Solar Systems: Clean Energy for the Tansa Valley

Commitment by

The PRASAD Project

In 2013, The PRASAD Project committed to providing clean, sustainable, and reliable energy to PRASAD Chikitsa's medical facilities in the Tansa Valley, India. Working in partnership with SELCO Solar, PRASAD will install solar systems on health care centers that provide more than 20,000 patient visits a year. In support of this project, PRASAD Chikitsa will engage in training local women to maintain the systems and educate the community on the benefits of clean energy.

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Commitment

Launched

2013

Est. Duration

4 years

Estimated Total Value

$30,000

Region

Asia

Countries

INDIA

Commitment by

The PRASAD Project

Partner(s) of the Commitment Maker(s)

Selco Solar Light Pvt. Ltd.

Details

APPROACH
The goal of this project is to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy to PRASAD Chikitsa's office and medical facilities in the Tansa Valley in India. Through this commitment, The PRASAD Project will sponsor:
- Installation of solar energy systems dedicated to the PRASAD Chikitsa's health care buildings and main office.
- Training of the local women, currently organized in PRASAD Chikitsa's Self Help Groups (SHGs), to maintain the solar panels and promote solar systems.
- Education of the community on the importance of using clean energy.
To achieve this goal, The PRASAD Project will support PRASAD Chikitsa in taking the following actions:
- Conducting an analysis of the needs of PRASAD Chikitsa's health care buildings with regard to their energy requirements.
- Conducting research to find the solar system model that best fits the needs of the buildings.
- Developing and conducting a training program with local women who will maintain the solar panels and promote solar product.
- Developing and introducing an Environmental Education Program to share with the community that will teach the value of solar energy.
- Documenting best-practice examples of the use of solar energy and the role of women in the maintenance of solar systems in order to potentially replicate this project in another community.
Engagement with local women through SHGs will ensure critical buy-in at the community level and could open the door to bringing solar energy more broadly in to the local community. These small SHGs, with 10 to 20 members each, will serve as micro-banks and provide members with an organized forum to improve the quality of their own lives and the lives of those around them. The training of the women will be conducted by SELCO Solar and overseen by PRASAD Chikitsa.
ACTION PLAN
Currently ongoing: Research and planning
March 2013: Final agreements with contractors
April/May 2013: Solar system installation
July 2013: Identification and training of women
2013/2014 academic year: Launch of Environmental Education Program

Background

In 2012, the New York Times reported that 400 million Indians lacked access to basic lighting, while 200 million more lacked access to reliable energy supply and regularly suffered from brownouts that last up to 19 hours. Power shortages in India affect more people than the population of all of North America.
PRASAD Chikitsa, a licensee of The PRASAD Project, runs medical facilities in the Tansa Valley in India. These facilities are affected by this lack of reliable, clean, and affordable energy on a day to day basis. Consequently, the medical facilities are forced to depend on diesel generators that create pollution in the community and are costly to maintain.

Partnership Opportunities

PRASAD is seeking new partners to provide solar products at a price that will meet the needs of the people in the Tansa Valley in India; partners with expertise and experience in solar systems capable to support high voltage medical equipment; and funding to sponsor the installation of solar energy systems and to promote it in the community.

Progress Reports

March 2016

In 2013, the solar systems were installed according to the timeframe. During a visit to India in March 2014, it was seen in the administrative office that the solar panels had been installed, but in each room there were just tiny solar lamps, having no impact. In September 2014, SELCO reinstalled the solar system at the administrative offices. It now functions quite well, providing sufficient light and strong fan power. The system is reliable and has not experienced any malfunctions since the reinstallation.

The needs of the medical facilities will need to be reassessed with another solar vendor that could provide a system capable of supporting high voltage medical equipment.

An important part of the commitment is to bring solar energy more broadly into the local community. Bringing in solar energy is challenging, because illegal usage of electricity is seen as an acceptable alternative for the communities with no access to basic infrastructure. This goal is not yet accomplished but PRASAD is committed to working on it.

In 2014 PRASAD and SELCO Solar conducted a survey in the villages in the Tansa Valley. The results of the survey were reported to SELCO, but the company was unwilling to provide a competitive price and attractive package for the villages. SELCO's inability to continue working with this commitment has led the two organizations to part ways. Currently PRASAD Chikitsa is exploring working with other solar vendors that might be able to offer a better package to the people in the area.

Engaging women in the maintenance of the panels and the promotion of solar products can certainly be done, once specific steps regarding working with these villages are discussed with a vendor. PRASAD Chikitsa would be willing to promote solar products to be sold and maintained by the women, but the solar vendor will need to play a larger role in training the women and providing samples.