POWERING UP THE BUCOLIC INDIA WITH GRAMJYOT

Our Community Welfare activities are centered around our two pilot community living enhancement programs that are aligned in the category of “Rural Development Projects” as per Section 135 of Companies Act 2013.

Project Highlights

Villages Vazarepada and Songiripada in Jawahar with 0 Electricity now powered with MicroGrid.
State-of-the-art NO 1. Japanese High Efficiency Solar PV Module (HIT) used to maximize power production.
220 Residents in the said area continue to reap benefits for the same.
Deepened the bond between the community members and corporate.
5.7 Million INR spent to bring the community from Darkness to Light.
Further initiatives in pipe-line to promote livelihood enhancement.
Technology Partner Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. (Formerly know as Anchor Electricals), Implementing Partner Gram Oorja Solutions Pvt. Ltd and Community Facilitating Partner Pragati Pratishthan.

Technical Details of the Project

Solar System PV size - 2.88 kWp HIT 240 Wp * 12 pcs 2 series / 6 parallel Tilt angle - 20 degree
Battery bank 48 pcs 4 series / 6 parallel Total capacity - 48 V * 360 Ah = 17.28 kWh
Grid details Transmission grid approx length – 870 meter No of poles – 21 fitted with 25 W high power street lamps No of households connected - 38 load details in each house:- 4 LED bulb of 5 Watt 2 plug point of service connection- 38 No

The GramJyot Project is a classic example of utilizing the collective wisdom of the benefitting community, technology, corporate community, implementing and facilitating partners. While Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. (Formerly know as Anchor Electricals)’s key prerogative was to make power accessible to the grid, the heartening response from the community was a first for the company. Enclosed are some highlights of the community in action during work in progress. Right from Lifting the Container to taking it to the location on foot, is a task that not only requires hard work but sheer determination to getting the work done. It took two full days and nights and more than 60 members to carry the container to the respective location.

Impact Now & In the Near Future

The Immediate Impact was seen in the Households during cooking especially at night as now the houses have power. Street Vision has drastically improved and now the community would be able to spot creatures in the night that could be hazardous to human lives eg. scorpions, snakes etc. The community lighting now reduces human efforts as home electrical appliances such as lights and fans. Due to lighting inside the house the community now has means to connect to the other parts of the world through Television, Audio System etc. Cleaner air & access to light for household activities is now there in the night.

Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. (Formerly know as Anchor Electricals) will continue with its activities and expects that future impact under said initiative would include:-

Reduction in Use of Fossil Fuel e.g. Kerosene use, hence smoke & carbon reduction
Reduction in migration by creating employment
Reduction in human efforts for basic needs

Here’s mapping
of the difficulty level
before and after
the project.

Sustainaibility

All members of the Community have created a Trust and some of them have undergone wiremen training as well to solve issues that may occur within households ex, MCB tripping etc. as there are high chances of the community being cut off from the normal world during the rainy season as there is lack of proper road also. It is surrounded from four sides by river. The Community also handed over the land required to set up the plant to the trust. The Community has installed electric meters in every household, they get billed per unit for electricity usage and the fund gets collected in a bank account in name of community itself, by the community members. This money would be used for future operation and maintainence of the said grid

for tasks such as battery replacement etc. The company is initiating livelihood enhancement projects in the said area such as distributing solar powered pumps to boost agriculture, training on small-scale agriculture and has identified vendors for the same. The projects are scheduled to be initiated this year.

Key Takeway

Of the Community, By the Community, With the Community, For the Community… Key Achievement of this project is that every single labour work from installing over 21 Poles to installing meters and electrical accessories inside houses to streetlights the work has been done within the community.” Panasonic Life Solutions India Pvt. Ltd. (Formerly know as Anchor Electricals) will be engaging with the community further, to support livelihood enhancement in the upcoming years in the said region. Here’s the work report from implementing partners Gram Oorja Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in terms of Project Execution. “ Two villages in Jawhar taluka of Maharashtra – Songiripada & Vazarepada, have been electrified with a total of 5.76 kWp solar PV capacity to provide lighting and electricity to 38

households (220 populations). Future possibilities include providing more homes in remote areas across India access to energy and drinking water through strategic designing of solar PV based systems. We may look at livelihood enhancement for helping the farmers in irrigating their fields through solar based systems, in remote villages where the water source is difficult to access.” The first footsteps have been taken by the community youth of returning to the village as well. Mr. Sanju Rathad returned to the village leaving his job at a company in Nashik, encouraged with the fact that the village now has electricity access. He hopes to build a thriving farm in the said area now that the basic essentials are being taken care of.