Priya Maholay

Indian solar innovator bringing renewable energy to remote communities

Priya Maholay (b. 1988) is the founder of Solstice Energy, a social enterprise deploying solar microgrids in India's most remote regions. Her modular 'Solar Satchel' system provides affordable energy solutions for communities without grid access, using AI-optimized storage systems that last 15+ years. By 2024, her company had electrified 2,300 villages, providing clean energy to 850,000 people while reducing CO2 emissions by 1.2 million tons annually.

Maholay's breakthrough came in 2021 with the development of the world's first solar-powered vaccine refrigerator system, critical during India's pandemic response. Her work with UNESCO's Solar4Vaccines initiative expanded this technology to 18 countries. In 2023, she launched the 'Women Solar Champions' program training 15,000 rural women as energy technicians. Maholay's TED Talk here details her vision of energy democracy. She was recently named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy (2024).