Taking a major leap towards solar power generation, the UT Administration is all set to install country’s largest rooftop solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plant in a single institution.
A 1000 KWp SPV power plant would be set up at PEC University of Technology in Sector 12 here. The UT Science and Technology Department has chalked out a plan to set up this country’s largest rooftop SPV power plant at PEC during the current financial year. The SPV power plant would be installed at the cost of Rs 9 crore. The Union Ministry for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has already given its nod to UT’s proposal and it will share 50 per cent cost of the ambitious project.
The UT Science and Technology Department has decided to float tenders for the project during this week. 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 Chandigarh. The electricity produced by the SPV power plant would be directly used for running the electrical appliances in the College premises.
The campus of PEC University of Technology extends over an area of about 146 acres of land situated close the Shivalik hills. The engineering institution is divided into various functional zones including College building, administrative block, hostels, residential block and market. While talking to The Pioneer, Santosh Kumar, Director UT Science and Technology Department said: “The 1000 KWp SPV power plant proposed at PEC University of Technology here would be biggest SPV power plant installed in a single institution across the country.”
He said, “The cost estimates for the ambitious project is about Rs 9 crore. The power generated from the SPV power plant would be put to use to run the electrical appliances in the PEC University of Technology.” “Tenders for setting up the proposed SPV power plant would be invited soon,” he added. The funds amounting to Rs 1625 lakh have been allocated to the 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 MNRE Farooq Abdullah during last month.
So far, SPV power plants have been made functional in seven institutions including hospital, government offices, school, Burail Jail among others in Chandigarh. Also, 1860 KWp Solar Photovoltaic Systems at 12 different government buildings are under installation stage and likely to be completed within two-three months. Taking a cue from the foreign countries, the UT Science and Technology 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. Recently, senior UT officials also went to Germany and USA to study the latest technology being used for solar energy.