Thursday, October 03, 2013: Solar power in rural areas is on the rise. According to reports, a number of companies are working to deliver solar power to rural areas. Moreover, not only are these companies providing cost effective and cheaper solutions for providing electricity, there methods are also less polluting and toxic than the traditional methods, which used kerosene and other fuels.
In a report by The Economic Times (ET), Shyam Patra, founder of Naturetech Infrastructure, said, “In a country, where large swathes of population have little or unreliable access to basic power, off grids is the solution.” According to the report, the Lucknow-based startup, which is four years old, is responsible for providing electricity to over 25 villages in UP and Bihar. It offers the electricity to homes and enterprises directly.
In Naturetech’s case,the company uses tamper proof prepaid meters for payments, which includes 24 hour electric supply for about Rs 150 per month. The company has installed an off-grid underground, with the cables coming directly to the houses.
Solar power has been touted as the source of energy, which has the ability to provide electricity for the least possible cost. The ET report also quotes Sanjeev Aggarwal, managing partner at Helion Venture Partners as saying, “That has had a big impact, because project capital expenditure is now much lower. In 2007, we sold power at 16 to 17 a unit in Punjab. Now they can look to sell it at 7 and 8.”
