Solar power is all set to light up the schools of City Beautiful. In a significant move towards solar power generation and energy conservation, UT Administration has planned to install solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plants in Government schools of the city.
UT Science and Technology Department has chalked out a plan to install rooftop SPV power plants in 15 Government schools of Chandigarh by next year. As per the proposal, 2010 kwp rooftop SPV power plants will be installed in 15 Government schools here.
The move aimed at energy conservation, is estimated to cost the UT Administration over Rs 20 crore. After the recent directions from Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Shivraj Patil to install SPV power plants in educational institutes, the UT Science and Technology Department has mooted this proposal to widen the ambit of its initiatives under the ambitious ‘model solar city’ project of Chandigarh.
Under this, SPV power plants would be commissioned in Government schools, wherever technically feasible. To begin with, SPV power plants would be set up in selected 15 Government schools. later, UT would commission SPV power plants in more Government schools of the city.
The proposed SPV power plant would be interactive with the grid system so as to transfer the extra power supply to the main grid system of the city. The electricity generated by SPV power plant would be directly used for running the electrical appliances in the school premises.
At present, only one Government school in the union territory of Chandigarh has SPV power plant installed at its rooftop. last month, a 50 KWp grid interactive rooftop SPV power plant at Government Model Senior Secondary School, Sector 46 was commissioned by UT Science and Technology Department.
While talking to The Pioneer, Director UT Science and Technology Department, Santosh Kumar said that the Department has planned to install SPV power plants in more government schools. A proposal has been finalised in this regard.
He said, “Besides, 1860 KWp Solar Photovoltaic Systems at 12 different government buildings here are under installation stage and likely to be completed within next two months.”
Chugging towards harnessing solar energy, the Science and Technology Department will also install country’s largest rooftop SPV power plant in a single institution here. A 1000 KWp SPV power plant would be set up at PEC University of Technology in Sector 12.
Besides, the UT Department is also exploring innovative ideas like construction of solar cycle stands, installation of solar tree here and using ‘Silicon Spray technology’, a new method to develop cheaper solar panels.
The funds amounting to Rs 1625 lakh have been allocated to UT Administration for the financial year 2013-14 by the Centre for the execution of solar power generation projects.
Notably, the ambitious project of developing Chandigarh as a ‘model solar city’ was formally launched by Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah during last month