The US Consulate General as part of the United States Agency for International Aid on Tuesday announced two new partnerships in the City so as to make easier to gain access to clean energy. in India .
As part of the collaboration, the USAID has granted $2 lakh to Solar Electric Light Company (SELCO) Foundation, a social enterprise working en route for providing sustainable energy solutions, and to Orb Energy – a clean energy service provider, both based in Bangalore.
Ashis Kumar Sahu, Chief Executive Officer, SELCO Incubation Centre said, SELCO will make use of this grant to establish six innovation labs, in addition to carrying out research work, which will develop and test sustainable energy solutions and provide free training to officer from micro- and medium-scale enterprises on developing and servicing solar equipment like lamps, water heaters, inverters, etc.
“We have already trained 60 people from various parts of the country and a similar number of people have also been trained, who were from Africa and every year we will train 60 more,” Sahu told
He further said that the centre will provide solar power equipment at reasonably priced to people dwelling in slums and rural areas without access to electricity.
They would also be aided to get loan for purchasing solar power equipment. The Consulate also inked a MoU with Orb Energy, supporting them a loan guarantee.
This will help Orb provide energy to its 500 branches of primarily undeserved communities in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra by 2016.
Damian Miller, CEO, Orb Energy, also made a presentation on the projects it has taken up in and around Karnataka.
Nisha Biswal, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs said while addressing the gathering, “We used to study using kerosene lanterns in Gujarat in our childhood. Even now, 40 per cent of Indians don’t have access to power and 32 per cent of the people get erratic electricity supply.”
She pointed out that renewable and sustainable energy projects with SELCO and Orb Energy will lend a hand to millions of Indian families to gain access to affordable and reliable clean energy for the first time.
She further added that during the “Energy Dialogue” in Delhi next week, officials, scientists, and entrepreneurs from India and the US will discuss further collaboration on clean energy technology, non-renewable energy and civil nuclear issues.