UK student lights up UP village with solar power

London, July 12 

Nearly 100 homes in UP’s Sarvantara village have been electrified, thanks to an initiative by a student from the UK’s Imperial College.

Clementine Chambon, a final year PhD student, has helped link the homes with a mini 8-kWh solar energy grid via her social enterprise startup “Oorja” last month.

The mini solar grid provides around 1,000 people with energy for affordable lighting, phone charging and fans to cool homes.

“We are delighted to see the smiles on the faces of our customers, to hear their reports of how electricity is allowing their children to study longer, and their hopes that a computer centre will be opened in the school,”  said Chambon.

The majority of the population in Sarvantara are farmers. Chambon reckons her project will help fuel farmers’ productivity. “The renewable energy generated will also power pumps to provide irrigation services to farmers, providing significant cost savings compared to diesel-powered pumps,” said Chambon. 

Oorja was founded in 2015 by Chambon and a colleague, Indian social entrepreneur Amit Saraogi. — PTI