Recent Updates From Barani

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  Barani  posted Seeking Professionals on Equity Basis  0 3 months ago

  Location: Bangalore (preferably you live here, but others also welcome if you can actively interact).We are assembling a team on a new business plan.You may work part time or fulltime.You may be retired or presently employed.Your work will involve all document preparation, govt approvals, and other permits/agreements. MBA qualificaiton a plus but not required if you have necessary experience.This is a new billion dollar power business plan. One or more professionals may join. Reach me at barani @ dosai.com - more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Several financial institutions have decided to stop disbursing short-term loans to power distributors in five states where the losses of utilities have exceeded Rs 5,000 crore each, raising fears of prolonged blackouts and weaker electricity demand 9 months ago

  I will excuse the cheap/free power given to farmers but I can't excuse the pilferage that is (by some estimates) supposed to be almost 40% of production. Giving cheap power to farmers hasn't made them rich anyway (though it is perhaps meaningful to give it to them at breakeven cost). But pilferage is done by uber rich - (similar to Sun TV illegally linking up minister's telephone lines to save some Rs.800 crores per year in telecom costs.)-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Harnessing the Fibonacci Sequence ! After studying how trees branch, Aidan Dwyer created a solar cell tree that produces 20-50% more power than a uniform array of photovoltaic panels. Results show a specific formula for distributing solar cells can drastically improve energy generation !! 9 months ago

  No idea why the server deleted the plus signs in the figures I quoted. This server has a very unpredictable behaviour.-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Harnessing the Fibonacci Sequence ! After studying how trees branch, Aidan Dwyer created a solar cell tree that produces 20-50% more power than a uniform array of photovoltaic panels. Results show a specific formula for distributing solar cells can drastically improve energy generation !! 9 months ago

  The Fibonacci "golden mean" is denoted by "tau" in mathematics.The golden mean is the solution to algebraic equation x^2 = x+1tau =(1+sqrt(5))/2.0The golden mean is one of the most well studied parameters. There is even a journal dedicated to Fibonnaci.  The observation of golden mean in Trees is not new. What may be interesting is the comparison between ability to collect solar energy between flat arrangement and tree branch arrangement. A more rigorous research and explanation may be warranted on that observation on what makes the difference.There are trees/plants that don't always obey Fibonnaci but there are other quadratic irrational…-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on cytecgreen Update 9 months ago

  All pros and Cons are translated into cost-benefit in the end. In terms of ROI, hydro power and coal power provide the highest margin. Coal power plants get commissioned (if everything went smoothly) within a year. Hydro plants take anywhere from 2 to 5 years. In terms of speed, Solar is the fastest - within 4-6 months a plant can be commissioned (all these time periods after obtaining necessary permits and other paper work). The breakeven for Solar is the slowest. Some estimates put it near 8 years, some at 12 years. Because of this slow breakeven, the ROI falls…-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on piyushmehta Update 9 months ago

  Any new business must evaluate if there is anyway to procure the ingredients without disruption in the supply. I am not sure you will be able to get plenty of scrap rubber consistently over the days, over the years, unless there are specific scrap yards established for such materials and their source capacity is known. Also, combustion of rubber or plastics emit obnoxious gases, many of which may be bad for environment. Extra homework is needed there. But I agree, there are plenty of possibilities on how to create wealth out of waste management.-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Coal shortages likely to hurt power sector 10 months ago

  The divestment of Coal India into the stock market is the signal that coal prices will be manipulated upwards (and coal company stocks will be sold at elevated prices to fools). Coal is available in plenty without having to touch the forests. For that matter the CokeOven industry imports the Bituminous coal from Australia at cheap rates, makes coke and sells to steel plants. I anticipate that the schemers in government will start restricting such imports to pump up the local coal price and the stock price. -more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog CdTe thin-film modules: basic developments, optimizing performance and considerations in design 10 months ago

  All of the semiconducting elements and many other basic elements (like Lead, Mercury) in the periodic table are poisonous to humans, not just Tellurium.-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog CCS technology promised the best of all worlds: Abundant power from coal while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Now pilot programs are pulling the plug 10 months ago

  Pumping a gas into underground?! That is rather insane. The pressure will build up in no time and Volcano it outwards. People living in the visible area should buy big insurance. Can't believe there are people and money to spend for such ludicruous ideas.-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Researchers at MIT have found a way to make significant improvements to the power-conversion efficiency of solar cells 10 months ago

  In the practical application they might end up with a huge problem - the stability of nanotubes to retain their structure. It is known that heat and hydrogen can unfold the nanotubes into graphene sheets. So, the half-life period of any solar cell with carbon nanotube tip is going to decide if the field will suceed or not.But the semiconducting or metallic types can be separated since the metallic ones (6,6) type are structurally different from semiconducting ones (7,8) type.  Why do they need any virus for it?  Viruses are very unrpedictable species and in a simple mutation they will…-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Researchers find potential key for unlocking biomass energy 10 months ago

  Yes, this was already posted by someone under a slightly different title. Of course, better methods to produce ethanol is most welcome.However, I am, once again, a skeptic in this method. If an enzyme cannot break up hydrogen bonds (which are the weakest bonds in chemistry), and a pretreatment is needed, then something wrong with the whole concept. Enzymes generally prefer systems with high number of protons for reaction. So, why would they have difficulty in separating those bonds? That assumption is already not fully valid. I agree, I may have to read up some more on what they are…-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Solar panels keep the heat off the Roof, AC costs down 10 months ago

  I grew a creeper plant from garden to the roof and brought down the inner temperature by some 5 degrees when I lived at Chennai.  Cheap and EcoFriendly!-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Indian-origin scientist converts "junk" energy into 'organized bundles' of power 10 months ago

  Actually, I concede that this is a very brave attempt to convert useless energy into useful energy.But will it work? I am a bit skeptical. Entropy doesn't care about mathematical models. The heat energy is primarily carried around by electrons, not the atoms themselves, so the shape of particles may not really matter. Further, in microscopic level, the particle do not behave independently. They form a network and carry the energy as a group (note: phonons). Hence, electrons or phonons carry the useless energy, but particle-particle mechanical interface may not mean much.Some years ago a group was trying a mechano-chemical…-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog solar energy 10 months ago

  I agree with Mr.Abhilesh. Solar  is the most capital intensive project. It will barely cut even after implementation. If profit is the main goal, thermal power is the cheapest, followed by hydroelectric.-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog solar energy 10 months ago

  Mr.JayeshMNRE doesn't buy power. State Electricity Boards buy them. I will be happy if you can show any SEB agreeing to buy Solar power at Rs.15 for 15 years. Please show. I will wait.Regarding calculations, every one has a right to comment. Please don't tell anyone not to comment. If you have better comments please write them. Thank you.-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog solar energy 10 months ago

  Note, there are many other problems related to Solar Energy. Sun doesn't shine throughout the day! It shines only for some peak hours. The production of 1MW is assumed to be averaged throughout the day. More precise estimates will require a more professional methods. I gave only a guideline view of cost/income. Not a guarantee!-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog solar energy 10 months ago

  1MW of power = 1000 KW of power1KW per hour = 1 unit1000KW per hour = 1000 units1 unit = 4.5 rupees (approximately)So, each hour you make Rs.4500 in revenues.In one year you make4500 x 24 x 365 = Rs.3.94 crores (approximately)-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog solar energy 10 months ago

  Here is a simple calculation:If you want to set up a 1MW solar power plant, the total cost is near Rs.18 crores. And it needs about 6 acres of flat dry land, with high solar irradiation. Kerala doesn't well qualify under that criterion of high solar irradiation. You might want to consider southeastern TN for it.Out of Rs.18 crores, you may get 70% bank loan at low interest rate. That is Rs.12.6 crores. Remaining 5.4 crores you must find somewhere. So, find Rs.5.4 crores in cash and get 6 acres of dry flat land in TN, you are all set…-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog solar tracker with astronomical data... 10 months ago

  You can do dynamic tracking. No need to use any historical or empirical data to estimate where the Sun will be. Dynamic tracking actually look at the Sun every minute.Dynamic tracking can be done in a number of ways. You can use charge-coupled devices, measure the intensity of radiation from different orientations and triangulate its position. If you are only looking for how to "rotate the tracker", you may want to read up on how automatic tracking of stars by Telescopes is done in Astronomy. It is an old technology.-more»

  
  

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  Barani  commented on the blog Private Equity investors 10 months ago

  Thanks. Yes, you had already posted that nice list last month. Presently I am more keen knowing about newcomers to that list, private individuals who do not want to be 'famous' as part of any list, and small investors who aren't professional investment groups but wanting to enter into that area.-more»