As many as 75 tribal houses will be lit up with solar and biodiesel-generated power at Lakshmanapura and Billenahosahalli villages in Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district.
The project has been implemented by the Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST), National Institute of Engineering.
Mr. Shamsundar Subbarao, head and chief coordinator, CREST-NIE, and Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, said that 75 houses will be electrified using a portable microgrid power plant and as against the total load calculated at 4kw, the micro grid will provide 6kw of power.
The cost of the project is ₹30 lakh and it will provide access to clean and green energy for tribals in the hamlets. Besides, it will ensure a 24x7 power supply, said Mr. Subbarao, Two persons from the tribal community are being trained for maintenance and operations, he added. The project is sponsored by Ashraya Hastha Trust, Bengaluru with financial assistance to the tune of ₹30 lakh and the project was conceptualised, designed and executed by NIE-CREST, he added.
CREST was established to promote the widespread use of renewable energy devices and systems and also develop qualified personnel in the field of renewable energy and sustainable technologies; to provide comprehensive and effective renewable energy solutions through project and consultancy services and popularise green and sustainable technologies.
The energy generated and supplied will help meet the bulk of the daily requirements like lighting the houses, mobile charging, street lights in the hamlet, social gathering etc on a 24x7 basis depending on the weather condition.
The project stemmed from a realisation that there was a need for innovative solutions to help the tribal hamlets and rural electrification through internet-based micro-grids by adopting distributed renewable energy generation technologies was considered. This includes both Solar PV and biodiesel generated, said Mr. Subbarao.
He said to start with the CREST-NIE team made a preliminary assessment of the load after which the village was surveyed to estimate the connections. This was followed by designing and development of the portable micro-grid specific to the requirements of the tribal hamlets at Lakshmanapura and Billenahosahalli hamlets.
While the hamlets will become self-sufficient with respect to power generation and usage, it will also result in a carbon-neutral energy generation. Besides, tribal hamlets on the forest fringes tend to be beset with conflict with wildlife and lack of lighting at night does result in fatalities and injuries. Availability of adequate lighting especially at nights covering the interiors as well as the streets, will provide an element of safety to the local villagers.
Mr. Subbarao said the micro-grid designed by CREST-NIE is a hybrid system that can be connected to solar system, wind power plant and biodiesel generator to provide power to the load.
The inclusion of the biodiesel component is significant as most Indian villages are rich in untapped biomass that can be converted to energy, according to Mr. Shamsundar Subbarao.
The project is now ready for inauguration that is expected to take place during this month.
