Agriculture and related sectors provide largest livelihood in India. Although the country's agricultural production base is quite strong, the wastage during post harvest is massive leading to about 25 – 30% losses. This is mainly on account of lack of proper storage and transit facility. Low productivity due to unreliable grid power supply in the rural areas and the post harvest losses make the agribusiness uneconomical for small and marginal farmers. In order to address the issues associated with post harvest loss, a pilot-scale multifunctional Solar-based Integrated Energy System (IES) that provides off-grid solutions like power and water to small villages was developed. IES comprises four major components – i) Phase Change Material (PCM) based micro-cold storage (Chiller), ii) Evacuated Tube Collector (ETC) based Dryer, iii) Water Pump and iv) Lights (Streets & Household). These modules of IES are integrate d with Smart Controller System and it was installed at Chithravadi Village, Madhuranthagam Taluk, Chengulpet District and this facility is being used by the local community.
