In times of frequent power shut downs, when the entire Nagarbhavi area is shrouded in darkness, there is one house that stands out like a beacon.
Thanks to a couple who generate power through wind and solar energy and do not depend on BESCOM, their house ‘Belaku’ in Vidyagiri Layout is self-powered through their own efforts.
Belaku is the brainchild of KLH Raya and his wife Bhanumathi.
Raya, the CEO of Deepa Solar lighting systems is into exclusive manufacturing of solar lights.
The entire three-storeyed-house on a 30 X 40 site with all the electronic appliances including lights, TV, fan, refrigerator, washing machine and many more is powered by alternative energy.
Both of them, engineering graduates started this venture after quitting their respective jobs in a private company.
“We started at home and realised that this is going to be the future.
We have not looked back since we began in 2003,” says Bhanumati.
“While my wife looks at research and development section, I handle marketing,” Raya adds.
The entire house is maintained with 2.
1 KW which they generate through wind and solar energy.
“We pay less than `150 as our power expenses to the Bescom every month which is because of pumping of water,” says Raya.
Explaining further Raya says that they have installed solar heating in their premises.
“We normally use solar cooker on weekends when we are free,” he says, adding that they never use UPS in their house as it is not required at all.
“We need atleast 2 KW power every month.
If we had used normal electricity, we would have paid around `1200 per month,” he adds.
They generate 1.
6 KW through wind turbines which have been mounted on the top floor of their houses.
“We have solar distilled water plants, through which we get four bottles of distilled water and by adding normal water to distilled water, it is sufficient for the batteries used in wind energy turbine,” he says.
“We use LED solar lights for the entire house and it consumes one fourth of the power as compared to the regular lights,” Raya explains.
Their company has set up a solar power plant at Malai Mahadeshwara hills which has a capacity of 226 KW.
They have also set up wind and solar hybrid power plants at CMC office in Madikeri (15 KW).
Both are yet to be inaugurated.
They have also set up solar power plants at Chitrashettihalli and Shettihalli villages (18 kms from Shimoga),” he says.
“Instead of purchasing power from outside, the State government can adopt solar or wind energy,” he suggests.
Now, BBMP has a proposal to adopt a similar way of generating power in their buildings as well as households.
“Through a hybrid method of solar and wind energy, we can generate power upto 150 KW.
We can adopt in apartments too especially in a city like Bangalore where sun’s radiation is visible 300 days a year.
With solar and wind power energy plants, we can maintain an entire city.
BBMP should make this mandatory for newly constructed houses,” he adds.
Interested people can contact klhraya@deepasolar.
com