A Walk in the Park

With the new school term, Mitra resumed its carbon neutral campus program. The first step towards developing an energy consciousness, in our program is to sensitize the students to global warming and the role of the energy sector, especially fossil fuels, in climate change.

The students of Mallya Aditi International School, got a first hand experience of working renewable energy models at a one of its kind, Karnataka State Level Energy Park developed by Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL) and TATA BP in Bangalore.

Mitra trustee and guest speaker, Shailendra, introduced the students to global warming, its impacts and the role of nation states as well as individuals in tackling the clear and present danger posed by climate change on entire ecosystems, the poorest of the poor and hapless other species that share this planet with us. He concluded the lecture with a call for replacement of climate change causing fossil fuels with renewable energy sources that will meet our energy requirements to ensure energy security as well as sustainable development, while arresting the runaway phenomenon of climate change.

Immediately after the presentation, Mitra coordinators, Seema and Adarsh, took the students for an invigorating walk in the park, where the students were introduced to the concepts of renewable energy and its applications followed by live demonstrations of various existing applications at the park powered by renewable energy.

The ‘Walk’ through the renewable park began at a solar kitchen that has huge mirror-clad panel which rotates automatically to catch the rays of the sun and re-direct a concentrated beam towards an opening in the kitchen where it is absorbed by a black pot in which food can be cooked. The kitchen also had information on Bio-gas plants that produces methane gas for cooking purposes.

Next was the demonstration of non-pollutiong, electric vehicles, which included a bus that can seat around 15 people and Reva, the famous Indian electric car, manufactured in Bangalore, which is proudly showcased under the array of 8.5 kW solar panels from which it charges its batteries in 6 hours. The students loved the battery operated bicycle which is recharged as you cycle. Some of the students also got an opportunity to zip around in a mini solar powered car.

The power of wind was demonstrated at the 1.3 kW wind turbine, the 1800W turbine that operates a surface water pump to irrigate all the plants in the garden, and a windmill that pumps water from a borewell for storage.

The students were then taken to a unique ‘Power Plant’, a Battery Bank located in a well ventilated room that consists of 72 batteries which stores an amazing 10kW of power generated from solar panels and 1.3 kW wind turbine mentioned above.

The crowning glory of the park is the solar powered house. A combination of BIPV and PV solar panels creates 2.2 kW to power lights, fans, a computer, tv and a small fridge in this off-grid house. Food is pressure cooked in a parabolic solar cooker in 20 minutes. A solar box cooker and a solar dryer are the other gadgets found in this unique house. Besides providing hot water for the house an industrial solar water heater circulates heated water through a nearby swimming pool.

The huge playground in front of the house with its swings, slides, see-saws, etc, all of which run on dynamos and ignite bulbs or play electronic music, was an energetic way to end the walk and reinforce the point that creating clean energy is a simple task.

The students left with a sense of realization that alternatives to our traditional climate change causing energy production exist . Mitra’s aim was not only to guide them through ways of using energy, whether renewable or otherwise, efficiently, but to open their minds into new and innovative ways of creating alternate energy and spreading the word to save this planet and all living things dependant on it.

Karnataka State Level Energy Park is located at the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Garden, Raj Bhavan Road, Opp. the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Bangalore.