Himanshu Jangid
September 13, 2024
RExergy and their journey towards cleaner solutions
Contents
The continuous degradation of the environment due to irresponsible solutions led to RExergy’s looking for cleaner solutions. And voila, these clean solutions are not just textbook solutions but are completely customisable to your home and needs.
With our recent interview with RExergy’s co-founder, Mr. Aman Aggarwal, we learnt how to replace those harmful products in our homes with something cleaner and more affordable.
What is RExergy
RExergy works in the area of providing cleaner combustion systems and managing waste, be it agricultural or other wastes. This company is highly devoted to providing clean and green solutions which are not only natural but also efficient. Aman Aggarwal, the co-founder of RExergy expressed how he was always on the hunt to create change on the ground. His aim before RExergy was not to invent another bookish product but to create an on-ground cleaner solution which is usable by all.
After completing his Masters in Technology in Renewable Energy Engineering and Management, Aman is working with one of his seniors named Sachin Payyanad. Both the founders are mentored by Prof.H S Mukunda, who has over 40 years of experience in biomass combustion systems.
Currently, RExergy is a manufacturing-cum-RnD based operation which designs cleaner systems on customization basis. They’re soon coming out with standard products which will be even easier to install due to their feasibility.
What is RExergy manufacturing?
Their products include:
- Biomass based combustion systems which is a cleaner and effective replacement for our gas and wood stoves.
- Bio-mass based drying systems for fruits, vegetables, herbs and even clothes.
- Municipal solid waste solutions based on cleaner combustion systems.
- Clean crematorium solutions.
All of the products mentioned above are customizable to fit the needs of various users. RExergy makes sure to provide the right size of product which is suitable for your daily consumptions be it at a household or an industrial setting.
Need for cleaner solutions
The pollutant emissions due to normal combustion is slowly degrading the environment. This loss can be recovered by developing and using better fuels which are sulfur free, have better combustion processes and provide better post-combustion treatment. One such solution involves the use of biomass combustion systems.
We all know how pollution from fossil fuel combustion has led to the degradation of the environment. A less known fact is that that it is also impairing children’s health and ability to learn. Researches mention how pollution and climate change are causing children to be less resilient and communities to be less equitable.
What to expect from cleaner solutions
- It is not based on fossil fuels: Globally, the majority of air pollution is generated by the combustion of fossil fuel including coal, diseal fuel, gasoline, oil and natural gas. These are used for electricity, production, heating, transportation and industrial uses. (Source)
- Special concern about not using coal as a resource: According to the International Energy Agency, worldwide growth in coal consumption is predicted to decline between 2015 and 2021 as developed countries continue to abandon coal as an energy source. However, that decline will be offset by growing demand amongst emerging nations, particularly India and south-east asia.
- Clean solutions are fuel flexible and low in emissions: According to a study by American Chemical Society, annual methane emissions from all gas stoves in U.S homes have a climate impact comparable to the annual carbon dioxide emissions of 500000 cars. This calls for a cleaner stove solution which saves fuel, money and health.
- Delivers more renewable energy: biomass, solar, hydro, wind, geothermal, and hydroelectric are some of the renewable energy resources which are making their way up in our daily lives. Other conventional resources involve biomass feedstocks, electrification, renewable hydrogen and carbon capture storage which are yet to surf the markets due to budgetary issues.
DID YOU KNOW?
Most gas appliances are now prohibited in all newly constructed homes and apartments in Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, and other progressive cities. The first state to outlaw natural gas furnaces, water heaters, and warmers will be California. The sale of new natural gas heaters will be prohibited by the rule, which was unanimously approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) last week, by 2030.
RExergy and their journey towards cleaner solutions
When Aman was writing his thesis, he was located in the town of Tinsukia in Assam. Tinsukia, then under the attack of ULFA, kept Aman bound to his house. It was when he would wake up start tracking the amount of garbage trucks to complete his thesis.
He would count the trucks to see how much waste was generated. However, the municipality did not keep a check on the amount of waste which was generated. Similar scenario was seen in Delhi where no one kept a check of waste on dumpsites.
Aman resonated to this and expressed how we have never tracked the amount of waste we generate at our homes. This revealed how no one is keeping a data on how much of waste we are generating everyday, which is a problem.
Before starting RExergy, Aman had been working on numerous projects. One of which included manufacturing jaggery out of coconut water with the help of tribals. He had also worked on cleaner solutions which involved bio-mass based sanitary waste disposal systems.
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With his mentor Prof. Mukunda, Aman and Sachin worked on doing something similar which would impact life on ground. Mukunda, who is highly expert in cleaner combustion systems, came up with a non-commercialized technology which took Aman and Sachin one step closer to their dream.
‘RE’ being derived from renewable and ‘xergy’ being derived from thermodynamics, RExergy is symbolic for its not so easy name. They preach to not settle for easy but to settle for clean. Such inventive solutions are still being worked upon at RExergy which aims to engineer sustainable solutions.
Why are people choosing RExergy as a cleaner solution
Aman explained how people in Kerala either use an LPG stove or a wood stove. With RExergy, they are aiming to replace the wood stove. With the traditional method, 3-3.5 kg of wood is used per hour, but with the RExergy system, it drops to 1-1.5 kg per hour. Adding to this, their systems use much less energy and do not produce any smoke.
RExergy solutions also allow users to use multiple fuel inputs as it is a multi-fuel system. This means anything from coconut shells to waste wood and cashew shells can be used. The only precaution one has to take is to keep the fuel dry. Additionally, the vast biomass availability in Southern India makes it even cheaper to choose a cleaner solution.
Due to this feature, the cost input is minimised, and cleaner combustible systems become even more feasible.
Like other stoves, RExergy stoves also come in various sizes which can be used for household to industrial purposes. Agricultural waste in the form of pallets can be used.
Many restaurants prefer cleaner sources of combustion. Not only because it is good for the environment, but because it reduces the cost up to a great extent. Aman explained how the prices of gas pipelines have spiked after covid. Hence, getting fuel locally is a cheaper option. He further explained that an LPG gas cylinder costs Rs.2100 and lasts two days. Whereas biomass-based combustion proves to be way cheaper.
“Even though fuel could serve as a recurrent income for us, it has never been an issue for our customers due to the flexibility we provide. 6 out of 10 customers source their fuel.” Said Aman.
Talking about the main issue, pollution is a problem for many. The figures are enormous. Delhi NCR is facing loads of trouble just because of stubble burning. 12000 tonnes of agricultural waste is generated just in Bangalore. A significant amount of carbon emissions have been reduced due to these cleaner solutions. Aman recalls that just in the commercial setting, 2000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions have been prevented.
Click here to read about WHO’s household air pollution guidance and its impact on one’s health.
Get ready to face these problems as an initiator of cleaner solutions
Aman noted that being ready to accept requests for more advanced automated systems at lower prices is the first obstacle one must overcome when offering personalised cleaner solutions. Fulfilling the expectations of the client within is specific budget is complex and very commonly requested.
People often forget how they would no longer have to spend on fuel and can make their own fuel. When one focuses on the initial cost, they are often blinded about how it’s costing them in the long run.
Reliability is another problem. When people are highly frustrated, they choose newer possibilities. LPG prices are too high, wood users have a problem with smoke, and some people feel that similar systems don’t provide the quality they seek.
For new businesses, reliability becomes essential, and Aman doesn’t hide that fact. Many people have inquiries. Existing customers with their models greatly assist in establishing reliability and bringing in new beneficial consumers.
Currently, RExergy is deployed in over 55 systems. Of those, 25 systems are commercial. Five larger biomass systems, consuming 50-60 kg, were put in frying enterprises for snacks and other purposes. The technique is scalable, which makes it useful for both household and industrial applications.
The upcoming future with RExergy involves launching standardised products. For industrial purposes, customisation is done as performance expectations are high. However, for household and commercial uses, standardised products will work well.
Municipal waste solutions are also on the way, which will require segregation. They are developing a technique to lower the moisture content of the solid waste and use it as fuel. Green crematoriums and other initiatives will scale up RExergy’s upcoming future.
Are you planning to work on developing cleaner solutions
Here are some tips for your inner ecopreneur.
- Focus on the Better the quality, lesser the maintenance costs.
- Funding is required to cut short the journey.
- The main source of leads is through word of mouth. Our markets are still not tech savvy. Hence classical marketing techniques are the way to go.
- Hire local people. Geographical barriers and communication errors can hamper your business’s reachability.
- Connections are a big step. Monetary or not, partnerships and meetings should be organised frequently to know other perspectives.
- And lastly, see the bigger picture. Governments are focused on finding alternative fuels. Any initiative you take will benefit not only the people but the economy of the country. Aligning with the government’s goals aids in doing so.
If you’re looking forward to working to reduce carbon emissions by developing cleaner, creative and realistic solutions, then feel free to contact RExergy for collaborations.
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