Neha Juneja

Indian engineer pioneering affordable solar microgrids for remote villages through her 2021 startup 'Solar Future Solutions'

Neha Juneja revolutionized rural electrification in India by developing the Solar Future Grid - a modular solar system costing 40% less than conventional options. Starting in 2021, her company has electrified 1,200 villages across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, providing power to 800,000 residents. Her innovation uses recycled smartphone batteries as energy storage, reducing e-waste while lowering costs. In partnership with UNESCO, she created the 'Women's Energy Collective' training 15,000 rural women as solar technicians by 2024. Her 2023 collaboration with Tesla's Gigafactory India produced India's first solar-powered cold storage units preventing 15% post-harvest food waste. Featured in Time Magazine's Heroes of the Environment 2022, her work aligns with India's 2030 renewable energy targets. She recently secured $15M funding from Breakthrough Energy Ventures to expand into Southeast Asia.