Hyderabad, September 30, 2002

Gadhia Solar Energy Systems Pvt. Ltd. (GSES), a Gujarat based company pioneers in bringing Solar Steam Cooking System to India through its inventor of Solar Concentrator Mr. Wolfgang Scheffler of Germany sets up World's Largest Solar Cooking System at Tirupathi. Installed by Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanam (TTD) on the terrace of Nitya Annadanam Canteen, which is to go operational in October, offers a unique solution that takes both ecology and economy into consideration.

Once operational, this system can cook 30,000 meals per day ( twice a day for 15,000 persons each time) with steam generated by solar energy saving approximately Rs 17 lacs per annum for TTD. At present the steam is generated by firing LDO in boiler and once solar goes into operation the fuel consumption would go down by nearly 50 per cent. Thus the expected saving would be approximately 475 litres per day and assuming 250 sunny days. The saving of LDI would be 1,18, 750 litres per annum (1.18 lac litres). Besides savings, it also reduces emission of carbon dioxide, a major contributor to Global Warming. Once the Solar Steam Cooking System is operational the Carbon dioxide emission would be reduced by approximately 1.2 tonnes (1200 kgs) per day.

The idea of installing such a system came from none other than Shri Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, who had seen solar steam cooking in operation at Brahma Kumari's at Mr. Abu and Abu Road. Seeing the system he realized its potential for TTD and the team of TTD visited Mt. Abu to study and evaluate the system and on being convinced of its utility decided to go for the same.

Set up a cost of Rs 111 lacs, TTD's contribution is Rs 63.5 lacs. Balance 50 per cent was given as subsidy by Ministry of Non Conventional Energy Sources through it's state nodal agency NEDCAP. The investment would be recovered in about three years of operation.

With more than 70,000 people (on an average) visiting Tirumala, the message of success of solar cooking would be carried to all corners of India. The technology is proven and has been running successfully at

1. Brahma Kumari's Institute at Mt. Abu, Rajasthan for 1000 persons

2. Brahma Kumari's Institute at Abu Road Taleti, Rajasthan for 10,000 persons

3. Shirdi Sai Baba Samsthan, Shirdi, Maharashtra for 3,000 persons

4. Rishi Valley School for 500 students

Unlike many developing countries in west, India is blessed and bestowed with ample sunshine which offers a solution to India's energy needs. It is said that if Solar Systems were installed for power generation on only 4 per cent of Thar Desert, India's present energy need of 100,000 MW (it's installed capacity) can be met.

Recently held World Summit at Johannesburg in South Africa where more than 160 Countries participated searched for ways to make living on Planet Earth Sustainable. Use and promotion of Renewable Energy has been identified as a major solution and it was unanimously decided to work towards spreading the same. Non- Conventional Energy Sources have been recognised long before by Indian Government and for its promotion has established a special Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES). India is the only country in the world which has special ministry for development and promotion of renewable energy sources. MNES in turn has established in each state Nodal Agencies to co-ordinate and promote the technologies at local level like NEDCAP in Andhra Pradesh.

Till recently solar thermal products that were offered and promoted in India were

1. Solar Box Cookers and

2. Solar Flat Plate hot water systems

But, for the last couple of years, Gadhia Solar Energy Systems has indigenised with the help of its inventors Solar Concentrators which promise to supplement the product and bring about positive change about use and application of solar energy. These products are

1. Seifert Parabolic Domestic Solar Cooker (also known as SK 14) and

2. Scheffler Parabolic Solar Concentrators for Community Cooking and Solar Steam Cooking Systems

Schefflere Community Solar Cookers are now being installed in three villages in the Constituency of Union Minister for State Affairs Mr. CH. Vidyasagar Rao. These villages include 1. Nagaram 2. Mammidipally 3. Ammakkapeta. It is the vision of Mr. Rao that these cookers change the face of community living and cooking for the village. These cookers would be used by village youngsters to cook for the old people of the village and thus a community bond would be created between the young and old. Unlike other solar cookers these cooker enables to cook in comforts of the kitchen.

The various products Gadhia Solar Energy Systems are used in Industrial and Domestic Applications. The users include: Hotels, Hospitals, Hostels and other industrial steam generation applications and drying applications

Gadhia Solar is a company with a difference. Profit is not the prime motive of its promoters, they run a NGO in the name of Eco-Center ICNEER (ICNEER is abbreviation for International Centre for Networking, Ecology, Education & Re-integration) and seeing the response in Andhra Pradesh have started a office in Hyderabad too. The first project is promotion of SK-K1 Cookers under Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Under CDM developing countries invest in projects that reduce CO2 and get the carbon credits to fulfill their commitment of reducing CO2.

Press Release/Source: Solus Media, Hyderabad