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Environment / Ecology | Pedal for free power, PIO shows how

Pedal for free power, PIO shows how

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published Published on Nov 28, 2015   modified Modified on Nov 28, 2015
-The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Pedal a stationary cycle for one hour and run two lights and a fan all day without grid electricity. American billionaire Manoj Bhargava claims he has the answer to India's rural electrification challenge, and he showed it at an event in Delhi on Friday.

Lucknow-born Bhargava, founder of 5 Hour Energy, a popular energy drink in the US, styles himself as "entrepreneur and philanthropist" on Twitter. He claims to lead a simple life-making his own cereal breakfast and doing his own dishes-and is known to avoid the limelight, but for now he wants all the attention on Free Electric, his human-powered generator that will be made and sold in India March 2016 onwards.

The model Bhargava showed off on Friday was visibly smaller and less expensive than the prototype. It uses regular wire-spoked bicycle wheels fitted with weights for a flywheel. He says the device will cost Rs 12,000-15,000 with a storage battery and probably bulbs too. And he claims it is more practical than solar panels for Indian villages because any mechanic who can repair a bicycle can fix it. "Solar panels haven't seen much success because they have to deal with the elements in India: rain, dust, all that."

World Bank data shows 68% of India's 1.21 billion population lives in villages, and Bhargava is targeting the relatively better off among the 822 million villagers. "I know the bottom 200 (million) may not afford it," he says, adding that their huts could be powered by a shared Free Electric unit. Just as he guards his energy drink from copycat brands, Bhargava has patented Free Electric and anyone who wants to manufacture it will need to get a licence from his 'Stage II Innovations' workshop.

Despite spending roughly half a century in the US, Bhargava claims he hasn't lost touch with India. He says he travels in India to understand his customer base. "Spending time behind a fancy desk in an AC room doesn't give you perspective." His focus is on electrifying Uttarakhand, where he spent some of his childhood years. He says the state is energy-surplus yet there are villages where "wires have reached but not electricity".

Bhargava, who started Billions in Change, a platform to improve people's lives by investing 90% of his estimated $4-billion wealth in healthcare, water and energy needs, says he doesn't want to work with governments and NGOs because they are "extremely inefficient".

"I want to do it in a way that is independent so that any government's agenda doesn't kill it, but their help is most welcome."

The Princeton University dropout seems to be acquainted with the problems of ordinary people. The website of Hans Foundation, a charitable trust he runs in India, states he did odd jobs-construction labourer, cleaning contractor, accounting clerk, taxi driver, printing press operator and business manager-years before he made it big.
 
The Times of India, 28 November, 2015, please click here to access

The Times of India, 28 November, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Pedal-for-free-power-PIO-shows-how/articleshow/49954289.cms


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