REDCO Limited: Will Sustainable Energy be Sustainable Business?

Renewable Energy Development Cooperative (REDCO) Ltd was primarily involved in the production of electricity from a solar photovoltaic plant and its distribution to ten hamlets of Durbuk. Earlier, a diesel generator set was used for electricity production and was distributed by the state electricity board, which was irregular and not dependable. With the inception of the cooperative, regular supply of electricity to the hamlets had been made which helped the cooperative in gaining people's faith. However, for Dorges Tstanzin and the board members of the cooperative, the uneven financial position remained a major concern since the establishment. Money had been 'pump primed' from other activities to maintain the normal functioning of the cooperative. Against this backdrop, the cooperative had limited options to promote handicraft and ecotourism-based activities for revenue generation in Durbuk. This compelled Dorges to ponder over the situation about how to formalize new plans and strategies for entering into these new fields for achieving long-term organizational and financial sustainability of the cooperative.