Concerned about the environment and with a deep interest in technology, Pune-resident Abhishek Mane decided to quit his job at the Ministry of Defence and start a business.
“I spent several years learning about solar energy, how to install panels and harness energy. I worked with people in the solar industry to learn how the panels are manufactured.”
In 2015, Abhishek, along with his sister Deepali Shinde, started Deeva Solar Power Solutions to make solar panels in Pune.
While setting up his business, he made the choice to install solar panels in his home. Now, all of his kitchen appliances, television, washing machine, water pumps, cars, and bikes are powered by solar energy.
This has reduced their electricity bill enormously. “For a family of four adults and one child, our electricity bill was a minimum of Rs 5,000 per month. Now, we pay only Rs 70 per month,” he says.
“The change was gradual. Initially, we spent a few months consciously reducing our energy consumption. From ensuring we turn off the lights when necessary to ration the amount of water we use, our family slowly made big changes in our behaviour,” he adds.
Abhishek installed 10 panels, each with a capacity of 250 watts, to produce 2.5 KW of energy every day. These panels are directly connected to the grid and are equipped with a battery for energy storage.
“In 2019, we added 330-watt panels, and now the system produces 7 KW of energy every day. We added the extra panel so that we could charge the car,” says Abhishek.
The family plans their appliance usage throughout the day. They prioritise using heavy appliances early on to complete chores and charge one electric vehicle (EV).
Afterwards, they allow a few hours for the batteries to charge, and during the night, they utilise the power to charge the other two scooters.
Devoted to convincing people to make this green switch through his company, Abhishek has helped more than 500 households go green.