Solar-powered appliances for rural India
KAHO has come up with two appliances that will allow for technology to reach the rural India
With the advent of modern technology and affordable Internet, home appliances such as televisions, fridges, oven and others have introduced next generation of conveniences in our lives. In fact, it is unimaginable for us to live without our ‘smart’ gadgets and appliances for a single day. However, for those in rural areas, smart gadgets are still out of reach for the masses.
Apart from the lack of such devices in the affordable price brackets, one other major reason for this is the lack of 24x7 electricity, which is the primary requirement for running these appliances. While it is possible to design mobile phones with bigger batteries and efficient chipsets, the same cannot be done for smart appliances. A TV still requires a considerable amount of energy to light up its massive panel. This makes it inaccessible to the world beyond concrete labyrinths. Until now.
KAHO, an organisation specialising in making solar-powered devices has come up with two appliances that will allow for technology to reach the rural India. They currently have two products on offer that aim to make modern technology more accessible to these less-developed areas — Solar TV and Internet, and Solar Fridge.
The Solar TV and Internet is essentially an LED TV with Internet modem built in — both the components are incorporated in the same housing. There’s a Li-ion battery that powers the TV, which in turn draws from solar panels. It also has an inbuilt DC-DC System which converts a source of direct current from one voltage level to another. The company provides a warranty of 15 years on the battery. The TV is primarily aimed at rural educational institutions in order to help modern education reach the far-flung areas of our country.
The Solar Fridge, on the other hand, aims to provide the normal benefits of a standard refrigerator to these areas. It also runs on solar power but comes in two variants — ‘Green’, with a Li-ion battery, and ‘Greener’, with no battery and better insulation. These completely run off the grid, making them almost eco-friendly. The company provides a maximum warranty of 10 hours on these appliances. While these may not be as efficient their power-hungry siblings used in urban areas, they are surely a great step towards a more ecofriendly electronic appliance ecosystem. They might even find favour in urban areas with a considerable amount of investment in their refinement and development. With the country looking to embrace the modern technology for a digital future, these solar powered appliances will go a long way to be a solution to an eco-friendly future.