What is a Solar rooftop?

Solar rooftop are solar panels placed on top of roofs of commercial, institutional or residential buildings. They capture the light energy emitted by the sun and convert it into electrical energy. This setup is also known as solar rooftop photo-voltaic system. It produces a clean, Eco friendly form of energy, meaning that it’s which does not produce any type of pollution or harmful gases.

Solar market all over the globe is on a verge to make our mother earth a healthy and secure place to live. A solar rooftop panel only requires space and abundance amount of sunlight for efficient working, and on some days when the sun is on low spirits, batteries stored in the panels will work as a savior.

Employment generation

The manufacture of solar panels and ancillary components is labor intensive, requires moderately skilled labor. Even setting up solar rooftop systems requires labor power, both directly and indirectly. Post installation, technicians are involved in ensuring timely service and maintenance of these solar rooftops, though this number is fairly low as solar electricity systems are mostly hassle free. According to a report submitted by Bridge to India, job creation in the installation of solar rooftops will be the highest. Manufacturing, designing, business development, administration,design and drawing,project development,accounts are many other job opportunities that spring up with the solar industry.

Various Appliances Powered by Solar Rooftops

Household appliances – Television, thermostat, dryer, fan, radio, refrigerators

Smaller daily use items – Flashlights, wearable like smartwatches and fitness bands, power banks, music speakers

Infrastructural – Street lights, Fans in warehouses etc

Environmental Effects

Solar rooftops need only the light of the sun to generate electricity, making it a cleaner source of energy than most other usual forms. Its renewable nature promises sustainability. No health hazards are involved and no pollutants are emitted by solar rooftops. No extra land is required to set up rooftops. With widespread usage, solar rooftops can help in minimizing global warming.

Economic Impact of Solar Rooftops

Solar rooftops are very cost effective. They are one-time investments which continue to serve both nature and the society for a much longer time. In the long run, they turn out to be less expensive as compared to diesel generators or even grid electricity. People who switch to solar energy experience a huge cut in electricity bills, hence saving a lot of money.

Solar Rooftops in Residential Areas

Solar rooftops are now being increasingly used for residential areas – both large complexes as well as medium to large-scale private housing e.g. About 280 households in Gandhinagar were fitted with solar panels last year. Resale value of a house will also increase if it comes with an installed solar rooftop system. The money spent on terrifying electricity bills will be cut short and the money saved can help a family invest in a better lifestyle.

Social Implications of Solar Rooftops

Setting up solar rooftops is also philanthropic in nature. It not only serves the environment but serves society as a whole. There are schools and colleges in various small districts of the nation where the supply of electricity is improper, this poses a threat to education of the pupils, also because of lack of power the students in villages cannot take up digital education, especially during the night they are not able to study because of darkness.All these problems could be overcome by adopting solar techniques. The hospitals will not face any obstacle in treating their patients because of lack of power. The use of cleaner energy will also increase the life expectancy rate among people.

India has become a leading nation in solar energy. In its Budget 2015 India announced a target of adding 175 GW of renewable energy, including 100 GW of solar power, by 2022. A subsidy of 30% for setting up solar rooftops has been given to general category states and 70 % to special category states.

Solar rooftops have an expected life of 25 years which make them worth the investment.

Written By: Priyanka Pandey

For a profit-making organization, Customer Service means ensuring that all its customers are satisfied with the product or service that he/she bought from them. Any firm which ignores Customer Service post sales, stands to have its patrons/customers lose trust in the enterprise, and perhaps move on to a competitor. Word of mouth on frequent incidents like this frames an unreliable image of the company in the market.

The Indian solar water pump industry is barely mature and the concept of customer support in this industry is neither very evolved nor well developed in terms of providing support post installation. Solar pumps are popular mostly in rural areas and in agricultural belts. They help Indian farmers combat their dependence on petrol and diesel for running pumps. Using these fossil fuels is a relatively expensive and demand a lot of maintenance. In order to combat this problem, the solar pumping industry is working towards setting up solar pumping system across the nation. But what happens once the installation process is complete?

Customer service in solar pumping industry, currently

The lifespan of a solar pump is, in most cases, of 25 years and the warranty provided by the manufacturing company is approximately of 5 years. During and after the warranty it is the responsibility of the service provider to ensure that the consumer is given full assistance in case of any damage or technical defect. However, in many cases, the solar pump is installed in the most remote areas, where transportation problems prevail. In such situations providing technical help is problematic and the time taken for servicing ranges from 15 to 20 days, which is long enough to hinder the operations of the farmer, who uses the solar setup. Most service executives in the solar industry possess an indifferent and inattentive approach towards the consumer problem and don’t deal with them in an effective manner, thinking that their job is completed once the installation is done and the payment is received. These issues take place a lot in any organisation where there is lack of commitment towards the customer, and poor teamwork among employees. Another big obstacle is that most of the communication between the consumer and the agent is done online or over phone, but due to poor cellular network and lack of literacy among farmers, the communication holds inadequate or incorrect information.

Why is customer service important?

Customer service is the most important part of any venture, not just the solar industry. Without providing this service efficiently the business is not likely to succeed. Below are some points which show how essential providing full assistance after the purchase is mandatory for a successful business:

Without ensuring effective customer service the consumer will lose their trust in the organisation and will not return to them for future purchases
The brand image of the enterprise will be hit and this could be detrimental for its reputation in the market
In the internet era every person can post reviews, both negative and positive, for a particular product or service. This could mean the opportunity to gain more orders, also losing potential ones in case the review is negative
Recommendation is significant for the flourishing of any organisation. If the consumer experiences dissatisfaction, they will not recommend the product or service anywhere.

We at Claro energy try to provide full customer support to the people we sell our panels and pumps to. Even in the remotest of areas where transportation facility is not very developed we take the pains to solve every defect faced by the consumer. We provide assistance within a maximum of 72 hours after the complaint has been filed and irrespective of the area. Ours is often regarded as the best customer service in solar industry sector.

Mr Praveen Tiwari the head of customer service department shares with us his views on the importance of customer service in the industry and how we are continuously working towards achieving this goal.

“Customer care is the most difficult phase for any company and if we don’t carry it out efficiently the consumers will lose their interest in the respective enterprises. We at CLARO try to provide service as well as we can, and help other ventures as well who are unable to provide service to their customers on time. No other company in the solar market offers such a service timeline of 72 hours irrespective of the area. Our vision is to provide the best service even after 5 years of purchase, when the company has been fully equipped to solve all service woes. We aim to frame the best image of us in the market by strengthening our services vertical.”

We at CLARO Energy are happy to serve you!

Education forms the basis of everything in today’s world including environment. Environmental Education imparts knowledge about the current situation and future prospects of nature. It teaches people to explore all the problems related to environment, and engage in wise ways of preserving it.

A number of schools have taken the initiative to provide practical as well as theoretical knowledge about the impact of human activities on Nature. They take students out of the four walls of a classroom and make them do activities like gardening, watering plants, meditation in community parks etc. Education is the only way to make the best minds work productively.

In this era, the natural world is under threat. Different species of Flora and Fauna are on the verge of extinction, the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat – everything is polluted or has contaminants. By including Environmental studies as a subject in schools, as well as in higher education, we can make coming generations more sensitized and encourage them to find innovative solutions and methods for the way ahead, in order to protect nature.

Here are 5 reasons why there is a need that the learning years should be integrated with environmental education.

Awareness

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In order to take any step towards protecting our environment surroundings, we need awareness, which can come only from studying subjects related to our ecosystems. What are the issues the world is facing today? What are the components which constitute the universe? What are the different species of plants and animals? How can we ensure their long term survival? What is sustainability and how can it be achieved?

All these questions will be answered only if we learn about the environment and apply that knowledge practically.

Sustainability

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Making sure that the needs of future generation are met by the earth’s resources, would a Sustainable form of consumption of those resources today. At the current rate of consumption, Natural resources will be depleted far too fast for future generations to survive. Our irresponsible usage of these resources will leave our future generations to bear with the consequences of this exploitation. Environmental education help people understand the repercussions caused by over exploitation, and act accordingly

Health Benefits

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Both physical and mental health get affected with a depletion of the environment. These can instead flourish if we come more in contact with Nature.

One of the best benefits of this type of education is that it takes place outside the confines of a classroom. Students, who would not have otherwise spent this time outdoors, experience serenity and the healing powers of nature. In fact, treatment through natural means is called Eco-therapy. It helps patients recover from depression, cures heart ailments, maintains Blood Pressure, sleep longevity, improves eyesight etc. It’s a no hidden fact that a person who remains closest to nature is likely to stay healthier.

Artistic Imagination

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Places with natural surroundings are best for artists to create their masterpieces. Poetry, painting, sculptures etc are all products of imagination, inspired by nature quote from the cult film Dead Poets Society says

“ Medicine, law, engineering, these are the noble pursuits, necessary to sustain life but poetry, romance, love, beauty, these are what we stay alive for”.

Such creative work, more often than not, are the products of nature. Environmental education can make people recognize the hidden artist within them.

Raises Awareness about Environmental Threats

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It can encourage today’s generation to switch to safer and better choices. One would know the rescue drills for natural calamities better, how to use your greens better (they can do what no medicine can) etc. Environmental Education is one subject that warns you against everything which may go wrong.

Renewable sources of Energy: Environmental education makes people understand the importance of renewable energy. Non renewable sources of energy like petrol, diesel etc are the major sources of the world’s pollution. Using renewable sources like solar energy, wind energy etc is encouraged Environment Education, and is imperative in our fight against global warming.

There are various projects being taken by Governments and organisations for enhancing Ecological education throughout the world. The Indian government has established The Environmental Education, awareness and training program with an objective of spreading this in remote areas of the country as well as other developed parts. The National Environmental education act 1990 requires to provide national leadership to increase environmental literacy. It also established the office of environmental program to implement this. CPR environmental education center was set up by the ministry of environment of India to increase environmental consciousness.

Environmental consciousness is being spread through cinema and digital media as well. Al Gore’s documentaries and Amitav Ghosh’s books have been revelations, as have been Leonardo Di Caprio’s efforts. Social Media campaigns daily publish more and more information on environmental conservation.

All such initiatives will help making world a better place to live.

Apart from these the students who study environment will further educate people about the importance of nature. They will make people aware about the traditional and technical ways of protecting the planet.