Solar paradox- A visit to Dilli 6!

So here goes a follow-up post which was promised, on the Lajpat Rai Market visit.

Today, on a hot summer day, I set out with a friend of mine to 'validate the solar paradox' (in his words!). Now the Dainik Jagran clipping did not mention the name of the shop, so we reached Chandni Chowk metro station, only with this little information: We had to find Mr. Harsh Jagga's shop in Lajpat Rai Market. After inquiring from here and there, we managed to reach the market, which was right next to Bhagirath Palace (the biggest light market, had explored all of it two years back for light shopping for my new home).

As we moved around the narrow bylanes, we saw a few solar panels kept outside some shops, but I was rather adamant to locate the same shop which was featured in the story. Managed to find it, and we began our little investigation, with me clutching to the news clipping (yes, I carried it!).

No beating around the bush, here is what we found: The 'cheap' solar panels worth Rs.60 per watt are not made in China rather their cell is imported duty-free (that explains the subsidized cost) and assembled by an Indian company in Hyderabad (see pic below). Also, it had essentially the same guarantee period as offered by the Indian made panels (10years!).

The chinese made, imported panels are more cheaper but they don't carry any guarantee. The most popular item in his shop, was a solar mobile charger worth Rs.350.

He also had panels offered by companies like Tata BP solar, but they were priced at Rs.95 per watt. He said, even the government sells these panels at higher rates and they are not readily available to the general public. Like the biggest client of Tata is the railways.

So what I infer is, shops like these are an important link in the chain to reach out to people at the grassroots. Also, very important for achieving our National Solar Mission's target of off-grid power supply.

The shopkeeper confessed that these products were popular among the rural audience. They have supplied these panels to many villages. He lamented how Rickshaw pullers buy these for their villages in U.P and Bihar. He felt that, the rural dwellers value these products more, since they have no electricity supply in their homes. On the other hand, since the urban audience already has access to electricity, they are not interested in buying solar devices and they find it too costly.

I don't quite agree with him, I feel its all about creating awareness and changing mindsets. For instance, an urban dweller can recover money by operational cost savings. Agreed, the initial investment is high, but it is definitely cheaper than what it used to be few years back.And why do we forget about our urban poor? The rural migrants who comprise the 'slum population' in our cities. They can benefit from these products too.

Also, if the solar rooftop policy is introduced (feeding solar power from our homes to the grid), we can completely reduce/eliminate our electricity bills by supplying equivalent amounts! It was recently scrapped by the Delhi government (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-09/delhi/31041338_1_solar-power-solar-project-solar-mission)

Unfortunately, installing solar air conditioning at our homes, is a far fetched dream. As currently designing ACs of 1-1.5 ton specification (the kind we use at homes) is not feasible. Right now, Thermax is the leader in this field and they currently design solar ACs for large scale commercial purpose like for offices and hotels, powering halls with huge capacity.

If you happen to be in Old Dilli, do visit these shops. The one I visited was:

Makhija Electronics, Shop No. 768, Old Lajpat Rai Market, Delhi-6. Contact No. 9810165781