Lithium ion batteries charge up rural houses

Lithium ion batteries charge up rural houses

Context:

The shift towards lithium ion batteries from the older technology of lead acid batteries has allowed firms like KAHO India Private Limited to help the Centre achieve its rural electrification target even in areas beyond the reach of the grid

About KAHO India:

• KAHO India is a Lithium Ion Battery based Solar Lighting System provider.
• Established in 2012, it seeks to provide last-mile energy access through compact solar modules to areas that are so far not connected to the grid.

Change in technology:

• The firm had initially developed a unit using lead acid battery but found that the short lifespan of these batteries rendered the entire product all but useless
• Subsequently, the firm began looking at other battery options and settled on lithium ion batteries.
• The government has been buying Kaho India’s units under the REC plan and the Saubhagya scheme. (Cost: Rs. 50,000 per unit)

Advantages of lithium ion batteries:

• Cheaper for the government on a per-energy cost basis
• They are much lighter than lead acid batteries. Therefore it became easy to deliver these units to remote locations.
• Charging time is much less than that of lead acid batteries