This post is created by The Better India and sponsored by Wingify Earth.

Dr. G Vivekanand founded Visaka Industries in 1983, and his son, G Vamsi Krishna, took over in 2017. "In the last ten years, the company has taken a special interest in sustainability, and as a result, we have shifted our focus to developing building materials that are recycled or environmentally friendly," says Vamsi, 30.

In early 2017, they developed a fibre cement board called 'V-Next,' which would later serve as the foundation for ATUM. "We made this board out of fly ash, cement, and recycled cement bags. "It's strong and can easily be substituted for plywood, gypsum boards, and sand/water-based construction materials, and it's already being used by a number of people who want to build sustainable homes," he says.

Then, more than three years ago, they decided to develop solar roofs. After about 2.5 years of research and development, the ATUM integrated solar rooftop was launched in December 2018.

"The ATUM rooftop was made by fixing 72 solar cells on V-next," Vamsi says of ATUM and its benefits. It performs all of the functions of a traditional roof while also regulating temperature thanks to its high thermal conductivity. ATUM, unlike traditional solar panels, does not need to be mounted on surfaces and can be placed right next to each other, allowing for maximum space utilisation."

The ATUM rooftop's power output is roughly 320W at 7 feet by 3 feet. Depending on the size of a given home's roof, it must be laid out like tiles. It is strong, impervious to rust and leaks, capable of supporting loads of up to 300 kg, and it can endure fire for about two hours and 57 minutes.

Conventional solar roofing systems on the market now have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years. But we have made sure that our roofs are built so that they survive at least 30 years," notes Vamsi.

To manage the solar power produced, there is also an ATUM app that can be readily downloaded on a smartphone.

#WingifyEarth encourages such proactive actions to safeguard the environment and keep it clean.

#WingifyEarth in partnership with 'The Better India'