US-funded Chinese company lights up Lankan rural homes with solar power
A US-funded Chinese company, founded by a Sri Lankan, has begun implementing an ambitious programme to light up rural households in Sri Lanka with solar power.
Systems suitable for climatic conditions in the island including the North and East is what is being installed by the company in a joint venture with its local subsidiary, a top official of the Chinese company said.
Beijing-based U-Tron (Beijing) Electronics Co. Ltd. (U-Tron) through its Sri Lankan subsidiary U-Tron Lanka is implementing this in collaboration with several charity organizations both here and overseas, said Raja Magasweran, Managing Director, of U-Tron (Beijing) Electronics Co. Ltd
He disclosed that the local subsidiary will also provide consultancy services on the proper use of solar power systems as most of the solar power system providers were seriously lacking the technical capability and know how on the impact of climatic conditions on these systems produced in China. Solar powered light-emitting diode (LED) home and street lighting is now being introduced for low income villages in the remote regions of Sri Lanka specially in the Norh and East, he added.
Several rural poor homes in Maharagama, Ingiriya and Horana areas have been provided with lighting by installing U-Tron solar powered light-emitting diode (LED) systems.
Basil Leanage Enterprises, a technical support firm of the local subsidiary of U-Tron, will carry out installation maintenance of solar home lighting systems in rural houses and other establishments as well.
U-Tron Lanka will supply solar panels, Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs, batteries and other accessories to remote communities and individual households and provide solar energy services.
The company will also undertake street lighting, cottage lighting and outdoor flood lighting for hotels by offering U-Tron LED products including solar panels, solar powered lights, Lucas LED streetlights, BatLED indoor and outdoor floodlights, traffic signal lights, Helios LED light bulbs, and Lucas retrofit bulbs etc, he added.
He said that the company’s Sri Lanka branch will also provide consultancy services on energy efficiency systems including technical advice and finding suppliers from China for local customers.
U-Tron Lanka will introduce steam power turbines for small scale rice mills and steam generation plants using rice husk for rural agriculture industrialists, he revealed.
Mr. Magasweran, in China since going there for higher studies in 1974 as a scholarship recipient in the first batch of students selected under the China- Sri Lanka student exchange programme, said that Solar Home Lighting Systems (SHLS) can support small household loads and will be promoted and prioritized through rural financial institutions.