Energy park needs a boost!

Energy park needs a boost!
By Jayalakshmi K,DH News Service,Bangalore:
What a pity that a good initiative lies languishing for want of maintenance! Less than two months after its launch, the energy park in the city lies totally neglected.

Many equipment - all working models - are out of order. The swimming pool put up as a demo of solar power heating is in such a state that no parent in his senses will allow his child to step into it. Water bottles and plastic covers float on the surface of grimy water.There are hardly one or two personnel to man the place, which spans eight acres.
For entertainment-starved Bangaloreans the park could be the perfect way to spend half a day without spending more than a nominal entrance fee. Set up by Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (Kredl) and situated opposite the Nehru Planetarium, it can be an informative trip for children, and adults as well. The park, executed by Tata BP, was put up at the cost of Rs 1 crore.
An impressive windmill can be seen generating electricity. A solar hut that powers a demo home shows how solar power can run lights, TV, computer, fridge, fans, etc. The parabolic mirror outside shows how rice can be cooked in an hour by concentrating the sun's rays onto the cooker.
But there just are not enough people to handle queries. Information boards set up alongside each unit are far too technical to convey facts to the layman. With children being the main part of the intended audience, there is need for more vigilance so that the equipment is not damaged.
But then again, there just aren’t enough hands. As a result, one of the cars operated on solar power and meant for children, is already under repair. The cycle that demonstrates how mechanical power can be used to generate electricity has parts missing. The glass covering the pipes used for solar heating has such a thick layer of dust over it that one wonders if any sunlight penetrates through.
The park is funded by the Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources, which requires all state capitals to have one, besides district level parks. Aimed at providing information and education through ‘action, interaction, invention and exploration’ (as mentioned in the brochure) the energy parks are a good idea. But the question is: was there was need to go in for such large scale units?
According to expert sources, the panels used for heating the swimming pool are far too expensive. "The panels used here can heat water up to 70 degrees whereas what is needed is just around 30 degrees. The total cost could easily have been halved using appropriate panels."
Useful tools
The solar surface pumping system is a useful tool for farmers. But installing a 2 HP unit in the park and letting it rot seems a waste. One wonders how a battery-operated car becomes part of sustainable energy! The parabolic type solar cooker can cook food for 50 persons a day. But at the park, it lies in a state of repair. Set up with automatic capability to track the sun as it moves, the mirror now is in a state of trance!
So also the woody biomass gasifier, which is hidden in one corner of the park, with pieces of wood scattered around. Ideally the biomass used is much smaller bits of woods.
The MNES and Kredl could have done a better job if the energy generated on the spot using the costly equipment was actually used for various purposes in the park.
If the lack of maintenance persists, many of the units will no more be working models. The energy park needs some energising, right now!