IIMK LIVE hosts Live Demo of Solar Cooking Innovation
Kozhikode: BHAVE Power Systems, a clean-tech startup founded by an ex-IIM Kozhikode Visiting Professor, demonstrated a solar cooking solution today at the IIM Kozhikode campus. The Live demo was witnessed by faculty, staff, program participants and other invitees who got to see the making of tea, roasting of chapattis, frying of purees and pressure cooking of dal.
The solution developed by Dr. Mahesh Bhave, founder of Bhave Power Systems uses solar photovoltaics plus Li-ion batteries dedicated for cooking. The demonstration system is powerful enough to support three meals for a family of five, or roadside commercial cooking, or for use in a small restaurant. It progressively eliminates the use of LPG and other conventional energy for cooking.
“This is the first solar+Li-ion battery enabled cooking event in India, as a dedicated solution, and thus historic.” Dr. Bhave, who is also the author of the book titled The Microgrid Revolution, said at the demo event. “The overall goal of BHAVE Power Systems is to launch a commercially viable solution as quickly as possible, throughout India, and the rest of the world. By leveraging India’s plentiful sunshine, the company expects to reduce bio-mass burning, GHG emissions, improve health for children and women who cook in poorly ventilated kitchens filled with smoke, and offset the import bill for LPG,” He added.
IIM Kozhikode’s business incubator and entrepreneurship development center, IIMK LIVE, provided the forum and the resources for enabling the demonstration. “Our purpose is to provide platform to help channel passion for a technology or an idea into a practical product that solves problems. Dr. Bhave is passionate about clean energy and that is reflected in his work over last few years at IIM Kozhikode” said Keyoor Purani, Executive Director, IIMK LIVE and Professor, IIM Kozhikode.
Still to undergo various technical and market tests before commercialization, the product claims the benefits such as no grid electricity needed, no electric bill, works when power is out during load shedding, no fossil fuel burning, environmentally friendly, and offers emergency lighting and phone, laptop charging. All of this affordable – less expensive than LPG cylinders. Jwala Solar led by Adarsh NC, Ranjith KJ, Sreekanth PV were critically important in the systems integration and logistics involved in the demo. They are an integral part of the overall BHAVE Power Systems launch efforts. Jwala Solar has long association with IIMK – they installed the pathway lighting projects on campus in the past.
“IIMK has always supported on-campus experiments for environment-friendly solutions– be it the rainwater harvesting system, solar pathway lights, solar-powered e-bikes or. IIMK LIVE is conceived as a venture laboratory and I am glad that it is supporting such ideas aimed at the core problems of Indian households,” said Kulbhushan Balooni, Director (In-charge), IIM Kozhikode.
The ONGC’s Solar Chulha Challenge was important in affirming the validity of the overall concept of photovoltaics plus battery based cooking. BHAVE Power Systems is a finalist in the ONGC’s Challenge.