Towards Creating Low Carbon Green Urja Urban Poor Slums – India

This project promotes the use of solar-powered electricity and cooking units in Hyderabad slum households. In addition to creating local employment opportunities, this activity benefits the pocketbooks of all families involved.

Fast facts:

10 rupees per month saved for each household through the use of a solar-powered lighting system ;
120 rupees per month saved with a cooking system;
One tonne of greenhouse gas emissions reduced per year.

The problem

A significant proportion of the Indian population lives in slum communities. Slum huts, which are often located in drought-prone areas, are small, flimsy, makeshift dwellings lacking electricity or toilets. Many inhabitants of such dwellings use kerosene for lighting and a combination of different fossil fuels for cooking, ranging from firewood to liquefied petroleum gas. The combustion of such fuels releases greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change. In addition to being bad for the environment, burning dirty fuels is unhealthy and dangerous – and unreliable, to boot. Almost all urban Indian households use one or two such sources to supply electricity, and several sources for meeting cooking needs.

The solution

This project deploys renewable energy-based cooking and lighting systems. The combination of a solar-powered cooker and a high efficiency biomass cook stove help meet all cooking needs, while a solar photovoltaic home lighting system with a 40-watt panel can provide enough energy to power one fan and two lights.

As solar energy cannot be generated at night or in bad weather, the stove has been engineered in such a way that it can be powered with fuel as well. Even powered in this way, it costs no more than a firewood-fueled cooking unit. Volunteers will be selected among the students of the communities, and they will be trained to monitor the project.

Helping the planet

The ecological benefits of solar-powered stoves are impressive, considering the large amount of greenhouse gas emissions each stove reduces.

Helping people

The stove will save households time and money. Since cooking is usually an activity performed by women in India, they will benefit most. A plethora of health benefits also result from reducing indoor pollution. Decreased indoor pollution reduces medical bills and lost wages from sick days, also influencing the amount of disposable income a family has. The monitor component of the initiative provides not only employment opportunities, but also qualifications young people can use later in life.

Scaling up

Partnerships will ensure that innovation keeps flowing for the project on the long term. Partners appreciate the mutual benefits and are likely to ensure the sustainability of supply with gradual improvements in efficiency and cost-reduction, resulting in an increased volume of sales. This helps in finding new markets for both the lighting and cooking products.

This can be replicated by anyone anywhere, as the products are being freely shared and no patent or other intellectual property protection is involved. If other agencies intend to use this project, they are free to build off the present experience; indeed, project facilitators will gladly help with design and implementation. The project can be extended to other neighboring areas. Any improvements to the wealth of slum dwellers, who already contribute significantly to India’s economy, will lead to an overall improvement and room for more growth.