Academicians, on the occasion of World Environment Day, encouraged students to come up with innovative techniques to generate and conserve energy and at the same time urged researchers to look for ways to control pollution and protect the environment.
Speaking at the inauguration of the one-day national seminar on ‘Energy and Environment Issues and Challenges,’ organised by the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University, professor R Thandavan, Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras informed students about how Germans were able to generate solar energy.
He explained that the government not only allows banks there to grant loans for purchase of solar equipment, but also buys energy from its citizens.
“They have sunlight only for three or four months and the rest of the year, its cold. Even in that state, the government industries set up solar panel in houses to generate energy. Banks give loans to the people and a share of the energy is consumed by the residents in the house while the rest is sold to the government. This is a very novel method to solve energy issues,” the V-C explained to the students from various city colleges present at the function.
The V-C also recalled how post graduate students of a well-know city based university came up with an innovative way of generating energy, through the wind produced by moving trains.
“Those students were not researchers. Even water falling from pipes can generate energy. Though the cost of production is expensive, students apply their minds,” the V-C said. He added that the focus should also be on saving energy that is wasted and to implement environmental laws that are already enacted.
Professor V Vijayakumar, VC, TNDALU said that students should fan out to other countries, learn ways of generating energy and apply it here. “Thermal energy generation has an impact on the environment. If that’s the case, there should be research to control pollution,” he said.
