Chennai: Solar DC Inverterless Technology, pioneered by Indian Institute of Technology Madras Researchers, is lighting up homes in remote parts of the country.
Cygni Energy Private Limited, an innovative Solar-DC solutions startup that was incubated by the Rural Technology Business Incubator (RTBI) of IIT Madras, is now installing 3,026 units in villages located high up in remote corners of Manipur and another 25,000 units solar inverters and lights in the villages of Assam, a press release said.
Speaking about the importance of the project, Prof Ashok Jhunjhunwala, Institute Professor, IIT Madras, who lead the research on this technology, said, “It is of great importance that we have played major role in taking power to remote villages in Manipur, Assam, Meghalaya and J&K. Solar-DC system makes the equipment much smaller in size and cost. It has helped us in these difficult terrains where carrying anything would have been difficult. Powering homes with DC power-line reduces the power-consumption and would be increasingly deployed with solar in urban and rural India homes.”
The Manipur Project, taken up at a cost of Rs 11.5 crore, was funded by Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency. Installation has been completed in 2,800 homes.
With Solar-DC solution, people are able to use power for 8 hours at full load and close to 12-14 hours in reserve mode (only basic appliances like bulb and mobile chargers), the release said.