Role of Industrial Design in the Innovative applications of Solar Photovoltaic Energy for Rural India

This paper communicates study and observations around off grid solar photovoltaic (PV) technology with emphasis on the need and importance of design innovation by intervention of Industrial Design in it. Major focus of this study is on needs of rural India. Currently the use of solar photovoltaic energy in villages is limited to the indoor and street lighting purpose. To improve quality of life of people at the villages and remote areas, it is important to identify the problems and solve them creatively. Industrial design approach to design and develop products to solve rural needs that take care of important aspects like affordability, acceptability, awareness and accessibility by rural population. Consideration of rural ecosystem while designing these products will result in the use of local resources including materials and manpower to develop/manufacture these products to make them sustainable. This will result in new innovative applications of off grid solar PV energy for rural and remote areas of India. This Paper summarises the importance of Solar PV energy in present and future scenario along with the observations about the areas of Rural India where it could be used to solve problems by industrial design approach. It also includes the result of experiment conducted with industrial designers to solve the problems related with the scenario of rural kitchen by providing solar PV hint sheet. (paper)