Vadodara: India’s first solar thermal air-conditioning system, featuring the world’s largest solar concentrator, the BIG DISH, will be formally inaugurated at Muni Seva Ashram in Goraj today. The project marks a major step towards sustainable development in the healthcare sector in Gujarat.

The system has been developed with CSR funding from Apar Industries, financial support from the Rotary Club of Bombay Pier, and technological expertise from Sunrise CSP India Pvt. Ltd. It uses solar thermal energy and a vapor absorption machine (VAM) to provide low-cost, eco-friendly, and continuous cooling to hospital facilities.

For over 45 years, Muni Seva Ashram has served rural India through health, education, and social services. The Ashram has previously implemented solar- and biomass-based cooling systems, and now, to meet the growing demands of its hospital, it has adopted the BIG DISH technology.

Each BIG DISH, standing about 10 storeys tall and weighing 26 tonnes, operates like a sunflower, tracking the sun to generate steam using only solar energy. One dish, covering 500 sq m, can replace the work of 100 conventional dishes, providing 100 tonnes of refrigeration (TR) capacity. Currently, the Ashram has two BIG DISHes in operation, paired with Kirloskar’s 200 TR VAM chiller, offering complete solar-based cooling.

The project is expected to significantly reduce electricity costs and carbon emissions, ensuring affordable healthcare for patients. Plans are underway to increase the total cooling capacity to 400 TR with the addition of two more BIG DISHes, positioning Muni Seva Ashram as a national model of sustainable, low-carbon healthcare infrastructure in rural India. DeshGujarat