What do you call a technology that builds future homes, cities, and businesses? A team of 15 from Mumbai headed by Samit Choksi & Priya Vakil, have taken over the plight of giving water and electricity to the long-lost villages of India where the basic needs of life are still a luxury to them. Large infrastructural projects, cities, and towns have benefited by taking the due advantage of natural resources that is sustainable for a longer duration.
The upturned canopy equipment invented by Thinkphi has made sure that not much of rainwater go waste. At the same time, the solar energy is restored, an equal provision to this has also been made with the advent of Ulta Chata (upside down umbrella). It is a device that projects in harvesting solar energy and harvesting rainwater. It is of the first kind perhaps where such a mechanism has been put forth.
The Motto
One of the primary reasons for the duo to come up with the project was to build on something useful that they have seen and learned abroad. It was time to give sustainable technology to the needy areas of the nation. They aimed to build products that can accelerate the use of sustainable resources. Samit and Priya both believe that there is no element worthy than the environment itself. The use of Nature’s laboratory is the greatest wealth and using simple and meaningful ideas to give filtered water and power to the globe across, has made the team of 15 work together day and night.
While Priya with her expert knowledge on sustainable design and architecture have put in the best canopy design to use, Samit on the other hand, a software developer has used the technology to its fullest to come up with the idea of an inverted umbrella. Thus, with a perfect combination of human minds and machine, a wondrous project is launched named-phi-box. It is a conventional shade that can be installed to provide water, energy, and shade. The most important aspect of this project was it uses renewable and clean resources.
The Startup Plan
Thinkphi the company was launched in 2015 terming itself a clean-tech startup. The canopy was seen in use to power EVs, the supply of purified water to educational institutions and moreover worked as a shade for toll plazas, metro stations, and railway platforms. The canopy is of great use as it can filter up to 85,000L of water during monsoon and can sustain a solar capacity of 1.5 KW during days of summer.
The main idea of the team of Samit Choksi and Priya Vakil was to run a segment with renewable resources.
The Equipment
Thinkphi is known as the smartest shade cover globally and It is one device that serves a dual purpose. Thikphi gives ample energy to light up the town at night and yields clean water during rainy season and it is known as the next generation of shade with replenishing energy and water. The thinkphi device is multi-functional as it can be used in parking lots as shades, used for electric charging zones for cars, outdoor spaces and workstations, used widely as walkways and more.
The 1080 product
The 1080W series comprises of 1080W4 and 10805 products. While 1080W4 is a 4M x 4M, Stainless Steel Structure (SS316) is a PVDF Coated Canopy. It weighs around 100kg. The foundation for this needs (500mm x 500mm). 1080W5 being of the same stainless steel structure has 5M x 5M weighing approximately 120 kg. There is no much of onsite preparation needed for it to install.
The company has come with the latest model of 1080XL that promises of generating 40 KW of solar energy with a single charge. It will be able to harvest 1 million liters of rainwater and filter it as well. It is going to benefit a large sector of projects, industries. The project has been beneficial for several brands like Godrej Interior, Rustomjee. The startup that had begun as a dream project has already managed to sell more than 200 units of it. The product ranges anything from Rs. 1 lac to 1.2 lacs.
The technology behind the functioning of Ulta Chaata
There is a smart energy storage algorithm that aids in managing and distributing power. Thinkphi is equipped with energy efficient diffused lighting system that gives unique glow in dark. To reduce the TSS and organic matter in the water, use of the physical filter is utilized in high flow rate. This device is loaded with batteries that can store solar energy and give power to ancillary devices and EVs.
The functional aspect of the canopy can be managed from a smartphone. Viewing data and managing, collecting environmental data, alerts can all be grasped on a smartphone. There is a real-time sensor that collects data from environments and if the need for system maintenance be required it send the alerts too.
Features of 1080
Water filtration is one aspect that is done as per the norms of WHO rules and regulations. The filtration process is a high flow rate hence to avoid any kind of contamination.
There is not much need to clean the device before the monsoon arrives. The product itself cleans the blades and canopy areas with the first showers of rain. This is functioned in order to prevent acid rain occurrences and cleaning does not need much personnel. Onsite maintenance personnel can handle it with ease.
1080 is an economical product and it comes with a 15-year warranty also it does not involve much set-up cost or manpower to set up.
ThinkPhi is taking many more ventures into account for the betterment of mankind and the apt use of technology. Today if it is the green-clean mission of the company, it further wishes to indulge in consumer-waste management. Making the world a better place to dwell in – the saga has just begun.