Renewable Energy
Of the total villages in the state of Orissa, 55% are connected by grids. Those who are connected by them are disconnected on not paying the tariffs or due to technical problems and maintenance issues.
Under the renewable energy project intervention, our target base of ~ 35000 Self Help Groups across the direct intervention areas is covered. Renewable energy is integrated within the income generation and income augmentation framework under the core micro finance programme.
BISWA’s Renewable Energy Approach is inclusive of the following components:
i. Identification of the Appropriate Technology for the Rural Areas
ii. Contextualising behaviour change in rural areas for Energy Programme
iii. Community Consent and Involvement
iv. Self Help Group and the Village Community
v. Technical Assistance in Operations and Maintenance
Household Lighting Programme
There is a direct implication of the household lighting project with the incremental time for initiating business or enterprise. As such, we have supported the families covered under our operational areas to avail the household solar lighting models through micro finance. We have presently covered 4 Self Help Groups in Bhurudera, Bolbonga, Jogipali and Kakudipali in Maneswar Block of Sambalpur district, Orissa. These villages are located 20-25 kms away from Sambalpur city and 15 kms away from Hirakud Dam, yet these remain beyond the reach of grid electricity.
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Caption: Loan Processing and solar lighting device hand over to the SHG members, Bolbonga Village, Sambalpur
BISWA has initiated this programme to ensure that the rural areas where grid is a distant reality, people are able to avail the basic necessity of lighting in their houses at affordable price and with continuity. Solar light system is beneficial in terms of zero recurring expenditure on the households and in providing better illumination as compared to the conventional sources of lighting.
The local practice or availability is of kerosene dibri which has low intensity light and creates smoke in the environment. Women who are exposed majority of the time during cooking and children during study hours to kerosene dibris and lamps are susceptible to respiratory problems as well.
Hence, BISWA envisages through its micro finance product innovation to facilitate marketing of efficient solar and other renewable energy based household lighting systems to the rural poor areas in Orissa, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. These systems are ideally placed between Rs.900 to 200 per household with 20% rate of reducing balance interest for 6-12 months as per the SHG affordability analysis.
In an analysis conducted on the data collected from the 20 villages of Maneswar Block, Sambalpur district, it is found that a household spends Rs.100-150 on kerosene and torch batteries and yet is unable to get quality light. Therefore, the same amount can be realized as micro credit pay back amount per month and the household can avail the quality product. BISWA requests Corporates and Individual donors to adopt our SHGs or tribal villages to part subsidize these solar lighting systems to the beneficiary base. We will ensure to provide relevant documents, case studies and fund utilization on timely basis.