Innovation

The innovation here is a technology that enables smart street lights, which save energy and helps the environment. The startup has developed "smart access control system" which is applied in the street lights, which enables less energy consumption and prevents any wastage.

It is solving UN SDG 9 because it's sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and shows a way for environmentally sound technology.

Right ecosystem and talent pool is equally necessary to move ahead on the path of innovation. As it’s a startup they are trying to build the right ecosystem which will help them to innovate more in the right direction towards sustainability.

They believe in innovation related to sensors which help in multiple ways – sensors if used efficiently to control traffic can help a lot. While speaking to Mr Rohin about how energy conservation is a major concern he said "Currently, in the whole world enormous energy is consumed by street lights, it’s a huge waste of energy and should be changed. Using smart LED lights and sensors in the street lights we can save a lot of energy that’s being wasted otherwise". During light, it will switch off and during the dark, it will turn on. If maybe after 12-midnight traffic is very less than the brightness can be 50% or only alternate lights will operate.

Inspiration

The leader was a product design engineer and always wanted to start a new business. After working in the United States for 12 years, he felt the urge to come back to the country and do something for his own society, where he grew up. So he came back and started a startup which provides a smart solution for technologies.

When he came back to Goa he observed a lot of street lights being on even when not required, this triggered him to develop smart led lights which turn off automatically when there is sufficient light around. After getting inspired to this brilliant innovation we wanted to know how exactly it will work and he answered by saying "So the innovation of smart led lights came as I thought the possibility of either to dim light by 50% after mid-night or turn off alternate lights as required will save energy and reduce carbon footprints."

Overall impact

Impact of smart street lights is less energy consumption and ultimately fewer carbon footprints. This innovation has also generated local employment. The innovation has led the startup to associate with four engineering colleges where they have assigned projects to students and they created the right ecosystem and environment to share knowledge. Young minds if start thinking in the path of sustainability will eventually lead to a brighter future.

We understood what kind of impact this technology is going to create in this world and he specifically mentioned: "Street lights have always been the major source of energy wastage and if we can control that then the impact can be huge."

Energy consumption is in itself a huge proof of how it is impacting the environment an society. While explaining how this innovation helped them to build their business along with serving the sustainable purpose, he also mentioned how it is going to help them in their future prospects and said "We have saved a lot of energy and by using smart access control system there are many other things which want to impact. We are also working on some other plans of using sensors and smart access controls like on waste management to create the right impact. There is one thing which plays a major role and that’s communication."

Business benefit

This innovation has contributed towards the biggest projects startup has fetched till date. The innovation has created a new product in the market "smart access control system" for lights and created most of the revenue through it. It has created local employment and involvement of college students. It has given the startup a more defined direction and more refined goals towards sustainability and also towards the success of the company. This initials success has inspired the leader to work more on similar technologies and come up with more innovative projects which will not only bring good business to the company but also helps to reduce the carbon footprint and save energy. The innovation is also a base for the new technology the startup is currently developing for "Waste management system”. They believe government spends a lot of money on waste management but nothing works out. If they can work on similar lines for this too using technology, then waste management issue can be sorted. So , they are working on this innovation too. Their ultimate goal of saving energy and reducing carbon footprints actually will bring a lot of business for them in future but as of now as it’s a very new startup they are still working on it. As the company has started last year only so there is not much defined clear information of the revenue but there are working progressively towards growth.

Social and environmental benefit

This innovation leads to less energy consumption and prevents any wastage. It’s sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and shows a way for environmentally sound technology. This innovation has generated local employment. The innovation has also led the startup to associate with four engineering colleges where they have assigned projects to students. It will also lead to increased public safety from improved lighting, safer traffic due to increased visibility of hazards and measurable environmental impact due to reduced energy consumption. This innovation supports SDG 9 in having target of Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, and on the verge of achieving through the innovation of smart street lights. Smart street lights can provide new revenue opportunities with digital signage and other capabilities. It’s estimated that switching to smart LED lighting could save 40% of total lighting energy as this will help environment and society in a massive way. Where our country is striving for optimum utilization of energy resources due to it’s over consumption, also, finding ways to alternatives for non-renewable source of energy, innovation like this helps and have great impact on the environment. "Sustainability is maintained and this innovation will have positive impact in future" is also what this leader of the innovation Mr. Rohin believes in.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ocqATfJjHZ2Id6vWFEOmhShBfOrsUTpN/view?usp=drivesdk

Interview

Rohin Parkar, MD