USPC

USPC (Universal Solar Pump Controller)

USPC is a copybook case of every tenet that is sacrosanct to policy makers of our nation. “Innovate India”, “Research India”, “Patent India”, “Incubate at IIT or NIT”, “Startup India” or “Make in India”. USPC was researched, innovated and Incubated at IITHB’s Advance Power Electronic Laboratory under the guidance of Professor Dr. Vivek Agarwal. The basic building block of USPC is SPCM (Sinusoidal Power Controller with MPPT). It is an internationally registered Patent owned by Indian Nationals.

The concept behind innovation and making of USPC was the passionate zeal of the technical team from IITHB and University of Southern California to design a universal solar controller for agrarian use: controller that not only can power a pump set for irrigation, requirement for which is hardly 150 days in a year (as per MNRE study), but power agrarian equipment like Winnower, Chaff Cutter and above all compressor to power a Cold Storage and deep freezer. Solar Pumping Systems are installed at huge cost to the nation and also the farmer. It’s use for only 150 days to irrigate is criminal to say the least. USPC Controller at a Fraction of cost (only controller is changed and SPV panels, structure and other miscellaneous items remains the same) of the solar pump system will make every penny count, as it would be useful for every moment of the day/month and year, for 25 years long life of the SPV panels besides every agrarian operation mention here, without the use of diesel, which is the prevalent norm today, augments farmer’s income manifold. Cold chain from farm to super market has been dream of every ruler and administrator of our nation since independence and which is today hampered by lack of electrical energy (grid connectivity to the last mile) in every corner of our agrarian land.

USPC is the technological answer to realize that long cherished dream of cold chain from farm to super market without laying Capital Intensive grid connectivity that was another factor that enthused the dream team from IITHB and USC, all from far flung corners of our nation.

Solar energy by very nature is suited for political economy that has enormous Potential to alleviate farm sector distress and double the income for our agrarian economy. For USPC can power agrarian equipment to clean the crop, process the crop and cold store it for better preservation and thus get higher market price. Neither solar energy nor irradiance as fuel, unlike fossil, needs to be mined or transported to where it is required to be used. It can’t be monopolized by any regime, no matter how powerful. The electrical energy generated from the intercourse of SPV panels and solar irradiance requires no transportation. Solar energy thus by very nature is democratic and suited for decentralization of economy. Value addition at farm using any kind of agrarian machinery, be it Juicer, Cold Press, vacuum packing or canning machine is well-high possible with USPC .

The required technological breakthrough was that when solar energy is converted to electrical energy, any machine that can be powered by electrical energy must successfully run and that is what USPC has achieved. That was the concept behind the design and architecture of USPC from the very day it was conceived at IITHB.

USPC is now so designed that it can interface with other sources of power be it single phase grid or LiFePo (Lithium Ferro Phosphate) battery to run for 24 hours. It is secular in the sense that it can take input power from Sun, Battery or 1 phase AC Grid connection. 1 phase AC grid connectivity now pervades most Part of our country.

Lastly USPC has four out-put cables. Each can be connected to a load, be it Pump for irrigation, Chaff Cutter, Deep Freezer or AC for Cold Storage, Winnower/ Thresher etc. Each utility is software selectable and no external switch or hardware is required, thus increasing the life of the system.