Solar-plus-storage at a hilltop ashram

Loom Solar has installed a solar plus storage system at a small ashram in the hills of Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. The system comprises 6x440W Shark Super high-efficiency PV panels, a 5kWh (100Ah/51.2V) Atom lithium battery, and a 5kVA high-frequency design (string) inverter.

July 12, 2021 Uma Gupta

Setting up the solar plus storage system was no easy task, given the challenging location.

Image: Loom Solar

A small ashram situated atop a hill by the banks of the river Ganges has an unusual attraction. The ashram, coming up at a remote place in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, will have all its electric equipment running uninterrupted on solar electricity produced from a small rooftop solar plus storage system.

Solar panel maker and EPC provider Loom Solar was tasked with installing the system, which comprised 6x440W Shark Super high-efficiency panels, a 5kWh (100Ah/51.2V) Atom lithium battery, and a 5kVA high-frequency design (string) inverter. High-rise bi-facial panel stands were used to support the panels.

The solar system produces up to 3 kW and storage capacity is 5 kWh. The consumer needs to run LED lights, BLDC ceiling fans, TV set, and power socket, which meant a power consumption of about 500 watts at the same time. Thus, the total electricity produced by system is enough to run the necessary appliances day and night.

On the challenges faced in installation, Loom Solar co-founder and director Amol Anand told pv magazine, the location being a hilly area, it was a challenge to carry the products on foot from the delivery location to the installation site. The distance was about 1.5 km, and it took approx. 30 minutes (to and fro) to bring the product to the site.”

The installation used six PV panels.
*Loom Solar*

“Further, there were no electrical shops nearby. So the installation team had to walk approx. 5 km. from the installation location to get any product, if needed, from the Rishikesh market.”

Mobile network connection added to the challenge by making it difficult for the team members to coordinate with each other. When installing the panels, the team needed grid power to run a drill machine to tight M10 fasteners on the installation rooftop. It had to arrange grid power from a 1.5km away area using AC cables.

Also, there was the fear of forest animals and unpredictable climate conditions. All in all, it was a lot of learning experience for the team, said Amol.

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