INNOVATINGENERGY

Impact of EESL on human lives &INSPIRE 2019

DECEMBER 2019 | EDITION 12

INSIDE STORIES

Ambassador Satish C. MehtaSenior AdvisorEnergy E�ciency Services Limited

EDITOR’S NOTE

EESL working relentlessly for citizens of India

Testimonial - Team Darwyn

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Reader,

The perils of development without consideration for the environment are not just known to all but there to see. The singular focus on indiscriminate economic prosperity has led to over exploitation of resources and degradation of environment. Beyond doubt, our climate is changing bringing in its wake substantial adverse e�ects on our lives and livelihoods. But things are changing with growing focus on sustainable development in the recent years. Newer pathways to a cleaner and greener future have emerged. EESL has been spearheading this change with its various initiatives. Not only has it been successful in enabling India and Indians do more with less energy it has also spawned a thriving ecosystem for energy e�cient technologies.

The impact of EESL’s initiatives goes beyond the reduction of emissions and the carbon footprint. It has also enabled a social transformation through increased illumination, safety and new livelihood opportunities. This newsletter attempts to gauge this impact by sharing the stories of change from ground zero. In the article, “EESL working relentlessly for citizens of India”, we witness �rst-hand testimonies of the bene�ciaries of EESL’s Solar Study Lamp Scheme and Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY). These testimonials enable us to witness the social metamorphosis triggered by these two initiatives.

EESL, a start-up at heart and orientation, is always asking itself " What next". The potential of energy e�ciency is vast as is its relevance to India's economy and environment. To harness this potential, EESL has been investing in fostering and supporting creative ideas and innovation. In 2018 it started INSPIRE to INNOVATE at which 92 participants presented their innovations in energy e�ciency to an independent jury. We are delighted to share that at INSPIRE to INNOVATE 2019 there were 831 entries, a nine-fold increase covering the realms of Grid Management; Electric Mobility; Energy E�cient Technologies; Financial Instruments; and Clean Energy. Such was the competition that the highly accomplished and independent Jury had di�culty in selecting the best �ve. India's energy e�ciency innovation space is truly energetic. At the marketplace created by EESL at INSPIRE at INNOVATE 2019, many deals were were initiated; many more for sure will happen in due course. Though just in its second year, INNOVATE to INSPIRE is changing the game of energy e�ciency in India.

A cleaner and greener future beckons India. And this needs a constant infusion of new ideas, products and processes. EESL is proud of creating an ecosystem for energy e�ciency innovation. That's the way forward for India.

Ambassador Satish C. MehtaSenior AdvisorEnergy E�ciency Services Limited

Unnat Jyoti by A�ordable LEDs for All (UJALA)Launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Energy E�ciency Services limited (EESL) has been implementing the UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by A�ordable LEDs for all) scheme to promote e�cient use of energy by increasing the use of energy e�cient LED lighting at the residential level. The UJALA scheme will thus, make an enormous impact by securing an annual energy savings of 10,000 crore kWh, 79 crore tonnes of reduction in CO2 emissions per year and avoid capacity generation of nearly 20,000 MW. This scheme has been readily adopted by all the states. Under this scheme, EESL makes 100% upfront investment and recovers its investment either by monetisation of energy savings or through easy EMIs over a period of 6 - 8 months from consumer’s electricity bills.

Testimony – I can do what I want toMercy Susan is a multifaceted girl. She enjoys playing piano as much as she likes practicing yoga and karate. She is not lacking on the academic front either. Now in her tenth grade, she enjoys mathematics and science. She adds, “I like maths since I enjoy solving problems”. The answer resonates at a deeper level; Mercy is an orphan. She came to Chaitanya Mahila Mandali, an orphanage in Secundrabad, Andhra Pradesh around 4 years back. She shares her room with over �fty children of varying ages. That, however, has hardly dimmed her spirit in life. Her thirst for knowledge is incredible. She adds, “I enjoy reading since I learn new things and I feel happier about it”. Mercy dreams big and with a big heart and says, “I want to become an IAS o�cer because he takes care of the district”. At this tender age, she has some of the key ingredients for success – focus and hard work. Mercy is quick to open a book and read when she gets a chance. However, the light bulbs in her dormitory weren’t very bright.

EESL, as a part of its broader mission to help and support the weaker section of society, supplied the orphanage with LED bulbs to replace the existing incandescent bulbs. “with the other bulb I used to study 2-3 hours, but with the new bulb I put in 3-4 hours”, says Mercy. The brighter light has a larger impact. “it gives me hope, I can do what I want to”, she adds.

EESL has won compliments from across the globe for its stellar track record for over the years. Importantly, EESL has won recognition from the country’s Prime Minister for its �agship programme UJALA in the year 2015.

The Solar Study Lamp Scheme The Union Government’s Ministry of New and renewable Energy (MNRE) has introduced a scheme, under which seven million solar study lamps will be distributed across �ve States – Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh. These lamps are intended for areas where less than 50 percent households have access to grid-based electricity. A large part of this populace currently depends on kerosene-lit lamps in the evening and early morning. The noxious kerosene fumes are harmful for health. Moreover, they o�er poor illumination.

The Solar Study Lamp Scheme seeks to change the way children experience light when the sun sets. The scheme has been jointly implemented by Energy E�ciency Services Ltd (EESL), the Indian Institute of Technology – Mumbai, and the State Rural Livelihood Missions of the respective states. EESL is responsible for procuring the various lamp components and delivering them to the distribution centres. This includes procuring the photovoltaic module (solar panel) that converts light to electricity; the LED luminaire; and the battery, which powers it for around 4-5 hours daily.

EESL working relentlessly for citizens of India

Testimony – The ProviderNayammoni Chamua, 45, a housewife, had long nurtured an ambition to be independent. However, she could not continue her education beyond secondary school. Although her husband, Pintu Chamua, provided for her and their children, there were periods when money was scarce. Pintu is a small-time contractor and doesn’t get work all through the year. Nayammoni was, therefore, on the lookout for opportunities in enterprise. When the Solar Study Lamp Scheme was announced, she signed up to learn how to assemble the lamps. Soon enough, she was on the job, earning 12 rupees for every lamp assembled. She also started a repair shop for the lamps. Nayammoni saw it as a platform to supplement her income. She began selling grocery and stationery items from the repair shop. Children who brought their lamps for repair would often ask her for pencils and erasers. This considerably strengthened her income; on some occasions, she even earned more than her husband. “I earn, on average, 7,000 rupees per month,” says Nayammoni with a gentle smile. This income has helped her cover the cost of education for her children and ease the burden o� her husband. However, greater happiness lies beyond this existential need. “I feel a deep sense of pride and immense happiness when, at the end of the month, I walk up to my husband and hand over my salary,” says a beaming Nayammoni. The fact that she earns an income has clearly enriched her life beyond just monetary considerations. “My self-con�dence has improved. So much so that my neighbours look up to me for advice on various issues. In fact, they too want to step out of their homes and take the path that I have treaded,” she says. Is the job tough? “Not at all,” comes the reply. Repairing lamps is not di�cult. Most complaints usually pertain to the switch – a component that su�ers natural wear and tear. However, EESL’s stringent and e�cient procurement of lamp components has ensured that Nayammoni does not have to struggle with the repairs. Her consumers are satis�ed with the product. EESL takes pride in being a part of Nayammoni’s journey of empowerment.

Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY)

The MNRE launched the Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY) to illuminate unlit public places in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha through solar power with high-mast solar LED streetlights. These lights will be installed on major roads, markets, and public places, thereby enhancing safety and improving the quality of life. EESL was appointed as the nodal agency for implementing the AJAY scheme. This means that EESL will procure, install and maintain the solar streetlights. Under the scheme, EESL will use around 300,000 high-mast solar LED streetlights to illuminate rural, semi-urban, and urban areas that have less than 50 percent grid connectivity in the aforesaid States.

Testimony - The Central LightAyushi Tiwari lives with her family in Durgapur, a village located 20 km from Ayodhya. Ayushi has a dream. “I want to become a pilot when I grow up,” she remarks with a twinkle in her eyes. “I like to study. I am good at Maths and my English is good,” she says enthusiastically. “In today’s world, if you don’t study, you won’t succeed,” she replies, when asked about her keenness on education. Ayushi was delighted when EESL installed a solar-powered streetlight near her home. “The high-mast light helps me study in the evening. I step out of my home and sit on the portico and study happily. The light is bright, and it helps especially when there is no electricity at home,” she adds.

The high mast lamp does more than just make studies more enjoyable; it encourages people to gather. “Ever since the solar streetlight was set up, I come here more often than before to see my uncle,” says Ram Prakash Tiwari, 40, who spends several evenings on the charpoy placed below the mast, located on the narrow lane where his uncle Ram Tiwari, 58, resides. The social gathering in the evening is not just limited to the family; neighbours drop in, too. “The light from the streetlight reaches my house as well, and it feels nice,” says Ram Lagan Yadav, 60, as he relaxes on the charpoy. The high mast lamp has indeed improved the quality of life of people in the village, Women feel safer now. Furthermore, hawkers and vendors set up their wares under the streetlight in the hope that they can sell more. And they have been proven right.

International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy E�ciency (INSPIRE) 2019Towards fostering a conducive ecosystem for sustainable energy innovation, Energy E�ciency Services Limited (EESL) hosts an annual �agship international event that brings together various stakeholders such as policymakers, innovators, �nanciers, and in�uencers. Named INSPIRE, the event showcases best practices in the energy e�ciency sect and provides a platform for the energy e�ciency community to discuss policies, market transformation strategies, emerging technologies, and delivery and business-model driven transformations. EESL recently organised the fourth edition of INSPIRE. The event was co-hosted by the World Bank (WB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the World Resources Institute, India (WRI India) the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Israel. The event showcased and promoted innovation and implementation of Futuristic Energy E�ciency Technologies, Policies and Financing Mechanisms.

The �rst edition of the event, INSPIRE 2018, set the tone for innovation in India’s energy e�ciency scenario. Organised during the event, #InnovateToINSPIRE, a �rst-of-its-kind energy innovation challenge invited entrepreneurs, innovators and the start-up community to provide viable solutions to enable India to achieve its energy security and sustainability ambitions.

#InnovateToINSPIRE 2019 travelled to over 10 cities and four zones in India to evangelize the green movement. energizing the ever-growing energy sector, these roadshows invite energy enthusiasts to submit their potentially game-changing solutions.

Hackathons were organised to identify top business solutions leveraging the data captured through EESL's programmes like 'National E-Mobility Programme', 'Smart Meter National Programme' and 'Street Lighting National Programme'. These hackathons were organised to accelerate the entire ecosystem and �nd data analytics cases that can be adopted to enhance consumer experience and develop business models to commercialise this database. The selected ideas are mentored and incubated by EESL’s senior management team. Selected teams are being o�ered future business and funding opportunities.

EESL selected roadshow cities based on parameters including the density of start-ups, incubators and our partners. The cities include Guwahati, Mumbai, Chennai, Mandi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Kanpur and Jaipur. #InnovateToINSPIRE Challenge hackathon winners received funding of INR 50,000 each city, along with mentoring and guidance from sector experts to help them bring their solutions to market.

EESL has garnered robust interest with a total of 831 entries for the challenge, which include entries from international participants under �ve categories, namely Grid Management; Electric Mobility; Energy E�cient Technologies; Financial Instruments; and Clean Energy. EESL also hired an independent consultancy agency - PwC - for carrying out the interim evaluation for the 2019 edition of the event. The agency helped identify 25-30 top entries, which were further re�ned to arrive at 12 �nalists who appeared in a boot camp featuring the eminent jury members.

Based on the theme of Innovation, INSPIRE 2019 honoured �ve pathbreaking innovations in clean energy and energy e�ciency as part of the second edition of #InnovateToINSPIRE challenge. The �ve winners were felicitated by Shri Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Government of India. Winners were awarded a cheque of Rs 5 lakh each and given access to mentoring to bring their future-ready solutions to market.

The winners are:

• DARWYN (E-mobility)DARWYN has set out to reimagine mobility in modern cities. It is working with businesses to deploy electric vehicles in their �eets, while also them providing them with an ecosystem that covers Electric Vehicles, Charging stations, Battery Swapping Systems, Ownership options and End to End operations.

It has proposed a product line comprising of motorcycles and scooters and a proprietary network of fast-charging stations (with 3.5 to 50Kw charging compatibility) strategically placed in cities and along the highway. Further, they have proposed a new ownership model and �exible pricing considering the total life cycle of the vehicle.

• Reckongreen (Energy Efficient Technology)Reckon Green Innovations was created to bring forward innovative and green solutions to conserve resources. It has successfully implemented conservation projects in energy and water and achieved BEE Grade-2 rating within two years of commercial operations. It has helped reduce more than XXXX MW load for customers by o�ering innovative and benchmarked solutions like high e�ciency LED lighting, BLDC fans, and STP plants based on the electrolytic process.

Most recently, it has produced LED tube lights featuring a replaceable plug-in-driver, designed to prevent early failure and trashing of LED tubes, thereby increasing lamp life and ROI by 800%, reducing installation time and cost by 60%, reducing inventory in production and distribution by 70% reduce e-waste by 70% and reduce energy by >65%. The lights are compatible with T8/T5 �xtures and o�er feature customization.

• Sunvest (Financial Instruments) Sunvest Capital is India's �rst dedicated rooftop solar �nancing NBFC. Sunvest brings years of deep solar intelligence combined with expertise in �nancing to make solar possible for residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The solution proposed by them is focused on the �nancing of solar rooftop systems using deep solar intelligence and technology-based �nancing. The solution relies on a solid track record of successfully implementing o�ine and online marketing programs, tight quality control, a veri�ed installed program and established �ntech partnerships to build on existing credit models for consumer �nancing.

• REConnect Energy (Grid Management) REConnect Energy is India's largest cleantech services start-up. It enables electric utilities and renewable power producers to reduce operational and �nancial risks using their proprietary AI and IoT led platform - GRIDConnect. About 1,800 clean energy producers (18,000MW of renewable energy capacity) and 11 large utilities (65,000MW renewables and about 100,000MW electric Grid Size) are empowered using GRIDConnect.

REConnect Energy has proposed a software solution for State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs). which addresses challenges in generation and demand forecasting and power procurement optimization though a package of solutions for forecasting, scenario analysis, demand and supply position mapping, scheduling optimization, trade optimization and demand management.

• Vyoda Pvt Ltd (Clean Energy)Vyoda is an agri-tech start-up which aims to deliver a�ordable smart irrigation through product innovation and to promote sustainable practises for a better tomorrow. With an R&D centre in Tel-Aviv (Israel) and a manufacturing facility at Mysore, India, Vyoda is poised to change the way farmer irrigate their crops.

Vyoda is developing an innovative irrigation system for groundwater wells based on solar energy. Their proposed solution is an irrigation system using solar water pumping technology with high e�ciency of 65% (instead of 40%). The unique pump is based on the principles of hydraulics and is extremely e�cient, enabling solar pumping for longer hours and in low sun irradiation conditions. Farmers bene�t from increased yield, cost savings, and more e�cient use of time.

The winners are:

• DARWYN (E-mobility)DARWYN has set out to reimagine mobility in modern cities. It is working with businesses to deploy electric vehicles in their �eets, while also them providing them with an ecosystem that covers Electric Vehicles, Charging stations, Battery Swapping Systems, Ownership options and End to End operations.

It has proposed a product line comprising of motorcycles and scooters and a proprietary network of fast-charging stations (with 3.5 to 50Kw charging compatibility) strategically placed in cities and along the highway. Further, they have proposed a new ownership model and �exible pricing considering the total life cycle of the vehicle.

• Reckongreen (Energy Efficient Technology)Reckon Green Innovations was created to bring forward innovative and green solutions to conserve resources. It has successfully implemented conservation projects in energy and water and achieved BEE Grade-2 rating within two years of commercial operations. It has helped reduce more than XXXX MW load for customers by o�ering innovative and benchmarked solutions like high e�ciency LED lighting, BLDC fans, and STP plants based on the electrolytic process.

Most recently, it has produced LED tube lights featuring a replaceable plug-in-driver, designed to prevent early failure and trashing of LED tubes, thereby increasing lamp life and ROI by 800%, reducing installation time and cost by 60%, reducing inventory in production and distribution by 70% reduce e-waste by 70% and reduce energy by >65%. The lights are compatible with T8/T5 �xtures and o�er feature customization.

• Sunvest (Financial Instruments) Sunvest Capital is India's �rst dedicated rooftop solar �nancing NBFC. Sunvest brings years of deep solar intelligence combined with expertise in �nancing to make solar possible for residential, commercial and industrial customers.

The solution proposed by them is focused on the �nancing of solar rooftop systems using deep solar intelligence and technology-based �nancing. The solution relies on a solid track record of successfully implementing o�ine and online marketing programs, tight quality control, a veri�ed installed program and established �ntech partnerships to build on existing credit models for consumer �nancing.

• REConnect Energy (Grid Management) REConnect Energy is India's largest cleantech services start-up. It enables electric utilities and renewable power producers to reduce operational and �nancial risks using their proprietary AI and IoT led platform - GRIDConnect. About 1,800 clean energy producers (18,000MW of renewable energy capacity) and 11 large utilities (65,000MW renewables and about 100,000MW electric Grid Size) are empowered using GRIDConnect.

REConnect Energy has proposed a software solution for State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs). which addresses challenges in generation and demand forecasting and power procurement optimization though a package of solutions for forecasting, scenario analysis, demand and supply position mapping, scheduling optimization, trade optimization and demand management.

• Vyoda Pvt Ltd (Clean Energy)Vyoda is an agri-tech start-up which aims to deliver a�ordable smart irrigation through product innovation and to promote sustainable practises for a better tomorrow. With an R&D centre in Tel-Aviv (Israel) and a manufacturing facility at Mysore, India, Vyoda is poised to change the way farmer irrigate their crops.

Vyoda is developing an innovative irrigation system for groundwater wells based on solar energy. Their proposed solution is an irrigation system using solar water pumping technology with high e�ciency of 65% (instead of 40%). The unique pump is based on the principles of hydraulics and is extremely e�cient, enabling solar pumping for longer hours and in low sun irradiation conditions. Farmers bene�t from increased yield, cost savings, and more e�cient use of time.

“Very rarely do audacious goals and dreams, become a reality. The #InnovatetoINSPIRE 2019 experience was one such dream coming to life for the DARWYN team. Our focus to serve businesses across the country and the relentless e�orts put into designing a Made in India Electric two-wheeler for logistics, micro mobility and the bike taxi segment bore fruit when we won the challenge in the electric mobility space.

The bootcamp and interactions before the event helped us present our business model in a clear concise way that ended up being our biggest asset during the presentation. The fact that we set out on a goal to build an indigenous EV and left with an order for 25,000 Electric scooters is surreal and a big motivation. Time to put our heads down and deliver. “

- Team Darwyn

Testimonial