Solar power

The Pour Tous Purchasing Service team announced they are “happy and proud to announce that we have now completed ONE full year in ‘full control’ as far as that is possible or even desirable...”

On 19th September, Michael Bonke presented to the community future plans for the Matrimandir lake. This includes an underwater reservoir for drinking water, the first in the world, sufficient to support 50,000 Aurovilians for 100 days; and the development of hydro-power storage directly linked to a solar plant towards making Auroville independent of the TNEB grid.

While preparatory work for the expansion of the Matrimandir Lake has started, two new experiments involving the Lake are underway. One is pumped hydro; the other, underwater water storage.

Prof. Chetan S. Solanki, IIT Bombay and Brand Ambassador of Solar Energy Government of MP, also referred to as Solar Man of India or Solar Gandhi by the press, who has undertaken a world tour of 11 years in a solar bus to create a publics awareness movement called Energy Swaraj Yatra (2020-2030) to spread the message of solar energy as it relates to climate change, visited Auroville on April 14 and 15 and interacted with many Aurovilians.

We need to recognise that widespread climatic, economic and social disruption due to climate change, global economic instability, etc. cannot be dealt with in isolation.

On 5th December, Auroville Consulting launched the Solar Village Search Engine to help fund its Solar Village Initiative, which aims to power 100 villages in Tamil Nadu with solar by the year 2030.

Auroville Consulting is acquiring a considerable reputation in India for its work with State, Central government and international agencies, as well as academic institutions but it is also contributing its expertise to Auroville.

A 45kW rooftop solar PV system was designed and installed by Auroville’s unit Sunlit Future on the French Consulate in Pondicherry. Auroville has collaborated with Pondicherry previously providing rooftop grid-connected solar PV systems for two residences, as well as some buildings of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

In 1992 Auroville’s renewable energy unit, AuroRE, began providing renewable energy applications and solutions within Auroville and to rural and urban India.