Chakli and Ramsar Villages/Electric Power Hybrid Project

• We have electrified two rural Indian villages, Chakli and Ramsar, in the Morni Hills, Panchkula District, Haryana, by partnering with the Indian Government.
• This s a 10.2 KW hybrid system consisting of 6.6 KW of wind power and 3.6 KW of Solar power.
  This hybrid system supplies 25 household in the two villages with about 100 villagers living there.
• These villages have some power now but being on the end of the transmission lines this power in very unreliable. Most households have 100 watt lights in bare holders and when asked why such a large wattage light bulb they told us that the power fluctuates between, the normal for India, 240 volts, down to well below 200 volts so even when the power is low they will have some light. This power is also very intermittent so they don’t know when or if they will have power.
• Chakli and Ramsar were picked because they are on top of a hill with majestic 360 degree views, so it’s terrific for solar and the wind is almost always blowing, making it wonderful for wind. This is the first solar/wind hybrid system to be installed in northern India making it a showcase for this type of technology.
• This project will launch the electrification of rural Indian villages here in northern India using what this part of the country has a lot of, sun and wind. Studies have shown that when reliable power is brought to a village that previously did not have it the economy and education increased. This also could slow the migration into the already over crowded cities keeping people home in their native villages and reduce the pollution that overcrowded cities cause.
• There were two light points and one fan point installed in each household. In most of the households the women wanted to have one of the two light points put in the kitchen. Dinners in these villages usually start after dark so having a light in the kitchen, that works 24/7, is seen as a big luxury for these families.
• The challenges of this project was the remoteness of the location making it a problematic to bring materials to the site. Everything must be hand carried and most of the equipment is not only heavy, weighing more than 100 kilos, but delicate too. Bringing bricks, sand, gravel and cement to build the control room/battery room, 5’X5’X5’ footing for the wind turbines along with the guy wire footing and solar panel racks must be carried by the kutchri walla, the man with the two mules. Everything is then done by hand. Tool list for first phase of the job, the civil work: pick, shovel, pry bar, sledge hammer, large steel bowl and mortar trowel.
• We have talked with the villagers and they have told us how grateful they are about having the two lights and a fan in their house.
• God's grace has been with us and has helped us to complete this project with ease.
• Click here for pictures of the project