Biofuel
2015
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The renewable energy team observed the challenges related to energy and decided to focus on renewable energy from cow dung, a resource that seemed to be available in excess. After the first few days of field visits to various farms, they discovered that cow dung was being utilized at full capacity as a biofuel called saani for heating and cooking. In other villages, people used cow dung as a building material. The government had also implemented a subsidy for liquid propane gas tanks, so the team realized energy needs might not be as dire as they initially thought.
The group decided to pivot and focus instead on exploring the potential of Panchagavya, an organic fertilizer made from fermented milk, butter, curd, cow urine, and cow dung. After meeting several farmers who made Panchagavya, they identified the cow urine as the most difficult and costly resource to collect and that there is a high demand for cow urine. They put together an idea for a low-cost urine collection system that could be temporarily attached to a cow and purchased by farmers to collect their cows’ urine. Their business model included embracing local materials, businesses, and distribution systems to keep costs down and work with the local community. |
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