EVENTS

• Mr. Ramakrishna Kandula, an NRI, who hails from Andhra Pradesh has extended donation of Rs. 10000/- against our appeal on website for ‘Donation of solar cooker for charity’. The donation has been used for donating a community solar cooker of 2.0 m dia. for a “AIDs Hospice” in Pune. This is the only hospice in Pune with a capacity of around 35 inmates & is run entirely on charity. It is for the poorest of the poor & abandoned patients are usually picked up from stations, bus stops & even outside Govt hospitals from which they have been thrown out to die on the roadside. Mr. Anji Mehra contacted PRINCE and requested for donation of a solar cooker to cut down the cost of cooking. During the same time the donation was received from Mr. Ramkrishna Kundula and was judiciously utilized. Balance funds were provided by PRINCE. Mr. Anji Mehra and all PRINCE team is very thankful to Mr. Ramkrishna Kamdula
   

• Exclusive interview of “Prof. Ajay Chandak” in column ‘Face to Face’ in national  magazine ‘One India One People’, in Nov. 06 issue, pg no. 39 to 41. The interview is on the energy conservation and renewable energy applications. To view interview, click here.
   
• Sh. Deepak Gadhia of  ‘Gadhia Solar Energy systems’ won international “Blue Sky” award in China: Mr. Deepak Gadhia and Mrs. Shirin makes up a lively couple devoted to promote renewable energy, especially ‘Scheffler Solar Concentrators’.  They have accreditation of having installed world’s largest solar cooking system at ‘Tirumala’, cooking more than 30000 meals a day.  In Oct. 2006, GSES won the prestigious international ‘Blue Sky’ award for the green technology in China. Cheers to this great couple and the inventors, Wolfgang Scheffler and Dr. Seifert. Congratulations to all from PRINCE family.

Gadhia family with “Blue Sky” international award for renewable energy technology

• Three day workshop on  ‘Quality Control in Renewable Energy systems and standardization of Test Procedures for testing Solar Flat Plate Collector’ was organized at School of energy studies, Pune University between 23-25 August 2006. The workshop was jointly organized by MoNES. Prof. Ajay Chandak from PRINCE was one of the faculty members for the workshop. 

• MEDA delivers awards for “Energy Efficiency” and “Renewable Energy”: 26^th July 2006:

Awards for the year 2005 were delivered to different companies, manufacturers and persons for their achievements in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy. Founder member of PRINCE, Prof. Ajay Chandak was also honored with ‘Renewable Energy Award – 05” in individual/end user category. For details see “Awards and Achievements”

• Workshop on “Small Wind Generator Manufacturing Processes”: April 1^st and 2^nd 2006 : MITCON bldg. Balewadi, Pune.

  Workshop was organized by MITCON, in Pune. Workshop was conducted by PRINCE group. Prof. Ajay Chandak worked as the chief faculty. Total 41 participants participated in the workshop and learned art of manufacturing a small wind generator. One small wind generator was disassembled and reassembled by the participants. Manufacturing processes for all components of wind generators were taught during the course.

  Feed back from the participants: Feedback and open house discussions from participants reveal that the technology is not feasible in non wind zone. Small wind generators can be useful in the non electrified areas with good wind.
   

• Workshop on “Manufacturing of Domestic Parabolic Cookers and Renewable Energy Technologies” January 29^th to 31^st 2006:
  
  Three day workshop was conducted for “Manufacturing of Domestic Parabolic Cookers and renewable energy technologies”. Twenty participants from all over the country, from distant places like Patiala, Pondichery, Coimbtore, Banglore, Hyderabad etc. participated in the workshop. One British renewable energy engineer, Ben Lumbi, also participated from IT Power Ltd. After the workshop follow up reveals that out of 12 companies participated in the workshop eight of them are in different stages of manufacturing the product. 
  
  Feed back of the participants: All feedbacks were very positive. All participants felt that this was a workshop with difference. After the workshop the participants felt that they learned art of manufacturing the parabolic cookers and were confident of manufacturing the gadget on their own once they are back to their work.

Participants learning art of manufacturing parabolic solar cookers.

Ben Lumbi, performing cooking test on solar cooker during the workshop.

• One day workshop on 17^th Dec. 2005. Hotel Residency Park, Dhule.
  
  One day workshop was organized for industries on ‘Energy conservation in Industries and Renewable Energy Applications’  for industries in Dhule and Nandurbar districts. The workshop was organized in association with MEDAEminent industrialist Sh. Kishorappa Patil was the chief guest. Sh. Ravindra Datar of Senergy Consultants Pvt. Ltd., Prof. Ajay Chandak, Sh. S.R. Chaudhari G.M. energy conservation from MEDA worked as chief faculty for the workshop. . The workshop received enthusiastic response from industry and more than 75 participants participated in the workshop.
  
   
• Workshop on “Manufacturing Small Wind Generators and Renewable Energy Technologies”:  August 13^th to 15^th  2005
  
  Workshop was organized at PRINCE center Dhule in collaboration with SSVPS BSD College of Engineering Dhule. Prof. Ajay Chandak worked as the chief faculty. Total 23 participants from Industry & academic institutions and five officers of MEDA participated in the workshop. More stress was given on practical and manufacturing aspects. All participants manufactured one unit and tested the generator. The workshop was followed by visit to Chandak farm. Other renewable energy technologies like solar domestic cookers, community dish and Scheffler cookers, biogas plant, solar dryer, solar industrial heating system, energy efficient housing etc. were demonstrated to the participants.

Scheffler community cooker demonstration at Chandak farm

Group photo of all participants at Chandak farm, at the end of workshop.

• Eminent cine artist Sh. Sadashiv Amarapurkar appreciating PRINCE efforts

Eminent Cine artist Sh. Sadashiv Amrapurkar visited PRINCE center and shown interest in our activities.  Prof. Sham Patil explaining his the working of parabolic solar cooker. He was in Dhule and Nandurbar districts to extend support to Narmada Bachhao Aandolan.

Eleven-day workshop for manufacturing small wind generators and renewable energy technologies: (4^th to 14^th April 2005) :

The workshop was a joint exercise of PLACEs from Colorado University USA, PRINCE Dhule,  AID (Association for India’s Development), Narmada Navnirman Abhiyan and Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti. SSVPS BSD College of Engineering were the host for the workshop and residential arrangement for the participants and workshop facility were provided by them.  The workshop was aimed at developing manufacturing skills to the participants from NGOs. Following were features of the workshop.

• A survey was conducted for implementation of the wind generator project by Colarado University team comprising of Dr. Anuradha Ramaswami, Mark Pitterle, Mike Whitekar and Tim Oleson, in August 2004, along with PRINCE team. Sites at Mozda and Trishul were proposed. It was not possible to visit Trishul in that period and hence site at Mozda was finalized.

• One wind generator was manufactured by all participants from scratch, including all moulds.

• This wind generator was installed at Mozda by the participants after the workshop.

• Michel Mazgaonkar and his team set a system at Mozda and 30 huts were given power supply from this 600 watt wind generator. To use light efficiently LED clusters were used.

• Many students from SSVPS BSD COE were also involved in the workshop.

• This project was well appreciated at national level. Indian Express covered a half page article on this project on 5^th June 2005 and Marathi Vidnyan Parishad covered the workshop as a cover story in their science magazine ‘Patrika”, June 2005 issue.

• The project proved utility of the “Small Wind Generators” in isolated tribal villages, where wind availability is good.

• Mark Pitterle worked as chief faculty and Prof. Sham Patil, and Michael Mazgaonkar assisted him. Prof. Ajay Chandak worked as chief coordinator and supporting faculty for the workshop.

Workshop inauguration by Dr. Bhaidas Patil, Chairman SSVP Sanstha.

Sh. Subhashdada Deore, Chairman of SSVPS BSD COE,
understanding theme of workshop from Mark Pitterle.

Problem Solving

Assembling.

Testing of PMG by lighting bulb.

Blade Assembly

Workshop participants visited “Essential Equipments”,
manufacturers of parabolic cookers. 

All participants at the end of the workshop

Wind generator installed at Mozda village.

LED lighting inside hut at Mozda

• Demonstration of Parabolic Cookers and posture presentation at Science Project Exibition at "Ekvira Highschool" : PRINCE volunteers demonstrated the parabolic cooker operation and poster presentation at Ekvira Highschool Dhule on 7th and 8th Dec. 2003.

News of Solar Cooker Donation for Matoshri Vridhashram :-

Community size parabolic dish cooker donated to "Matoshri Vridhashram" by Khandelwal family and Suman Foundation. District Collector Shri. Dilip Band, Zilha Parishad C.E.O. Shri. Vilas Thakur, Prof. Ajay Chandak and other dignitaries inaugurating the solar cooking.

News of Display of PRINCE projects at SSVPS College of Engg :-
 

Solar projects carried out by the staff and students member of SSVPS college of engineering were displayed. These projects included different solar concentrators, dehydrator, solar refrigeration system, modified solar box cookers etc.

 News of DIPEX 2003 :-

PRINCE and SSVPS B S D Engineering & Polytechnic Institute held a solar canteen at the Dipex 2003, a state level exhibition of engineering and polytechnic students' projects. Dipex 2003 took place in Dhule, Maharashtra on February 14-17, and was hosted by the S.S.V.P.S. BSD College of Engineering & Polytechnic.

Our display featured four solar cookers with diameters of 1.4 meters (domestic models) and two of 2.3-meter diameter (community models). Twenty enthusiastic volunteers promoted the solar cookers and answered questions about how to use them and how they work.And we proved they work. We cooked and sold about 1000 solar-cooked snacks during the day. Snacks included idli, gajar halwa, sabudana wada, tea and coffee. The response was positive and several people bought solar cookers as a result of our display.

Because of the success of the exhibition, we plan to hold road shows and run canteens in public places to promote the cookers and encourage use of solar power.