Composting unit that's 50% cheaper and runs on solar power

Rutvick Pedamkar & Sandip Patil

Thane engineer who has innovated composting unit that's 50% cheaper and runs on solar power

When done on a community level, electric composting methods are often preferred to manage a large volume of wet garbage efficiently. But the high consumption of electricity for composting can increase one’s electricity bill and leave behind a considerable amount of carbon footprint.

This paradox of a problem existed until two engineers, Rutvick Pedamkar and Sandip Patil from Maharashtra’s Thane district found a sustainable solution through solar energy use.

“An electric composter needs power for the drying, grinding and cooling process, community composting unit uses around 1200 units per month, and the bill can come up to Rs 10,000. You are burning the environment and your pocket, which is why we designed units with solar panels that produce electricity from the sun. Only the shredder machine provided with the system will require electricity, which won’t be more than 2 units per day,” says Rutvick, who along with Sandip has come up with several variations of the unit to suit different requirements.

All you need is a minimum of 6.6 sq ft area to install one of these solar-powered composting units.

This innovation can cater to all, from individual households to communities or companies generating over 500 kilos of garbage, at a price which is almost 50% less than the conventional options.

“Previously, a unit meant for a family of 4 would cost between Rs 8,500 to 12,500, but now we have managed to bring the cost down to a starting price of Rs 2,500,” adds Rutvik, who confirms that they have successfully been able to sell a total of 85 units so far.