Urban Integrated Energy Centers – India

Integrated Energy Centers are solar powered community centers that offer a range of basic services and activities for slum communities. Through such centers, this project seeks to empower the grassroots delivery of basic services to urban slums in Bangalore, eradicating unclean fuels and replacing them with clean energy.

Fast facts:

17 Integrated Energy Centers built over the past three years, helping more than 700 families;
More than 176,400 liters of kerosene replaced with clean substitute;
Switching over from kerosene helps families save 50% on energy.

The problem

Indian cities have a large number of slums, which often house vulnerable informal migrant communities who are either ignored or perceived to be only temporary – although the migrants rarely move back to their home villages. The growth of cities therefore also brings an exponential growth of the urban poor. In Bangalore, the urban poor make up nearly half of the urban population.

Such slum communities are either not connected or inadequately connected to the electrical power grid. Entire generations do not have the option of a humane life with basic services. Energy poverty and inadequate access to basic services is increasingly understood as one of the core problems that reinforce economic poverty, a significant problem in many global cities in the emerging world.

The solution

Integrated Energy Centers (IECs) are essentially solar-powered, independent service centers for urban and peri-urban spaces, where services like lighting and battery charging are provided on a daily or monthly rental basis. Additional energy services are also available such as refrigeration, television, mobile phone and laptop charging hubs, sewing machines, etc. The income generated by the IEC recovers the associated implementation costs. The centers are typically run by partners, operators, groups, or entrepreneurs from the community itself.

Depending on the functions required and space availability, there are several different types of IECs: a pre-fabricated, standalone exterior system that functions purely as an energy storehouse; a portable IEC designed for on-the-go use; and a larger, customized center to run a community television, along with training, education, and awareness programs. IECs have been housed within schools, institutes, homes, and local shops.

Helping the planet

Through the use of IECs and spreading awareness on the environmental sustainability of them, long-term eradication of unclean fuels can be accomplished. This will reduce carbon dioxide emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment inside as well as outside of homes.

Helping people

Solar energy saves families money spent on kerosene – and is safer, especially for houses with children, as it reduces the risk of fires. The IECs free up time that can then be spent on more productive activities such as studying and income generation. Additionally, IECs represent a communal space that can be utilized for health and education campaigns, as well as entertainment and wellbeing.

Scaling up

IECs are easily adaptable and highly replicable. They can be used not only in Bangalore, but also elsewhere in India and around the developing world. As forms of ownership are varied, they can be owned and operated by either local entrepreneurs from slum communities, or by the community itself. This means IECs create capacity for growth, as they provide jobs along with basic services. As the communities around the IECs grow, they have the potential to become hubs that facilitate the integration of other services into the community, such as health camps, night education, work centers and vocational training.

Other elements that support the ability of IECs to be copied include a module for training entrepreneurs and operators; system design, services, and structure models; and a comprehensive IEC toolkit with case studies and guideline support. In the next year, the project aims to set up 15 additional IECs per year. It plans to expand through its partner SELCO, a social enterprise with 42 branches across cities and towns in southern India.