Solarium, DRDO Enter Tech Transfer Agreement for Solar Thermal Heating

Solarium Green Energy Limited (SGEL) has recently entered into a Licensing Agreement for Transfer of Technology (LAToT) with the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE).

Sharing the purpose of the agreement, Solarium Green Energy said in a regulatory filing, "Under the agreement, Solarium has entered into a Transfer of Technology (ToT) for a Solar Thermal Technology-based System for Space Heating of Shelters in Cold Conditions. Solarium will sell in the domestic market with the end use restricted to the Indian Armed Forces and other Government Agencies (both Central and State/UT) only."

The Gujarat-based company Solarium explained in the filing, "Under the agreement, the Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, through its center, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Ministry of Defence, Government of India, facilitated the ToT. The agreement pertains to the Solar Thermal Technology-based System for Space Heating of Shelters in Cold Conditions."

The parties to the agreement include: “The President of India, acting through and represented by the Director, Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, through the Centre Head, Defence Institute of High-Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, and the Director, Directorate of Industry Interface and Technology Management (DIITM), DRDO HQ, New Delhi, and Solarium Green Energy Limited, Ahmedabad.”

Background and Significance of the Agreement

Solarium shared a brief project background as mentioned below: 

"The severe cold conditions in high-altitude regions such as Ladakh, Uttarakhand, and the North-East make indoor space heating essential for human comfort. At present, most heating requirements are met through conventional energy sources, which are finite and rapidly depleting. Continued reliance on fossil fuels not only accelerates resource exhaustion but also contributes to pollution and ecological imbalance. Rising CO₂ levels have already increased the earth’s average temperature by about 1.5°C, and this trend continues upward. In Ladakh, space heating accounts for a substantial share of energy consumption in both residential and commercial buildings. Therefore, the adoption of a reliable, clean, energy-efficient, and cost-effective heating solution is critical."

DIHAR: DRDO Lab in Leh 

Solarium also shared, in brief, the details about the Leh project:  

DIHAR, a DRDO lab based in Leh, has proposed a novel solar thermal energy-based indoor space heating technology designed for shelters. The technology has proven successful in Ladakh because of the abundant sunshine available for over 310 days per year. This technology holds significant potential for defence shelters in high-altitude cold regions, where heating is typically reliant on kerosene or diesel boiler-based units. The new system offers a sustainable alternative, with the capability to replace conventional methods.

DIHAR has already installed two such systems in Leh, which were tested extensively over three consecutive winters (2022, 2023, and 2024). Results demonstrated that the system performed effectively even during peak winter conditions, successfully replacing a diesel boiler-based setup that previously consumed 18 litres of diesel per hour to heat an office shelter."

The system is based on evacuated tube solar thermal collectors that harness solar energy, stored and delivered for space heating through thermic fluids and phase-change materials. For reliability, a heat pump unit is integrated as a backup during cloudy or overcast days. Following successful trials, DIHAR proposed a Transfer of Technology (ToT) for wider commercialization. Solarium submitted a bid for the license and was technically qualified to obtain it.

Accordingly, Solarium has become one of the license holders for using this technology for manufacturing in India and for sales in the domestic market. The license has been granted for 10 years against a payment of ₹59,32,203 plus applicable GST, with the end use restricted to the Indian Armed Forces and other Government Agencies (both Central and State/UT).

Research and Technical Expertise

To execute such technical research and deployment, Solarium said it hired Anshul Sachdeva, a Ph.D. holder from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India. He brings extensive expertise in solar space heating, solar cooling, solar cooking, and phase-change materials. He has over 7 years of hands-on R&D experience in solar energy applications and has collaborated with institutions such as DRDO, NISE, and ANRF-DST, contributing to advancements in sustainable technologies.

It further explained that Sachdeva has been granted three patents for solar energy-based products by the Indian Patent Office and has authored and presented 12 research articles in reputed international journals and conferences. In recognition of his work, he received the Best Research Paper Award at a National Conference in 2020.

Solarium also mentioned that he was awarded the Research Fellowship by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), now the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. He also completed a DST-sponsored research project titled “Design and Development of Solar Assisted Solid Desiccant Air Conditioning System for India” at NIT Kurukshetra.