SELCO

INRTODUCTION
SELCO India started as an experiment by Dr
Harish Hande and Neville Williams in the very
early 9!s "ith the missi#n t# pr#vide s$stainable
ener%y servi&es t# $ndeserved &#mm$nities
thr#$%h a &#mbinati#n #' d##r step servi&e and
d##r step 'inan&in%(and t#day nearly a'ter )
de&ades SELCO has rea&hed nearly *(
h#$seh#lds("ith d#+ens #' bran&hes in ,arnata-a
and .$/rat0

SELCO!S 1I2
SELCO "as set $p t# b$st three myths34

The p##r pe#ple &ann#t a''#rd te&hn#l#%y0

The p##r pe#ple &ann#t maintain te&hn#l#%y0

It is n#t p#ssible t# r$n a &#mmer&ial vent$re

that '$l'ils s#&ial #b/e&tive0

SELCO pr#vides s$stainable te&hn#l#%y and
ener%y servi&es t# eradi&ate p#verty by
pr#m#tin% $se #' rene"able ener%y '#r r$ral
h#$seh#lds and b$sinesses0 S$stainable
te&hn#l#%ies $se less ener%y and &an be
re&y&led at the end #' their $se'$l li'e0 SELCO
has in *5 years s$&&ess'$lly installed *()(
s#lar li%htin% systems0
SELCO3The 6e%innin%

SELCO intends t# red$&e p#verty by pr#vidin%
&lean and s$stainable ener%y t# the p##r this
helps in pr#vidin% them better ed$&ati#n(better
in&#me4%eneratin% #pp#rt$nities in the evenin%
and at ni%ht ("ater heaters and inverters et&0

SELCO!S 7r#d$&ts
7##r pe#ple in the villa%e spend nearly Rs0 *54)
per day #n -er#sene as primary s#$r&e '#r
&##-in% and li%htin%0 On the #ther hand $sin%
s#lar ener%y as a reliable and s$stainable s#$r&e
&#sts #nly Rs0 805 '#r the same n$mber #' h#$rs
"hi&h is 'ar m#re reliable0 6esides SELCO als#
%ives s$rety #' a''#rdability by %ivin% l#ans
thr#$%h tr$sted ban-s and by %ivin% "arranty #n
all pr#d$&ts and d##r step servi&e als# they test
ea&h pr#d$&t every three m#nths '#r
maintenan&e0

SOL1R LI.HTIN.34
There are three di''erent types #' li%htin% systems3
h#me( s#lar and street li%htin% systems0 H#me
li%htin% system are #' t"# types3 &#mpa&t si+e and
premi$m si+e0
In s#lar li%htin%( there are n# '$el re9$irements(less
#perati#nal and maintenan&e &#st and l#&ali+ed and
reliable servi&e at villa%er!s d##rsteps0 6y installin%
s#lar systems(p##r individ$als &an have many
bene'its s$&h as reliable p#"er "ith n# bla&-#$t and
reliable 'inan&in% by SELCO0

6i#mass C##-in% St#ves34
SELCO $ses a reliable te&hn#l#%y based #n the
$se #' bi#mass(e''e&tively $sin% a m#dern desi%n
t# b$rn 'ire"##d e''i&iently0 The te&hn#l#%y is
based #n s$peri#r thermal ins$lati#n and
&#mb$sti#n0 The &#mb$sti#n &hamber has
'ire"##d shel' that pr#vides better air4'$el rati#
and s$peri#r thermal ins$lati#n0 There'#re( the
p##r als# ends $p savin% '$el and &an &##- 'aster
t##0

S#lar "ater heater
The s#lar "ater heater:s"h; is pla&ed at the
r##'t#p and a st#ra%e tan- is 'ixed h#ri+#ntally /$st
ab#ve the s#lar &#lle&t#r(there is a &ir&$latin%
p$mp "hi&h m#ves "ater 'l$id bet"een the tan-
and &#lle&t#r( it is easy t# install( re9$ires n#
#perati#nal &#st(and is e&#n#mi&al th$s av#idin%
$se #' '#ssil '$els and it drasti&ally red$&es
ele&tri&ity &#ns$mpti#n0

CH1LLEN.ES <1CED

In India 5= per &ent #' the t#tal p#p$lati#n d#es n#t have
a&&ess t# ele&tri&ity &#nne&ti#ns0 Every year in mar&h the
%#vernment installs s#lar p#"ered street li%hts '#r $rban
p##r and villa%ers( b$t a'ter installati#n there is n# pr#per
maintenan&e (#ver &har%in%(dryin% #' distilled "ater in the
batteries this res$lts in the l#ss #' 'aith #' the villa%ers in
te&hn#l#%y0 Harish Hande de&ided t# '#rm a team that
"#$ld mana%e the li%htin% system(he trained villa%ers "h#
had s#me pri#r -n#"led%e in repairin% #' ele&tr#ni&s s#
that they &#$ld 'ix s$&h basi& pr#blems0

1n#ther &hallen%e 'a&ed by SELCO "as
&#nvin&in% ban-ers t# 'inan&e s#lar pr#d$&ts '#r
the villa%ers 07ayment &#lle&ti#n "as an#ther
pr#blem(this pr#blem "as s#lved a'ter ) and hal'
year "hen malaprabha %rameen ban- san&ti#ned
*05 milli#n '#r 'inan&in% * s#lar li%hts a'ter this
e''#rt shaped T1T1 p#"er s#lar impressed "ith
Hande de&ided t# %ive him s#lar pr#d$&ts #n
&redit0

One #' the bi%%est pr#blems they 'a&ed "as "hen
.ermany s$bsidised s#lar p#"er &#ns$mpti#n it
in&reased the demand #' s#lar panels s# m$&h
that it event$ally led t# a >= per&ent in&rease in
the pri&es and SELCO "h#se ma/#rity &$st#mers
"here p##r $rban s and villa%ers "#$ld n#t be
able t# in&rease s$&h a hi-e SELCO "as ab#$t t#
be sh$t4d#"n as they "ere n#t %eneratin% any
pr#'its b$t then Lemels#n and %##d ener%ies
%ave s$pp#rt t# SELCO by %ivin% them 'resh
'$nds "hi&h then in time stabilised SELCO0

C#n&l$si#n
SELCO is #ne #' India?s best s#&ial enterprises it
has s$&&ess'$lly helped milli#ns #' pe#ple and s#
'$ndin% sh#$ld be m#tivated as it "#$ld help
SELCO t# &reate m#re inn#vative lin-a%es( th$s
leadin% t# m#re p##r 'amilies
%ettin% a&&ess t# m$&h needed ener%y servi&es0
1ls# as said by 2r Hande that y#$th sh#$ld start
s$pp#rtin% SELCO as there is a la&- #' y#$n%
minds as they hesitate in "#r-in% in r$ral areas
they sh#$ld $nderstand that i' r$ral areas are n#t
tar%eted it "#$ld lead t# ne%ative @A %r#"th0

TH1N,BOU