Ugyen Tshomo is the founder and CEO of Nim Gangsha Solar Company is aiming to contribute to Bhutan’s reputation as a sustainable and green country. Ugyen is passionate about the environment and is a graduate of the Royal Thimphu College. She has work in various media house before she start her business.
Established in 2019 but it was officially in market only in 2021. Nim Gangsha Solar is a dedicated
startup specializing in the design and installation of solar solutions, enhancing efficiency through an IOT platform. With a primary focus on alleviating challenges associated with solar energy importation in it operating country, the company navigates disruptions due to being landlocked, affecting reserved parks and endangering almost extinct animals.
“I got his majesties audience during covid duty and granted a seed money to launch my business. Further, in December 2022 I got funding from innovate Bhutan to purchase equipment for solar energy,” Ugyen reveal. She still get support from them including working space and continues to mentor her in her entrepreneurial journey. Ugyen shared she is grateful to them for their generous support.
Nim Gangsha solar addresses high utility bills for industrial consumers, the absence of a reliable energy backup source, and the costliness of electrical extensions. Ugyen shared, “We are striving to provide sustainable solutions and aims to not only tackle these issues but also contribute to a more environmentally friendly and economically viable energy landscape.”
“I consider myself an accidental entrepreneur, because I went there to watch people pitch their idea, we have startup weekends and Loden foundation’s Druk Tshongri Gatoen. Where entrepreneurs meet together to shred our Nim Gangsha Solar venture and pitch new ideas. I went to one of their events to hear their stories and what happened was that I found the platform very interesting. I ended up pitching my college research idea on solar,” she resonates. After her idea got selected, then she gave up on her carrier and switch herself as entrepreneur.
“When I was in college I was doing research on solar and found out we had so much potential in this area. We are a country who is very concerned in renewable energy but our government was doing more in hydropower. I considered that solar was free energy. I did not see anyone giving serious thought into it,” Ugyen said. We Bhutanese are too dependent on hydropower and we need to seek out other alternatives. When Ugyen decide to go for solar, she saw that thousands of LPG gases was being imported from India. Then she thought solar could solve this problem and prevent us from importing so much. We have a solar cooking system that we can use because right now we are paying way too much money for LPG.
She said, “I thought we could go for solar street lights because we are basically letting the sun pay our bills. There is a huge misconception that solar need hot scorching sun to generate energy. When we go to market we always have to explain that PVs can be activated with minimal light.”
Every time someone asked Ugyen for advice, she would share her experience of failure since we can learn a lot from failure. We are able to see the genuine environment of our surroundings when we fail. “The most beautiful things in the entrepreneurial journey are failures, but never give up, wait for right moment and chase for that right time,” Ugyen shared on her final note to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Within the next five years, she hopes to see solar-powered panels in every district, solar-powered street lights in every town, and solar-powered smart towns powered by energy. Water heating system on top of every roof in a household and Ugyen is determined about it.
All in all, Nim Gangsha solar energy business holds great promise for both environmental sustainability and economic growth. As the global demand for clean energy continues not only contributes to reducing carbon footprints but also presents opportunities in future. With advancements in technology and increasing awareness, Nim Gangsha solar energy business stands at the forefront of a green revolution, offering a bright and sustainable future.
By Rinzin Dema
