Solar heating system brings warmth and cheer to Himalayan mountain households

The indigenously designed ‘Solar Hamam’ is cost-effective, fabricated by local artisans, saves time, and conserves forests

December 11, 2021 07:10 pm | Updated 07:10 pm IST - CHANDIGARH:

A neighbourhood of Sissu village covered in snow after a fresh spell of snowfall, during the winter season in Lahual and Spiti district, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021.

A neighbourhood of Sissu village covered in snow after a fresh spell of snowfall, during the winter season in Lahual and Spiti district, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021.

Aimed at providing clean energy solutions to households in mountainous regions while conserving forests, mitigating carbon emission and freeing women from the drudgery of fuelwood collection, a locally designed and branded ‘Solar Hamam’ heating system is gaining popularity in the villages of Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Uttarakhand.

Households in the mountains depend on natural resources for fuel, fodder, nutrition, health, agriculture, employment and livelihood. According to the 2011 census, almost 85% of rural households in India are dependent on traditional biomass fuels. In the Himalayan region, at altitudes above 2,000 meters, winters are harsh and it’s cold throughout the year, compelling households to rely on wood fires as the source of energy for various activities for up to 16-17 hours in a day. More than 50% of wood collected is used in heating water and living spaces, making it one of the leading causes for the degradation of forests. Women and children toil hard to collect fuelwood.

In recent years, researchers at the Himalayan Research Group (HRG), a part of the Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology Core Support Programme of Science for Equity Empowerment and Development (SEED) division, have worked on technological interventions to find sustainable solutions.

“It was in 2004 that we started designing a simple and cost-effective solar water and space heating system for rural households. In 2008, we had an artisan-fabricated prototype, the Solar Hamam, which was evaluated for performance, safety and maintenance in rural households. It was found to be cost-effective, and utilises local materials and skills. After these encouraging results, we have so far installed over 1,200 Solar Hamam systems in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Uttarakhand,” Dr. Lal Singh, Director-HRG, said.

The Solar Hamam provides an anti-freezing outlet and 15-18 litres of boiling hot water at a maximum temperature of 90°C within the first solar illumination of 30-35 minutes in the morning. Successive batches of hot water are available at a gap of 15-20 minutes. Post-installation maintenance is minimal. Fabricated by rural artisans, mainly carpenters, it has also helped generate employment. The Solar Hamam won the Himachal Pradesh State Innovation Award for 2016-17.

A 2018-19 joint study conducted by Dr. Lal, Maninder Jeet Kaur and D.K. Thakur showed that the Solar Hamam on average achieved saving of 31.47% and 45.41% fuelwood in selected villages in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu and Mandi, respectively, where 204 Solar Hamams of 100 litres per day capacity were installed.

In March 2021, a paper on the Solar Hamam titled ‘Efficient fuelwood consumption with innovative solar water-heating system for forest conservation and mitigation of household carbon emission research’ was published in the peer reviewed Current Science journal.

“The maximum saving in fuelwood was observed in the winter. It not only resulted in saving time for women but also a visible improvement in their health and hygiene due to the availability of hot water. Rural artisans acquired new skills in fabrication. Thus, significant environmental, social and economic benefits were observed,” said Dr. Singh said.

About seven million households inhabit the Indian Himalayan region. “On average, different studies by us have found an average reduction of five tonnes of carbon dioxide emission per household per annum, demonstrating these installations will contribute significantly to the national agenda on climate change mitigation,” he said.

Harish Chander (49), a carpenter and resident of the Oli village in Mandi district, is happy. “After I installed the Solar Hamam in my house in 2014, I urged other people to use it. Over 150 houses have it now. I have installed many of the solar panels in the village and earned money.”

“It is wonderful. Almost every day, I leave for my farm early in the morning. By the time I return, hot water is ready for use for all household needs. In winters, I am able to give lukewarm water to cattle for drinking. It’s very cheap. Warm water is a necessity here almost throughout the year and I was using wood as fuel before. With this solar system, we use 50% less firewood at my house,” he added.

Jai Kumar (40), a farmer in Rewnsi village in Mandi, says his electricity bill has also dropped significantly. “The solar system is cost and time-saving. I am now able to give more time to other activities as I don’t have to spend time collecting more wood,” Mr. Kumar said.

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