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Sun, wind and water
One fine day on the red roads of Auroville...
Cycles driving quietly under the bright sun, no air-pestering exhaust
fumes, no ear-disturbing motor noises, just plain pleasure without
diesel and dust. A dream? Unfortunately, yes, these images are still
fantasy in the day to day streetlife of the City of Dawn. Auroville is
still full of disturbing motorbikes, buses, trucks and taxis. But quite
a few Aurovilians are dreaming and planning, and one man in particular:
Carsten Michelsen, born in Germany, living in Auroville since 1993.
Having studied and worked in the electronics field, Carsten has used his
wide expertise to create his own ecological niche here in the future
city, open to experiments in all sorts of research in renewable energy
systems.
Starting at CSR
Carsten is a kind of 'Daniel D�sentrieb', an
inventor and self-made man who believes in better days and tries to make
his dreams for a healthy environment - using only natural resources -
come true. Starting work at CSR (Centre for Scientific Research) during
his Newcomer period, he functioned as a consultant for renewable energy,
providing technical assistance to various Auroville projects in the
field of photovoltaic, solar, thermal and biogas systems.
Solar lamps
One day, a visitor representing a German NGO
involved in promotion of sustainable development came with a project in
his hands to set up a solar lamp assembly workshop in Auroville. Carsten
felt that the time was ripe to now start on his own, and 'Auroville
Energy Products' (AEP) was born in 1996.
AEP started with an assembly kit of 100 solar
lamps plus a toolset, which had been the donation in kind to Auroville
from a local government ministry in Germany. These useful little solar
lamps were sold and rented out quite quickly in this region of frequent
power cuts. AEP, meanwhile equipped with all necessary licenses for a
commercial unit, then had to import more solar lamp assembly kits and
increase the workshop in terms of space and manpower. The lamps continue
to be assembled, and are presently being commercially distributed around
India. Meanwhile the AEP product range has grown to include solar charge
controllers and inverters to provide a complete solution for solar home
systems.
Wind and water
Carsten's partner is another German Aurovilian,
Jan Imhoff, a civil engineer by background. Jan is responsible for the
stormy side of the company. He is the main architect of wind energy
systems, inside and outside Auroville. Current projects include design,
supply and erection of wind-diesel hybrid systems for the Sagar Islands
of West Bengal, and Kavaratti and Agatti of Lakshadweep Islands.
When it comes to water supply systems, AEP
collaborates with other project holders to help villages in places like
south Orissa establish their own micro-hydro system. More important
projects have been and will be undertaken.
Solar transport
In his free time Carsten is engaged in another
field of activity: the solar electric bicycle project. There are
currently three prototypes up and running, equiped with electric motor,
electronic controller and a removable battery pack to be recharged on a
solar panel. His dream is to see every Aurovilian on one of these
silent, odourless wonders of modern technology, which though not fast
are extremely environmentally friendly. He will be ready to rent them to
Auroville's guests in the near future, with battery loading stations all
over Auroville for longer-lasting driving fun.
Finally, there's another dream of Carsten's and
some Aurovilians, and that is to have a solar driven train. If these
non-polluting products become practical realities, one fine day
Auroville will indeed have a transport system that is really of the
future.
See also AV
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