As part of their corporate social responsibilities (CSR), companies are taking significant initiatives in developing monumental projects that meet the varied needs of backward societies in India. The inclusion of solar power can exponentially enhance the impact of these projects. Many solar projects in India are now a part of these CSR initiatives. Furthermore, these CSR and solar projects in India can help increase the adoption of renewable energy in the country. 

What sets solar projects in India a step above other technology-driven projects? 

The advantages of solar projects in India are manifold: 

• Easy to implement
• Seamless & self-powered application
• Low maintenance cost
• Renewable natural resources ensure an uninterrupted supply of facility

What prompted the Dhamodi Rural Development CSR Project?

Water scarcity was a perennial tribulation of the inhabitants of Dhamodi, a small village near the Tapi River in Maharashtra. The village is home to a close-knit clan of tribal people, who have tuned their lives to grappling with water shortages for generations.

What created water scarcity despite the presence of a river?

Tapi, the closest water source, is at a geographical distance of only 5 km but, more significantly, at a depth of 350 metres. Also, this seemingly close water resource is anything but easily accessible!

• The terrain is steep and not conducive for any mode of conveyance, let alone carrying water from the river effortlessly. Bear in mind that the water containers are empty & light while going downhill towards the river and full while climbing back uphill.
• The height difference does not allow for the natural gravitational flow of water, which makes constructing canals pointless.
• Electricity-powered solutions, too, are rarely viable in such remote locations.

The CSR Initiators

The Rural Development project in Dhamodi was a joint venture of Diganta Swaraj Foundation (NGO) & ASB International Pvt Ltd (Japan). It was designed, executed, and supported by Nimbus as one of the most unique solar projects in India.

The Final Design – A touch of true genius!

Stage 1

On the banks of Tapi, a solar power station was erected to power the first submersible pump that would lift water from the river to a reservoir constructed midway to Dhamodi.

Stage 2

A second solar power station was built close to the reservoir to power a second submersible pump that pushes the collected water upwards to a tank in Dhamodi. This second pump has been designed to work perfectly with the first pump. It prevents the reservoir from overflowing and maintains the required water levels.

Stage 3

The tank in Dhamodi, not only provided water but was also fitted with a gravitational filter to provide clean and purified drinkable water. The total capacity of the tank is a robust 10,000 litres. The gravitational filter incorporated in this design is far from ordinary. Not only does it work without any power source, but it also provides quality drinking water.

Plumbing – the arteries of the design

The plumbing network designed by Nimbus was intricate and ensured that the water was distributed to all hamlets of Dhamodi.

1. Ten taps stations were installed at different strategic locations in the village to distribute water evenly.
2. The plumbing also used valves, which help in the regulation and flow of water throughout the system.
3. Additional plumbing was done to veer the course of excess water (through an overflow pipe) to the village well, thus making water continuously available and preventing any wastage.
4. The steep height of 350 metres from the water source to Dhamodi was a daunting gravitational challenge. The precision and functionality of the plumbing system were the cornerstones in overcoming this seemingly impossible feat.

DHAMODI – From DRY to DRENCHED!

The establishment of the solar power station system became a phenomenal technological intervention eliminating the two major pain points of the Dhamodi tribe –

“Fetching water for domestic use” and “Drinking water scarcity”.

• Respite from the tedious routine of procuring water:

The women in Dhamodi expressed gratitude and happiness by providing a 24/7 water supply. They are delighted at the efficient design of tap stations, allowing them the ease of filling water at the drop of a hat. Before, they had to spend nearly the entire day walking the river path to and from to meet daily water requirements. With the water now coming to them, more and more women and young people in Dhamodi have the time and scope to engage in other productive occupations in the region.

• Drinking water – An added bonus!

The facility providing filtered water for drinking was a touch of real value engineering. It has sealed the deal for a happy & healthy Dhamodi forever.

250 Families & Counting!

The fact that the project was powered by solar has ensured that it is not dependent on any electricity resource. It will be consistent, dependable & easy to maintain. This joint initiative has touched the lives of more than 250 families spread over all the hamlets of Dhamodi.

Nimbus Solar: Bringing CSR and solar projects in India together

The Dhamodi project was conceptualised & implemented by Nimbus Solar (Nimbus Irrigation Pvt Ltd). – a solar power-driven organisation helping companies leverage renewable resources of energies for materialising transformative endeavours towards the welfare of society.

Nimbus is now spearheading the solar revolution wave and helping facilitate solar projects in India.

Contact us to plan and build your next CSR project around solar power.

Website: https://nimbussolar.in/

Reasons India is facing quality issues

Due to low prices, the trend that has prevailed in the country is that of importing PV modules from China, Malaysia, or Taiwan. But low prices come with low quality, which considerably hinders the solar industry in India. With PM Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ campaign, India is working towards developing a dynamic manufacturing market in the solar sector. But the real question we face today is whether the quality of the locally manufactured products meets the required standards. Unfortunately, the answer is not in the affirmative.

This can predominantly be attributed to the inherent attitude amongst Indians to seek the lowest prices rather than the best quality. The bidding process in solar tenders introduced by the Indian government favours the lowest bidders. This has made solar EPC companies work at shoestring margins. They are finding avenues to cut costs to increase their profitability, thereby providing low-quality products. China’s Top Runner policy that prioritizes new technology and efficiency over price should set a solid example for the solar industry in India, which is too focused on low tariffs.

The drive towards cutting costs has also led to EPC companies not offering adequate maintenance of the systems installed by them. In addition, the panel structures provided are of low quality and, more often than not, designed inefficiently. This has led to the systems’ inability to withstand the harsh weather conditions in India.

The solar industry in India has lured many individuals and companies toward the business, but providing quality service is next to impossible without adequate knowledge and technical know-how. Some key factors essential to properly installing solar panels that are mostly missed by EPC providers/installers include – near and far shadow analysis, access to solar radiation, the height of the building, terrain, weather conditions, etc. Several parameters are likely to be variable from one site to another, even in the same geographical area. Therefore it is crucial to plan a solar PV project to suit the site parameters, the knowledge of which can only come through experience and technical excellence, which most of the EPC providers in India lack.

The Government of India has set a target for 40 GW of solar power from rooftop installations by 2022. (1) However, as reported by MNRE, a cumulative capacity of only 1.35GW has been achieved until 31st December 2018. (2) In this desperate attempt to meet targets, along with factors such as price pressure, lack of awareness about the sector and its risks, extreme climatic conditions, and lowest bidder requirements from the government, the quality of the solar industry in India has taken a significant hit.

Nimbus Solar – Focusing on quality

We at Nimbus strive toward providing quality solar systems and transforming the solar industry in India. Our well-trained technicians not only install the panels and the system at your place but also educate you on how to maintain the same. Further, we employ cutting-edge optical technology in renewable and sustainable energy in an original and novel way to deliver autonomous electrical charging systems solutions.

We hope that the highest quality will hold a higher place in India’s future than the lowest bidder.

Website: https://nimbussolar.in/

Reference:

1. https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1539238#:~:text=A%20target%20of%20installing%20175,year%202022%20has%20been%20set&text=The%20Government%20has%20set%20a,(NCR)%20by%20year%202022.
2. https://taiyangnews.info/markets/india-25-gw-total-pv-capacity-end-of-2018/