33 systems,
one standard

LED lighting: the magic of the 21st century

A simple indicator lamp evolved into a very efficient lighting solution, and a host of products were innovated around it, bringing light to the poorest of the poor. The line includes an LED torch with side lamp and homelight for farmers (rugged, over 5 years of life), a 360-degree LED lantern for multipurpose rural use, and a modular-expansion homelight system. All chargeable by solar and grid, with lead-acid SMF or LiPo storage.

• Ultra-low energy draw with high light output
• Rugged designs proven over 5+ year service lives
• Dual solar / grid charging on every unit
• Modular expansion based on household needs

Solar / wind / grid hybrid power packs

In hilly, mostly cloudy areas neither solar nor intermittent wind works alone. The hybrid pack combines both, storing whichever is available so the load runs continuously through monsoons and cloudy days.

• Optimal wind harvest even at low speeds
• High-efficiency vertical-axis blade design
• Ultra-low cut-in speed generators
• Microprocessor algorithm to combine input energy forms
• Storage battery protection circuitry

Low-cost 'micro' wind-solar hybrid packs of 10 W capacity for coastal and hilly areas.

Hand-cranking lighting unit for rural areas

Some hamlets in hilly and difficult areas get too little sun for solar and too little wind for turbines. The answer is human power: a hand-crank generator, unique for its efficiency and absolute ease of use, storing power in an SMF or LiPo battery to run 2-4 LED lamps. One hour of cranking produces about two hours of light.

• Rugged cranking system with life-lubricated sintered metal gears
• High-efficiency 3-phase AC generator with virtually zero cogging
• Auxiliary charging from solar, wind or grid
• High-efficiency LED output optics
• Ergonomic, fatigue-free operation

AC power output for low-power gadget usage.

Multi-purpose generator for manual equipment

Rural equipment already runs on human effort: grain mills, potter wheels, blacksmith bellows, chaff cutters. A small generator attaches to any of them and quietly stores the by-product electricity in a battery pack, lighting a lamp for a rural home each night.

• Very low load factor: the work feels no heavier
• Designed for a service life of at least 15 years
• Compact, rugged, zero-service system (only battery change)

Higher-capacity generators for bullock carts, tongas and similar.

Solar-charged hawker lights

Street hawkers sell into the night; darkness spoils unsold perishables and trade. A rugged LED hawker light, hired out nightly by a light-hiring agency, is charged mainly by a solar panel: each operator charges 15 lights a day, supplemented by grid if needed. Virtually zero CO2 footprint.

• Rugged, all-weather lighting package
• Optimal luminary for efficient LED reflection
• Sized solar panel and storage for full-night operation
• Operable by an unskilled, illiterate user

A solar-operated community charging system.

Low-power LED task lights for weavers

Handloom weaving is intricate work: matching designs and checking weave patterns needs well-lit cloth. A special-optics LED unit gives excellent illumination at just 6 watts against a 40-watt fluorescent tube, runs on solar or grid-charged batteries through power failures, and costs very little.

• Optimal LED array for limited-area illumination
• Optics guide the light exactly onto the work area
• Colour rendering index tuned for 'true' colour
• Drivers accept battery, solar or grid input

LED luminary systems for other artisans' task areas.

Portable tent lighting pack

Soldiers, special forces and rangers camp overnight in the field, where generators are a logistic burden if only light is needed. A light-weight individual pack gives each soldier six hours of light a day for over a week on a single charge, in very little space.

• Rugged, bright, low-power system
• Fully portable, ergonomic carriage design
• Long battery operating time per charge
• Charges from solar, grid or vehicle alternator

Solar-powered plant growth lights

Growing plants in controlled environments needs the right light frequencies for higher yield and quality. A special LED line with selective, controllable wavelengths runs entirely on solar energy, enabling fully green, multi-layer plant growing that saves space and resources.

• Right wavelength selection for plant growth
• Brightness levels tuned for optimal photosynthesis
• Solar array sized for the full solar cycle

Multi-layer farms running 14 hours per day.

Solar cell phone charging station for rural areas

Farmers, fishermen and vegetable producers negotiate prices for their produce by phone; a dead battery can mean a bad deal or a total loss. A solar-powered charging station keeps phones charged for a small fee wherever electricity is irregular or absent, and earns its owner a good revenue.

• Rugged solar power pack with backup
• Independent, user-lockable pigeon holes with multi-sockets
• Inbuilt protection and control circuit for phone safety
• Fully portable; auxiliary grid and hybrid input

A low-cost all-weather model for desert use.

Solar-powered community centres

Village solar devices need a safe place to charge, service and check them: rooftop panels invite theft and many homes have no space at all. The centre combines a centralised charging bank, a mini service centre, general-purpose machines running on surplus energy, and community entertainment: TV, VCD, radio.

• Centralised solar charging station
• Energy diversion centre for surplus power
• Easy diagnostic and service kits

High-efficiency BLDC motors for solar applications

Motive power is a key use of solar electricity: water pumps, small appliances, small rural mills. Motors for this duty must be brushless for a long, maintenance-free life and high-efficiency conversion. A full range was designed, from 20 W to 500 W.

• Long-life brushless DC motor design
• Matched high-efficiency controllers
• Wide range of output capacities

Alternative energy training kits

Engineers and students studying alternative energy need hands-on practice: assemble, observe, record. Kits and experiment boards cover many energy forms and parameters, designed to serve up to research-level studies at educational institutes.

• Experimental boards to study energy parameters
• Kits demonstrating applications of various energy forms

Solar battery charger for body-level hearing aids

The Government of India distributes body-level hearing aids free to the economically weaker section, but once the first batteries died, many users abandoned the aid: replacements were unaffordable or unavailable. The solar charger ships with two rechargeable batteries: one charges in the sun while the other works in the aid. Swap and repeat, forever. Operation cost: zero. Children no longer switch off their aids to save power, so they hear their classrooms in full. One battery pair lasts over nine years, keeping millions of dead batteries out of the ground.

• Rugged, all-weather solar charger
• Portable, ergonomic design for ease of use
• Usable by an unskilled, illiterate user
• Low device cost; long life of all components

None. The design has reached its optimal state.

Solar battery charger for hearing-aid button cells

Young hearing-impaired users, especially girls, prefer the nearly invisible behind-the-ear (BTE) aids the Government also distributes free, but their button cells need replacing every 3 to 9 days: unaffordable and often unavailable in rural areas. This solar charger with two rechargeable R13 button cells makes BTE aids cost-free to run, anywhere.

• Rugged all-weather charger for R13 cells
• Portable and ergonomic
• Usable by an unskilled, illiterate user
• Low cost, long component life

Charging a larger variety of button cell sizes and types.

Ultra-low-cost battery tester for hearing-aid users

A fading AA battery works, stops, then works again after a day's rest, so users rush to service centres fearing the aid is broken, losing time, wages and service charges. A simple meter with a colour band answers the only question that matters: battery OK, or not; readable even by the illiterate, and cheap enough for every user to own.

• Simple meter with colour-band verdict
• Matching load simulates exact hearing-aid conditions
• Ultra low cost, ergonomically easy to use

An ultra-low-cost tester for button cells.

Hand-held screener for neonatal hearing loss

Hearing loss detected early in a newborn can be corrected early, but audio screeners live in large hospitals, and many families in far-flung areas simply skip the test. AYJNIHH Mumbai designed a small portable test device; R.S. Hiremath converted that design into a usable product health workers can carry to the child.

• Low-cost device built for rugged use
• Low-power operation
• Long battery-life circuit

Talking tactile maps for the blind

Blind persons navigating new buildings need to understand their surroundings unaided. A tactile layout of the area combined with interactive voice information gives clarity and directions, so users move through stations, airports, parks and large complexes with confidence and without barriers.

• Tactile layout in an easy-to-read form
• Clear area understanding through legends
• Spatial information delivered by voice output

Low-cost mass-replicated maps for all public circulation areas.

Sonic beacon guide for the blind

Of all the cues the visually impaired navigate by, sound is the most receptive. The beacon emits a programmed sound guided as a beam along the user's path, runs 24x7 on solar energy, and is weather-proof, vandal-proof and low cost. Sounds are programmable to the user's choice.

• Low-power sound generator with guided beam
• Year-round solar power pack
• Erectable with least effort

A unique sound library for sonic guides.

Illuminated walking stick for the aged

Carrying a torch, a stick and perhaps a third item is exactly how things get dropped, and how falls happen. The stick integrates a rechargeable light that illuminates the path ahead: bright, unbreakable holder, several days of light per charge, lightweight and low cost.

• Lightweight, low-cost system
• Integral rechargeable light unit
• Tough, unbreakable housing

An inbuilt alarm to draw attention in an emergency.

Prefabricated toilet kits for the disabled

Even purpose-built toilets for the disabled often end up unusable: wrong entry, wrong reach, wrong turning space. A ready-to-use prefabricated kit engineers every barrier-free parameter in advance. Shiftable, transportable, erected in situ in a very short time; only water inlet and sewage outlet connections needed.

• Prefabricated barrier-free interior
• Rapid in-situ assembly structure
• Deployable plumbing and sewage-out system
• Adjustable entry/exit ramp; easy-transfer W/C

A community disabled toilet.

E-Charkha

Khadi spinning, introduced by Mahatma Gandhi, still provides a living in remote villages, where many spinners have no electricity at home. The traditional charkha was modified with a generator attachment: spinning khadi now also charges a battery that lights a small lamp at night. One hour of spinning produces enough electricity for three hours of light. All parts are designed for a very long operational life.

• Ultra-low-load generator attachment: spinning feels unchanged
• Brushless, maintenance-free, long-life generator
• High-output, low-power luminary
• Battery sized for long storage and operation
• Easy retrofit to conventional charkhas

Solar charkha: the cotton spinning machine

Demand for khadi rose while production fell: low wages and drudgery pushed spinners to other work. The solar-powered spinning machine eliminates manual labour, spins yarn at higher capacity and pays the spinner a good income, supervised by an operator.

• Long-life solar motor
• Soft-start controller
• Matching drive for retrofitting; sized motor and panel

A 36-spindle solar charkha.

Solar-powered portable wool spinning machine

Shepherds earn more if sheared wool is spun into yarn before sale, and spun wool packs far smaller for transport. This fully portable machine spins wool on-field from a small solar panel, independent of any power supply.

• Portable spinning system for field use
• Motor optimised for load, power input and cost
• All-weather, rugged; operable by an unskilled user

A solar-operated community spinning machine.

Solar-powered jute / natural fibre spinning machine

Raw natural fibre - banana stem, jute, coir - fetches poor returns. Spun into semi-finished material it earns more and compacts for easy carriage. The portable machine spins many fibre types in the field, independent of electric or human power.

• Long-life solar motor with soft-start controller
• Optimal single-person machine and spinning speed
• Sized motor and solar panel

A larger machine for multiple-spindle spinning.

Solar-powered illuminated magnifier for artisans

As goldsmiths, embroiderers and inlay workers age, weak eyesight and dim indoor workshops push many out of intricate work, or out of the profession. The unit combines a flat fresnel magnifier, a bright LED source and a solar-charged battery pack: low cost, lightweight, fully portable.

• Flat lens chosen for weight and portability
• LED array tuned for optimal illumination
• Dual solar / grid charging battery pack

A larger-capacity illuminator for group tasks.

Empowerment for the displaced

When cycle rickshaws were banned from busy roads, pullers whose only skill was manual effort lost their living overnight. A simple pedalling system re-employs exactly that skill: one person pedals to charge about 18 hawker light sets, hired out nightly to street sellers. The rent exceeds a puller's old daily earnings, with margin to repay the loan that bought the system. Pedal power was chosen over solar deliberately: nothing to steal off a small hut's roof.

• Very easy-to-use generator with ultra-low pedalling load
• Efficient storage and bright, low-consumption light output
• Long trouble-free, self-serviceable parts throughout

Extend the concept to other classes of displaced workers.

The rural empowerment suite

A family of solar-powered machines for villages: an oil extraction unit that crushes small local seed harvests into cooking oil; a rice hulling machine replacing hours of hand-pounding by 2-3 women with minutes of machine time; a rope spinning machine for the fibre crops of Northeast India; an integrated tile ventilator that saves stored coconut and areca crops from fungus; an integrated solar cooking-and-lighting unit that gives smokeless, efficient biomass cooking plus two LED lights; and micro solar/wind units up to 50 W that keep basic lighting alive through monsoons.

• Every machine fully power independent via solar
• Sized for family and hamlet-scale quantities
• Installable anywhere; locally serviceable

Solar-powered agro produce controlled drying system

Open sun-drying is cheap but dusty, contaminated, and burns off the volatiles that give produce its flavour. This chamber system uses solar thermal and solar PV together: filtered air is sun-heated and blown through the produce, with temperature and duration electronically controlled per crop. Better shelf life, better flavour, better revenue.

• Rugged, all-weather, low-cost dehydration
• Simple electronically controlled drying
• Simple to use

A higher-capacity dehydrating system.

Low-cost solar steam generators for rural food industry

Sterilising food containers with steam normally burns costly fuel that erodes a rural producer's margin. A parabolic concentrator with manual tracking heats water in an evacuated tube until it steams: fuel cost, zero. Low cost, simple to use, very effective.

• Rugged, all-weather, low-cost steam generation
• Corrosion-proof parabolic reflector
• Simple support structure with effective tracking

Higher-pressure steam generation for more applications.

High-efficiency water heaters for rural food industries

Boiling, blanching and steeping eat fuel, and fuel eats margins. The vessel geometry maximises the surface in contact with flame and flue gases while convection currents keep water cycling across the heating surface: quick, efficient hot water in all-stainless construction that shrugs off corrosion. Also serves textile dyeing, silk reeling and washing.

• Vessel geometry maximising flue-gas contact area
• Inlet/outlet design keeps hot and cold water unmixed
• Corrosion-proof, long-life build

Higher-capacity heaters running on biomass and dry waste.

Solar power packs for remote health centres

In surgery and patient care, a power cut can be fatal. Solar coupled with grid storage forms a hybrid, reliable supply delivering mobile and fixed power on demand: rugged, low operational cost, long service life, with reserve power guaranteed to conclude a procedure.

• Withstands grid voltage fluctuations while storing
• Clean power for sensitive medical gadgets
• Reserve capacity to complete critical procedures
• Very low failure rate; user maintainable; sterile SS surfaces

Reduce cost and size, increase reliability.

Prefabricated toilet kits

Fairs and melas need hundreds of toilets that are wasted assets the day the event ends. The prefab kit assembles in situ in 45 minutes per toilet with minimal ground preparation, needs only a water and sewage connection, and is fully recoverable: 30 toilets stack into one standard lorry.

• Prefabricated interior and rapid-assembly structure
• Rapidly deployable plumbing and sewage-out
• Adjustable entry and exit ramp

Prefab toilets with bathing facility.

Solar-powered exhaust system for dry toilets

Dry toilets compost waste into high-value manure, and composting speed tracks moisture removal. Ordinary exhaust fans corrode away in this duty, so a corrosion-proof air path with brushless solar motors was designed from scratch: forced circulation, power independent, extremely long life.

• Long-life brushless solar motor
• Corrosion-free air movement path
• Universal retrofit; sized motor and panel

A large toilet air-drying system.