Applied Materials Foundation and SELCO Solar partner for electrification of 1,000 village households and 10 schools

BANGLORE, INDIA: Applied Materials Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Applied Materials Inc., and SELCO Solar Pvt. Ltd, a social enterprise, have announced a collaboration to electrify 1,000 village households and 10 schools in Karnataka, via solar lighting systems.

Most of these, households were identified as they do not have reliable access to the electricity, and they cannot afford Solar Home Lighting Systems, due to their economic status . With the support from Applied Materials Foundation, SELCO is now able to make the cost of the lighting systems affordable to the very poor households.

Harish Hande, MD, SELCO SOLAR, appreciates the uniqueness of the partnership with Applied Materials. “It is these type of partnerships between visionary companies like Applied Materials, that grassroots organizations like SELCO can provide clear and safe lighting to poor households and schools”

“Applied Materials vision is to apply nanomanufacturing technology to improve the way people live. We take great pride in applying this vision, by utilizing solar technology to positively impact the communities where we operate,” said Aninda Moitra, country president, Applied Materials India.

“Approximately 400 million people are without access to reliable electricity and an estimated 100,000 villages are without access to the national grid. In these cases, the use of coal, kerosene, and other "dirty" fuel sources for power, cooking, and lighting provide energy with intermittent quality and reliability, as well as cause serious health and environmental concerns. We commend SELCO in their efforts to impact lives through the use of clean energy. We’re proud to be associated with this program that is addressing energy needs in villages where sustainable, reliable energy is not yet available.”

Initiated in May 2011, this project has already been implemented in 202 households and four schools. SELCO has followed its bottom up approach of identifying the exact need of energy, customizing the product and installing them at the end user’s door steps with regular warranty and after sales service. On completion the project will positively impact over 10,000 individuals, and generate 279 kilowatt hours of clean, safe energy.

The Applied Materials Foundation and SELCO were invited to the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to announce their commitment to electrifying villages and schools and training social entrepreneurs in rural India. The CGI was established in 2005 by former President Bill Clinton and is an annual gathering of global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.