A two-in-one solar panel technology

If you are constructing a house and want to make it energy efficient, one of the things you are likely to do is install solar panels to generate electricity. In addition, you might look at installing a solar water heater. To generate two kilowatts of power and approximately 200 litres of hot water, you will require two sets of solar panels occupying approximately 300 square feet on your terrace.

However, consider the possibility of a two-in-one or duplex solar panel that generates electricity and heats water, occupying only 170 square feet on the terrace, which can leave you with more space for, say, a roof garden.

Praneeth Pillarisetti and Harsha Vardhan Reddy, co-founders of Birds Eye Energy, are making this possible with their innovative duplex solar panels. After developing the product in 2017 and testing it in 2018, they launched it in April 2019. A hotel in Lakdikapul, Nampally railway station, and two villas in Gachibowli are among their first clients.


Their small office in Banjara Hills belies their big dreams. Praneeth and Harsha are eager to develop unique products in the renewable energy sector, in the next five to seven years. They intend to develop products suitable for both Indian and international markets.

Praneeth did his BTech in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, and Masters in Renewable Energy Systems from the University of Florida. He worked in areas concerning green energy technology for a decade, before he turned entrepreneur.

Comparatively speaking
Praneeth and Harsha state the conventional method of installing two solar systems — to generate one kilowatt power and water heater to generate 300 litres of hot water — would amount to ₹1.3 lakh.
Their duplex system for a similar capacity would cost ₹1.1 to 1.2 lakh, bringing down the cost by 10% in addition to saving space on the terrace. “The life of the panels is also much longer,” they assert. They have also tweaked the design and materials to ensure less scaling and hence, easy maintenance of the panels.
Harsha was his batchmate at IIT Madras, studying Bio-technical Engineering before pursuing MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. He worked in the operations, finance and project management sections for 11 years, and then teamed up with Praneeth.

In 2016, Praneeth and Harsha founded Birds Eye Energy along with two other friends. All four were the seed investors. “In the beginning, I was a passive investor and worked like a consultant. In 2018 when the product was developed and we were testing it simultaneously in Chennai and Hyderabad, I quit my job and focused on strengthening this dream,” says Harsha.

In 2017, the co-founders spotted a small proof of concept clay model of the duplex solar panel at IIT Madras. “It was a 10 x 15 cm model designed for academic demonstration. We did further research and development to make the product viable,” recalls Praneeth. Help came in from professors in IIT Madras, CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in Chennai) and a few students.

When the product was ready, they tested a prototype for residential use in Tarnaka, Hyderabad, and a prototype for commercial complexes, at IIT Madras. Praneeth and Harsha explain that the plumbing systems are different for residential and commercial varieties. For nearly a year, data was monitored closely to gauge heating capacities and changes in temperatures. The duo is confident that their product can cater to residences, hotels, pharmaceutical companies and hospitals that require both electricity and water heating facility.

Praneeth and Harsha aver that while people are aware of harnessing solar energy, the high cost and maintenance have been limiting factors. “You shouldn’t have to pay a premium to go green,” says Harsha. A break even is likely to happen in seven to eight years in the existing scenario. The two looked at cost effective solution that will allow consumers to break even in three to four years (commercial) and within five years (domestic use).

Praneeth Pillarisetti (left) and Harsha Vardhan Reddy of Birds Eye Energy, demonstrate their duplex solar panel that generates electricity and heats water
Praneeth Pillarisetti (left) and Harsha Vardhan Reddy of Birds Eye Energy, demonstrate their duplex solar panel that generates electricity and heats water   | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal
“We looked at bettering the quality of panels and the heat exchanger such that the panels will last 15 to 20 years and heat exchanger for 25 years, without frequent maintenance or replacement. We give a warranty of 20 years, which is unheard of,” says Praneeth.

The co-founders have applied for three patents for the technology used to develop and design the duplex solar panels.

Looking back at where it all started, Praneeth states that when he worked in the US around eight years ago, he observed that the power sector in countries like US and Europe were more or less established. He felt that India, China and African countries are likely to witness a huge growth in power sector in the next three decades and green energy technologies need to be developed for these markets.

Praneeth and Harsha have plans for further innovations, one of them being incorporating micro concentrators within solar panels, negating the need for large mirrors to focus the sun rays on to the panel, for industrial use.

Subsidy-free solar 'coming of age' thanks to battery technology

Subsidy-free solar projects are "coming of age" thanks to the falling costs and flexibility of co-located battery storage technology, according to a new report which claims that more than 5GW of solar capacity could be deployed in the UK without subsidies by 2030.

There are more than one million solar PV installations now in operation across the UK
There are more than one million solar PV installations now in operation across the UK

The study, conducted by Aurora Energy Research and commissioned by Wyelands Bank and renewable energy firm Anesco, examined the rate of returns and viability of solar power and battery storage that are co-located on the same site.

The report concluded that the measure of the profitability of an investment discounted over the life of the project for projects deployed in 2020 is 6.6% to 7.6% under Aurora’s “base case market scenario. In comparison, the internal rates of return (IRR) for standalone solar and battery projects is 4%.



Aurora Energy Research’s principal and report author Benjamin Collie said: “Investing in either standalone solar or standalone storage assets carries technology and policy risks. If rapid innovation and supportive policy lead to fast deployment of solar, then that will tend to increase revenues for storage assets, but decrease revenues for existing solar assets. Conversely, slower deployment of solar would lead to lower revenues for storage but higher revenues for existing solar.

“Investing in a portfolio with both solar and storage can help mitigate these risks, and co-locating the assets allows for cost savings and more efficient use of grid connections.”

The report highlights that co-locating solar power with battery storage can accelerate deployment by de-risking the intermittency of renewables while unlocking additional revenue streams. In fact, the IRR for co-located projects could increase by a further 3% under “more aggressive” market scenarios. The hybrid systems could also help investors mitigate risks associated with subsidy-free projects, notable price cannibalisation.

Subsidy-free

The Government's decision to axe the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) scheme will leave dozens of UK community groups "struggling to make the business case" for new small-scale solar projects, think tank Green Alliance has warned. Launched in 2010, the FiT scheme provides payments to owners of small-scale renewable generators at a fixed rate per unit of electricity produced, enabling the cost of installation to be recouped.

It has been one of the key factors contributing to the huge increase in solar photovoltaic deployment from 100MW in January 2010 to 12.7GW at the end of 2017, of which 4.8GW is supported by FITs.

However, other groups have begun to argue that the playing field has now been levelled for a new era of subsidy-free, industrial-scale solar in the UK. The nation ranked seventh in the latest bi-annual Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) from consultancy EY, for example, up from 10th in the last index. Experts believe this trend is likely to continue, with several forecasts indicating that Britain will install 18GW of new solar capacity by 2030 and attract £20bn of investment.

This potential has been partly attributed to the success of the country’s first subsidy-free solar farm; a 10MW facility which was opened last September in Bedfordshire. Other large-scale subsidy-free arrays in development include a 15MWp onsite project at the Westcott Venture Business Park in Aylesbury and Warrington Borough Council’s recently announced 62MW solar and 27MW battery storage project.

There are more than one million solar PV installations now in operation across the UK, the majority of which have been installed over the last decade.

Recent government data, in fact, found that 99% of the current solar capacity in the UK became operational after 2010, and provided 12.9TWh of power in 2018, a 12% increase compared to 2017.

Despite the increased share of the energy mix, new solar power installations halved in the UK last year for the second year in a row, as the fallout of government subsidy cuts continued to shake the sector.

In January, the UK Government made a U-turn on its decision to end the solar "export tariff", confirming that households which install solar panels in the future will be paid for excess power they generate and send to the grid. The export tariff is the replacement for solar panels under the feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme, which is closing in April.

Solar panels: Thousands of customers complain

Thousands of people who bought solar panels have complained to a financial watchdog that they are not bringing them the returns they were promised.

Many people took out loans to pay for panels on the promise they would save thousands of pounds in electricity costs and make money generating power.

They say they have not had the expected savings, and the Financial Services Ombudsman has had 2,000 complaints.

Barclays Bank has put aside £38m to deal with potential claims.

Brian Thompson from Rowlands Gill, Gateshead, told BBC Inside Out he was contacted by a salesman for PV Solar UK but told him he did not want to take a loan on as he was preparing for retirement.

He said he was told the move would provide money towards his pension, which persuaded him, and he took out a loan with Barclays of more than £10,000 over 10 years.

Mr Thompson said the payments he was getting back from the power his solar panels sent to the National Grid did not correspond with what he was told.

"I had to dip into my savings which I was putting away for retirement to pay the loan off. To me it was lies," he said.

Image caption
The Financial Services Ombudsman said it had received 2,000 complaints about solar panels
An independent survey of Mr Thompson's system showed even after 20 years the income from the panels would not cover the cost of the loan.

Barclays offered him some compensation but Mr Thompson said it was not enough.

PV Solar UK went into liquidation in 2017.

Robert Skillen, who was the director of the firm when Mr Thompson bought his system, said Mr Thompson's panels would make him money.

Mr Skillen is now in business claiming to help people who have been missold solar panels. He did not want to be interviewed.

Tony Walch, from Bolton, was told he would be better off by £30,000 over 20 years when he bought solar panels from MyPlanet.

He said: "They were very, very persuasive. Everything they said was plausible. It was a no-brainer."

Image caption
Tony Walch said everything he was told was plausible
He took out a loan of £15,000 but he said the panels did not generate the amount of electricity he was promised. They also overheated, damaging the equipment, and he believed they had cost him more than £500 a year.

MyPlanet went into liquidation in 2016.

Former director Mark Bonifacio said all calculations had been made using strict methodology, and the performance of the systems was impossible to predict because of different factors affecting performance.

He said MyPlanet installed more than 15,000 systems, and customers would be getting free electricity.

Debbie Enever, from the Financial Ombudsman Service, said: "We have got about 2,000 complaints about solar panels at the moment and more coming through every week."

Loans for solar panels were taken out through Barclays Bank, which said: "We always seek to ensure customers are satisfied with our financial products. Where customers have cause to complain we will review each case individually."

"300" Fails To Conquer Cyberspace

Hollywood History Lesson


The movie "300" pulled in over $70 million on its opening weekend, a record for a March release. But many are not talking about the movie's infamous gore, but about what it says about Iranians. The Islamic Republic News Agency argues that the film fabricates history, and finds a sympathetic ear in the blogosphere.

Some have noted the political overtones of the West-against-Iran story line — and the way Persians are depicted as decadent, sexually flamboyant and evil in contrast to the noble Greeks.

Trending News
According to The Associated Press, Iran's biggest circulation newspaper, Hamshahri, said "300" is "serving the policy of the U.S. leadership" and predicted it will "prompt a wave of protest in the world. ... Iranians living in the U.S. and Europe will not be indifferent about this obvious insult."

Some bloggers understand why Iranians are offended. "I left the theater furious. They've got all the blacks and people who look like me behaving like animals when the Persian Empire was one of the greatest forces of civilization in history," Chee blogs at This Ain't So Bad.

"The movie does take some liberties on the history as well as making the Persians seem inhuman and mutants in some cases," a blogger at Dave's Life Journal writes.

But others say claims of bias are overstated. "This movie makes the Persians the 'bad guys,' but that is to be expected. Most Hollywood movies need bad guys to tell a story. Do most intelligent people fall for the black/white dichotomy? Except for some of my extreme right-wing friends, the answer is no," Steverino blogs.

Meggie says the movie is an adaptation, and isn't meant to portray historical fact. "I am well aware of the need to be political correct and culturally sensitive. There is something to love and admire in every person in the world. But please people, let movies be movies," she blogs at Imposter Syndrome.

Some are not surprised the movie has inspired outrage. "Even if you lose a battle, you still get to write the history books if you win the war. Movies about the Alamo don't play real big in Mexico. 'Braveheart' and 'The Patriot' were flops in England," Rabbi Tucker blogs. "It stands to reason, therefore, that '300' will not be well-liked in Iran."

Sam About Iran simply notes that it's ironic that "300" is popular in Iran, "as what the current regime in Iran fears most is the renaissance of this ancient culture."


Ze End Of Frank

Saturday marked the end of "The Show With Ze Frank," a popular yearlong online video project produced in Frank's living room. Saturday's episode marked his 250th show.

Frank is a 34-year old New Yorker and his quirky shows, as he says on his site, were a "conversation between the host and the viewers of the program," often incorporating viewer comments. He often read comments from viewers of the previous show, and called the segment,"S-s-s-somethin' from the comments." The overall theme of the program was that Ze wanted to join something called "The League of Awesomeness", a society out to make the world a more awesome place. His initiation into the league was to do a video podcast for one year, which became "The Show."

Each program ran about three minutes before his usual signoff — "This is Ze Frank — thinking so you don't have to."

Bloggers are sad no more Ze Frank Shows are in their future. "One year of episodes was not enough. I'll miss the thought-provoking zaniness that was 'The Show,'" Binary Stream blogs. "After watching The Show with Ze Frank five days a week for the past year, I'm gonna miss it," Hunkagirl adds.

"Every show had something in it that would make me laugh outloud, usually to the point of tears. Now I will have to find something to replace it," JustLisa blogs. Wegrit at A Philistine On The Sidwalk says he's "super sad" about it, adding "he's the perfect mixture of intelligence, sarcasm and wit."

Many fans recall their favorite episodes. "During the year, we've learnt many things, like how the earth is a sandwich, who loves little duckies, power moves, make a t shirts for someone in Germany, and sports racers will help someone travel across the US & back and what makes an ugly Myspace page," Jazza blogs at Life In The Not So Fast Lane. "Ze has given us all some knowledge, and it's up to us to use."


"I am hopeful the gift he gave, that of encouraging people to create and contribute, continues. So long Ze, and welcome to the League of Awesomeness. It couldn't be more deserved," a blogger at Arcane Code reflects.

It may be officially over, but if you haven't seen the shows, you can still check out the archive.

Sinbad Is In The Building (Really!)

There's always a chance with Wikipedia that some of the entries are incorrect. "The free encyclopedia that anyone can edit" lets its users catch factual errors. And comedian Sinbad was its latest victim, after rumors began circulating that he had died of a heart attack.

"Saturday I rose from the dead and then died again," Sinbad told The Associated Press.

Someone had edited his entry to say Sinbad died of a heart attack. By the time the error was caught, e-mail links circulating news of his death had been forwarded to hundreds of people. A note on Sinbad's Wikipedia page says the site has been temporarily protected from editing to deal with vandalism.

Many bloggers, while not diehard Sinbad fans, were not happy about a false Wikipedia entry. "I have such a love-hate relationship with Wikipedia," Liberal Debutante writes. "The online encyclopedia is known for many things, but it has never been a part of a killing!," BJCrock adds at Blaw, Blaw, Blawg.


"The problem with unrestricted community involvement in online research is the great risk to truth and accuracy in the reporting," David Boles writes.

Some mock that the attention might just be what Sinbad's career needed. "I guess Sinbad will have more stuff for his stand up routine," a blogger at Tech.Life.Blog writes. "Wait, is he still a comedian?," a blogger at Kofi's Hat asks.

"Sinbad announced that, while his career may be on life support, he's still very much alive," HotStop writes.

As for Sinbad, he seems to be taking it in stride. He told the AP, "It's gonna be more commonplace as the Internet opens up more and more. It's not that strange."