Cometh the Warming Cometh the Solution: Husk Power Systems

As the warning of the Global Warming looms large on planet earth and the unfortunate failure of the highly publicized Copenhagen Summit where leaders from all around the world failed to reach an amicable conclusion on emissions.

A ray of light has emerged from the dark situation in the form of Husk Power Systems, a for-profit company co-founded by Chip Ransler and Manoj Sinha both University of Virginia, Darden School of Business 2009 graduates. HPS operates 35-100 kW “mini power plants” providing power to over 50,000 rural indians at a cheaper price and in an environmentally friendly manner.

 Now HPS generates electricity by burning rice, wheat or corn husks (gasification process)with negligible carbon emissions. (video below) What better than the fact that the only byproduct viz. silica obtained is used in the manufacturing of concrete resulting in generation of zero waste from the process.

 The business plan is already a hit in the US with almost $10,000 in prize money from various US institutions; besides the coveted $250K investment from DFJ and Cisco as part of a biz plan competition. Shell Foundation, a UK-based organisation funded by petroleum major Shell, has also made a huge undisclosed investment in the firm confirming the effectiveness and importance of the clean energy generation capacity of this innovation.

 The technology is currently being implemented in the rural villages of Bihar, interestingly this is where one of the co-founders Manoj Sinha hails from; one of the primary reasons for the conception of this idea. Five pilot projects are currently running which have already become operationally profitable in 6 months. They aim to reach around a 100 by the end of this year.

 This is one technology we believe can transform rural India and solve the power problems that we are currently facing today. Also minimising carbon emissions at the same time helping curb Global Warming if implemented on a large scale. Go HPS, GO!!!