Some Sri Lankan expatriates in the US to assist U-Tron solar lighting scheme for low income households
View(s):A group of Sri Lankan expatriates working in the US has stepped in to assist U-Tron (Beijing) Electronics Co Ltd’s initiative to introduce solar power lighting systems for rural and urban low income families in Sri Lanka, officials of U-Tron Lanka, a subsidiary of the Chinese company said.
LED bulbs and solar package.
U-Tron’s Sri Lankan partner Basil Leanage Enterprises (an engineering firm) along with China Lanka Cultural Economical and Trade Exchange Pvt Ltd is implementing this project of introducing Shell (US) Thin Film Solar panels along with the lighting system including batteries and LED bulbs.
Raja Magasweran, Managing Director of the company who visited Sri Lanka, recently told the Business Times that “in the medium term, for rural homes we expect small solar energy systems to play an increasing role”. This seems to be not only the direction pointed to by current trends, but also a desirable outcome that “we can see for the wellbeing of rural and urban poor”, he said.
He pointed out that the country should take advantage of solar energy without allowing it to go waste as his company is ready to supply better-quality solar panels using crystalline silicon technology and other accessories to light up low income households.
The Beijing-based Sri Lankan visited several hotels in the South during his recent official tour and observed that most LED lights in the market which are being used by hotels were giving maintenance problems as the failure rate was very high.
Electrical maintenance staff has to work day and night to replace lights regularly and therefore he gave instructions to his Chinese company to design LED lights that will have the low failure rate and ability of dimming when using existing power supply.
The new LED lights will be introduced in Sri Lanka, soon on the directions of Mr. Magasweran, according to Mr. Leanage, who added that that they are now supplying LED bulbs with filament type that have 360 degree light dispersion where normal LED light bulbs give 180 degree light dispersion. This was a new innovation of U-Tron (Beijing), he added.
He disclosed that several Sri Lankan expatriates in US as well as several other countries including the Middle East have expressed willingness to extend assistance for their rural and urban low income household solar lighting project.