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A recent project Mahindra world City is going to be Chennai’s first place, based on environment-friendly principles. It is based on Zero Waste to Landfill Certification which means it is diverting industry waste away from landfills. This leads to a decrease of 115 tonnes of CO2 emissions every month. There are many other ways to minimize environmental damage.This includes investments on more solar, hydro and wind power.

When it comes to Solar power systems, they are divided into three types. On-Grid, Off-Grid, and Hybrid Systems. Nantech has got you covered for in-detailed information about On-Grid Solar System.
On-grid solar power is a system where the generation system is connected directly to the utility grid. The electricity produced through solar systems is routed to the primary utility grid from where the electricity is run through a house and further used for appliances.

These are also known as a grid-tie or grid-feed solar system. On-Grid solar systems are one of the most widely used solar power systems. With new technological advancements, people have started to rely on solar systems, and On-Grid being the most in-demand.

Benefits of On-Grid System

• First and foremost, the process is easy to install, maintain, and is hassle-free.
• On-Grid systems are cost-effective.
• Business owners and residential users can earn side income for the energy generated by the system.
• Private, Industrial, and Commercial avail 'Accelerated Depreciation Benefit' by setting up a solar PV rooftop system. The benefit is up to 80% in a year.
• At the rate of 80%, the project's fundamental value can be covered within four years.

Working of the system
The system works in two ways.

• The supply of electricity can flow from the utility grid to users home and
• The flow of electricity from the user's home to the utility grid.

These features make the On-Grid system highly useful and affordable. The solar panels installed on the user's home are tied to the Grid. The panels convert sunlight into direct electricity, also known as Direct Current DC). This current is then stored in a solar inverter. The Solar Inverters then convert Direct Current to an Alternating Current. Alternating Current (AC) makes the power accessible and ready to use for electrical items. The electricity is routed to the utility grid, where it is supplied for day to day use.

The grid tier inverted additionally regulated the amount of voltage of electricity used for the household requirements since all the collected power is mostly much more than household usage, needs, and is usually higher than it can handle. One of the essential features is the net meter. It is a device that records and measures the energy supplied to the Grid and the energy consumed.

At the end of every month, an outstanding is recorded, and a bill is provided for the electricity consumed. A solar meter is also used to measure the power generated. The converted energy is stored and then used by homes through the main electricity distribution panel. Battery Backup is not a requirement.

The Difference From Other Available Solar Panel Systems

• The difference from other available solar panel systems
• On-Grid is a cost-effective and more straightforward system to install as compared to Off-Grid and Hybrid Systems.
• Such systems mostly pay for themselves by offsetting the bills in a few years.

Solar power systems are the future of clean, reliable, and renewable power solutions. Setting up a Solar System is valuable for the environment and humanity themselves. Thus, moving forward towards the future with Solar energy is one of the decisions for us.

With the continually increasing concerns of global warming, there has been a lot of awareness about using clean energy. Solar energy is one such form of renewable, affordable, and inexhaustible energy that we can extract from nature and, in a way, for nature. However, setting up a whole new solar energy system with many options available can be baffling. Opting for solar energy set up requires a fixed commitment and long-term investment. Therefore, it's necessary to do little homework before choosing the solar plant you wish to install. Solar plants are of two types an on-grid solar plant and an off-grid solar plant. An on-grid solar plant generates electricity and is directly connected to the utility power grid.

On the other hand, the off-grid solar grid does not work in conjunction with the utility grid. Instead, they are connected to batteries, which store the power generated by them. Chennai, being a coastal region, often suffers from gloomy and cloudy days. If an on-grid solar panel is the only source of electricity, there could be times when the consumers will have to suffer from power cuts making an already gloomy day gloomier.

When it comes to such rainy, cyclone-prone areas, using an on-grid solar plant is not an extremely reliable option. To curb this problem, Nantech Power Systems Pvt. Ltd, a company based in Chennai, has got you covered. Having expertise in manufacturing power equipment, this company is like a ray of light to fill your ill-lit days with dazzle and sparkle.

Why Choose Off-grid Solar Plants?

Off-grid solar plants work independently of the grid. They have the following components :

• A bunch of solar panels
• Grid box
• Charge controller
• A battery
• An inverter
• A mounting structure

Balance of Systems

The solar panels absorb solar energy, and the excess energy is stored in the batteries. This stored energy from a previously sunny day can be used when the sun has set or during cloudy days when there is no sun at all. These are self-sufficient power providers in areas where power grids remain unavailable, like in rural and remote areas, where they can provide electricity for a long time or in areas where there are frequent power cuts. Another advantage of an off-grid solar plant is that any mishaps like grid failures or shutting down of grids during stormy weathers do not prevent them from supplying energy since they are independent of the utility grids. Therefore, they are autonomous, unstoppable, and infallible. An additional advantage of using the off-grid solar plant is that you don't have to pay any electricity bill if you are using only one energy source that is of your solar plant.

One disadvantage of the off-grid solar plant is that if there are abnormally dark days in a row, the energy stored in the battery may get exhausted, limiting its use. Another disadvantage is that they are costlier to install. However, one should note that the number of benefits an off-grid solar plant has overridden the costs of installing it. Thus, by choosing it, you are self-sufficient and fulfilling your duty as a responsible inhabitant of the planet.

Inverters are devices that are very commonly used as a back-up during a power outage. Chennai faces such power cuts on multiple occasions. Although there is no power supply from the mains during a blackout, inverters keep supplying uninterrupted electricity. Inverters thereby act as reserves of electricity but can they also save electricity? If so, how do they do that? Let us find out.

How Do Power Inverters Function?

• Electronic devices or circuitry converts direct current (DC) into alternating current (AC). The conversion to alternating current, also called output current, is required to run any appliance at your home or office.
• Inverters do this conversion with a charger's aid and a battery to consume and store input current (DC), respectively.

Can Inverters Have 100% Efficiency?

• Efficiency is defined as the ratio of output current (AC) to the sum of output (AC) and inputs current (DC). It tells us how effective a device is.
• Inverters differ in the way they are manufactured and thus have variable efficiencies.
• To have 100% efficiency, an inverter would need to convert all the input power into output power. But this is not realistically possible by a device.

How Can Inverters Save Electricity?

• There are multiple sources of energy losses. While some of them are innate to every inverter device, few of them can be eliminated or at least minimized.
• By eliminating avoidable losses, we can reduce power consumption and thus indirectly save electricity!

How To Eliminate Losses?

It is observed that the higher the inverter capacity, the higher is the loss of energy. Thus, it is recommended to know the power requirement of your residence or workplace.

• We start by enlisting the various appliances that would be connected to the inverter.
• The power needed to run these appliances is calculated in watts. Customers can thus choose the correct size and model that suits them.
• It is advisable to get inverters in the range of 250VA - 5kVA.

Also Read: Implications of Power Cut on Smart Homes & Remedial Measures

Overcharging:

• Overcharging corrodes the battery, which may lead to premature failure of the device.
• To avoid this, Nantech provides inverters that are highly automated. It protects the battery from being overcharged.
• There is the provision of 'cooling fans,' which prevent the battery from getting hot and reduce heat energy loss.

Quality check:

• Nantech provides an 'after-sales service' for all customers in Chennai, preserving the original quality.
• The components of inverters that we provide are serviceable, and the warranty is never excused.

Overload:

• If multiple heavy power-consuming appliances are connected to the inverter, the load might exceed our inverter's limits and consume more power.
• When the load is over 115% of that model's said capacity, the 'auto shut down' facility comes into action in a scenario like this.
• The excess load is kept in control, which also prolongs the life of the inverter.

Maintenance:

• The overall efficiency is boosted with proper maintenance, which makes a device more efficient and durable.

Reach out to us if you are in search of an inverter that can 'save' electricity.

In Chennai, a power supply of an average of 1000MW is given by the power plants. The electricity that comes from these power plants is not clean. The harmonics can cause equipment malfunction or failure because of the voltage fluctuations and distortions in the supply line that can deteriorate the voltage quality. Harmonic Filters reduce risks by reducing harmonic – and you always want to keep the harmonic pollution to under 5%.

One way of reducing harmonic pollution is by using Harmonic Filters. A harmonic filter reduces harmonic pollution and improves Power Quality by dynamic filtering of currents. They are installed for plants and households to improve overall current and voltage outputs. They come in two variants – Active Harmonic Filters (AHF) and Passive Harmonic Filters (PHF).

Passive Harmonic Filters mitigate harmonics by filtering the current wave through an input reactor, output reactor, shunt reactor, and capacitor. They are only limited to individual and stable loads. They are usually limited to their effectiveness and capacity and cannot work with many non-linear loads.

Active Harmonic Filters are used to eliminate or mitigate harmonics from the power received by using a series of transistors and capacitors to clean the current fluctuations. They are larger than Harmonic filters and require more space. They are useful for factories where a constant electricity output is necessary. And they are most effective in maintaining businesses by guaranteeing reduced costs and ongoing outputs.

Also Read: What Are Active Harmonic Filters And Its Application?

Advantages of AHFs over PHFs

In modern-day Chennai, as demand for more output increases, we must consider which filters we use for our plants. And we recommend AHFs over PHFs. Here’s why:

• Active Harmonic Filters provide far more dynamic and superior flexibility in performance as compared to Passive Harmonic Filters.
• Not all PHFs can achieve the IEEE-519 standards (for harmonic pollution, as mentioned above) even at full load. PHFs provide less overall mitigation as load decreases. AHFs can achieve the 5% limit even under 10% load.
• AHFs won't cause a leading PF at no-load conditions. This is important as it helps improve the quality of the current. PHFs, on the other hand, do.
• They can be installed anywhere in the plant line up, and due to their size, even the largest of plants only require 2-3 AHFs. PHFs, on the other hand, need to be installed at every Voltage receiving device. And granted that their sizes are less, a problem is faced when it comes to maintenance.
• They are very cost-effective compared to PHFs, as we only require one unit for the entire assembly. Thus they are more economical for correcting harmonics for multiple voltage receiving devices.
• There is a significant quality improvement over PHFs.
• AHFs won't overload when the load is full.
• If an AHF is rendered incapacitated, the motors used for optimizing power won't be affected. This is because the current itself doesn't run through the filters and runs through a set of parallel channels.
• They are a viable option for long term use.

Since Chennai is now the hub for many businesses, Nantech has the best AHFs to buy in Chennai.
Happy Shopping!

Power cuts could prove detrimental to your machinery if they are not properly maintained. Depending upon the reason for the power cut, it has a different effect on the home. If an overload is causing abrupt spikes in electricity, the central power grid may get severely damaged and cause overheating of the appliances. If the power cut is due to undue power failure from the mains, it is usually less detrimental. Still, if it often occurs, in the long run, it may reduce the efficiency of your machinery as it pushes itself to function against the low voltage. Some machines require more energy to start rather than run for long durations. A higher electricity bill is consumed in regular power cuts, and a higher electricity bill is generated.

Power cuts could also be due to faulty wiring and structural weakness in the electricity grid at home. That endangers the lives of the inhabitants of the house and may even damage society's central grid. Faulty wiring is one of the lead causes of electricity-related fires globally and is highly prevalent in Chennai's developing areas like suburbs or rural areas surrounding Chennai. Not to mention; the gross inconvenience caused to the households. Computers may stop working, which may lead to loss of data or inadequate job productivity.

Refrigerators and microwaves might stop functioning, and if this goes on for long, a lot of food might get wasted. If the aqua-guards do not function, potable water might not be available. This problem is severe for Chennaites because of the severe water shortage already existing in the city. So, several issues can arise from power cuts. In June 2019, there was a power cut almost daily, affecting the health of lakhs of Chennaites amid summer!

Also Read: Why is a Solar Inverter better for your home?

So, let us take a look at some of the solutions:

• Monitor your equipment:

Buy and use quality products and maintain them. Faulty wiring or low quality of semiconductors in the machinery itself may cause damage to both the machinery and the home's wiring. Make sure that all wires should be insulated, and the machine should not cause a shock.

• Monitor the power quality:

If you notice that the current is facing fluctuations, it could be due to harmonic wave interference caused by low lights or switched-mode devices. It is advised by Nantech to install an active Harmonic filter or a servo stabilizer to prevent any power quality-related complications.

• Get to the root of the power problem:

Ask your neighbours if they face a similar situation to determine if it is a problem in your house or a defect in the central electricity supply. If there seems to be a central problem, promptly inform the authorities. If it's a problem at home, check using a tester if there is any problem with the machine you are having trouble with. If you suspect some other cause, call a technician immediately.

• Use good quality circuit breakers:

This will ensure that you will not be a victim of power surges, and most of all, you will be protected from electrocution or fires that may prove to be fatal.

What is a Servo stabilizer?

It is an automated electronic system built to attain constant voltage levels. They protect the appliances by forming a closed loop of an absolutely controlled system. Even if there is a fluctuation in the input voltage or load, the resulting output voltage will remain invariable. It is also commonly called Servo Controlled Voltage Stabilizer. It works on the principle of servomechanism or feedback. They are used for maintaining the accuracy of high voltages with an output correction of about +_ 1%. They are installed at various institutions like hospitals and clinics, food processing units, hotels, Flour mills, etc.

Chennai is currently the largest electronics hardware exporter in India. It contributes a major chunk of Indian exports. One such company based in Chennai is Nantech Power SystemsPvt Ltd. It is one of the most promising manufacturers and suppliers in the field of building powering equipment. A few specifications of its servo stabilizers are as follows:

• It is a three-phase stabilizer that protects the appliance against the under-voltage condition or sag, over-voltage condition or surge, and other such imbalanced voltages.
• Its design type includes an O/P sensing feedback system with a feedback mechanism where the feedback voltage controls the servo motor rotation. Its rotation adjusts the brushes' position on the autotransformer, creating a voltage difference. This voltage difference is then fed to the buck-boost transformer, a series transformer that stabilizes the output voltage and gives a stabilized and regulated output.
• It has an Opto Coupler based Triac motor drive.
• The type of motor is an A.C synchronous stepper motor, which when in the state of equilibrium, manages to bring the rotation of the shaft and the frequency of the supply current in a synchronous manner such that the rotation period and the integral number of AC cycles are equivalent to each other.
• The output voltage can be adjusted to 415 V or 380 V, or 400 V.
• True RMS is used for sensing and correction of voltage as it has more accuracy.
• The overvoltage cut off has an upper limit of +5%, meaning that if there is an increase in voltage by 5%, there'll be a total cut off. The under-voltage cut off has a lower limit of -10%, which suggests that if there is a decrease in voltage by 10%, it will result in total cut off until the voltage comes back within the range. This will help in maintaining the safety of the appliance.
• HRC fuse or MCB or MCCB are fitted at the input to prevent the appliance from getting damaged if there is a short circuit.
• In case of overload, it will sustain a current greater than 10% of the maximum rated output current.
• If one wishes to reset, the restart option is manual and automatic, depending on what the user wants. This makes it user friendly.
• The servo stabilizer's efficiency is more than or equal to 98% with an inbuilt phase reversal protection.
• With an ambient temperature of 0° to 50° C, it works with great efficiency.

Servo controlled voltage stabilizers are preferred over the other relay and static type of voltage stabilizers because they come with the exact system, react quickly to any variation in voltage, manufactured in a user-friendly manner with an overall well-equipped circuit ability to sustain a high voltage surge. There is absolutely no compromise on the security of the user. Furthermore, it acts like an amour for the appliance as well.

Solar Energy is now taking the world by storm. We can see this in the many advancements in technology by our Indian scientists and by the Indian Government's proactive legislatures. In 2018, the Chennai Civic Body had launched a Rs. 140 Crore venture project which plans on changing 70000 streetlights in over 15 zones, out of which 8 zones – Thiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram, Ambattur, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi, and Sholinganallur are all going have 17000 redone post lamps with streetlights introduced. Estimates are that this project could bring a 45% lessening in electricity consumption.

The focus is now on more greener and efficient technologies like solar streetlights, which use solar panels and LEDs. But why must you change over to Solar Street Lights? We shall present you with 5 compelling arguments to switch over to Solar Streetlights in Chennai!.

Solar Power is the conversion of energy from sunlight to electricity. It is one of the essential sources of renewable energy. It uses radiant light and heat from the sun that is harnessed using technology devices such as solar heating and cooling systems, solar thermal, photovoltaics, concentrating solar power, and converts it into electricity. Solar power is one of the cleanest and reliable forms of renewable energy. The devices used to collect the energy are explained in simple terms below.

Photovoltaics

This is a process of converting light into electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic effect. This effect is used commercially for electricity generation and as photosensors.

Concentrating Solar Power

These generate power by using mirrors or lenses to gather the sun's energy onto a receiver and further drive them to traditional steam turbines or engines to create electricity.

Solar Heating And Cooling Systems

Collect thermal energy from the sun to provide hot water, air conditioning, pool heating for resident or commercial usage.

Solar Inverters are a type of electrical converter which converts direct current (DC) output of a photovoltaic panel into a utility frequency alternating current (AC) that can be used for electrical grids, which can be used by local, private networks. Solar Inverters use MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) to get to the maximum possible power from the photovoltaic array. The purpose of MPPT is to sample the cells' output and determine a resistance/load to obtain maximum capacity. Inverters are also referred to as the brains of the entire solar power system. One of the components includes the battery storage system. Stored batteries can be used in the times when the sun goes down during evening and night time.

Solar Inverters are divided into three different types.

• String Inverter
• Micro-Inverter
• Power/ Central Inverter

Stay tuned till the end for some detailed guidance on solar inverters and their types on Nantech.

String Inverter
A string inverter is one of the popular devices used among households. It works well with All Home appliances. It converts Direct Current from solar panels to Alternating current electricity/power. Multiple strings are connected to produce electricity.
String Inverters are also known as Sine Wave Inverters. These can be paired with power optimizers.

Solar Micro Inverter
Solar Inverters used to operate with a single PhotoVoltaic model is known as Solar micro-inverters. These micro converters convert Direct Current(DC) output to alternating currents(AC). It is used for parallel connection of various units (multiple, Independent) because of its design. Micro Inverters are small in size and are plug-in and play a kind of device. These are connected in parallel to each other and then to grids while producing grid-matching Alternate Current(AC) directly at each solar panel bank.

Central Inverter
Just as the name suggests, Central Inverters are connected to form a standard combined inverter that converts the power to an Alternating current (AC). These are usually bigger and than String Converters. Thus, they are only suitable for covering large areas and not for primary household usage. Central Inverter can handle up to 500KW per enclosure.

Solar Inverter gives the benefit of using solar energy without hefty bills of electricity from our power supply. Solar Energy is the most acceptable renewable energy solution for this world full of electronic devices that needs to be charged before use. Thus, using electricity from solar panels and solar inverters might be the best renewable solution one can ever think of.

Let's start with the fact that Solar inverters are among the most efficient machines built by man, giving up to 97% efficiency in the best inverter and under ideal weather conditions. When we say efficiency we mean, the solar inverter's capacity to convert all the energy it receives from the sunlight into the alternating current it supplies to the devices it is connected to. The amount lost is mainly due to converting the direct current received from the solar panel into the alternating current supplied.

The solar inverter can be referred to as the system's brain as it has 'Maximum power point tracking ability,' which is a feature of genius. It is basically a sensory system that can detect when the battery is connected. The inverter itself is full storage capacity and then breaks the circuit stopping any more from the photovoltaic solar panel. This is an essential protective feature of the solar inverter because it helps prevent an acute decrease in efficiency and protects from any physical mishap.

Grid-connected solar inverters are large scale solar systems where All the panels supply DC to the grid where the main inverter structure would convert all the DC into AC and supply residential and office buildings. Though a little pricey to install, this system will give huge returns in the long term due to its high efficiency and eco-friendly nature. These solar power plants can last for more than 40 years, after which some machinery might need to be replaced. This becomes important when you know that 'One hour of total sunlight hitting the earth is equivalent to one year's worth of energy for the planet.' It is the cheapest energy source as there are no costs to obtain the raw material. For example, you need coal mines to dig up coal.

Many people are under the impression that Solar energy is not a viable source because it is weather dependent, i.e., it will be useless on cloudy days or winter. As a matter of fact, 'Solar energy does not need direct sunlight but only the warm temperature generated by sunlight.' You do not particularly feel cold on cloudy days, you can take cloudy days in the summer as well, but the solar inverter will work just as well.

For you enthusiastic and nature-loving homeowners, here are a few facts helping the cause of solar energy:

• According to surveys done in the USA, most homeowners have found positive returns on investment within 10 years of installation.
• Solar panels are fast and easy to set up.
• In 30 years, your home's typical isolated solar system can reduce CO2 levels by 100 tons.
• The average solar panel has a 25- year warranty, and the attached solar inverter has at least 2 years of warranty.
• Solar energy is cheaper than fossil fuels.

So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and buy a solar inverter to save both your money and the environment!
Happy shopping!

Today, fossil fuels and their by-products are being scrutinized by the world, and the focus is more on greener and environmentally friendly sources of energy. Solar Energy, mainly the use of Solar panels, has gained much traction in this field, It uses Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Cells to capture sunlight and convert that to electricity.

However one must remember that solar panels usually provide Direct Current (DC) energy. Most of our household electrical appliances use Alternating Current (AC) energy. Thus, we need to convert DC to AC, and this is where we use a solar inverter. This device converts the output current from the solar panels to AC energy, which can be used in your house.

There are many advantages to using a solar inverter:

• It reduces Greenhouse impacts since solar energy is being used.
• It is very financially practical and reduces electricity bills to a great extent.
• They are easier to set up and operate as compared to traditional generators and inverters.
• Ease of maintenance and repairing
• A reliable source of conversion from DC to AC
• Helps reduce the energy needs of households and businesses to a great extent
• Many gadgets can make effective use of the inverter's current, for example – solar cookers, solar heaters, etc.
• It also allows for better control for homeowners and businesses in monitoring their energy usage.
• Usually, these systems have a long life (up to 25 years)

Also Read: Aspects To Consider While Purchasing A Solar Inverter

Today, there are three types of Solar Inverter technologies that one can choose from:

String Inverters (a centralized inverters)

In a PV system with a string inverter, the panels are wired together with 'strings,' Each panel's output can be sent back to the central inverter via this 'string.' This allows for a low-cost inverter operation and is durable and easy to maintain. These are best suited for houses with simple roofs that get sun throughout the day and for people looking for an economical and low-cost PV system.

Microinverters (individual panel inverters)

These are different from the string inverter system, and here, the solar panels each have a small inverter installed. Therefore, the conversion from DC to AC occurs right on the roof. The advantage of this system is that for systems that experience shading or have more complex designs, one can use this instead of a string system to mitigate the problems. Furthermore, it allows for panel-level monitoring since each microinverter is connected to the solar panels. These are usually high-cost, high-performance inverters, and hence one must use them for complicated roof constructions.

Power Optimizers

These fall in between microinverters and string inverters. These are interfaces located near (or on) the solar panels, which 'condition' the DC output and send it back to a centralized inverter. The advantage is that it helps monitor individual panels, mitigate the impact of shading, optimize the efficiency of inverters, and cost less than microinverters. These are best suited for houses or buildings with less ideal solar panel locations and whose owners are willing to pay a little extra for a better system but don't want microinverters.

Nantech Power Systems Pvt. Ltd provides the best inverters to buy in India, with its excellent product line-up, efficient services, and timely after-sales support. Check it out!