A multi-institute research team led by the CSIR – National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) has bagged the ₹2.2-crore Solar Challenge Award for developing sustainable alternatives to batteries using indoor photovoltaics.
The project, Hybrid Indoor Light Harvesters for Self-Powered IoT Applications, will be led by NIIST scientist Suraj Soman in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation(CSIO), the NIIST said.
The Solar Challenge Award, instituted by the Union Department of Science and Technology (DST), supports groundbreaking projects that harness solar energy to address future technological challenges.
The award was presented by Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh during the 14th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and 8th Mission Innovation (MI) meet in July-end. Every year, over 15 billion primary batteries are discarded, polluting an extensive area of more than 0.3 million sq km of land. The NIIST-led project seeks to tackle this environmental issue by introducing highly efficient indoor light harvesters.
‘’The core of this groundbreaking research lies in the utilisation of dye-sensitised solar cells (DSCs), offering superior recyclability compared to traditional batteries and promoting a greener and responsible lifestyle,’‘ NIIST said.
C. Anandharamakrishnan, Director, CSIR-NIIST, said the indigenous-developed technology’s use of cheap and easily sourced raw materials and streamlined supply chain, make it versatile and attractive for widespread adoption. Narayanan Unni, head, Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies (C-SET) at NIIST, said DSCs have the potential to transform the market for indoor photovoltaics which are projected to reach a value of $850 million by the end of 2023.
Dr Anandharamakrishnan has invited industries, start-ups, and MSMEs to visit NIIST for potential collaborations.
