From Kitchen To Charging: Karnataka Scientist Turns Home Into Solar Museum, Showcases Life Without Electricity Or Gas
Shivashimpager’s Sun Ray Solar Museum demonstrates practical solar-powered devices, inspiring thousands of students and promoting sustainable, self-reliant homes for a cleaner future.
Published : April 17, 2026 at 12:32 PM IST
Dharwad-Hubballi: In a modest neighbourhood of Hubballi, Karnataka, a scientist has turned his home into a working model of a solar-powered future, showing that everyday life can run without gas cylinders or conventional electricity.
Mahesh Shivashimpager, a solar researcher based in Hubballi’s Vijayanagar area, established the Sun Ray Solar Museum at his residence in 2006. For nearly two decades, he has been demonstrating how solar energy can power common household needs while also guiding thousands of students.
At a time when global conflicts, especially in the Middle East, are raising concerns over fuel supply and rising prices, Shivashimpager’s work presents a practical alternative. He has successfully shown that cooking, mobile charging and several other daily activities can be carried out using only sunlight.
Originally from Mangaluru, Shivashimpager has spent over 30 years working with solar energy and claims to have achieved complete self-reliance in power generation. After working in different places, he settled in Hubballi, where he began promoting awareness about renewable energy through his home-based museum.
The museum features hundreds of solar-powered innovations. Among them are a solar cooker, a solar inverter, a solar iron box, solar street lights, a solar dryer, a solar-powered radio, LED lamps, and even a solar-powered cap that provides cooling in the heat. Other exhibits include a solar aerator for water bodies, a solar-based agricultural drying system, a solar fence, sensors, and gobar gas-based lamps and stoves.
One of the key attractions is the solar cooker developed by Shivashimpager. Using reflectors installed on the rooftop, sunlight is concentrated onto a central cooking unit, enabling food to be prepared within five to ten minutes. While the current model is designed for outdoor use, he says an indoor version will be introduced soon.
The initiative has drawn significant attention. According to Shivashimpager, more than 50,000 students have visited the museum so far and received hands-on training. The facility caters to a wide range of learners, from schoolchildren to engineering students, as well as those pursuing MTech and PhD programmes.
“Only a few solar devices are widely known to people. Through this museum, I want to show how solar energy can be used in daily life. With rising global temperatures and increasing fuel consumption, solar energy offers a vast and sustainable alternative. If we use it effectively, we can reduce dependence on petrol, diesel and coal, and also save money," he said.
The museum’s work has been recognised in a handbook published by the National Council of Science Museums under the Union Ministry of Culture. Shivashimpager also provides training programmes for ITI and diploma students, offering certification courses that help them develop practical skills and even start their own ventures. Students from Bengaluru, Mysuru and other cities have visited the centre to work on projects and explore self-employment opportunities.
Looking ahead, he plans to expand the initiative. A new museum is being developed on one-and-a-half acres of land in Honnapur village in Haveri district’s Shiggaon taluk. The upcoming facility aims to showcase the history of solar energy, display advanced technologies, conduct workshops, and eventually establish a deemed university focused on solar research. He also envisions promoting solar-based meditation practices.
His innovations have earned national recognition, including a Best Innovation Award at the All India Science Congress for research on solar water heating. He has also developed systems such as solar drying units, solar cremation technology and solar cooking machines, many of which are built with the involvement of engineering and diploma students to encourage entrepreneurship.
Supporting him in this mission is his son, Madhur M.S., who chose to work alongside his father despite securing a campus placement after completing his MTech. "We are working on new ideas, such as a solar water heater without an overhead tank and an indoor solar cooker for kitchens. People should come forward to adopt these solutions and find alternatives to the growing energy crisis," Madhur said.
Through innovation, education, and outreach, Mahesh Shivashimpager demonstrates that solar solutions can make households cleaner, self-reliant, and prepared for a sustainable future.
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