RISE & FALL OF RENEWABLE ENERGY INDUSTRY IN TN

TAMIL Nadu is blessed with a good wind potential, thanks to its geographical position with sea on three sides.

- DR K VENKATACHALAM

This makes the state windprone, as both south west and north east winds are available.

This has resulted in the state harnessing wind power historically, and many of the industries, mostly textile industry, have set up windmills in the state from the year 2001 to generate wind energy for their use by availing the scheme of Open Access as ensured under the Electricity Act 2003.

Like wind, the state has got 300+ sunny days in a year and this makes the harnessing of solar energy also for captive generation and use by the industries, either by way of rooftop solar or grid connected solar.

While the windmills are always grid connected and cannot be installed within the premises of the industry, it has to always avail open access by wheeling the energy from the point of generation to the point of consumption. However, the solar energy either can be consumed through wheeling by using open access or it can be a rooftop solar, supplying the energy directly to the industry.