Computers “connected” to the sun. Scientists are at work at technical projects on alternative electric and thermal power production

At the laboratory of renewable energy at the research institute for energy-saving and information technologies, with Pavlodar Innovations university, I was amazed to see an array of solar panels, “plates” like TV antennas, wind generator-propellers producing electric power and other sophisticated devices. The institute’s director Victor Melnikov asked me to touch a solar battery, which I did. It was warm to the touch.

-And now touch that pipe, - he asked me, pointing to a capacious metal tank. It was really hot. Then I was shown a 1,5-meter solar “plate” with a kind of a hob, like a gas ring on which, as I was explained you can cook a dish, say meat and vegetables.

What I was shown was not just technical gimmicks, but serious search and research developments in renewable energy under EU aegis, and himself Professor Melnikov coordinates the TEMPUS international program for Kazakhstan, pursuant to modernization of higher education through funding of the projects and cooperation between EU and partner-states in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, North Africa and Middle East.

The lab was established at EU support, and the sum of the TEMPUS-TACIS project for development of renewable energy in CA, Kazakhstan including, is over 500 thousand euros. This joint project is shared by a consortium of the Athens institute of technology (the project monitor), Royal technical university of Sweden and the Hamburg institute. Practically there are only two countries in CA that have such laboratories – Kazakhstan and Tajikistan.

The renewable energy is an actively developing direction in the world, and Kazakhstan is certainly interested in it, as through it much of coal, gas, oil and timber would be saved.

The scientists of the Pavlodar research institute say their laboratory for renewable energy is as good in equipment, developments and specialists as the ones in Sweden, Italy , Germany. The Pavlodar university has trained its first masters degree holders this June, who were given apart from Kazakhstan diploma an EU certificate of “Renewable energy sources”.

As expired from the talk with V.Melnikov our scientists have new projects, technologies and equipment to offer in renewable energy – its practical use in our everyday life. Besides the oblast governor Bakytjan Sagintayev, supportive of their work intends to talk over the use of renewable energy in the town administration.

Later the university’s vice-president for finances and development Larisa Frezorger said in our talk that the masters trained there are in demand of prestigious businesses, who had already applied for a technical consultation to the university.

All the installations I have seen and touched in the lab are already feeding the University server and the local net, and through solar heating the university canteen has hot water to wash dishes with.

This however is only half the battle. The southern part of the university building is going to be coated with solar panels that, according to the vice-president will give light to the study rooms and labs, feed all the computers, all the heating and refrigerator equipment in the canteen, considerably saving money and electric power.

Given all that the question I’d like to ask is: why should the solar, wind and biomass energy has to struggle its way with such a difficulty in Kazakhstan?

Sergey Gorbunov

Pavlodar

Photo: Valery Bugayev

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