Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute

What Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute does

Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI) is a not-for-profit research institution established in 1979 in Vallabh Vidyanagar, Anand district, Gujarat, India, operating across three specialized R&D divisions: the Solar Energy Division (SED), the Bio-Conversion Technology Division (BCT), and the Thermo-Chemical Conversion Technology Division (TCC), with a fourth Technology Transfer & Extension Division responsible for dissemination. SPRERI develops proprietary renewable energy technologies spanning solar thermal and PV systems, biogas and biomethanation plants, fluidized bed gasification and pyrolysis, improved biomass cookstoves, microalgae-based biofuels, and hybrid solar-biomass systems, with at least one granted patent (rice straw enzymatic hydrolysate-to-biogas in continuous mode) and more than 30 documented products deployed at household, commercial, and industrial scales.

SPRERI generates revenue through five primary streams: (1) Consultancy Services for design, commissioning, and performance monitoring of renewable systems including third-party inspection of solar thermal and PV plants for subsidy claims; (2) Testing Services from a NABL-accredited Regional Test Centre (T-2341, BIS-approved since 2000) with publicly listed fees ranging from ₹300 (water sample testing) to ₹250,000 (solar cold storage per MNRE guidelines); (3) Training Programs for technicians, students, researchers, SHGs, and policy makers; (4) Technology Licensing and Transfer to approved manufacturers (e.g., Bio-methanation Technology licensed to URJA Bio System); and (5) Facility Usage Fees for thermochemical, chromatographic, and spectroscopic analysis. Notable deployments include a 10 TPD fruit and vegetable waste biomethanation plant at Mother Dairy (New Delhi), a potato wastewater biogas plant at Goodrich Cereals (Karnal), dairy effluent biogas at Vidya Dairy (Anand), and a 10 T/d vegetable market waste biomethanation plant at Jain Irrigation (Maharashtra).

SPRERI's primary customer segments are rural and agricultural communities, food processing and dairy industries, students and researchers, government and policy makers, and NGOs/SHGs/community organizations. The institute is governed by a Board of Management chaired by Dr. Amrita Patel (former NDDB Chairman, Padma Bhushan awardee), led by Director Dr. Anil Kumar Dubey, with a scientific team of approximately 20+ personnel. The institute is supported by MNRE, DST, DBT, ICAR (AICRP-EAAI), GEDA, GSBTM, Tata Trusts, and Jamshetji Tata Trust, and holds an 80G tax exemption (AY 2022-23 to AY 2026-27).

Name

Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute

Legal name

Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute

Website

https://spreri.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SPRERI is a not-for-profit renewable energy R&D institute in Gujarat, India, developing solar, bio-conversion, and thermo-chemical technologies while providing accredited testing, consultancy, and licensing services to industries, government, and rural communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Vallabh Vidyanagar

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Consultancy Services: Design, development, commissioning and monitoring performance of renewable devices and systems; third-party inspection of solar thermal & PV plants for subsidy claims; technical guidance in drafting & evaluating bids; dairy wastewater treatment; biogas production consultancy; technical guidance on biogas plants; biomass availability assessment; feasibility studies for bio-conversion.
2. Testing Services: Performance testing of renewable devices and systems for certification and product improvement. Testing includes solar flat plate collectors (₹25,000 for 100 LPD), solar box cookers (₹5,000), solar cold storage (₹250,000), solar dryers (₹5,000 to ₹1 lakh based on capacity), gas chromatography (₹800), Bio-Methane Potential Analysis (₹30,000).
3. Training Programs: Training for users, technicians, students, teachers, researchers, fabricators, financiers, and policy makers on solar PV plant designing, solar hot water plant design, solar hot water testing, solar box cooker testing, solar lantern repair, biogas plant construction, solar micro dome installation, and biomass characterization.
4. Technology Licensing and Transfer: SPRERI licenses its technologies (e.g., Bio-methanation Technology to URJA Bio System) and transfers developed technologies for commercialization to manufacturers and industrial partners.
5. Facility Usage Fees: Charges for use of laboratory and testing facilities including thermochemical analysis (proximate analysis ₹700, calorific value ₹1,000), fuel testing (₹1,500-₹3,000), water sample testing (₹300), HPLC analysis (₹500), FTIR (₹500), DSC (₹1,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SPRERI is a not-for-profit research institute that develops, demonstrates, tests, and transfers renewable energy technologies across solar thermal, photovoltaics, biomass conversion, and waste-to-energy domains. It operates a NABL-accredited Regional Test Centre for solar thermal device certification, provides paid consultancy and training services, and commercializes proprietary technologies through licensing to manufacturers for industrial and rural applications.

Product overview

Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute (SPRERI) is a not-for-profit research institute established in 1979 that develops and commercializes renewable energy technologies. The institute operates three specialized divisions: Bio-Conversion Technology Division (focusing on biogas, biomethanation, and microalgae systems), Solar Energy Division (developing solar thermal, photovoltaic, and hybrid systems), and Thermo-Chemical Conversion Technology Division (producing gasification, pyrolysis, and cookstove technologies). SPRERI's product portfolio includes over 30 distinct technologies spanning household cookstoves, industrial-scale gasification and pyrolysis systems, solar drying and refrigeration solutions, and waste-to-energy biogas plants. The institute also operates a Regional Test Centre providing third-party testing and certification services for solar thermal devices. SPRERI's technologies are available for technology transfer and commercialization, with documented economic benefits and user adoption metrics across various applications from household cooking to industrial-scale waste processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forced draft-dhabha size improved biomass cookstove Biomass cookstove with forced draft mechanism designed for commercial dhaba (roadside restaurant) use, achieving 35-40% fuel reduction compared to traditional stoves. Available for technology transfer and licensing.
• Family size improved biomass cookstove Household-scale improved biomass cookstove designed for domestic cooking, with approximately 5,000 users benefited and Rs. 4,800 annual savings per system. Licensed for manufacture by approved technology manufacturers.
• Fluidized bed gasification system Indigenous gasification system for generating producer gas from loose biomass feedstock for industrial thermal applications, with fuel flexibility, higher turndown ratio, closed-loop operation, quick automatic response, and low char yield. Available for technology transfer.
• Solar Biogas hybrid refrigeration system Hybrid refrigeration system combining solar and biogas for transient storage of fruits and vegetables (banana, mango, tomato, capsicum, green chili, lemon, brinjal) at 11-20°C with 2-3 fold shelf life enhancement. 16 MT capacity with ~44 T CO2/year GHG emission reduction.
• Forced circulation solar dryer (cabinet type) Solar-based drying system for agro-produce with hot air temperatures up to 70°C, available as solar-only or solar-biomass hybrid for 24-hour operation. Reduces drying costs by 30-45% compared to electrical/PNG drying.
• Kalyan solar tunnel dryer Solar tunnel dryer for agro-industries and marginal farmers, with 40-45% faster drying compared to open sun drying and 2-3 fold shelf life extension. Payback period of approximately 3 years.
• Conversion of rice straw enzymatic hydrolysate to biogas (SPRERI Patented) Patented continuous-mode biogas production from rice straw enzymatic hydrolysate, achieving 176 kg methane per tonne of rice straw and 947.6 kWh/tonne electricity equivalent. Reduces net global warming potential by 2,750 kg CO2 emissions per tonne of rice straw. Available for technology licensing.
• Odourless bio-methanation technology for fruit and vegetable market waste Patented odourless biomethanation technology for fruit and vegetable market waste with 3G technology, 50% less water requirement, higher biogas yield, and better quality biofertilizer. 3.8-year payback period. Licensed to URJA Bio System and installed at multiple sites including Mother Dairy (10 TPD) and Jain Irrigation (10 T/d).
• 3.5 ton per day biomethanation plant for vegetable market waste Wet organic waste-based biomethanation plant for vegetable market waste, with good quality biogas and manure production. 3.5 TPD capacity demonstrated at Karamsad, Gujarat, licensed to URJA Bio System.
• Bio-methanation of potato wastewater system Biogas production system from potato processing wastewater, achieving payback in less than 1 year with 335 cu m/day PNG equivalent. Installed at Goodrich Cereals, Karnal (1,50,000 L/day capacity).
• Bio-methanation of dairy effluent system Energy recovery system from dairy processing industry effluent, achieving 200 cu m/day PNG equivalent with 1-year payback. Installed at Vidya Dairy Anand (1,30,000 L/d) and other dairy processors.
• Solar PV refrigerator Temperature-controlled solar refrigerator with battery backup and thermal energy storage for medicine and vaccine storage in countryside areas. Available for technology transfer.
• Solar small desalination system Solar-powered water purification system producing distilled water at lower cost (Rs. 3.71/L) compared to conventional systems (Rs. 4.39/L). Available for technology commercialization.
• SPRERI Regional Test Centre (Testing Services) NABL-accredited testing facility for solar thermal devices including flat plate collectors, solar cookers, concentrating systems, and evacuated tube collectors. Also provides testing of biomass cookstoves and biogas plants per BIS standards and MNRE guidelines. Testing fees publicly listed (e.g., ₹25,000 for 100 LPD solar flat plate collector testing).
• Renewable Energy Consultancy Services Design, development, commissioning and monitoring performance of renewable devices and systems. Includes third-party inspection of solar thermal & PV plants for subsidy claims, technical guidance in drafting & evaluating bids, dairy wastewater treatment, biogas production consultancy, and feasibility studies for bio-conversion.
• Renewable Energy Training Programs Specialized training for users, technicians, students, teachers, researchers, fabricators, financiers, and policy makers on solar PV plant designing, solar hot water plant design, solar hot water testing, solar box cooker testing, solar lantern repair, biogas plant construction, solar micro dome installation, and biomass characterization.
• Solar Biomass hybrid forced convection dryer Solar-biomass hybrid dryer for continuous 24-hour operation of agro-produce drying. Demonstrated at Chanasma, Gujarat. Combines solar thermal collection with biomass heat source for uninterrupted drying operations.
• PVT air heating collectors Photovoltaic-thermal collectors providing dual output of electricity and thermal energy (hot air) for heating or drying applications. Available for technology transfer.
• Nanofluid for thermic fluid in solar systems Nano-enhanced heat transfer fluid that enhances thermal efficiency of non-concentrating solar thermal collector by 14-18%, with 2.1-year payback. Available for technology licensing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Family cookstove users save Rs. 4,800/system/year; Dhaba size cookstoves save Rs. 10,500/system/year; Natural draft cookstoves save Rs. 6,000-8,000/month
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMNRE supports SPRERI's testing center operations and provides guidelines for solar thermal system testing standards. SPRERI's Regional Test Centre was supported by MNRE till 2019 and follows MNRE approved procedures for testing concentrating systems and evacuated tube collectors.
• Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRERI participates in AICRP on EAAI (Energy in Agriculture and Agro-industries) scheme. Received Best Centre Certificate from ICAR among 18 contributing centers for renewable energy technology development.
• Department of BiotechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDBT supports SPRERI's biotechnology research including microalgae cultivation, biohydrogen production, and value-added product development from biomass conversion.
• Department of Science & Technology (DST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDST provides support through SIRO recognition and NABL accreditation (Certificate T-2341) for SPRERI's testing facilities. Dr. Gaurav Mishra serves as Expert Committee Member with DST.
• Gujarat State Biotechnology Mission (GSBTM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSBTM supported the National Seminar on 'Advances in Microalgae for Carbon Capture, Biofuels and Value-Added Products' held January 9, 2026 at SPRERI with 129 participants.
• Mother DairymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner10 TPD fruit and vegetable market waste biomethanation plant installed at Mother Dairy, New Delhi using SPRERI's odourless bio-methanation technology.
• Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEDA supports SPRERI's activities in Gujarat state for renewable energy technology promotion and dissemination.
• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPRERI's testing center is approved by BIS since 2000 for testing solar thermal gadgets. Dr. Gaurav Mishra serves as Expert Committee Member with BIS.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE): NISE is an autonomous institution under MNRE focused on solar energy R&D, testing, and skill development — directly overlapping with SPRERI's Solar Energy Division and its NABL-accredited Regional Test Centre in scope and customer base.
• The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI): TERI is India's flagship renewable energy and sustainability research institute, comparable to SPRERI in offering R&D, testing, training, and policy advisory across solar, biomass, and bioenergy. Both organizations serve industrial clients and government agencies and compete for similar policy-funded mandates.
• Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy (SSS-NIBE): SSS-NIBE is an autonomous national institute under MNRE focused on bioenergy R&D including biomethanation, biomass gasification, and biofuels — directly comparable to SPRERI's Bio-Conversion Technology and Thermo-Chemical Conversion divisions in mandate and technology portfolio.
• Alternative Hydro Energy Centre, IIT Roorkee: IIT Roorkee's AHEC is a long-established centre for renewable energy R&D, training, and testing across small hydro, solar, biomass, and biogas — comparable to SPRERI's three-division R&D model and its focus on decentralized renewable energy technologies.
• Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science: IISc's Centre for Sustainable Technologies conducts renewable energy R&D (solar, bioenergy, gasification) and offers testing and training comparable to SPRERI, with similar bio-conversion and thermo-chemical conversion activities serving Indian industrial and government clients.

Regional players

• Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute (GERMI): GERMI is a Gujarat-based energy research institute working on solar, bioenergy, and energy efficiency — operating in the same state as SPRERI with overlapping renewable energy R&D, testing, and training mandates, making it a direct regional peer.

Emerging players

• Selco Foundation: Selco Foundation is a non-profit focused on decentralized solar energy solutions for underserved rural and agricultural communities in India — comparable to SPRERI's rural and agricultural customer segment in target beneficiaries and use cases (solar lighting, drying, refrigeration).

Broad incumbents

• National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE): NIWE is an autonomous MNRE institution that, while primarily wind-focused, also supports testing, training, and standards work in renewable energy — comparable as a national-level government-aligned research and testing institution with similar regulatory moats.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sardar Patel Renewable Energy Research Institute