Light
Up India
- Swami Kriyananda is the inspiration behind the Light Up India project.
There are major daily rolling blackouts all over India
to keep the integrity of the power grid intact. Simply
put, there is not enough power to meet all of the country’s
power needs. We
use solar PV, Wind Turbines and a combination of solar
PV/Wind Turbines that form a “hybrid
system.” The hybrid
system has the advantage over a purely solar PV power
system in that it uses wind, so when the sun is not
shining you can still produce power.
Another advantage of the hybrid system is that it comes
with a lower price tag. Wind power technology is much
cheaper to produce than the silicone-based PV panels.
Thus, by combining the two, you can bring down the total
cost of an “off–the-grid” system,
while producing the same amount of power.
These hybrid units will be taken to Indian villages to give the people there, for the first time, electrical power to help improve their quality of life. To that end, Ananda Solar Technologies has teamed up with the Government of India.
Statistics show that whenever electrical power is brought
to Indian villages, their economy improves. Electrical
light gives the villagers additional time not just during
the day, but after sunset, for cottage industries.
It also gives them power to run a fan. This can make a
big difference in the Indian village on a hot day! Reliable Power
Benifits
When we visited villages that already received government
funds for solar power systems, we noticed that they would
have a television set. That television was the only means
of communication from the outside world for a village with
no means of transportation other than walking. News of state,
country and world events could now reach the villagers, who
before would be only aware of a nearby area they could reach
by walking. New ideas and ways of doing things come from such
expanded knowledge.
Ananda Solar Technologies will be turning the Ananda
Sangha Temple, in Gurgaon India, into a “green” area.
We installed a wind turbine and solar panels on the roof of
the Ashram and will be using the
power to run the temple lights and fans. This also gives
us a convenient place to try out new technologies and installation
techniques.
