The sun will light up the night

The objective of the plan to develop the urban lighting system of Vietnam to 2025, which has been approved by the Prime Minister via Decision 1874/QD-TTg, is that by 2025, 100 percent of transport works, public spaces and advertisements in Vietnamese cities will use high-efficiency, power-saving lighting products, and 30-50 percent will use standard solar energy lamps.

Dr. Nguyen The Hung from the Institute of Physics under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology has contributed to the efforts to realize the above objective by creating a type of power generator using natural light. In 2008, Dr. Nguyen The Hung and his colleagues began a research project aiming to manufacture a type of power generator system using solar energy according to the absorption diffusion principle (with natural light engine).

The manufacture of that type of power generator is based on the convergence principle. Specifically, concave lens are used to receive sunlight which will be reflected on engines to make them operational, turning solar energy into electricity and mechanical energy. It is calculated that each square meter of concave lens can absorb sunlight to generate about 1,300W of electricity. In developed countries, the sunlight utilization efficiency of light engines is 30 percent. So, from each square meter of concave lens, 400W of electricity can be generated.

The Ministry of Science and Technology has allowed Dr. Nguyen The Hung to begin implementing the mentioned above project in 2011. Costing VND4 billion, the project’s objective is to manufacture a type of power generator that runs with support of natural light with a minimum capacity of 1 kWh. The implementation of this project will last for two years. After they are manufactured, power generators of this type will be installed on some islands that cannot have access to the national power grid.

Using biogas to run power generators

Nowadays, biogas is used not only as a kind of fuel but also to run power generators. The idea of using fuel to run power generators was originally proposed by Professor, Dr.Sc Bui Van Ga, the director of the University of Da Nang. In association with Dr. Nhan Hong Quang from the Sub-institute for Protection of Labor and Environment in the Central Region and Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), Professor, Dr.Sc. Bui Van Ga has promoted the use of biogas to run power generators in Hoa Ninh Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City.

Biogas power generators, which previously used diesel oil, allow people to produce large amounts of electricity at a lower cost. The use of biogas power generators in mountainous and remote areas, which still have no access to the national power grid, not only helps reduce electricity shortage but also allows people to make use of agricultural wastes and improve environmental hygiene.

In the opinion of experts, using biogas to run power generators is simple. Biogas can be used to run small-sized power generators with capacity of about 1-5kW. Using biogas to produce electricity for one year, people can recover the amount of money that is invested in buying a small-sized power generator.

Highly appreciating the idea of Professor, Dr.Sc. Bui Van Ga, in 2008, Toyota Motor Vietnam decided to finance the manufacture of 1,000 mini biogas power generators for sale. Currently, biogas power generators are being used effectively in many localities such as Thai Binh, Bac Giang and Phu Tho.

Apart from the above mentioned two types of power generators, some other research projects have been carried out in Vietnam, aiming to make use of natural energy resources such as wind power and bio-energy. Developing and utilizing those types of energy is not only a good solution when traditional energy resources are becoming exhausted but will also make the environment cleaner.

By Thuy Hang