Kirloskar Brothers Limited reaches out to remote corner of country using innovative and patented solar drive technology

• Bagged an order for supply, installation, commissioning and testing of solar pumping systems from Gujarat Water Supply and Sewage Board in end Oct’09, and commissioned the systems in Jan’10 in 7 remote villages of Gujarat

• Sample Project to harness the potential of solar technology in pumping to ease the water drawing efforts of rural / adivasi women in 10 remote mini villages in Northern and North Eastern Gujarat

• Will provide water to 500 adivasi families scattered remotely easing their exertion

Kirloskar Brothers Ltd., the largest pump manufacturer and turnkey contractor in India, bagged a prestigious order from Gujarat Water Supply and Sewage Board (GWSSB) to install 10 solar pumping systems in 7 remote villages in Gujarat. These solar pumping systems will provide water to yet to be electrified villages in Danta and Amirgarh talukas of Banaskantha district.

This project, which was recently commissioned, replaced hand pumps with 1100 Wp solar pumps that will provide an output of 5,000 to 10,000 liters of water per day per pumping system capable of lifting water from 70 meter to 30 meter at these mini villages. The pumpsets used here are standard submersible pumps with AC induction motors. Use of AC motors in stead of DC motors makes these products far easier to service when required than DC machines. Service outlets for AC machines are far more easily available. Another advantage of AC motors over DC motors is the saving of transmission losses in transmitting costly solar power from panels to the motor in deep bore-wells. Losses in DC transmission are at least 40-50% more than AC in solar pumping applications.

The use of AC motors was made possible by Kirloskar Brothers Limited by developing a patented solar drive technology. We have received the patent rights on 16th October 2009 for this innovation. Our company has a process called i-Mission, which kick starts and cultivates innovation in various working areas from products to process. These patented solar drive controllers are dust proof. They can work satisfactorily in hot ambient temperatures up to 55ï‚°C and can automatically start and shut off as sun rises and sets. They are also powered with very user friendly safety features like dry run protection, phase imbalance protection, output short circuit protection with visual indication of faults through flickering LED displays. Kirloskar Brothers Limited has partnered with Green Brilliance for supply and service contract of installation of solar modules for this project.

As a total water management solution company, KBL is delighted to provide water through clean source of energy to these villages with no power supply. KBL has and will continuously design and develop products that will enhance quality of life. In the future KBL plans to undertake similar initiatives in other parts of India and the world.