Short term Course on Renewable Energy Systems at NIT Calicut

A three day short term course on Renewable Energy Systems commenced at National
Institute of Technology Calicut on May 14. Inaugurating the event, renowned academician
and Professor at IISc Bangalore Dr K. Gopakumar emphasized how motivation and profound
interdisciplinary knowledge is essential for moulding a successful power electronic engineer.

Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, fuel cell are having a vast potential to become the
answer for ever increasing demand for energy and environmental pollution. But integration of
such sources to our conventional electric grid requires advanced power electronic converters
that can ensure bidirectional power flow with high degree of reliability and power quality.
The converter requirements vary across sources and consumers. So the challenge before
power electronic industry is to develop and ensure availability of suitable converters to
felicitate renewable energy sources. Such converters are the first step towards making smart
grids out of our ailing power grids. India, with abundant renewable sources, is not able to
make forays into renewable energy integration as US and European countries. But the recent
initiatives by the government to promote wind and solar power plants will be a great boost for
power electronic industry to undergo a transformation in the coming years.

The highlight of the event is sessions taken by eminent scholars and industry experts from
Centre for Development of Advanced Computation (CDAC), discussing latest trends in
power electronic technologies for grid connected renewable energy systems. Dr K
Gopakumar of IISc Bangalore, Dr Siva Kumar of IIT Hyderabad, Dr Z V Lakaparampil and
Subhash Joshi of CDAC Trivandrum are some of the guest speakers leading the sessions,
apart from experts from NIT Calicut. The short term course conducted by Electrical
Engineering Department at NIT Calicut, under the auspices of NaMPET phase II of
Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitT), is being attended by about
150 engineers and researchers from all over the country. Demonstration of industrial products
by leading manufacturers of renewable energy systems is also arranged as part of the
program.

Dr Ashok S, chief coordinator, welcomed all the participants and guests to the program. Dr
Jeevamma Jacob, Head of Electrical Engineering Department at NIT Calicut, mentioned the
initiatives taken by the department in popularising renewable energy technologies on her
presidential address. Dr Z V Lakaparampil, Head of Power Electronic group at CDAC
delivered the felicitation speech and Dr Rijil Ramchand expressed the vote of thanks.