N1005 IBM Research: ibm research

The energy to innovate

<div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IBMer and MIT TR35 honoree is making electricity accessible and available</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1Dms0hHSBoWBc-nKcAsiIwgxTuFTR4khZVBl4ZiK8rMWMlj1-iEfkPveFXIYgXqUDK9M6rCoW5wUf7PiDR900CmI5PHg5Sir9Ys5vkeHGeSvt0IApEaoTqGxTRISlgYmNKngBNejQI6m/s1600/tanuja_ganu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG1Dms0hHSBoWBc-nKcAsiIwgxTuFTR4khZVBl4ZiK8rMWMlj1-iEfkPveFXIYgXqUDK9M6rCoW5wUf7PiDR900CmI5PHg5Sir9Ys5vkeHGeSvt0IApEaoTqGxTRISlgYmNKngBNejQI6m/s1600/tanuja_ganu.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tanuja Ganu grew up in a small town in India about 400 kilometers south of Mumbai, where – like much of the country – energy outages happen all the time. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“The voltage was often so low that the lights were dim and the refrigerator would burn out. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">“I  studied for exams by candlelight, and endured summers without working fans. To deal with this as children, we learned  to time-shift critical things we needed electricity for – like cooking  and cleaning," </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tanuja said.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Now an engineer at IBM Research, MIT recognized her as a “<a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/lists/innovators-under-35/2014/inventor/tanuja-ganu/">2014 Innovator Under 35</a>” for building solutions that begin to solve these challenges. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Her collaboration with the <a href="http://202.93.211.141/achievements.html">University of Brunei Darussalam</a> led to the inventions of SocketWatch, nPlug, and iPlug. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="right"><table align="right" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; margin-left: 6.75pt; margin-right: 6.75pt; mso-border-alt: solid white .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid white; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid white; mso-padding-alt: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-table-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-table-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-table-left: right; mso-table-lspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-overlap: never; mso-table-rspace: 9.0pt; mso-table-top: .05pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 480;"> <tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">  <td style="border: solid white 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid white .5pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; width: 2.15in;" valign="top" width="206"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;"><span style="color: grey; font-size: 14.0pt;">The Indian electricity sector, despite   having the world's fifth largest installed capacity, suffers from a 12.9%   peaking shortage. This shortage could be alleviated, if a large number of   deferrable loads could be moved from on-peak to off-peak times.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-left: right; mso-element-top: .05pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">–<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span><a href="http://resweb.watson.ibm.com/researcher/files/in-tanuja.ganu/nplug-eEnergy2012.pdf">nPlug:   A Smart Plug for Alleviating Peak Loads</a></div></td> </tr></tbody></table></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Q&A With Tanuja Ganu: Experience to expertise</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IBM Research: How did the experience of dealing with electrical outages influence your decision to work in this field?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Tanuja Ganu: Knowing the inconvenience of time-shifting, I was particularly fascinated with the idea of democratizing the Demand Side Management (DSM) of energy. It’s something that average citizens can make a difference doing by simply reducing their consumption during peak hours and avoiding other energy wastage (like leaving the TV and other appliances on standby).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IR: But you studied computer science and machine learning at university. How did you connect that expertise with energy and utilities – and eventually your solutions of nPlug, SocketWatch and iPlug?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TG: I first learned practical engineering from my father (also an engineer) when we had to fix appliances at home. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">These projects got me interested in engineering and particularly influenced my thinking about inventing and applying knowledge to solve real-world problems.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Though, I graduated with a degree in computer science, and completed graduate studies in data mining and machine learning, I looked for domains where I could address real societal problems using data insights and technological change. And during campus interviews, I came to know about the Smarter Energy group at IBM Research-India. It was the perfect combination of computer science and electrical engineering techniques specifically addressing energy issues. After an internship with them, I joined as an engineer in 2011. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IR: Where did your ideas for nPlug, SocketWatch and iPlug come from?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TG: My first project was <a href="http://www.indiaonward.com/a-smarter-plug-to-alleviate-power-cuts-in-india/">nPlug</a>, or “<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Smarter Planet in a Plug.”<i> </i>It is </span>aimed at alleviating peak usage loads through inexpensive autonomous DSM. Working with a team of engineers with backgrounds in embedded systems and power optimization, we developed a device that fits between appliances such as hot water heaters and even electric vehicles, and wall sockets. nPlug senses line voltage and line frequency (how much energy the device uses and how often), and then uses machine learning techniques to infer peak periods as well as supply-demand imbalance conditions. It then schedules usage for the attached appliances in a decentralized manner to alleviate peaks whenever possible – without violating the requirements of consumers.  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXbsyrk4gEcXLFZOLYo1s0yEtW5zkBD6yiBd_9KNTpnQwQhA85Gr5fwEU_psasQtvL77q3x1XszxO54kkUaaRa7AhvqbopgxlC0I3I4UfnRd2FbThYPknRG8ymLUlk2UgZYr4bAoTrnWy/s1600/nPLUG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXbsyrk4gEcXLFZOLYo1s0yEtW5zkBD6yiBd_9KNTpnQwQhA85Gr5fwEU_psasQtvL77q3x1XszxO54kkUaaRa7AhvqbopgxlC0I3I4UfnRd2FbThYPknRG8ymLUlk2UgZYr4bAoTrnWy/s1600/nPLUG.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://ibmresearchnews.blogspot.in/2013/12/socketwatch-saving-energy-by-appliance.html">SocketWatch</a> is another device that fits between an appliance and the wall socket. It autonomously monitors the appliance’s usage – and based on the appliance’s power consumption, SocketWatch alerts the end consumer of the device’s proper usage (preventing energy waste). For example, it can switch off a TV if it is on standby mode, or alert the consumer about the energy “leaking” from a refrigerator due to a malfunction, like a leaking gasket.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Our most-recent project, iPlug, will help distributed energy sources such as a home’s rooftop solar panels. It – like our other devices – autonomously decides how to route electricity from solar panels back to the grid (on the most loaded phase during peak times), or to store or use the energy locally, based on the home’s usage needs.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IR: How do machine learning, data mining and analytics play a role in these energy projects?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TG: Thanks to advances in embedded systems and sensor technologies, a lot of high frequency data related to energy parameters, such as line voltage, frequency, active power, and reactive power is available for analysis – like finding irregularities in the operations of energy systems. My skills in machine learning and data mining help analyze and bring insight from the data by writing learning pattern algorithms. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Once the patterns are analyzed, optimization skills help in coming up with optimal strategies to solve specific issues at hand. For example, in the case of nPlugs, we apply machine learning techniques to line voltage and frequency data to understand the times of peak demand and supply-demand mismatches. Then we apply optimization techniques to determine preferred times to schedule an appliance in a decentralized manner such that they follow user-defined deadlines, but do not over-load the grid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IR: What stage have these projects reached? And what results have you been able to show?</span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TG: Though we have not evaluated these devices in large scale pilots yet,<b> </b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">we have evaluated prototypes of nPlugs and SocketWatches in real-life settings. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">We’re able to show that nPlugs correctly defer loads such as storage water heaters to off-peak hours without inconveniencing their owners. We have also studied the collective behaviors of thousands of nPlugs using simulations. They are able to reduce peak loads by up to 45 percent with a realistic mix of deferrable loads. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And we can show that SocketWatches are able to accurately pinpoint malfunctions in appliances, such as air conditioners (blocked air filters and obstructed fans) and refrigerators (gasket leakage). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkzpcfF8u-ap6yT1j_npWXwa2fXr9BOfRUOCJm_ldMj1nYCCEW7ZVJ7oMB-yFz7wzfn5HYDiuGiGKxGK-vURtVoGZNOp0lzRgs1c8svJuNYKtbxQigUZddSe8C925yWuiZ36qMtUmQwFa/s1600/Socket_Watch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCkzpcfF8u-ap6yT1j_npWXwa2fXr9BOfRUOCJm_ldMj1nYCCEW7ZVJ7oMB-yFz7wzfn5HYDiuGiGKxGK-vURtVoGZNOp0lzRgs1c8svJuNYKtbxQigUZddSe8C925yWuiZ36qMtUmQwFa/s1600/Socket_Watch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">IR: <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">How do you envision these devices being used in the future?</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">TG: I think there are multiple ways these devices could roll out to consumers and the industry. Utility companies can subsidize nPlugs for high consuming deferrable loads, like electric vehicle charging, to alleviate peak demand. </span></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In the case of SocketWatch, since it provides alerts for reducing electricity waste, helps in preventive maintenance, and lowers a home’s electric bill, it could be directly commercialized to end consumers. And we could also partner with appliance manufacturers since these devices could be integrated within an appliance. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Read more about Tanuja and her work in MIT <i>Technology Review</i>’s <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/lists/innovators-under-35/2014/inventor/tanuja-ganu/">2014 Innovators Under 35</a>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div>

IBMer and MIT TR35 honoree is making electricity accessible and available Tanuja Ganu grew up in a small town in India about 400 kilometers ...

Powering communities with discarded laptop batteries

5:00 AM N1000 0

<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJHwSmcuYQ4YhILhMAK82Xq2J0FyBE0orLXOh46lb2T-QTP8uWkuRoajR0m_0gEecnnR3Z740TQgEHZzGujFshUz7WYMfhZdRW-4Dnh7m9prEPGNbrDvE-5MW7DG90QPsbJmLIHtdSmjc/s1600/vikas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJHwSmcuYQ4YhILhMAK82Xq2J0FyBE0orLXOh46lb2T-QTP8uWkuRoajR0m_0gEecnnR3Z740TQgEHZzGujFshUz7WYMfhZdRW-4Dnh7m9prEPGNbrDvE-5MW7DG90QPsbJmLIHtdSmjc/s1600/vikas.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">By Vikas Chandan, Research Staff Member with IBM’s Smarter Energy Group</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Located right across Bangalore’s Ramaiah College is Chill and Grill, a fast-food joint that is an easy jaunt for students as well as young working professionals who work in the area. The piping hot evening snacks such as wraps and samosas attracts large crowds. And business has been growing for Lalit, 39, who has been running the eatery for more than five years. While business is good, he’s had a persistent worry – the frequent power outages in the neighborhood. He cannot afford inverters or diesel generators to provide back up power, and sans an alternate, business stops until the lights come back on.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Even I go to Chill and Grill with my team, Harshad Khadilkar, Zainul Charbiwala and Deva Seetharam, and Rajesh Kunnath and Deepak Ramakumar, and colleagues from our hardware partner, RadioStudio. We had an idea for Lalit. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvTPlOKDYAHr1XJC0c5dqXL1-vXyIEONGxkKcZKJ6ZzgvBA_CJPPkmfK7GEXsqjOTraAxUfw9DwNyOWkAONvHZjD1UBT-0VP7mP331tOf1CLq5FFSxVZmmkrwjZR05ggrVXg5jTzTtBJo/s1600/chillgrill.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvTPlOKDYAHr1XJC0c5dqXL1-vXyIEONGxkKcZKJ6ZzgvBA_CJPPkmfK7GEXsqjOTraAxUfw9DwNyOWkAONvHZjD1UBT-0VP7mP331tOf1CLq5FFSxVZmmkrwjZR05ggrVXg5jTzTtBJo/s1600/chillgrill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lalit, on right, with one of his employees at the Chill and Grill.</td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">By using discarded laptop batteries, we created a device that could power lights, fans and mobile phone chargers. The specific prototype we built was able to provide around 20 Watt-hours of energy. In other words, it can power a 5W DC light bulb for about four hours before running out of charge.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">The device, targeted at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bottom_of_the_pyramid">Bottom of the Pyramid</a> market (a country’s poorest socio-economic group) made famous by the late management guru, <a href="http://www.rediff.com/money/column/guest-what-made-ck-prahalad-a-management-guru/20100419.htm">C.K.Prahlad,</a>would be particularly useful for rural or semi-urban populations of developing countries like India – and for those like Lalit, who cannot afford to buy high-end power backup options such as inverters or diesel generators. For example, in villages which only get a few hours of power every day, the device could be charged when power is available through a community charging center. It can then be used to run devices during nights when power might not be available, such as lights for children to study. Road-side vendors, who might not have access to power from the grid, could also charge needed devices before leaving home in the morning, and use them at their shops at night.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">The prototype of the device was built with help from RadioStudio. It took four steps:</span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Source laptop battery packs through organized electronic waste (e-waste) collectors</span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Disassemble the packs to extract individual cells that could still deliver power </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Connect re-usable cells together to build a refurbished battery pack </span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Build a box that contains a charging circuit for the pack of refurbished batteries, converters, and other electronics to power the external devices such as lights and fans.</span></li></ul><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZBBgnC2ZQuM-vNW7IQfGvnNiG2RFELCgbdz2dC270jZ8beGROHtYWAEo1AwHIwQ8_AaRx9wofk5JqWi5Q8jQKVLvGaxwm3MlNOtNIHThKdy-0ki1LTfiNKHQXWQg2e8Kyt4ksNPXXW7X/s1600/battery_pack.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Battery Pack" border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLZBBgnC2ZQuM-vNW7IQfGvnNiG2RFELCgbdz2dC270jZ8beGROHtYWAEo1AwHIwQ8_AaRx9wofk5JqWi5Q8jQKVLvGaxwm3MlNOtNIHThKdy-0ki1LTfiNKHQXWQg2e8Kyt4ksNPXXW7X/s1600/battery_pack.jpg" title="Battery Pack" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Battery Pack </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">We estimate the bill of material for the device to be about Rs1000 (about $US16.50) each, when compared to conventional backup solutions such as inverters and diesel generators which usually cost upwards of Rs 10,000 (about $US165). The pricing includes the enclosure, electronics, DC fan and an LED light.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Having installed the device at Chill and Grill, we found that it was able to provide about four hours of backup power when the batteries were fully charged.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Our team also believes that several variants of the device are possible depending on economic and technical feasibility, such as inclusion of a mechanical battery rack instead of a small battery pack; a low battery cut-off indicator; dead battery cell indicators; and the use of other types of battery packs such as cellphone batteries. And we’re also exploring solar energy charging.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">The device attempts to mitigate the environmental and economic issues associated with e-waste by providing a means to re-use discarded batteries. In particular, if this technology is adopted commercially at a large scale, it can incentivize organized collection of e-waste. A large chunk of e-waste collection in India is still handled by the informal sector consisting of local garbage dealers or<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> kabariwallas</i>, which is currently unregulated and poses safety and environmental problems.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;"><span style="color: black;">The device offers potential business opportunity for companies engaged in rural and semi-urban electrification missions. It doesn’t require much capital investment and is easy to build. It also provides a cleaner and potentially cheaper alternative than burning kerosene lamps, and is also compact, light weight, and portable. Most importantly, the device can power homes and communities at the “bottom of the pyramid” for whom access to reliable power is still a challenge.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Back at Chill and Grill, Lalit has been happy with the amount of light he can get from his device. My team is confident that the device will be made commercially available and widely adopted.</span> </span></div>

battery power energy ibm research - india solar energy Powering communities with discarded laptop batteries

By Vikas Chandan, Research Staff Member with IBM’s Smarter Energy Group Located right across Bangalore’s Ramaiah College is Chill and Grill,...