SELCO-India is a private business which has designed and sold over 48,000 solar home systems, powering electric lighting and small appliances for 220,000 people in Karnataka and other states in South India.

Around 46% of households in India do not have mains electricity, and for many others the supply is unreliable. The use of photovoltaic (PV) solar-home-systems (SHS) can provide reliable power for lighting and low-power appliances, which brings great practical benefits. Smoky, dangerous kerosene light is avoided, people have extended hours for work and study, and more opportunities for leisure and entertainment.

Many programmes throughout the world have attempted to improve quality of life using SHS, but often they have not led to long term use and continuing markets. SELCO-India believes that the use of SHS will become widespread only if the system and after-sales service are of high quality, and if people want an SHS enough to pay for it. What they provide is properly designed and installed systems, excellent on-the-spot service and links to organisations which offer appropriate and affordable finance. The Ashden judges were highly impressed with the philosophy and excellent management within SELCO-India: they have built a thriving business by providing poor people with a high quality product and service.

Duration : 0:5:5

Technorati Tags: affordable, Ashden, awards, electric, electricity, energy, home, india, light, panel, power, pv, renewable, SELCO, solar, sustainable, systems

Grameen Shakti has sold and installed over 65,000 solar home-systems (SHS) in rural Bangladesh, and brought major benefits to its users. Nearly 70% of households in Bangladesh are not connected to the electricity grid and depend on kerosene for lighting. This includes most rural areas and extends as far as the fringes of Dhaka. There are plans to extend the grid, but there is little prospect of substantial change in the foreseeable future.

By selling SHS, Grameen Shakti has provided lighting, communications (especially mobile phone charging) and TV, and has increased employment opportunities. It is the largest single installer of SHS in Bangladesh.

This impressive number of installations has been achieved by enabling users to purchase their systems on micro-credit with affordable terms, tailored to their specific needs. Funding for the micro-credit system comes from the World Bank and GEF via the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) which provides Grameen Shakti with both subsidy and concessional loans. The cash pool from credit repayments will enable Grameen Shakti to continue the scheme when the subsidy, which is being phased out, ceases in 2008.

Grameen Shakti has also started a network of technology centres throughout the country to manage the installation and maintenance of SHS locally. It emphasises the importance of technicians who know local customs working through local branches, and has trained 2,000 (mainly female) technicians. It aims to install 100,000 systems by 2006 and sees the potential to install one million systems by 2015.

Duration : 0:4:38

Technorati Tags: Ashden, awards, Bangladesh, energy, Grameen, home, Micro-finance, power, pv, renewable, Shakti, solar, sustainable, systems

Duration : 0:4:42

Technorati Tags: ash, awards, BC, boiler, build, building, cabin, Canada, cedar, CFL, comfort, compact, condensing, construction, content, eco-friendly, efficiency, efficient, emission, energy, environment, environmentally, factory-built, fast, Green, high, home, house, insulated, LED, less, light, low, method, modern, modular, paper, photovoltaic, plans, power, powersmart, prefab, quality, recyclable, recycled, red, renewable, revolution, smart, solar, sustainable, vacation, VOC, waste, western, zero

Duration : 0:4:19

Technorati Tags: ash, awards, BC, boiler, build, building, cabin, Canada, cedar, CFL, comfort, compact, condensing, construction, content, eco-friendly, efficiency, efficient, emission, energy, environment, environmentally, factory-built, fast, Green, high, home, house, insulated, lastlonger, LED, less, light, low, method, modern, modular, paper, photovoltaic, plans, power, powersmart, prefab, quality, recyclable, recycled, red, renewable, revolution, smart, solar, star, sustainable, vacation, Vancouver, VOC, waste, western, zero

email:uyeyama@telus.net
604-736-1172

Duration : 0:6:19

Technorati Tags: animation, awards, BC, build, building, cabin, Canada, cedar, CFL, construction, eco-friendly, efficiency, efficient, emission, energy, environment, environmentally, factory-built, gabriola island, Green, high, home, house, insulated, LED, light, low, modern, modular, paper, plans, powersmart, prefab, quality, recyclable, recycle, red, renewable, revolution, sketchup, sustainable, Vancouver, VOC, Vray, waste, waterfall, western, zero

Read the full article:
“Design with a human touch”
http://www.unsw.edu.au/news/pad/articles/2008/sep/Trent_Jansen.html

For more on Trent Jansen, visit http://www.trentjansen.com

Duration : 0:3:43

Technorati Tags: arts, awards, bombay, cofa, college, design, fine, jansen, mooi, of, sapphire, sustainability, trent, unsw, unswtv

· Small Eco-footprint
· Reduced wastage with Factory Built
·_Sustainable and Recycled Materials – Cork, Cherry Veneer, Cedar, Paper,
Framing Lumber, Plywood, Cotton, Wool & Silk
· Breathable Building Wrap & Rainscreen
· Sprinklers
· Energy Efficient Lighting, Appliances, Windows and Fireplace.
· Integrated Home Control System (Smart Wiring)
· Minimal or zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
· Cabinets – 100% Recycled Paper, zero VOCs with photo-imprinted Teak Veneer
· Built-in Recycling Bins in Kitchen Island
· Local Products
· Water Conservation
·Green Paint
· Continuous Ventilation
· Hydronic Heating System and DHW – 95% efficient
· Individual Thermostats for Radiators
·_Solar Panel for Hot Water (Integrated w/ Hydronic System)

prefab, modular, built green, green, sustainable, eco-friendly

Duration : 0:5:14

Technorati Tags: ash, awards, BC, boiler, build, building, cabin, Canada, cedar, CFL, comfort, compact, condensing, construction, content, eco-friendly, efficiency, efficient, emission, energy, environment, environmentally, factory-built, fast, Green, high, home, house, insulated, lastlonger, LED, less, light, low, method, modern, modular, paper, photovoltaic, plans, power, powersmart, prefab, quality, recyclable, recycled, red, renewable, revolution, smart, solar, star, sustainable, vacation, Vancouver, VOC, waste, western, zero

· Small Eco-footprint
· Reduced wastage with Factory Built
·_Sustainable and Recycled Materials – Cork, Cherry Veneer, Cedar, Paper,
Framing Lumber, Plywood, Cotton, Wool & Silk
· Breathable Building Wrap & Rainscreen
· Sprinklers
· Energy Efficient Lighting, Appliances, Windows and Fireplace.
· Integrated Home Control System (Smart Wiring)
· Minimal or zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
· Cabinets – 100% Recycled Paper, zero VOCs with photo-imprinted Teak Veneer
· Built-in Recycling Bins in Kitchen Island
· Local Products
· Water Conservation
·Green Paint
· Continuous Ventilation
· Hydronic Heating System and DHW – 95% efficient
· Individual Thermostats for Radiators
·_Solar Panel for Hot Water (Integrated w/ Hydronic System)

prefab, modular, built green, green, sustainable, eco-friendly

Duration : 0:2:55

Technorati Tags: ash, awards, BC, boiler, build, building, cabin, Canada, cedar, CFL, comfort, compact, condensing, construction, content, eco-friendly, efficiency, efficient, emission, energy, environment, environmentally, factory-built, fast, Green, high, home, house, insulated, lastlonger, LED, less, light, low, method, modern, modular, paper, photovoltaic, plans, power, powersmart, prefab, quality, recyclable, recycled, red, renewable, revolution, smart, solar, star, sustainable, vacation, Vancouver, VOC, waste, western, zero

Duration : 0:4:9

Technorati Tags: Architype, Ashden, awards, Buildings, energy, environment, Green.tv, solar, sustainable

Duration : 0:3:37

Technorati Tags: ash, awards, BC, boiler, build, building, cabin, Canada, cedar, CFL, comfort, compact, condensing, construction, content, eco-friendly, efficiency, efficient, emission, energy, environment, environmentally, factory-built, fast, Green, high, home, house, insulated, lastlonger, LED, less, light, low, method, modern, modular, paper, photovoltaic, plans, power, powersmart, prefab, quality, recyclable, recycled, red, renewable, revolution, smart, solar, star, sustainable, vacation, Vancouver, VOC, waste, western, zero