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News from/about Alumni

  • EUREC Alumnus Rishabh Ghotge

Start-up Targets Solar Irrigation System Design

EUREC alumnus, Rishabh Ghotge, recently set up a start-up, Heliostrome, to develop software for the better design of solar irrigation systems. Currently doing a PhD at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, Ghotge aims to quicken the energy transition by shifting from diesel to solar as a power source for irrigation pumping.

EUREC alumnus, Rishabh Ghotge, recently set up a start-up, Heliostrome, to develop software for the better design of solar irrigation systems. Currently doing a PhD at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, Ghotge aims to quicken the energy transition by shifting from diesel to solar as a power source for irrigation pumping.

A large share of farmed land in the global south practices rainfed agriculture and is vulnerable to monsoon variability. The provision of irrigation plays a large role in de-risking agriculture from this variability, while also increasing the productivity of agricultural land. After significant price drops in recent years, solar photovoltaics have emerged as one of the lowest cost options for powering irrigation pumping in these areas. That is why dedicated solar photovoltaic systems for pumping and irrigation are receiving increased attention from farmer cooperatives, governments, development banks and other stakeholders.

However, the design of solar pumping systems is complex, requiring expertise across agriculture, irrigation system design and solar engineering. Further, the data needed for design is often not available or difficult to find. These are the challenges that Ghotge would like to tackle through Heliostrome, which aims to simplify and quicken the design process through software. 
“The EUREC experience played a role in the story”, says Ghotge, who studied at the University of Oldenburg and later specialised in solar PV. “Aside from the skills and education, I also competed in my first business competition based on a tip from a friend in the alumni group. I got to the finals, organised in the Philippines by the Asian Development Bank, and motivated me go pursue it further.”

Ghotge and Heliostrome’s co-founder, Koen van Heuveln, recently took part in the global finals of the EU-funded KIC Climate LaunchPad, the world’s largest green business competition. The start-up is currently in the so-called validation phase, where potential customers and experts are interviewed to understand the market better and identify how to best support solar irrigation projects and practitioners.

If you are interested in finding out more, would like to be interviewed or just want to say hello, you can connect at www.heliostrome.com

(Changed: 19 Jan 2024)  | 
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