Solar Thermal Calculator

Automobile

Preamble

The automotive industry in India is one of the largest in the world and also one of the fastest growing globally. India manufactures over 11 million two- and four-wheeled vehicles and exports about 1.5 million every year. India is the world’s second largest manufacturer of motorcycles with annual sales exceeding 8.5 million in 2009. India’s passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturing industry is the seventh-largest in the world with an annual production of more than 2.6 million units in 2009. In the same year, India emerged as Asia’s fourth-largest exporter of passenger cars, after Japan, South Korea and Thailand. The production of automobiles and automobile accessories is by and large cluster-centric. Table 38 below provides details of major production centres in the country.

Business Opportunity

The automotive industry in India is one of the largest and fastest growing in the world. India manufactures over 11 million two- and four-wheeled vehicles every year, out of which about 1.5 million are exported. According to estimates, 590 ktoe of primary energy was consumed in the automobile sector in 2007–08. It has also been found that processes involved in the automobile industry depend on a significant amount of thermal energy. The temperature requirement in some of them is well beyond 300˚Cwhile others require temperatures less than 150˚C. In this scenario, solar thermal energy as well as solar photovoltaic applications have the potential to replace conventional fuels that are currently being used.

Solar Thermal Interface Processes for Automobile Processes.

Process Energy/Fuel being used Application media Temperature required ˚C Recommended solar technology
Paint shop –pre- treatment Electricity and boiler fuels Hot water 40 FPC
Paint shop –air- conditioning Electricity and boiler fuels Hot/cold air supply 5-50 ETC based chiller
Paint shop – evaporation and drying Boiler fuels Hot air supply 80–90 Solar air heating systems