The Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore (IISc) have installed a 1.5 kW solar power unit at Acharya School, Manchenahalli in Karnataka. The distribution of power in Manchenahalli is very sporadic, and during the day the power is not available in the school. The initial objective of this project is to provide uninterrupted power supply and adequate lighting in the school’s classrooms.
IISc Bangalore’s cutting edge research focusses on lowering the cost of solar cells, and storing the electrical energy thus generated into storage batteries/supercapacitors that can then be retrieved on demand. Their vision as part of the SUNRISE network is to transfer this knoweldge and provide the electricity to remote, grid-deprived educational institutions by applying science and technology breakthroughs for India’s social welfare.
The work has huge potential to deliver benefits of academic research through an interdisciplinary collaboration highlighting the need for a holistic, accessible approach to public involvement in renewable energy projects that can be used by other teams for social welfare.
This project is funded by Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and Strategic University Network to Revolutionize Indian Solar Energy (SUNRISE). SUNRISE is funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), a fund established to support research that addresses challenges faced by developing countries.
On the occasion, members of the school trust and project investigator (Satish Patil) and co-investigator (Ashok Shukla) were present.