Mahindra Powerol plans hybrid solutions

Mahindra Powerol, engaged in the business of diesel generators, inverters and home UPS, is working on hybrid power solutions. “We are planning to get into solar-based inverters and working on the prototype,” P. Palaniappan, Business Head of Mahindra Powerol, a part of the Rs.1,000-crore farm equipment division of Mahindra & Mahindra, said at a press conference here on Thursday. Mahindra Powerol launched higher range of home UPS — 2.5kVA, 3.5kVA and 5kVA — and “extra life” batteries. A combination of the 5kVA HUPS, costing Rs.40,000, and eight batteries, whose price vary from Rs.60,000 to Rs.1.10 lakh depending on the capacity, would be enough to power energy-intensive appliances such as air-conditioners. The home UPS is targeted at households, small offices and commercial establishments, petrol bunks, clinics and restaurants. The customers would get a single window service for both HUPS and batteries. Mahindra Powerol entered power solutions space in 2001 with engines and later diesel generator sets. In 2010, it launched HUPS. At present, it is present in South India, Maharashtra and Bihar. Mr. Palaniappan said the company, with inverter manufacturing plants in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and at Padappai, near here, planned to market Mahindra Powerol products across the country by 2014. The batteries were being manufactured for Mahindra Powerol by an international company. On the solar inverters, he said the company was in talks with four international players but with local presence to forge technical tie-up for hybrid solutions. The prototypes, Mr. Palaniappan said, were at testing stages and the solar inverters were likely to be launched only next season. Keywords: Mahindra Powerol