This has, however, not discouraged many entrepreneurs from exploring renewable energy projects. Vistar Electronics (P) is among them and it is using high technology to overcome these kind of problems and offer a viable alternative energy system.

Apart from making the traditional solar lighting systems, Vistar has also explored very unusual applications for solar energy systems. It has also combined solar energy systems with electronics and adapted information technology to delver renewable energy solutions.

Vistar started off as a company marketing and installing UPS systems and is an authorised Indian agent for Fuji Electric, Singapore. In 1995-96 the company diversified into solarphotovoltaic systems as he was impressed with the potential of renewable energy, says H V Joshi, managing director of Vistar.

The company started manufacturing portable solar lanterns for commercial use, home lighting systems and street lights. Joshi says he tried to make substantial improvements in the lanterns to deliver better performance.

He has used a non-corroding plastic body and used specially designed inverters and power mosfots for this. Vistar is the first company in Maharashtra to get approval for its solar lantern from the ministry of non-conventional energy sources's approved testing centre, CPRI Thiruvananthapuram. Joshi has started exporting these lanterns.

Vistar has also used advanced software (SizePV from Sandia National Laboratories, USA) for using specific solar insolation data from all over India for optimal and effective design for the complete systems anywhere in India. What it means is that systems are designed and customised keeping mind specific conditions of the locationswhere it has to be utilised.

It has now expanded to designing, commissioning and maintenance of on site solar photovoltaic systems where it has experimented with unusual applications. Among these are solar PV supply systems for powering remote instrumentation for an irrigation project in Pune, solar power based countermate system for a restaurant in Shirdi and using UV lighting for trapping insects and air purifiers for poultry sheds.

The irrigation project has been a big hit. Satisfied with this performance the state government is planning to have more such installations, says Vistar managing director, H V Joshi. The distribution and management of water is a critical element of the irrigation systems in Pune.

Vital data of the canal water level, gate positions have to be monitored. Many of these monitoring sites are situated in remote places where power supply is erratic. Vistar made a detailed study of the installations and its load and it was decided to use a solar photovoltaic solution.

Theseinstallations were made in October `97 in three remote locations sites in Pune district at Patas, Kedgaon and Bhigwan for evaluating the performance and it seems to have worked well. The headquarter not only receives data on regular intervals but the remote sites can communicate with the HQ if there is some urgent instructions to be conveyed.

Another unusual application has been an installation for cash/stock monitoring system for a restaurant in Shirdi. A microprocessor-based countermate machine manufacturer approached Vistar for supporting the machine which could key in data of customers, food delivered, raw materials and dishes consumed, cash received and other related information.

The owner was looking for a non-UPS solution for two reasons -- the high costs and the limited period of power availability. A solar PV system was installed and fulfilled the needs of the restaurant so much so that the restaurateur wants a completed solar PV system for his printer, lighting in the restaurant and in thekitchen and Vistar is only too happy to work on the project.

Joshi says developing such systems are the easy part. The more difficult parts are getting banks to fund projects and marketing the products. To make these kind of products more accessible Joshi suggests finance schemes for the end users of the products.