This Startup Develops Products to Help Customers in Reducing Existing Power Consumption Towards Florescent Tube Lights by 65%

We are publishing an interview of Mr. Krishna Ravi, Managing Director of Reckon Green Innovations Pvt. Ltd. – A hyderabad based that has developed products to help customers in reducing existing power consumption towards florescent tube lights by 65%.

About the founders:

Reckon Green Innovations Pvt. Ltd. was founded by Krishna Ravi to promote energy efficiency in buildings. He is associated with LED since 1987 starting with information displays and since then has been following the evolution of LED in to lighting. A self learner, with keen interest in innovation and better ways of doing things. Developed many solutions in POS communications and was mostly associated with new technologies in his career which includes LED displays in 1987, Digital talking posters in 1994, Thermal binding covers in 1998, LED lighting since 2010.

Dedicated seven years of life to self-less service and self-conditioning to use all available resources for creating happiness around. The need was to lead life with as little as possible. When destiny drove him back to society, he was continuing the same way of life, trying to minimize consumption and achieving efficiency in operations. After successfully implemented these strategies in some known organisations and observed that the process of energy audit, hundreds of pages of reports were very confusing and complex for managements to implement conservation measures with out dedicated professionals. This was a major deterrent and he developed simplified process, using device audits to validate the technology, prepare estimates and feasibility reports often restricted to one page, that presents all the data required for decision making by all stakeholders involved. The copy right process was so concrete that even non-technical managers were able to confidently present proposal to management to get approvals. Reckon Green was formed to share the knowledge and achieve great goals by implementing energy efficiency strategies and resource conservation in organisations and homes on a larger scale. Their solutions and track record got them Grade-2 ESCO rating within 20 years of operations and recognition from BEE.

Team includes Mr. Kondala Rao contributing in design of Power electronics and Mr. Surender Singh Sajwan taking care of finance.

What is the problem you are trying to solve? Can you share with us any insights that led you to believe that this is a big enough problem? 
The two devices that were used most in non-air conditioned buildings were tube lights and ceiling fans replaced with more efficient LED and BLDC fans. While executing projects, it was also experienced that the products offered by the market, both branded an unbranded, fall short of achievable efficiency, due to commercial reasons. The difference in performance between branded and others was not much, but, prices for branding were at least 100% higher, offering nothing to customers. High prices were effecting ROI and payback, two primary factors that influence customers implementing efficiency projects. Further the life of LED products were uncertain due to failure of electronics wasting 80% useful life of LEDs. The installation process was complex requiring removal and rewiring of fixtures. High quality products available in overseas markets were very expensive and not suitable for price sensitive Indian Market. This lead us to develop products to address the pain points and problems faced by all stakeholders and find solutions to address them.

The result has been the creation of two models of ‘regain’ LED tube light with Plug-in-Driver for retrofitting and wall mounting. Customers of repute with in-house skill to evaluate had responded well with commercial orders. The demonstrable success is that these prime movers were willing to pay 40% premium over most famous brand and also repeat the orders.

But the gap was not filled yet, with continuing need to rewire fixtures and the complexity preventing individual customers from adopting the technology and increasing the labor cost to institutional customers. Also the need of the customers to decide whether they should opt for retrofit or batten models for direct wall mounting. These complexities were also delaying implementation of DSM program for tube lights in India by EESL like UJALA scheme for LED bulbs.

One barrier to scale up was that the product price was 25-35% higher than most popular brands due to high quality and material of construction. Further prices have crashed by 70% in two years with companies adopting to lower quality and standards to drive down prices, making total plastic LED tubes, fitting use and throw concept.

To address these issues, Reckon Green team has developed 2nd model of ‘regain’ LED tube light with Plug-in-Driver and unique 2-way power. This product is manufactured and packed as two components. The lamp with LEDs and housing is made shorter than standard length and the end caps with electronics as separate components. When the end caps are integrated with the lamp, it achieves the standard length suitable for fixtures.

The advantages this design offers are:

1. The common lamp can be made in any specification to address any price band, quality and market being addressed.
2. Allows decentralized production and delivery reducing transportation costs and increasing green quotient.
3.  The Plug-in-end cap drivers can be made with different features like normal driver,, driver with 2-way power, built-in movement, day light sensors, plug & play compatibility required for US & EU markets, IoT, Bluetooth control etc., giving options for the consumer to select the feature at the POS.
4. The lamp was designed for flexible to meet any installation type, with accessories for retrofitting, wall mounting, hanging, line trunking etc., which can be decided by the customer after purchase. One model meets all on-site needs reducing production, distribution and maintenance inventory by 70%.
5. After sale service is quick, easy and economical with help of plug-in-drivers, which could be replaced with out any tool. Even servicing customers in remote locations is easy with small foot print of driver components.
6. The installation process has been simplified to two wire connection direct to the lamp instead of modifying fixtures, which even a common man can address.
7. The life of lamp will match the life of LEDs, an enhancement by 400% and reduction of E-waste generation by 70%.
8. Designed to perform at 25% higher efficiency and 5-9% less kVAh (commercial billing), low harmonics <6% and 3.5kV surge protection.

What is the uniqueness about your Startup? 
The name of the company is the message to Reckon ( to measure, compare, judge, rely upon, etc.,) with Green and Innovative technologies to reduce consumption of resources. Our goal is to design, develop, search, identify, test and offer green solutions to end customers in way that help them to implement faster to reap the benefits. Our products and design originated from the needs of customers and not from the price competition from Chinese manufacturers and have very unique and demonstrable differentiates to stand out in the me too crowd. Offers value for money and 4 times longer life and higher ROI. The risk of premature failure of lamps due to driver failures is mitigated.

Why do you choose crowdfunding? 
To get feed back from the individual customers regarding the design concept and also raise small fund to take up trail production to understand the production anomalies, before scale up .

Why should anyone or investor back you? 
They will get the best LED tube light in the market in terms of performance, savings, longest life and best ROI. The investment is paid back within 2 years with a ROI >50%, which makes it profitable too. The ROI is many times any other lamps in the market due to 4 times longer life.

Where can people back your project? 
Catapoolt Change makers at www.catapoolt.com

What would you do after raising funds? 
Initiate trail production of components using own tooling and assembly of 500nos version-2 model and distributing for feed back and scale up.

What is the revenue model? What is the logic behind it? Explain your thought process. 
Our first priority is to pitch our product for inclusion in demand side management programs of government, institutions in public & private sector and exports to US & EU. We will compete in the etender process for government orders and using preferential procurement norms for startups.
Addressing PSU, Institutional clients through channel partners such as approved electrical contractors, Energy auditors and managers.
Overseas markets will be addressed through technology licensing or OEM supply to brands.

Who are the consumers that you are targeting? How is this going to affect them? 
LED lighting is a commoditized market appealing to all segments. Our lamps can reduce the investment risks, improve performance for maximum savings, faster payback and highest ROI. This will help customers reduce existing power consumption towards florescent tube lights by 65%. Meet ECBC norms and reduce recurring electricity bills and improve operational profits.

What is the big picture of your startup? Will it lead to something bigger? If so, how? 
India has an inventory of 531 million florescent tube lights in operation and few more million are added for new projects. This offers a market potential of INR 30,000 Cr. Futher Tube light is the most commonly used lamp in general purpose lighting offering huge opportunity for export. Apart from LED tube lights we have a;ready developed LED lamps to replace CFL, and indoor, outdoor and industrial lighting. We have developed DC lighting for Railway coaches and other specialty applications like horticultural and poultry lighting. We intend to grow to INR 300 Cr in 3-4 years. Develop many more products in the EE sector which is growing at CAGR>50% and required to meet climate change goals. Efficiency is priority to governments, institutions and businesses world over.

What is the success story of your startup in your own words? 
Our product is appreciated and endorsed by companies like TATA power, TATA Advance Materials Ltd, HPCl, IIIT-Hyderabad. Nepal government has selected our product to implement their first EE project of retrofitting Ministry of Energy Building in Kathmandu executed with GIZ- German funding.

Any other information about your startup that you would like to share with us.
Success follows naturally, when products are created to offer happiness and benefits.