At this building,windmill blows away power bills

In the peak of summer,when electricity bills climb in most households,Professor R Venkatesh of Sion is unperturbed.

In the peak of summer,when electricity bills climb in most households,Professor R Venkatesh of Sion is unperturbed. In 2007,he had installed a miniature windmill and solar panels on the terrace of his 11-storey building for his personal use; since then,he has been seeing a consistent drop in his monthly bills,by at least Rs 500 to Rs 750.

I came to live in this high-rise in February 2007,and my initial bills would cross Rs 1,000. In October that year,after consulting experts and architects,I decided to invest in a sustainable energy like solar and wind power. However,the installation costs of these instruments are not cheap in India,and my family had initial doubts. Today,we are seeing a steady drop in our electricity bills,and are assured that the overhead will be covered in six to seven years at the most, says Venkatesh,faculty head of International Business and Marketing at the Welingkar Institute of Management.

Built on a concept by architect Nandan Mungekar,the windmill stands 12-14 feet metres tall and generates 70-80 watts everyday. The energy then goes to the flats grid in the form of direct as well as alternating current. From the speed at which the miniature windmill turns even on a hot afternoon,it is evident that the energy flow is constant.

The windmill was designed two years ago,and today we have designed many more sophisticated techniques. They are more powerful,smarter and easier for households to install. Tall buildings in the city can easily look at wind power in the future, Venketash says.

Our building is the tallest in our locality and as a result the wind flow is constant. Today all the tube-lights and fans in my house run on wind,while the water is heated by solar energy. We have no use of geysers anymore and ours is the only house in the building that keeps its lights and fans on ever during a power failure.

The installation by Navi Mumbai-based Aditya Solar Systems cost Rs 1.8 lakh.

Venkatesh says,Most people shy away from wind and solar energy,as installation costs are high. However,once installed it is entirely free since we are simply making use of natural resources. Besides the personal gains in terms of low bills,natural power is also favourable for the environment.

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He said members of his own society had rejected the idea,years ago.

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