Incentives | Environment | Energy
SELCO India: Solar energy pioneer ready to scale
India is facing a looming energy crisis. The energy needs of the country’s population cannot be met by conventional energy sources (read: Fossil Fuels). We had mentioned in the space before, the importance of India leapfrogging into renewable sources like solar and wind. As part of the eleventh five year plan, GOI just allocated Rs. 600 crore towards green energy research creating incentives for adoption of renewables.
One company that has taken the lead in the renewables space is Solar Electric Lighting Company (SELCO) India. We had covered SELCO extensively in this space before. The challenge with solar energy is not just the making Photo-voltaic(PV) cells more cost-effective, but also
effective financing, distribution, and maintenance of these PV units. The latter is commonly referred to as downstream solar opportunities. Started in 1995, SELCO India claims to have sold, serviced and financed 75,000 solar electric units. Recognizing SELCO’s cutting-edge work in expanding access to energy, its founder Harish Hande was chosen as Indian Social Entrepreneur of the Year for 2007 by the Schwab Foundation in partnership with The Nand & Jeet Khemka Foundation.
The challenge for a company like SELCO now is scale. How can the organization move from servicing 80,000 clients to servicing 8 million clients? Making PV units more affordable would be a good start (currently they are priced around Rs. 800). Another key challenge would be building a effective distribution and servicing chain. There is also competition around the corner (which is never a bad thing) – we had mentioned d.light design, a silicon-valley based company with an aggressive focus on India.
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26 Comments on “SELCO India: Solar energy pioneer ready to scale”
dear sir,
i am looking for various business opportunities in silar energy can you guide me for the same
regards
bhavesh
Sir,
I want some exposer vist relating to the Solar Light, as i am working in Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSPI) in the post of Development Specialist in Alternative Energy. As i done my PG from IIT Kharagpur
Thanks
Niraj Kumar Singh
8
solar power is not just important to industrialized countries in their quest to reduce energy independence but green house gases as well. The problem as evident today is even more pressing as limiting exposure to oil price fluctuations relate directly to economic as well as national security concerns as well.
What makes rneweable energy products exciting from companies like SELCO is they also see, and wisely so, the need and market for developing aras and country’s as well as the way to best serve these markets is clearly going to be solar power.
Also I would like to thank the author on an excellent article on the coming implementation of solar power
http://www.motherearthenergy.com
Hello TC-I team, SELCO
It is infact amazing to know about the scale of operation of SELCO on providing solar lanterns , recharging and rental supply. AWAKE- an NGO for women development and entreprenurship would like to train some women entrepreneurs both rural and urban in this . Is it possible to get the right contact person ? and details on manufacture and maintainence of these solar powered lanterns.
regards,
Dr.Rajeswari
secretary
AWAKE- mob: No : 91-
Hi,
I am a cable operator and an Internet service provider here in Bangalore.
Since the Internet needs 24×7 service we are looking at a solar electricity for powering the switches which we have placed near the customer premises. This power issue has become a nightmare here. Hence on the look out for solar, this helps in 2 ways, 1) uninterrupted service 2) reduce power consumption and also Eco friendly.
If anybody do know whom I can contact, please do let me know
I can be reached at
Thanks
Arun
am intrested to join in solar energy program .what is the process to join
thanking you,
G.kiran kumar
Hi,
I need to get a detailed idea about the use of solar energy in rural areas. I wish to get an idea about the equipments required for it with their price and the producers’ name and address.
Thank you.
Prof. Dr. Mostafa Ashour
Faculty of Agriculture
Food Science Dept.
Zagazig Univ.
EGYPT
hai,
this is TeamLED, LED Foundation, India. it is good and useful information. today, nearly 40 crore / 400 million Indians are waiting for and needs a realiable, trustful, long lasting and useful light to allow them to do thier tasks at affordable cost.
we, are committed for the cause “LIGHTING INCLUSION”.
please see our website http://www.ledfoundation.in
thank you,
R Praveen Kumar,
Officer – PR & Admin.
LED Foundation
dear sir, i am living in Raipur , Chhattisgarh. I am an Engg. grduate. I have 15 years experience of working in social sector ( health and community empowerment). I am interested to work in alternative energy as professional as well as social activist. I need your support in this regard. Please provide useful information.
Thanks a lot. warm regards .avinash.
dear sir, i am living in Raipur , Chhattisgarh. I am an Engg. grduate. I have 15 years experience of working in social sector ( health and community empowerment). I am interested to work in alternative energy as professional as well as social activist. I need your support in this regard. Please provide useful information.
Thanks a lot. warm regards .avinash.
Good morning is goo when sun rises in the morning. I want to be a social entrepreneur and very much interested in solar energy business with not a motive of minting money but to earn bread and butter and do the social service. Can you guide me.
Awaiting your guidance.
Hello,
I am living in Pune and wanted to start with green energy business. Can you guide me how your company can help me.
Thanks
Dear All,
I believe that green energy should be the way of life in future to save our planet. I would like to make some difference using green energy in rural india.
Please help to march towards green india
i am interested in joining.pl.send me info.for enteringat the baseof pyramid. product profile,min .investment and good wishes.
Dear Team,
> An important and major part of northern India is still suffering from Power supply and back-up.who say to this crisis is for industrial development but is for livlihood, means day to day utilty problems are not being solved which are at very ground level..i want to take a part and share my efforts in this regard..
please suggest me to lead in ths way..regrads ashish 5
Sir, i am an engineering grauate and have my own business in electrical field. Now i am intrested to work in solar power sector through promoting it in rural areas of rajasthan. i need consultancy and business assistance in this regard. Thanks
Dear Sir/Madam
I would like to start the solar energy business and service at my place.
Could you please guide me how to do that and what is the investment.
Looking forward from you.
Thank You
Jay Hind
sir, i want to help the people of northeast india in your process of solar power as the vast area still is under dark can you guide me with the process 0
I m a businessman in Jamshedpur,Jharkhand,I deal in eletrical & electronics products.I spread these products to the rural part of my surrounding areas & I m eager to do spread solar tecnology also in these areas as because the supply of electricity is very poor in this area and its surroundings.
Sir/Madam, I am MBA Graduate looking to enter into solar Energy bussiness as it has tremendous potential. Some products in solar energy are excellent to move into the market.
Basically it is an un explored market.
Ravi
Sir / Madam, I am an MBA Graduate with bussiness experience of over 5 yrs.
looking fot an opportunity to enter into Solar Energy bussiness. As it has tremendous potential basically it is an unexplored market.
RAVI
Dear sir,
i am a businessman looking for an opportunity to work in the field of solar energy.As rightly said by the people above it has a lot of potential….
thank you
kaushal
3
Dear Sirs Mis, our company is interested in quickly attracting venturefunding to finish work on the technology of production ofsolar modules with high efficiency. request for funding and in theannex to the letter the results of our work in the form of a report
We offer more detailed information on our company and demand for grantcapital funding in the amount of – $ 3000 000.
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY – technology perfected laboratory,to manufacture industrial design and conduct an independent test.
REQUIRED AMOUNT OF VENTURE FINANCING – $ 3000 000.The additional informationFinancing term – 18 months. Return of theinvestor – in the course10 days after the expiration of funding.
PROPOSAL FOR COOPERATION for venture investorsAfter production of the industrial design and an independent test, wepropose % Of revenue from the sale of technology.
COMMERCIALIZATION developed technology.Our technology has a wide range of potential buyers.This technology allows all companies to manufacturers of solar modulesvery easy to integrate our technology into an existing, technologicalcomplex. It is planned to implement the technology on a territorial basis —
right to the technology will be limited to use by the buyer on theTerritoriesand obemu release.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYAt present the main trends in development by improving the efficiency ofphoto electric plates in the application of new non-silicon materials.So a few days ago, the Japanese company Sharp after 9 years of work reported the creation of a prototype battery that runs without a hub, butthe efficiency of which is 35,8%.New uses for electricity generation several photo-absorbing layers, unitedamong themselves. The substrate is made of battery connections on the basisof indium and gallium. The properties provided by the battery is quite closeto those used in the aerospace industry. Talking about the mass use will nothave developers in the coming years to address issues of cost reduction anda number of technological problems.Our company has gone a different way:1. We left a substrate of mono silicon.2. on the surface of the substrate of mono silicon, we have consistentlystrike a fewlayers of thickness 50-100 nano meter (materials that are applied is ourknow-how) –* Main layer of nano-size mono atomic amorphous silicon, is a very activestate of amorphous silicon. In this layer, the speed of motion of electronsis several times higher than the standard Cell-based silicon. And as thislayer is able to convert into electrical energy is not only the visible partof the spectrum of sunlight and ultra violet and infra red radiation. Monoatomic amorphous silicon produced by quantum chemical engineering at atemperature of 20 degrees Celsius.Properties of mono atomic amorphous silicon are truly unique.Cost to automobile 1 gr. This material does not exceed $ 100.At the same time using 1 gr. mono amorphous silicon can cover 10 squaremeterphotovoltaic plates.* extreme layer is an anti-reflecting the carbon coating.Total efficiencies achieved over 35%.If you compare the cost of Sell-based mono silicon efficiency 16%Cell produced by our technology with efficiency over 35%, our Sell more10-15% while the efficiency of our Sell more than 2 times better.While improving the technology and equipment we can achieve efficiency of50% and above.The characteristics of our products:SpecificationDimension :156mm x 156mm ± 0.5mmThickness :203 mc.m ± 0,5 mc.m, 180 mc.m ± 0,5 mc.mFront :2.0 ± 0.1mm busbar (silver)Silicon nitride antireflection coatingBack 3.0mm continuous soldering pads (silver)Back surface field (aluminum)Efficiency – 35%Power : 6,5 wattColor uniformity A, grade
In addition to the use of solar energy nanoscale mono atomic amorphoussilicon and its application of our technology has great prospect ofapplication in the electronics industry.When applying this material for silicon-based chip, we seek to increasespeed and memory in the old scale of the chip.We have plans to use this technology in other areas – space, medicine ..To maintain the pace and timing of the completion of the production ofindustrial prototypes we raise $ 3000 000.
We are interested in quickly attracting investment.
general director SOLARUS ENERGY LtdVLADIMIR KARASEV Email: