THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: N.S. Meenakshi and A. Vyga Prasad, both fourth graders at Cotton Hill LP School at Vazhuthacaud here, were having their free midday meal in a swanky air-conditioned solar mess hall at the school. Thanks to Congress leader A.K. Antony's Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) fund of Rs 11.50 lakh and another Rs 3.5 lakh from the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation, the students have their lunch in “cool” environs.
Bijoy Balachandran, a parent of a former LP school student, Chandrabala, came up with the unique design along with a private company, Megabyte Technologies, which have used grid sharing technology. It was M. Celine, the former principal who had retired in March, who took the unique project further along with the other staff members whenMr Antony sanctioned funds.
“We are forever indebted to Antony Sir. He used to say that it is primary school students who should be given the best infrastructure so that they get the maximum motivation to excel further in studies,” Ms Celine told DC. T. Baby Jacob, who has become the first male headmaster of Cotton Hill LP School, said a record number of students had joined the school in the new academic year.
“The popularity of Cotton Hill LP School is increasing day by day with several government officials deciding to send their children here. We are just short of three students to have 1,000 on the roll,” said Mr Jacob who was the mastermind behind Student Cadet Police force. But the credit for coming up with the air-conditioner solar mess hall goes to 38-year-old Bijoy Balachandran who worked for it from scratches.
Mr Balachandran, a freelance product designer, wanted to give back something to the school his daughter studied for four years. He has dabbled in all visual mediums ranging from holography and listography to virtual reality, and it was his signature film which got selected in the IFFK 2011.
He approached his friend, S. Shyam Kumar, technical director of Megabyte Technologies, who came up with the unique design as, usually, air-conditioners do not work on solar panels. “We have used a 3 KW solar panel. Usually, when air-conditioners work on solar panels, there will be voltage fluctuations. Here the technology we have used is grid sharing mechanism where power can be taken from electricity line if there is no adequate sunlight,” said Mr Kumar.
