Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Friday, 4 March 2022

Dear Narendrabhai : Thanks for reminding

 


Context :

PM urges India Inc to drive Green Innovation  /  ET  /  05 March 2022

Extract :

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the private sector to drive innovations in the renewable and sustainable energy sectors.

“The natural resources are depleting and in such scenario circular economy is the need of the hour and we will have to make it a part of our life. We need innovation in all spheres, new products are important. I assure the country’s private sector that the government will stand by you in all efforts in this direction. We will work in a unified way to not only achieve our goals, but we will also show way to humanity “ , Modi said at the plenary session of a webinar on “ Energy for Sustainable Growth

 
Addressing participants across public and private sectors, he said, India’s sustainable growth is possible only with sustainable energy sources

He said all families can have their own solar tree in open space which can help in 10 -15 % energy conservation

He said innovations are required in in the areas of clean cooking and SOLAR COOKING can be a big market for Startups “

 

Fast Backwards :

 

      In Sept 2017 , while inaugurating ONGC’s corporate office, PM Shri Modiji said :

“ Our poor rural ladies are suffering due to air pollution caused by burning wood – straw – cow-dung cakes – kerosene , for cooking on chulhas . Millions of them are prematurely dying due to lung diseases. We must give them Solar Chulhas

 

 

Long History of a Short Solar Cooker :

 

[ A ]   03 Nov 2017 :

         ONGC releases advt :

         “………come up with innovative ideas to design and develop “ Solar Chula “

        Not finding in that advt or on ONGC website, any “ Specifications “ for that

        chulha , I sent following email to ONGC [  cmd@ongc.co.in  ], listing what I

         considered should be such specs :

        

        Solar  Chula  ?  Some  Unanswered  Questions [  03 Nov  2017  ]

 

[ B ]   Apparently, my email did have some effect, since ONGC, later on , came

           out with the “ performance features “ on its website , almost identical to

           my suggestions ( including, even the target COST  ! )

         

[ C ]  On 16 July 2018,

         I sent an email to Shri Dharmendra Pradhanji, where I wrote :

          This solar chulha is the answer to save the lives of millions of women in

         rural India

 

        It is possible that private sector industries may not think of getting into the

        manufacture / distribution of this product , since it may not be adequately

        profitable

 

        But , if government can give subsidies for Electric cars ( FAME ) and

        Electricity connections to villages ( SAUBHGYA ) , then why not for Sola

        Chulhas ?

 

        Would that not be far better than giving subsidy for LPG ?

 

 

[ D ]  On 15 Aug 2019,

 

         ONGC CMD, Shri Shashi Shankar , addressing ONGC employees,  said :

 

           Supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a domestic solar

          revolution, ONGC recently launched a nationwide Solar Chulha Challenge.

       Shanker said that through this initiative and with the help of IIT-Mumbai, 86

       Solar PV cooking stoves were installed at Bacha and Jamthi in Betul district of

       Madhya Pradesh.

       The entire village of 74 households has benefitted at Bacha village.

 

       

[ E ]  On 26 Aug 2020 ,

 

         I sent an email to Shri Piyush Goyalji , where I urged :

 

          Dear Shri Goyalji,

        I am afraid this is a classical example of “ a Solution in search of a

          Problem “ 

 

        Has any private sector party come forward to manufacture Solar cooker ?

        Yes, Unesar is one but there is no clear indication of either the selling price

         or the availability date

        How can Govt help to accelerate a RAPID ADOPTION of Solar

        Cookers ?

        By providing a DBT ( Direct Benefit Transfer ) of 75 % of the Sale Price of a

        Solar Cooker ( meeting very specific performance criteria – and having

        obtained a prior ISI certificate ) , into the Jan Dhan Account of  the buyer (

         subject to max of Rs 7,500 )

       

        This subsidy would be available to a HOUSE-HOLD ( and not to each person

        in the family ), and can be availed only ONCE per family .

        Aadhar details would be mandatory

      Subsidy would be available for only DIRECT PURCHASE from govt approved

      Authorised Dealers – and not from Re-Sellers

      

[ F ]  On 19 Sept 2020,

         I sent an e-mail to Shri R K Singhji, renewing my earlier request to Shri

         Piyush Goyalji , for subsidizing  purchase of a Solar Cooker

 

          

[ G ]  On 25 Oct 2020,

         I sent an e-mail to all Cabinet Ministers , where I urged :

              #  Allocation of Rs 37,256 crore for LPG subsidy ( for cooking ), is

                  an ANNUAL RECURRING expense

             #  If household cooking was to be based on use of a SOLAR CHULHA (

                 Stove ), then no need for LPG !

            #  Some 3 years ago, IIT-B won a competition for design of a Solar Cooking

                 Stove

            #  Govt had specified its max “ Sale Price” at Rs 10,000 /- per Stove [ $

                  135 ]

           #  For Rs 37,256 Crore, govt can buy and distribute ( FREE ), some 3.7 cr (

                37 million ) solar stoves

           #  Within about 2 years, Govt can handover a SOLAR STOVE to all

                households covered by Ujwalla Scheme

           #  Of course , since food gets cooked even when there is NO SUNSHINE ,

                each Solar Stove would require a

               Tesla’s  POWERWALL type of Storage device

      ( in which PM Shri Modi had shown keen interest during his visit to TESLA

       factory in 2015 )

         #   If my suggestion gets implementedcountry would save annually, foreign

               exchange worth Rs 37,256 Cr

 

[ H ]  On 03 Nov 2020,

         I sent following e-mail to our Cabinet Ministers :

           And if Elon can be persuaded to manufacture in India POWERWALL solar

           power Storage Device for Rs 5,000 / - and couple this with Solar Cooker (

           government giving away FREE to 80 million LPG-LNG users

         

         ( under Ujwalla scheme ), that would save annual foreign exchange outflow 

            of Rs 70,024 crore ( LPG imports during 2019-20 ) ! 

 

        

[ I ]  On 15 June 2021,

        I sent following e-mail to our Cabinet Ministers :

                Since ONGC announced a competition for design of a SOLAR

                 COOKER on 03 Nov 2017 , Sun has set and risen again and again, 1028

               times

              
        But that Cooker ( design won by IIT-B ), is nowhere to be seen !

       ONGC had laid down rigid performance conditions - including a cost of Rs

            10,000 / -


         Dear Shri Goyalji,

        Yesterday, you urged the industry to come up with a " VIABLE and FAST,

        electric cooking systems so that it can replace cooking gas which is an

        imported product. "

        

        How about " enthusing " the local industry to come forward to " Mass

        Produce " IIT-B designed Solar Cookers ?

        

        Even if each Solar Cooker purchase was subsidized to the tune of 75

          % ( max Rs 7,500 ), it would work out cheaper than 40 % PERPETUAL

        SUBSIDY on LNG gas cylinders ( since subsidy proposed by me, is only ONE

        TIME ) . Quite possibly, within 2 years , you would recover that LNG subsidy

        cost !

         

                       

            As a finance-expert , you can calculate the " PAYBACK PERIOD / INTERNAL

           RATE OF RETURN  / INCREMENTAL CAPITAL-OUTPUT RATIO / BREAK-EVEN

           POINT etc " , better than anyone else

       


         Dear Shri Goyalji ,

        I urge you to announce this ( Subsidy ) decision before the sun sets today !


 

[ J ]  On 25 June 2021,


         I sent following e-mail to Shri Modiji :


           Dear Shri Narendrabhai ,

          During past 15 months, COVID has killed ( approx. ) 400,000 Indians

         But, in another ONE YEAR , we would have conquered it , bringing down the

          toll , to under 1,000 in 2023

         On the other hand, indoor COOKING with wood – cow dung cakes – straw

          etc., have been killing 250,000 poor , rural , Indian housewives, YEAR after

          YEAR , for decades !

          

                In Sept 2017 , while inaugurating ONGC’s corporate office, PM Shri Modiji

               said :

“ Our poor rural ladies are suffering due to air pollution caused by burning

 wood – straw – cow-dung cakes – kerosene , for cooking on chulhas .

 Millions of them are prematurely dying due to lung diseases. 

We must give them Solar Chulhas “


            In this context , I urge you to ask ONGC officers :

            What is holding you back, to get manufactured and distribute for free,

            SOLAR CHULHAS to 20 Crore  poor families ? And within 2 years ?

            

            If our Pharma Industry can rise to the occasion and start producing

           enough vaccines to give jabs to 10 million people EVERY DAY , why cannot

            our OIL – PETROLEUM PRODUCTS manufacturers come forward to save

            250,000 lives, year after year ?

 

            

[ K ]   On 13 Nov 2021,

          I sent following email to our Cabinet Ministers :

          But a real breakthrough reduction in GHG can come only through use

            of Solar Cookers ( thereby completely eliminating need to use LPG ,

           which country imports at a cost of lakhs of crores of rupees )

         

         What is required is for the Central Govt to go ALL OUT to push the Solar

         Cooker technology reported in    

        CSIR-CMERI Solar DC Cooking System- A Step Towards a Green & Pollution Free India   


Extract :


Prof. Harish Hirani, Director, CSIR-CMERI, handed over the CSIR-CMERI

developed Solar DC Cooking System to the Asansol Braille Academy, West

Bengal today


The CSIR-CMERI developed Solar DC Cooking Technology was transferred to two

business entities namely M/s Asansol Solar & LED House, WB and M/s Meeco Solar

& Infrastructure Associates, Durgapur, WB.


 The CSIR-CMERI developed Solar DC Cooking System is a Solar Energy based

Cooking System which consists of  solar PV panel / charge

 controller / battery bank and / cooking oven.


Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) Energy Based Electric Cooking System  


Dear Dr Hirani,

While congratulating you – and your team of researchers – for this path-breaking

 innovation, I urge you to bring out V 2.0 of your system, with following

 objectives :


#  Bring down the size of PV solar panel required, from 145 sq ft to a low

    of 15 sq ft , so that , all of India’s households ( some 290 million ) can

     mount it on roof / terrace or projecting from a window

   

          Only then, will your System manage to save  290 million tons of Carbon

          Dioxide emissions.


         [  For possible solution, refer : 1000 TIMES MORE POWERFUL SOLAR PV PANELS ]


        Instead of using FOUR ( lead acid ? ) automotive batteries of 12 V each ,

       consider a single / compact New          Age battery, that can store generated

       Solar Power for 100 HOURS but cost only ONE-TENTH of current 

       Lithium-ion batteries 

     [ for possible solution, refer :   How to reduce Carbon Emission to Net Zero ? ]

 


      Taken together, these improvements may bring down the selling price of your

      system from Rs 70,000 to an affordable Rs 20,000

       

      In the hands of the householder, this can be further brought down to ( say

       ) Rs 5,000 , by :


#    Central Govt providing a BUYER SUBSIDY ( DBT ) of ( say ), Rs 5000 (

       what govt may be spending today on subsidizing LPG cylinders to poor

        households under UJWALA scheme


#   Govts reimbursing GST / SGST + introducing Production linked Incentives

      ( Rs 5,000 ? )


#   For every unit sold, system manufacturers allotted 10 Carbon Credits (

      worth Rs 5,000 )



Q E D

With regards,

Hemen Parekh /  hcp@RecruitGuru.com  / 05 March 2022

         

         

 

 

 

 

Related Readings :


Thanks to IIT-B’s Invention, MP Gets India’s First Village With All-Solar Kitchens! ( 10 June 2019 )

 

Residents of This MP Village Do Not Need Wood or LPG to Cook, How Solar Power Changed Lives

 

 

ONGC thanks Shri Dharmendra Pradhan for launching solar chulhas