IIT students build solar heater for Thane building

IIT-B students Sumit Chhazed and Nikhil Jain had no doubt that they wanted to work on renewable energy when they decided to start an energy solutions firm.

IIT-B students Sumit Chhazed and Nikhil Jain had no doubt that they wanted to work on renewable energy when they decided to start an energy solutions firm.

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After working for more than two years on their start-up, Enelek (Energy + electricity) Power Pvt. Ltd., the duo came up with an innovation that helps use solar energy to heat water for an entire residential
building.

This year, their first commercial solar thermal water heating installation will become functional in Yashwant building, which is under construction in Charai, Thane (west), and expected to be completed in April.

Residents will save up to 250 units of energy a month with the help of the solar thermal water heating tank that costs Rs 3 lakh.

The students believe the building will recover its installation cost in two years.

“The technology requires the construction of a water tank on the terrace that has a capacity of 2,000 litre and is 4 feet x 1 feet in dimension. The tank is insulated with polyurethane foam that traps the heat inside and can maintain the water’s high temperature till morning,” said Chhazed, a fourth-year student from the department of chemical engineering.

Through Sunet Electricals, Chhazed and Jain got in touch with Archetype Consultants Pvt. Ltd. who introduced them to the building’s developer, Thakkar and Narkhede Associates.

“As they were newcomers, I asked them to install their technology at my villa before referring them to the developers, and it worked perfectly,” said Jyoti Jadhav, director, Archetype Consultants.