Brahma Kumaris International

update 10-01-25

New Solar Energy Installation Gyan Sarovar

The solar cooker in our campus in Gyan Sarovar, Mount Abu, India, was getting very old, actually almost 25 years old. It was based on thermal power, meaning 24 concentrating dishes focused on receivers and heated the water inside, bringing it to a boil. The generated steam was sent down to the kitchen.

Despite being overhauled completely, the pipes, tanks, and structure corroded beyond repair, and the system had to be dismantled and scrapped. After many discussions and calculations, we built a solar cooking system based on photovoltaics, batteries, inverters, and induction cooking vessels. A similar system has been operating at Om Shanti Retreat Centre near Delhi for a year.

The system is based on 200 kW PV, a 1 MWh strong lead-acid battery, a 200 kW 3-phase inverter, and 3 specially
fabricated stainless steel induction cooking vessels. This configuration allows for cooking in the early morning
hours and will help tremendously during grid failures.

So, at the beginning of 2024, we started with civil work and procurement of components. The system became operational. in October 2024 and was finally inaugurated on 16 December 2024 by Didi Sudesh and the solar and kitchen crew.