India village claims a first – 100% solar, storage micro-grid

A small Indian village in the northeast of the country, with the help of Greenpeace, is now meeting all of its own energy requirements with solar, after 30 years of apparent neglect from the government.

Dharnai village in the state of Bihar, one of India’s poorest states, now sources its power from a solar micro-grid. Bihar currently has at least 19,000 other villages, or 82 per cent of the population, which do not receive reliable power from the traditional grid-based system and still lack access to electricity.

The 100-kilowatt (kW) system in Dharnai powers the 450 homes of the 2,400 residents, 50 commercial operations, two schools, a training centre and a health care facility. A battery backup ensures power around the clock.

This includes 70 kW for electricity generation and 30 kW for 10 solar-powered water-pumping systems with three horsepower each. The system was built within three months and has been on a test-run since March.

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This village, which is 100 per cent solar powered, is a first for India. Greenpeace says it required a heterogeneous village for this project where agriculture was the main occupation also with basic social infrastructure like school, healthcare facility, an anganwadi (communal childcare centre), a commercial zone and around 400 households.

Reliable electricity in the evening has improved educational opportunities for village children, and brought the safety of street lighting. A dependable power supply has boosted the local economy, and brought a welcome improvement to the social life of the villagers.

According to Greenpeace, approximately 85 per cent of the poor in rural India use non-conventional or inexpensive sources of fuel for lighting and cooking (such as firewood or cow dung), furthermore around 45 per cent of this population does not have access to electricity and relies on kerosene for lighting.

These fuel sources not only have adverse effects on health and the environment, but also restrict economic growth; non-availability of proper power is the key cause for lack of economic development in rural India.

The micro-grid is operated in association with BASIX, a livelihood promotion institution as well as CEED, a network of NGOs and think-tank organisations in Bihar to support renewable energy development in the state.

After two months of successful testing, Greenpeace launched the micro-grid on Sunday 20 July with the eldest person of Dharnai (80-years-old) formally switching it on in front of a supportive crowd of thousands.

Dharnai is just the beginning, says Greenpeace: India has 80,000 more villages that need solar micro-grids.

Comments

9 responses to “India village claims a first – 100% solar, storage micro-grid”

  1. MorinMoss Avatar
    MorinMoss

    Access to reliable power is going to dramatically change the lives & health of these villagers. A great start but there are many more who need this.

  2. david_fta Avatar
    david_fta

    Perhaps Queensland and Australian villages will eventually retrofit systems like this?

    If so, will Newman and Abbott governments try some way to penalise them more?

    1. MrMauricio Avatar
      MrMauricio

      Yes Australia-beacon to the past!!!

  3. Zvyozdochka Avatar
    Zvyozdochka

    Partly why uranium and coal have no future in the developing world. Such countries will just bypass bulk electricity delivery and it’s associated corruption of politics via export of peoples’ money.

  4. Sapna Gopal, journalist Avatar
    Sapna Gopal, journalist

    Solar micro grids have also helped light up villages in Uttar Pradesh, a state in northern India. Also, companies like Mera Gao Power and Gram Power are doing commendable work, with regard to using micro grids to light up the villages of India.

    1. Joy Lohmann Avatar
      Joy Lohmann

      Very interesting! Do you by any chance have also heard anything about mobile micro grid projects on river-floating platforms in India?

      1. Sapna Gopal, journalist Avatar
        Sapna Gopal, journalist

        Well, as of now, there are none. A solar PV installation, a floating one, was set up in Kerala in the month of July this year. However, there are no such micro grids that I know of.

  5. C. Alvin Scott Avatar
    C. Alvin Scott

    I have a concept which uses Low-voltage and batteries, where the battery (electrolytic) gasses are contained in order to produce Hydrogen. This is impure hydrogen and cannot be used in a fuel cell, however i also have a concept for a hydrogen rotary engine to be used as a series generator for electric vehicles

    I feel that this system and H2 electric vehicles, agri-combi vehicle, mopeds could be developed for these villages which would bring them closer to the 21st Century.

  6. Shailendra Bhattarai Avatar

    any one know a smaller system of microgrid operationg anywhere – something like 3-10 kwp ?

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