India's largest solar plant in the world...

[Tussiemussies]

What do you think of this? Although it is great that more solar power is being used, think it could have been designed in a different way instead of taking up all that land...IMO


http://grist.org/list/india-flips-the-switch-on-worlds-largest-solar-power-plant/

[Mrs-M]

So encouraging to see. Thinking they could have (should have) built a structure underneath (to support), which would have allowed for the land (under) to be utilized.

[puglogic]

I suppose there are no perfect renewable energy sources. Solar takes up a lot of land, by its very nature (using current technology, anyway). Wind has the potential for killing things that fly into the blades, and people complain about seeing the turbines. Hydro, geothermal, tidal, all of those things come with drawbacks.

It's worth it for me, considering the alternatives.

[catherine]

A couple of months ago my son forwarded me this awesome TED (http://www.ted.com/talks/bunker_roy.html) talk about the Barefoot College in India.

Talk about a model for a community!!

Here's a description of their solar energy mission:


The Barefoot College believes and has demonstrated that educational qualifications are not needed by people with rural or poor backgrounds to acquire skills that can be of service to their community. In fact, the existence of theoretical paper-based qualifications have been usually found to be a deterrent to development as those that have them tend to come for work or training with mental blocks and superficial expertise.

The methodology applied for rural solar electrification is unique to the Barefoot College. Only villages that are inaccessible, remote and non-electrified are considered for solar electrification. In the initial meeting, members of the community are told about solar lighting and its benefits. If villagers express the need and wish for solar lighting then a Village Environment Energy Committee (VEEC) is formed. This committee consists of the village elders, both men and women. The VEEC consults with the entire village community and identifies households which are interested in acquiring eco-friendly solar lighting units. Every family that wants to obtain solar lighting must pay an affordable contribution every month, irrespective of how poor they are. This is so that even the poorest of the poor can feel a sense of ownership towards their unit and take care of it.

There's a lot more on their website (http://www.barefootcollege.org/default.asp). We need a LOT more Buster Roys in the world!