He strives to develop solar-powered two-wheelers

He is neither an IITian nor an electronic engineer. But for this cable operator from Madurai district in Tamil Nadu, solar power is the driving force.

Balagurunathan is a man of few words. But his eyes become bright when asked about his new job. He has modified his electric scooter, which runs on solar power. His scooter is fitted with a battery and can run without polluting the environment.

When he goes for daily collection from subscribers, riders often stare at his bike in the temple town. The cable operator says that he had invested less than Rs 5,000 for a tailor-made solar panel and it has not altered the structure of his vehicle. Balagurunathan's two-wheeler has small solar panels on the body.

The vehicle that can run up to 90 km has already won him several admirers. It even starts in rainy conditions and moves without any noise. At 50, Balagurunathan still has
appetite for taking risks. “The idea came to me when I recently fitted a small solar panel for cable network operations in my house. But, many soalr companies refused to give a panel that would fit my vehicle,” Balagurunathan said.  
However, his friend Gunasekar, who runs a small solar equipment shop in the city, offered assistance. “He (Balagurunathan) approached me and explai­ned his idea. Initially, I thought it would be a simple process. When I approached one of my clients, who deals with solar tools, he accepted the task,” Gunasekar said.

He said it took nearly two months for his client to supply for a solar panel, that would fit the vehicle. Explaining the whole process of fitting the specially designed solar panel, Gunasekar said that the device is connected to the engine which runs on a battery. The panel, which has capacity of 48 volts, not only supplies power to the vehicle but also charges the battery simultaneously. The design is simple.

The lighting and horn are a 10-volt system running from a 48-volt to 10-volt converter fixed inside the vehicle. According to him, the battery fitted to the scooter stores solar power and helps it run for more than six hours non-stop. He said the vehicle has good capacity and could easily pull a rider and a pillion. The panel  is closed while riding.

“It is 100 per cent eco-friendly and pollution free,” he asserted. The solar panel is maintenance free. “It can be used for charging even during rainy seasons. It just requires light to produce energy,” he said.

Gunasekar said that after getting the solar panel, the vehicle was ready in just one day. “After seeing the vehicle on-road, many people started approaching us,” he said. “My friend saves at least Rs 200 every day on fuel. Also, the battery has a long life,” he said.

Balagurunathan had little choice when it came to pursuing higher education or a proper career path as he was from a poor family. Options were limited and jobs were hard to come by. “I wanted to do engineering course. However, financial constraints forced me to take up business at a tender age,” he said.

Balagurunathan is now on a “special mission” to take the technology to people directly by riding it across his region for creating awareness on the pollution aspect. Interestingly, traffic police have never stopped his bike and enquired about the extra fittings. “They (cops) know very well that my idea of putting solar panel keeps environment clean.

Instead of questioning me at the traffic signals, they (police) appreciate me,” he said.
Balamurugan’s passion for clean environment does not stop here. Now, he is working with his friend to develop a new bike where the rider will have the option of using either battery-run front-wheel drive or petrol-engine-run back-wheel drive.

“During the day time, the battery is charged by solar panels and at night by the dynamo connected to the rear wheel,” he said. The duo is also working out a design to have the panel on the side of the vehicle instead of front. 

“Our vehicle will have the capacity to overtake petrol scooters without compromising on comfort due to better suspension. We are trying to use better technology with the battery, which will ensure its longer life,” he says.

“However, for modifying above 100 CC vehicle, we need government licence and it also has registration-related issues,” Balagurunathan said. “We are also planning to modify a
cycle rickshaw that will run on solar power. The only issue we will face is to get the tailor-made solar panel.

Solar power equipment companies are bit hesitant in fulfilling our order,” he said.“I want to focus on my job at the moment and be good at it,” he said. Solar power is the only solution for frequent power problem, he added.  The two are looking for qualified engineers who can carry forward their dream of setting up an establishment in Madurai.