 "Leading the way in frugal solar innovations")
The National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) is emerging as a bright spot in developing frugal solar power solutions that can help address the Union government's agenda to provide accessible power to all rural households.
For instance, NIRDPR-assisted rural individuals, in partnership with a local-based firm, have developed a unit that traps heat energy released during cooking (or burning) and converts it into electricity capable of lighting at least two LED lamps. Equipped with a capacitor, the Rs 6,000-portable unit stores charge and can be used at will.
The institute’s rural technology park has also developed an LED solar street lamp of 8-watt capacity that can be mounted on a tree-top or a building roof. The unit is available for Rs 3,000 and the institute has already received orders for installing them at locations in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, according to NIRDPR officials. A year ago, the aforesaid unit cost around Rs 20,000, they added.
Speaking to Business Standard, NIRDPR director general MV Rao said the cost-effective technologies developed at the centre were attracting attention from the less-developed states like Bihar, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir. He also said they were working on commercialising a 15-watt LED-based solar street lamp.
An official of the centre said they were examining the requests of some of the state governments to develop solar pumpsets for the farm sector. Over the last few years, the centre has put additional emphasis on green technologies and was funding such ideas in a big way.
NIRDPR last year at its annual crafts mela showcased a prototype solar-powered grinder-cum-mixer that can be employed to get flour from grains such as wheat, maize and jowar among others. It can also be used to make juices. It was developed by S Sangappa, a final year agriculture engineering student of Agriculture University, Raichur in Karnataka.
The centre also provided the initial financial assistance to his other innovation, the solar sprayer, used in the removal of weeds in farm fields.
For this year's rural expo starting from January 8-12, it has prioritised developing low-cost solar technologies and sanitation models taking inspiration from the Centre’s Make in India and Swacch Bharat initiatives.
For instance, NIRDPR-assisted rural individuals, in partnership with a local-based firm, have developed a unit that traps heat energy released during cooking (or burning) and converts it into electricity capable of lighting at least two LED lamps. Equipped with a capacitor, the Rs 6,000-portable unit stores charge and can be used at will.
The institute’s rural technology park has also developed an LED solar street lamp of 8-watt capacity that can be mounted on a tree-top or a building roof. The unit is available for Rs 3,000 and the institute has already received orders for installing them at locations in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, according to NIRDPR officials. A year ago, the aforesaid unit cost around Rs 20,000, they added.
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The Telangana government has evinced interest in installing the solar street lamp across all villages in the state. To start with, the government, NIRDPR and the industry partner will undertake a pilot covering one village in all the 10 districts.
Speaking to Business Standard, NIRDPR director general MV Rao said the cost-effective technologies developed at the centre were attracting attention from the less-developed states like Bihar, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir. He also said they were working on commercialising a 15-watt LED-based solar street lamp.
An official of the centre said they were examining the requests of some of the state governments to develop solar pumpsets for the farm sector. Over the last few years, the centre has put additional emphasis on green technologies and was funding such ideas in a big way.
NIRDPR last year at its annual crafts mela showcased a prototype solar-powered grinder-cum-mixer that can be employed to get flour from grains such as wheat, maize and jowar among others. It can also be used to make juices. It was developed by S Sangappa, a final year agriculture engineering student of Agriculture University, Raichur in Karnataka.
The centre also provided the initial financial assistance to his other innovation, the solar sprayer, used in the removal of weeds in farm fields.
For this year's rural expo starting from January 8-12, it has prioritised developing low-cost solar technologies and sanitation models taking inspiration from the Centre’s Make in India and Swacch Bharat initiatives.