1. Solar-Powered Fuel Stations
Sep.2015

2. INTRODUCTION
India has over 50,000 Fuel pump stations catering to the fuel demand of the country.
- IOCL has more number of petrol stations in India than that present in the whole of Canada or UK!
Most petrol pumps require to be run on a 24x7 basis
petrol pumps in remote locations have either no electricity or face erratic power supply or have grid supply for a minimal time period
Due to Power shortage, most of the Fuel pumps in India derive power from Diesel Generator sets.
The operation cost for running the pumps on diesel generator sets is very high.
Approx. there is a loss of more than Rs 1000 per day as operation cost for running the pump on diesel generator sets.
This amounts to a total loss of more than Rs 3 Lakhs each year by a single fuel pump in India!
The total amount would run into Crores of rupees every year
The best solution is to adopt renewable sources of power like SOLAR PV

3. Solar Photovoltaic Technology
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technology directly converts sunlight directly into electricity through solar cells.
Solar cells are mostly made from silicon wafers.
A number of solar cells are joined in series /parallel combination to make PV modules
Solar PV modules are connected in series/parallel to make a PV Panel ,which is used in a Photovoltaic Systems.

5. Components of a Solar-powered Fuel Station
Solar Panel: Generates Electricity under Sun light
Battery: Stores Electricity
Power Conditioing Unit (P.C.U.): It consists of:
Charge Controller: Protects Battery against Over Charge / Deep Discharge
MPPT: Maximises Power Transfer from Solar panel to Load
Inverter: Converts D.C. Electricity to A. C. Electricity

6. Typical Loads of a Fuel Station
Dispensing Pump ( 1 HP motor) ……4 hrs/day
Dispensing Pump ( 0.75 HP motor) …...4 hrs/day
Number of Dispensing Pumps may vary for Fuel Stations depending on Site.
Additional Loads (Optional)
Fan………. 1 no. for hours/day
Lights ……4 nos. for hours/day

7. Typical Specifications of a Solar-powered Fuel Station
Typically 3-4 KWp Solar PV Power System for Outlets in Rural area for powering small Outlets
5-10 KWp Solar PV Power System for outlets on Highways for powering larger outlets
Storage Battery for at least two days.
The Inverter must be designed to withstand starting in-rush current when pump is started.
In case Grid electricity is available , even if for a small period, the system is hybrid such that SOLAR is first in use, still Mains is utilised if Sunshine is low.
Actual Design Specifications may be drawn based on the Capacity of Fuel Pumps and their cumulative use.

8. Benefits of a Solar-powered Fuel Station
Reduces dependency on the Diesel Generator Set- save on Diesel
Govt. subsidy on solar installation – MNRE gives 30% subsidy on solar installation
Reduction in electricity bills
Tax benefits - Investment in solar helps in saving tax by availing accelerated depreciation
Eco friendly -  contributing to a greener environment and reducing carbon footprint

9. CONCLUSION Large Potential for Solar-powered Fuel Stations
Indian Oil Corporation operates 24,000 petrol pumps across India. 
2000 pumps are equipped with rooftop solar power systems.
plans to increase this number to 10,000 over the next 2–3 years as per reports.
Switching to solar energy would free from them from adverse effects of load shedding and help save over 70 per cent on electricity and diesel gen-set bills,
The economics of the entire project is a huge incentive.
Public-sector companies should significantly boost their investment in and uptake of renewable energy.

10. Thank You