generation to 85 per cent of the total requirement. The vision of the document is to freeze coal-based power generation capacity and gradually cease the plants as they age. This means renewable energy is the target to replace the coal in coming future. But how environmentally friendly is solar energy? Is it true that putting so many panels is healthy for the environment? Emission of CO2 To meet the net-zero carbon emission target by 2070, the government plan to create an additional solar manufacturing capacity of 25 GW each of solar cells and modules and 10 GW of wafers. India currently has a manufacturing capacity of 3 GW of solar cells and 15 GW for modules. The plan is to escalate the manufacturing process following an additional allocation of Rs 19,500 crores for the production-linked-incentive (PLI) scheme for high-efficiency solar modules in the FY23 Union Budget. PM of India claims the budget will not only ensure green growth but will also generate green jobs. India’s largest solar PV module manufacturing company is Waare Engineers. They have the largest solar PV module manufacturing capacity of 2 GWs in Surat and Umbergaon in Gujarat. From there they transport solar panels to the rest part of the country. Apart from this, India imports more solar from China (87.67%), Malaysia (94.65 per cent), Taiwan (1.70 per cent), and Singapore (1.03 per cent) as per data from 2017. A study was conducted where LCA in Australia for complete PV solar system that was manufactured in Germany and was shipped to Australia, where they were installed in each capital city of Australia. Raw materials are needed to be mined, transported and processed and then assembled. According to the study the production of a 1KWh PV solar system production release over two tonnes of greenhouse gases. Almost 85 per cent of which is manufactured by the solar module themselves. The rest of the greenhouse emissions are because of invertor production (7 per cent) and roof frame and wiring contribute around 4 per cent of the total greenhouse gas production. Transport of the PV solar system is very efficient, producing only 4 per cent of the greenhouse gas associated with the system. Transport of the solar system from Germany to Australia by ship is only responsible for 2 per cent of the total greenhouse gas emissions. Although several studies have been done in LCA including in India. But the study which was done in Australia is unique because it has analysed the detail of mining, transportation, inverter and wiring. Toxic Chemicals Solar-powered generation of electricity does not involve any noise, or toxic greenhouse gas emissions. But PV industry is associated with the use of harmful chemicals. The manufacturing process is responsible for many hazardous byproducts, like sulphuric acid, hydrogen fluoride, hydrochloric acid, and nitric acids. However, the amount of chemical use depends on the type of cell manufactured. These hazardous chemicals are used for cleaning wafers and removing impurities. Silicon tetrachloride is produced during the refining of silicons. It can be recycled or reused, although whether or not produced products do so is unknown. Otherwise, there's a good probability that these chemicals will wind up in groundwater. The area that needs an assessment is finding an alternative solution to these harmful chemicals. Waste and Groundwater Contamination PV panel waste will increase alongside worldwide deployment. As per the IRENA report, India could have an expected average of 50,000-320,000 tonnes of waste by 2030, possibly culminating in 4.4-7.5 million tonnes by 2050. PV panel waste generated is covered by general waste regulations. India has no regulation mandates, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change under the 2016 Solid Waste Management rules manages waste. The legislation covers requirements for the general e-waste and restrictions on the hazardous substance in the electronic e-waste rule of 2016. However, it does not include PV waste. The lack of recycling guidelines and infrastructure puts India in a poor position to handle solar PV waste, and the cost of recycling is also very high. Recycling needs to be profitable. As per Ayush et al. India will produce around 2.95 billion tonnes of waste by 2047, this waste will comprise 51 per cent of glass for covering, 31 per cent aluminum for module frames, 5 per cent EVA for panel lamination, 6 per cent copper for cable, and 1 per cent silicon for PV module cell. India lacks infrastructure, technology, and regulations to dispose of PV waste. There are high chances hazardous chemicals mentioned earlier might leach into the water and can have serious effects on the environment and human health. If the panels are cracked and dumped into landfills without proper recycling and monitoring, then leaching can take place and these chemicals can make their way to groundwater. India is under-prepared to manage the increasing e-waste. Solar panels are not entirely green, it has own challenges. It’s high time to address all the challenges and come up with some solutions that are actionable, economical, and sustainable. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Is solar really green?

A dutch company, Lightyear, is launching the world’s first production-ready solar car that will hit the roads later this year promising months of charge-less driving in summer. The Lightyear 0 will have curved solar panels in its roof, hood and trunk that top up the electric battery as it drives. The first delivery in Europe could be as early as November.

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Lex Hoefsloot said at the reveal of the Lightyear 0 model, “Electric cars are a step in the right direction, but they are dependent on the grid, which is still dependent on mostly fossil fuel energy. Adding a new source, the sun, adds certainty that you will always have that charge and you will have to charge a lot less often.”

The interior of the vehicle is vegan and eco-friendly, featuring plant-based leather, fabrics made from recycled PET bottles and wooden deco elements from sustainably-restructured rattan palm.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-thailand-forgoes-foreign-tourist-registration-drops-mask-rule-489169">Covid 19: Thailand forgoes foreign tourist registration, drops mask rule</a>

When asked about the battery, Hoefsloot says, "The powertrain is the most efficient in the world," adding that the car's aerodynamic shape and four in-wheel motors enable a smaller battery to provide the same range.

That means "the whole car is lighter, and you get into this positive feedback cycle where everything can become lighter as well. That's how we've been able to get to 1,575 kilograms. If you look at other cars that offer a similar range, they're all about 40% heavier," he added.

The car has a maximum speed of just 100 mph, while its 0 to 100 mph time is 10 seconds. The company will launch 946 models, one of them costing around €250,000 ($262,000).

(with inputs from agencies)

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A dutch company, Lightyear, is launching the world’s first production-ready solar car that will hit the roads later this year promising months of charge-less driving in summer.

A dutch company, Lightyear, is launching the world’s first production-ready solar car that will hit the roads later this year promising months of charge-less driving in summer. The Lightyear 0 will have curved solar panels in its roof, hood and trunk that top up the electric battery as it drives. The first delivery in Europe could be as early as November. Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Lex Hoefsloot said at the reveal of the Lightyear 0 model, “Electric cars are a step in the right direction, but they are dependent on the grid, which is still dependent on mostly fossil fuel energy. Adding a new source, the sun, adds certainty that you will always have that charge and you will have to charge a lot less often.” The interior of the vehicle is vegan and eco-friendly, featuring plant-based leather, fabrics made from recycled PET bottles and wooden deco elements from sustainably-restructured rattan palm. Also Read: Covid 19: Thailand forgoes foreign tourist registration, drops mask rule When asked about the battery, Hoefsloot says, "The powertrain is the most efficient in the world," adding that the car's aerodynamic shape and four in-wheel motors enable a smaller battery to provide the same range. That means "the whole car is lighter, and you get into this positive feedback cycle where everything can become lighter as well. That's how we've been able to get to 1,575 kilograms. If you look at other cars that offer a similar range, they're all about 40% heavier," he added. The car has a maximum speed of just 100 mph, while its 0 to 100 mph time is 10 seconds. The company will launch 946 models, one of them costing around €250,000 ($262,000). (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Dutch company Lightyear to launch world’s first solar car by the end of 2022

Tesla Motors Inc and SolarCity Corp have made progress in putting together a deal that will merge the electric car maker and the solar panel installer, people familiar with the matter said. 
 
The two companies, which count billionaire Elon Musk as a major shareholder, are in the final stages of carrying out due diligence on each other, and could agree on the terms of a deal in the coming days, though it is still possible that their negotiations end unsuccessfully, the people said on Saturday. 
 
It could not be learned whether SolarCity would be successful in including a go-shop provision in a merger agreement with Tesla that would allow it to continue to solicit bids from other potential buyers for a short period of time. 
 
The sources asked not to be identified because the negotiations are confidential. Representatives for SolarCity and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 
 
Tesla announced last month that it had made an all-stock offer for SolarCity worth $2.8 billion. It argued that by acquiring SolarCity, the two companies would form a one-stop clean energy shop, offering consumers solar panels, home battery storage and electric cars under a single trusted brand. 
 
SolarCity has not publicly revealed its views on Tesla&#39;s offer since it announced on June 27 that it had formed a special committee consisting of two board members to evaluate the offer. The committee said it had retained legal and financial advisers and would review the proposal against SolarCity&#39;s standalone prospects and a broad range of strategic alternatives. 
 
As chief executive of Tesla, chairman of SolarCity and the biggest shareholder in both companies, Musk has recused himself from voting on the deal at both companies. Several Tesla and SolarCity executives, including Musk&#39;s cousins SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive and SolarCity board member Peter Rive, have also recused themselves from voting. 
 
Elon Musk said on July 20 when he revealed his master plan &quot;part deux&quot; for Tesla that he is looking to create a &quot;smoothly integrated and beautiful solar-roof-with-battery product.&quot; 
 
&quot;We can&#39;t do this well if Tesla and SolarCity are different companies, which is why we need to combine and break down the barriers inherent to being separate companies,&quot; Musk said. 
 
(Reuters)

The two companies are in the final stages of carrying out due diligence on each other, but failure of negotiations is still a possibility

Tesla Motors Inc and SolarCity Corp have made progress in putting together a deal that will merge the electric car maker and the solar panel installer, people familiar with the matter said. The two companies, which count billionaire Elon Musk as a major shareholder, are in the final stages of carrying out due diligence on each other, and could agree on the terms of a deal in the coming days, though it is still possible that their negotiations end unsuccessfully, the people said on Saturday. It could not be learned whether SolarCity would be successful in including a go-shop provision in a merger agreement with Tesla that would allow it to continue to solicit bids from other potential buyers for a short period of time. The sources asked not to be identified because the negotiations are confidential. Representatives for SolarCity and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Tesla announced last month that it had made an all-stock offer for SolarCity worth $2.8 billion. It argued that by acquiring SolarCity, the two companies would form a one-stop clean energy shop, offering consumers solar panels, home battery storage and electric cars under a single trusted brand. SolarCity has not publicly revealed its views on Tesla's offer since it announced on June 27 that it had formed a special committee consisting of two board members to evaluate the offer. The committee said it had retained legal and financial advisers and would review the proposal against SolarCity's standalone prospects and a broad range of strategic alternatives. As chief executive of Tesla, chairman of SolarCity and the biggest shareholder in both companies, Musk has recused himself from voting on the deal at both companies. Several Tesla and SolarCity executives, including Musk's cousins SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive and SolarCity board member Peter Rive, have also recused themselves from voting. Elon Musk said on July 20 when he revealed his master plan "part deux" for Tesla that he is looking to create a "smoothly integrated and beautiful solar-roof-with-battery product." "We can't do this well if Tesla and SolarCity are different companies, which is why we need to combine and break down the barriers inherent to being separate companies," Musk said. (Reuters)

One-stop clean energy shop: Tesla, SolarCity merger in the offing

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