What does a 3 kW solar plus aero-generator hybrid give a Jorhat tea factory?
The BEE and SAMEEEKSHA report for the Jorhat tea cluster puts a 3 kW solar plus aero-generator hybrid at 18.9 MWh a year, using waste air from the withering trough, shown as 19.47 tonnes CO2. It uses a factor of 1.03 kg per kWh.
How it works
Withering fans push air through the leaf. The air leaving an enclosed trough moves at an average 10.68 metres a second. A small wind turbine takes power from it for the 10 hours a day the fans run, and solar panels charge a battery bank that gives back-up for the other 14 hours.
Where 18.9 MWh comes from
- 250 days with waste air and sun: 72 kWh a day, 18,000 kWh.
- 30 days with waste air only: 30 kWh a day, 900 kWh.
- Total: 18,900 kWh a year.
How big is that
A typical factory in the cluster uses about 498,000 kWh a year, so this covers about 3.8%. The report lists three withering fans feeding one turbine, and about 45 days for installation and commissioning.
Which factor to use
The report converts 18.9 MWh to 19.47 t with 1.03 kg per kWh. For a buyer or loan file use the CEA grid factor for your bill's year, which is lower.
Worked CO2 at two factors
- Generation: 18,900 kWh a year.
- The report's 1.03 kg per kWh: 18,900 x 1.03 = 19,467 kg, or 19.47 t.
- CEA grid factor, FY 2025-26, 0.675 kg per kWh: 18,900 x 0.675 = 12,757 kg, or 12.8 t.
The report dates from 2010 and is for one installation.
What Senseible does here
Senseible reads grid and diesel bills for tea factories into kWh and CO2 per month, so the effect of a solar or turbine addition is measured on the bills.
Sources: SAMEEEKSHA and BEE, DPR: solar and aero generator hybrid power system, Jorhat tea cluster
Last reviewed 2026-11-03.