Monthly Archives: July 2017

 


Peerla banda Tanda, is a village in Rangareddy district, Telangana, with a population of a mere 120 people. This is one such village where, in spite of grid connectivity, there is an irregular or negligible power supply for days. It is the complete representation of how impoverished and underdeveloped a village can be, especially in the face of infrastructure failure. Almost every household in the village used to have a water pipeline and bore well. However, it turned out to be of no use to the villagers as they didn’t have the basic requirement of proper access to electricity supply to make the bore well pumps run. Villagers had to walk miles just to collect a few liters of drinking water. The situation was so grave that villagers were forced to use water only for drinking purposes and had to go without bathing and cleaning for many days.

 

 

The installation of a solar pump in Peerla Banda tanda was a result of Claro Energy undertaking a Drinking Water project for the Telangana (erstwhile Andhra Pradesh) government’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitary System (RWSS&S) body, which was promoted by the Ministry of Renewable Energy,

 

 

This solar water pump not only helped the villagers get access to on-demand clean drinking water every day but also incorporated storage of water in overhead tanks. This made water available for cleaning and sanitation purposes, as well. Now with access to water, the people of the village could do what was unthinkable to them before. Their basic needs – such as bathing daily, proper sanitation – were finally met.

 

 

Claro Energy, with the support of the government and the Sarpanch of Gandeed block, has ensured that no child has to miss school and no adult has to forgo potential daily wage earnings. Villagers do not have to walk kilometers in the scorching heat, anymore, just to fetch a few liters of water.

Challenges

All this did not arrive on a smooth path, though. The installation team of Claro Energy faced a fair few roadblocks which they had to overcome to make the project a success. Firstly, this village was in a very remote corner of Telangana. Transportation of solar panels and other installation material to the site was a major hurdle in itself. A variety of transport modes, including both large and small goods vehicles, non-motorized vehicles, and, to a certain extent, by foot. An unprecedented second issue was convincing villagers. Being a fairly remote area, education levels of the locals were not high enough for them to understand how electricity can be generated from the sun. They simply did not believe such a thing was possible and thought it was some kind of scam to their detriment. This caused them to be non-cooperative with the installation team. As local help is of utmost importance to an installation process, it was imperative to convince the villagers about this concept. Apart from a lot of convincing by both the sarpanch and Claro staff, the nail was finally hit on the head by taking some of the villagers to a nearby project and showing them, much to their astonishment, exactly how the setup worked.

 

 

Access to clean water is the basic right of every human being, and Claro Energy, as an organization, is committed to fighting the water scarcity problem facing the most remotely located populace of this country. Clean drinking water uplifts livelihoods The Peerla Banda Tanda drinking water project is one such story.

water intensive crop, claro energy

 

In the scope of Indian agriculture, a variety of crops is cultivated in India due to the vastly distinct weather and soil conditions that are available in various topographies across the country. These crops are majorly divided into food grains, cash crops, plantation crops and horticulture crops. Water is one of the essential resources that are required for proper growth of these crops. The majority of the farmers are still dependant on growing water intensive crops. Irrigation water, exclusive of precipitation and stored moisture, is required to meet the consumption rate of a crop during its growth period. But the amount of irrigation water required differs for each plant, not only because different plants need to survive different environments, but also because each plant has its own unique physical features.The rural Indian population is largely dependent on agriculture as its primary source of livelihood. Agriculture is one of the major contributors to India’s GDP, with an 18% share (KPMG report), this population plays an integral role in the Indian Economy.

In this regard, we would like to highlight some of the most water intensive crops that are popularly grown by Indian farmers

Rice

rice crop

 

Rice acts as one of the most important staple food in the world and India is one of its largest producers. However, its production requires a great quantity of water. The rise in population has led to an increase in the demand for food crops; in turn escalating the amount of water required for irrigating them. Traditional farming needs 3,000 to 5,000 liters of water to produce a kilo of rice. The crop requires flooded soil for its growth as it suppresses weed growth and increases the uptake of nutrients from the soil for better yield. In India, it is grown in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Haryana.

Cotton

cotton crop claro energy

 

Also known as ‘white gold’, Cotton is a Kharif crop. India is one of the largest producers as well as exporters of cotton yarn. On an average, India uses 22,500 liters of water to produce 1 kg of cotton. Most Indian cotton is grown in drier regions. States cultivating this crop the most are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Orissa.

Sugarcane

 

India is the second largest producer of this popular cash crop. It has one of the longest growing periods and its growth can come to an untimely halt if there is a shortage of water. Generally crops require 300-500mm of rainfall/water for their growth; however, sugar cane requires 1,500-2,500mm of rainfall/water to complete the growth cycle. Therefore, the crop requires 1500-3000 liters of water to produce a kilo of sugarcane! In India, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Punjab are the major producers of this crop.

Soya

 

With 12 million tons of production; Soybean is one of the fastest growing crops in India.  The crop is considered to be well suited for Indian soil. A major source of protein, vegetable oil, and animal feed, the crop requires around 900 liters of water for 1 kilo worth produce. This crop is majorly grown in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan.

Wheat

 

After the Green Revolution, wheat production in India has been on the rise. After rice, wheat is the most consumed crop by the Indian population. Not just that, our country is also one of the largest exporters of all varieties of wheat, making us the second largest producer of the crop worldwide. However, the fact that cannot be ignored is that 900 litres of water is required to produce 1kg of wheat. In India, this crop’s production is mainly in the northern region – Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Uttarakhand are the major producers of this crop.

We can, therefore, see how Economic growth is indirectly dependent on fresh water. There needs to be an understanding that for greater agricultural productivity, for there to be a better harvest, there needs to be enough water. If water is used up by such water-intensive crops, there will come a time when there will be no water for agriculture. Most of these crops are grown in dry areas, which do not receive ample rainfall, and the farmers are either dependent on other freshwater sources or groundwater pumps. In a country like India, where 76 million people do not have access to safe drinking water, using up a great amount of water in such crops seems unfair. Water intensive agriculture takes away liters of water that can be used to help a significant population survive. Cultivation of these crops has even endangered some areas of water scarcity. In fact, due to intense drought conditions year after year, there have been multiple pleas by local officials for farmers to switch to pulses and oilseeds in Rampur. Tamil Nadu government has also asked farmers to switch to millets and pulses from rice, as the new crops will use less water and are as nutritious. However, in some areas, switching to different crops cannot be considered an ideal solution because of climatic limitations, soil requirements etc, therefore, a switch to better irrigation techniques like drip irrigation can be taken up. Furthermore, groundwater irrigation pumps are either dependent on irregular grid electricity or diesel, causing additional strain on the current environmental conditions. Solar powered pumps can be considered a model solution to overcome that problem. The water needs of these crops need to be considered to formulate an immediate solution.

Our water woes can be addressed by our own everyday use of water. Save water before it’s too late.

 

Written By: Prakriti Sharma

Edited By: Anirban Banerjee

 

Amroha is one of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh and is further divided into 6 blocks. According to a 2011 census, ‘Amroha District’ has a population of 1,838,771, roughly equal to that of the nation of Kosovo or of the US state of Nebraska. Farmers dominate a large part of this number, in Amroha. Amroha is mostly famous for the plantation of tomatoes along with sugar cane and wheat and potatoes. It produces enough tomatoes to export to Bangladesh, all over Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, thus leaving behind Punjab in tomato exports. However, this was not the case a decade back. 10 years back Amroha used to be one the most backward districts of UP, with farmers dependent on outdated, old and conventional farming practices. Within 10 years, after adopting and implementing modern agricultural techniques, yields went high and it changed the entire picturesque of Amroha.

Problems Faced

One of the biggest problems that farmers in Amroha face is that they do not get grid electricity for irrigation pumps by the government in the district. However, agriculture is their primary source of livelihood, thus the farmers in the area have now started looking for alternate irrigation solutions.

Therefore, they are having to resort to expensive diesel fueled pumps which are further burning a hole in their pockets and also degrading the present environmental conditions. These diesel pumps cost around 30,000 Rupees and 2,500 Rupees worth of diesel per day is used up to provide proper irrigation to the farms! On an average 60-70 days of irrigation is required if there is round the year farming of multiple crops, which means approximately 1.5lakh is spent on an annual basis only on diesel and electricity for irrigation purpose which is too high.

Solution: Switching to Solar Pumps

Solar powered irrigation pumps were introduced to the village by Claro Energy two years back to combat the problems faced by the farmers and a significant change was observed in such a small amount of time. The solar pumps have a negligible maintenance cost and thus, proved as a money-saving, environment-friendly solution for them. Stellar examples of its use can be observed in the village by different farmers. Though initial investment is on a higher end in solar pumps, but in long run is sustainable and cost effective with an average payback time of 2-3years(considering subsidies and in comparison to diesel pumps). In many cases, subsidies go as high as 90%, which makes payback period even less.

Making the Sun Provide More than Just Power

Dr. Parvender Kumar Panghal, a farmer of a small block Zoya in the district, has 5 acres of land opted for a 5HP solar pump. A 5 HP solar pump set costs somewhere around 5 lakh, but after various govt subsidies He only had to pay 2.6 lakhs, and no maintenance cost for 5 years.He has been able to build a hospital with the cost reduction in his irrigation supply. He’s setting an example for not only the other farmers in the village but the farmers of the world. This solar energy is also helping them improve their standard of living by helping them save money. This situation highlights how a small switch has the ability to change lives.

Access to water is a basic right which is slowly becoming a luxury; Claro Energy is committed to providing access to water to such off-grid rural areas by providing them with solar energy solutions.

Written By: Prakriti Sharma

Edited By: Priyanka Pandey

Claro Energy’s growth has been aided by the wonderful work our partners have done. Pramod Kumar is one such partner.

In our seventh year of business, we have reached a point where we can afford to look back and draw from specific experiences, rather than just go full steam ahead, as most early-stage start-ups do. During one such retrospection, we realized that the growth of Claro has been instrumental in the consequent growth of some its partners. These are the partners who make it possible for us to conduct our business efficiently and deliver the quality that we have come to be known for. Be it the IT services company which solve tech issues in our offices, the transport partner who ensures that material reaches its location on time, the training services provider, or the vendors who provide us with the parts and materials required to construct our installations. These partners are imperative to our business, as our business is imperative to theirs.

Pramod Kumar, Director of P.K. Enterprises in Patna, has been supplying supporting structures for solar panels, ever since our inception. The following conversation is between him and me, Anirban Banerjee, the Brand Marketing Manager of Claro Energy (henceforth to be represented as P and A, respectively).

P: Only an outside person can evaluate the overall growth of a company. He actually knows about the good or bad in terms of the company’s work.

A: Your story is quite interesting in terms of your growth in parallel to our company’s growth. But I’d like to know more.

P: We extensively focused on the energy sector, since our initial days. Back in the time when the company was started, the team at Claro was so small that we just needed a single car to transport the requirements. Although I was never an employee at Claro, I was always treated as part of the team. We were focused on the growth of our business, and the co-founders of Claro were very supportive of our venture since the beginning. All three of them had a fair exposure to foreign society and contrary to the Indian scenario, people in foreign countries are more proactive in helping others and their businesses. There, people tend to focus more on their work and how to prosper. When Claro was started, all of us were focused on a structured growth, all of us worked together without any personal ambition or abuse of power. The team is always concerned about continuous growth; we question ourselves regarding growth. In a startup, it is a mandatory criterion to take care of your team and it is very necessary that everyone is satisfied else he may hamper the growth of the company. Over these years, I gained a lot of exposure in terms of organizational workflow e.g. how to schedule meetings efficiently, work on outputs. In my lifetime, I have worked with many companies not just as a supplier, but with Claro, I consider myself a part of the family. I was working as a supplier in the middle east, with a reputed Oil and Gas company. My lifestyle was lavish and luxurious and at a later stage, I was on the verge of bankruptcy. Claro was a new beginning for me and the team here was very supportive and never let me relive the negative feelings of my past. I then started supplying structures for Claro’s systems. Back then, Auto-Cad was not known to many in this line, and I was aware of these technicalities as after surveying I used to extensively work on designs on Auto-CAD and other automation tools.

A: So, you are an engineer?

P: No, I don’t have any engineering background. My company in Dubai helped me get an AWS training. Till date, all my knowledge is based on the practical experience so far. I was always dedicated towards my personal growth and whenever my company assigned me a project, I would diligently follow that up with its completion.

A: How has your company’s journey been so far?

P: We started with Claro and provide them with structures, poles, and other structural requirements. We manufacture our products and have a galvanizing plant as well. We are constantly expanding and are looking for expansion in terms of manufacturing of other equipment as well.

A: What about your growth.?

P: Claro was our first partner and today we are working with 20 Companies.

A: How did this journey, from a single company to 20 companies, come about?

P: I was always focused on two aspects related to business. Firstly, the most important element is trust. Secondly, a friendly relation is equally important. These two are mutual requirements, and that’s the primary reason for my success. Claro was very cooperative with me since the beginning of this journey. I have my full faith in Claro and I believe that even if I don’t show any productive output, the company will forever support me.

A: So, your main vision behind the business is not only about the money?

P:  No, the main motive is not about money. I develop a lifelong relationship with our partners so that we are mutually reliable under any circumstances.

A: The main motive behind your business is about maintaining the relationship?

P: Exactly. We don’t want our partners to leave us and we never give them a chance to leave us. We manufacture systems that are cost effective, reliable, and provide maintenance and after services. So, there is no need for our partners to switch and we work according to their requirements. Say, for example, Crocin and Calpol are both made up of paracetamol, but their effect may vary from person to person. In the same way, we sit with our partners and try to find out what suits them and what is best for them. Our approach towards customers is to provide them with such a high-quality service proposition that they will never want to leave us. They know that the benefits we provide are long term.

Pramod Kumar, Director of P.K. Enterprises

(This conversation was originally in Hindi, but has been translated to English for a wider reach.)

Claro Energy Solar Panel
   Source                                                                      

For years there have been talks about the impact and benefits of solar energy but despite common knowledge, the world is yet to make solar its primary form of energy resource. The transition to solar energy from conventional energy has not been as rapid as it should have been.

There are many reasons attributed to the slow transition – lack of proper information and awareness is a primary one. Some people simply refused to believe that energy can be produced without burning something of some sort. Fortunately, solar energy is no more a mystery today. In the recent past (10-15 years) solar has increased its mainstream presence. With the tremendous rise in pollution, and the resulting global warming, the need for a sustainable energy resource is of paramount importance today.

Here are top 5 facts about solar energy which you didn’t knew before.

  • Solar Energy will supply power to One-third of the world by 2060.

Source

According to International Energy Agency, almost one-third of the world’s population will meet the demand for power supply through Solar Energy.

  • If all the energy of the sun shining on the Earth’s land mass could be harnessed, it would be enough to meet the world’s power needs by 6000 times.

Claro Energy Solar Power Panel

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The sunshine on the Earth’s land is estimated to be 120,000 terawatts (trillion watts), or about 6,000 times the world’s estimated 20-terawatt electricity demand by 2020.

  • Solar Powered Aircraft

    Solar Powered Aircraft Claro Energy

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Yes! You read it right. NASA has been working on a series of solar powered unmanned aircraft since the 1980’s.  Pathfinder, Pathfinder Plus and Helios Prototype, is the result of NASA’s efforts to use solar power for long duration high altitude flights.

  • Glass lenses use sun rays to make fire.

    Claro Energy

Source

Solar energy has started trending from the last 10-15 years, but it’s initial uses dates back to 700 BC, when glass lenses were used to make fire by magnifying Sun Rays.

  • World’s First Modern Solar Cell was invented in 1954.

    The solar panel cells that we are familiar with was invented by Bells Laboratories, a subsidiary of Nokia in 1954.

Source

There are so many more such facts about solar that aren’t common knowledge yet. The more people know the more they will adopt the concept. We will be back with more such facts. You can do your bit by spreading the word about solar.

Written By: Priyanka

Edited By: Anirban