Entrepreneur and enterprising are some of the words often used to describe Samon D'costa. After presenting a pragmatic solution with his ‘coconut climber' invention among such ideas, the Carmona lad has been running a pilot test solar switch project for managing streetlights in South Goa.
Solar switch provides a sun based switching option to the streetlights that will turn on the lights in the absence of the sun and will turn it off during the day automatically.
In short, the solar switch is a product that can turn on and off the street lights, based on ambient day light sensing. This product was developed to efficiently control and manage street lighting thereby minimizing the wastage of power due to lights which are unattended. The tagline for the product is - ‘Leave it to the Sun'.
"The solar switch will help the state government save on the energy bills and manpower cost used to operate the street light poles," said Samson.
Samson added that this project could be effectively used across the state especially in the 186 odd panchayats given how it takes care of unattended street lights.
As per the calculations presented by Samson, a single light pole should be kept on for 7 hours but when it is kept unattended, the government ends up spending three times the cost of running the same pole for a single day.
"By using solar switch the govenrment is saving Rs 725.985 per year per pole. Consider improper management of 3 lakh such poles (left unattended), the total saving will be RS 21,77,95,500," said Samson.
Presently the solar switch is in the introductory stage. It competes primarily based on the pricing and durability. It is currently being used as a pilot test project in one of the Goa's railway station colonies in South Goa.
The product can be used for street lights, stadium lights, residential areas, public/private gardens and industrial green zones. It's also water proof and the solar switch per grid 30A - can support up to 20 light poles.
"Our future plans include controlling of street lights across the country," said Samson.
The project is being run by Samson's company Horivação, that was created in 2015. The company that has two offices, one in Carmona and Gogol was launched with the "Mobile Switch" project designed specially to cater to the convenience of a farmer.
The company specializes in embedded system designs, elector-mechanical projects and innovations which improves normal lives. Horivacao develops ideas which will enable anyone to use natural resources in more efficient way, causing negligible damage to the nature
Horivação was awarded as the First Runner-up at Kaun Banega Udyogpati 2016 (Innovative Business Idea Competition), a national level business competition. "The company vision is to build a greener, emission free planet while improving the lifestyle of people at all levels of society," added Samson.
