Solar Urja through Localization for Sustainability

Vision

Leading the global movement for socio-economic development through affordable, sustainable, reliable and complete energy access, built on the foundation of localisation.

Mission

To establish sustainable and thriving localized ecosystem at the grassroots by providing technology-based livelihood opportunities to the local communities by creating localized entities including solar enterprises and manufacturing units, for facilitating a transition from rural subsistence to surplus.

Concept

Solar Off-grid programs have been around since 1980s but have lacked the basic elements of accessibility, availability and reparability, which have led to the low penetration of the solar technology in the rural areas. Based on these identified reasons, SoULS initiative have evolved ‘Localization-Affordability-Saturation (LAS)’ model to overcome these shortcomings:

Localization
Affordability
Saturation

Localization

‘Localization’ focuses on knowledge and skill transfer to local communities by involving them in deployment of technology in rural areas and simultaneously providing employment for people. It represents local harnessing of renewable energy by creating a distribution network that offers a distinctive advantage of locally trained people catering to need of after-sales service. There is emphasis on transferring basic know-how of appropriate renewable technology through localization by imparting systematic training to local people for diffusion and maintenance.

Affordability

‘Affordability’ is an important aspect and emphasizes on reducing the cost barrier thus becoming instrumental in speedy penetration of technology into rural markets. The absence of affordability hinders speedy diffusion and upscaling of appropriate technology in the developing countries. Ensuring affordability creates a positive effect on demand for technology and enhances reach to remote parts.

Saturation

‘Saturation’ builds on reaching the maximum number of beneficiaries in a specific geographical area within a defined time span. It enables better logistics, operational management and repair and maintenance at lower costs, allowing rural population to access clean energy. Saturation emphasizes on concentration in a single location due to which it has advantage of familiarizing sizeable population to new technology which leads to social acceptability and eventually creates demand for related technology.