My friends from Auroville (India) started this new venture that powers nearly a hundred villages in Tamil Nadu. Here is how:
While it is no surprise to hear that connecting to the Internet requires a power source, one may be surprised to learn that the Internet can also give energy in return, to power a village for example. The old proverb ‘knowledge is power’ has become more tangible then ever! That is the idea behind, the Solar Village Search Engine, a search engine that produces solar energy for rural India.
Like any conventional internet search engine, Solar Village Search Engine, works generates income from sponsored search results. Yet unlike other search engines, the income from these advertisements goes toward the cost of purchasing and installing solar panels in villages. Climate Action has never been easier. With a click of a mouse individuals can contribute to a carbon netural energy future.
The Solar Village Search Engine is a part of the Solar Village Initiative, which works to alleviate the impacts of inconsistent energy supply — sometimes referred to as “energy poverty” — on rural villages. By providing the means of generating energy locally, the Solar Village Initiative hopes to improve conditions for livelihood, academics, health, and environmental wellbeing. The aim is to solarize 100 villages in Tamil Nadu by 2030. The first Solar Village project has started.
Moreover, the initiative can help bring democratic budget-planning to these communities. As the solar panels are connected to the conventional grid system, the energy generated by the panels can be sold to a third party. In turn, ten percent of the profit from these electricity sales is given back to the village itself, which opens new opportunities for the villagers. The money earned through the sales will be spent as the community sees fit as a form of participatory budgeting. Villagers can assess the needs of the community and then vote on competing needs and collectively decide what kind of spending will reap the most benefits for all.
The Solar Village Initiative is managed by Auroville Consulting, a unit of the nonprofit Auroville Foundation. More information about the Solar Village Search Engine can be found at www.thesolarvillage.org
Support them making this search engine it default on your internet explorer. You can also find the link on our site's homepage.
- Suri