Central Electronics Limited (CEL) is a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. They are one of the few companies in India to utilize homegrown technologies for its product offerings. They have executed projects across the globe with an experience of successfully undertaking assignments in 31countries.Their indigenous electronics manufacturing include; India’s first indigenously designed & produced TV and India’s first solar cell and module. In recognition of all these efforts, they have been awarded many prestigious awards including National Award for R&D by DSIR. Their solar products have been qualified to International Standards IEC 61215/61730 by TUV, Rheinland. They have installed solar photovoltaic plants at numerous locations, including the Rashtrapati Bhawan (President’s House) and the Taj Mahal.
In 2001, they pioneered the concept of “Remote Village Electrification” in India by successfully electrifying 90 tribal villages in Dantewara district of Bastar Region (Chhattisgarh State) under the joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Govt. of India. They have executed projects in Sudan, Mali, Zambia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Chad, and Kenya. Recently, they have supplied & installed similar type of Solar Systems in a village under Village Electrification Programme in Namibia. They are currently looking forward to expand their retail distribution channels across the world, and would be interested in partnering with distribution partner in Africa.
CEL has recently developed a new smart hybrid microgrid for rural applications. Their microgrid has numberof cutting-edge features such as wind-solar hybrid generation, pay-as-you-go billing, and compatibility with the national grid. CEL is working on piloting the grid in rural areas in India and hopes to offer microgrid services abroad in the near futures.
Atul Bhargava, general manager of marketing at CEL, advises potential users that quality and longevity are more important than price, and that CEL offers products that have unmatched history comparing to other solar producers. Many of their panels have been deployed for decades in harsh environments and continue to function to specification. Bhargava also commented on the emerging trends in regards to the product that, “more village-level will be installed with smart microgrids as an alternative to solar home systems in unelectrified areas.”
Contributor:
Central Electronics Limited
Atul Bhargava
[email protected]
Central Electronics Limited
