Conergy AG, a leading international supplier and producer of renewable energy solutions, has brought renewable energy systems to the remote village Dewri Gowada, Rajasthan as part of a charity solar electrification initiative in partnership with the Masonic trust in New Delhi. Using energy harnessed from the sun, the 500 residents who once had their households and community activities in the dark will now have a reliable supply of clean and energy-efficient power for lighting.

With more than half the Indian population living in remote villages away from the grid, Renewable Energy is the most economically and technologically-viable solution for their electrification needs. The Conergy Renewable Energy Village initiative was launched with the aim of meeting the vast electrification needs of rural India. To facilitate this, a fundraising initiative was launched at a charity golf tournament and gala dinner organized by Conergy and the Lodge Elysium Masonic Trust in November 2007, supported by India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The event was highly acclaimed and drew more than 300 opinion leaders who contributed greatly in support of the cause. Using the collected funds, 940 watts in solar power was supplied and installed at the Dewri Gowada Village, which is surrounded largely by jungle terrain. The entire initiative consists of 98 solar-powered home and street lighting systems, which are bringing light to 93 hamlets, two temples and a school, improving the living standards of more of than 500 people.

Former Indian cricket captain, national team coach and clean energy advocate Kapil Dev commented, “I am very happy that people from all over the world are addressing the needs of the underprivileged in India. In committing time and resources to social and environmental needs, businesses and non-governmental organizations can play a key role in sustainable development. I commend Conergy and the Lodge Elysium Masonic Trust in their efforts to reach out to India’s underprivileged communities. This act of commitment, dedication and compassion is both inspiring and also a role model for environmental leadership. We need to do more and I ask more organizations and businesses to follow this example.”

“It has been extremely fulfilling for Conergy to be a part of this initiative,” says Rajesh Bhat, Managing Director of Conergy India. “Through our subsidiary SunTechnics, we have already installed several hundred renewable energy systems for environmentally-friendly solar power and thus improved the living standards of more than 100, 000 people in 250 Indian villages. Till now, more than 13% of the 600,000 remote villages in India lack electricity. Like Dewri Gowada, most are located in remote territory, which proves expensive and technologically-challenging for power supplied through a public grid. Off-grid renewable energy products such as solar-powered home and street lighting systems thus serve as affordable and efficient alternatives, while also environmentally-friendly.”

Venkittu Sundaram, Chairman of the Lodge Elysium Masonic Trust and Managing Director of EPURON India added “India’s potential for renewable energy projects far exceeds the current installed capacity. Of the current 144,913 megawatts of energy produced in India, only 8.4% comes from renewable sources. This equates to 12,195 megawatts.”

For press-quality images, please contact Ms Lyn Toh at +65 6849-4467 or l.toh@conergy.com

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About Conergy

Conergy India is subsidiary of the Tec-Dax listed Conergy AG. Headquartered in Bangalore since 2005 with 4 branch offices across India, Conergy is a pioneer in installing and producing renewable energy systems. With more than 70, 000 solar systems installed worldwide, Conergy AG is one of the leading solar enterprises in Europe and also a global market leader in the field of solar system integration. Conergy AG pursues a global growth strategy: it produces, installs and plans solar systems and wind parks for its customers in more than 20 countries. The Group also manufactures photovoltaic wafers, cells and modules in a state-of-the-art production facility in Germany and develops and finances large-scale renewable energy projects. Listed since 2005 on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, the Conergy Group is represented by branch offices on four continents.