The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has approved the final master plans for development of Shimla and Hamirpur as solar cities.
“The growing need of energy and increasing environmental concern is a challenge to the mankind, hence, other alternatives of conventional resources of energy have to be explored,” Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said after inaugurating workshop on Promotion of Solar Technologies in State under Solar City programme organised by HIMURJA and MNRE.
He said it is essential to tackle the energy crisis through judicious utilisation of abundant renewable energy resources, such as Biomass, Solar, Wind and Geothermal Energy.
The Chief Minister said the country is facing an acute energy scarcity which is hampering its industrial growth and economic progress. Setting up of new power plants is inevitably dependent on import of highly volatile fossil fuels. He said that amid the growing demand for sustainable energy, the solar power technologies are on the verge of large scale global deployment for being clean renewable resource with zero emission and having tremendous potential of energy.
He said that with recent developments in the field, solar energy systems are easily available for industrial and domestic use with the added advantage of minimum maintenance.
Virbhadra Singh said Himachal Pradesh endorses the National Policy for promoting clean and environment friendly technologies for exploiting the available power potential.
“We have planned to reduce environmental de-gradation and de-forestation by promoting renewable energy technologies in the State,” he said.
He said that final master plans for development of Shimla and Hamirpur cities, as solar cities, have been approved by MNRE. The Ministry has conveyed the sanction of 15 kWp Solar Power Plant at Panchayat Bhawan, Shimla, 20 kWp Solar Plants each at Ridge Shimla and at Old Bus Stand.
Virbhadra Singh said as Himachal Pradesh was having increased solar radiation level, it had the potential of becoming a model State in terms of promotion and development of Solar Energy.
As small hydro-power sector also plays a vital role in producing power at cheaper rates, five projects at Juthed, Kothi, lingti, Sural and Purthi of 900 Kilo Watt capacity had been commissioned by HIMURJA in small hydro power sector, besides four projects of 1470 KW capacity had been commissioned under State sector funding at Sarahan, Gharola, Saach, Billing and Bara Bangal, the Chief Minister said.
Tarun Kapoor, Joint Secretary, MNRE, said that at present the Solar projects of 5547 Mega watt had been currently installed up-to February 2016 and the country targets to achieve 1,00,000 MW of solar power by 2022. He said at present India had been ranked eighth in Solar Production. In reference to Himachal Pradesh, Kapoor said that there was abundant solar radiation in Spiti and ladakh regions but it needs to redress the transmission part.
There was a time when the charges for Solar power was `17 to `18 per unit which has considerably reduced to `4 to `5 on ground mounted solar panels and it was somewhere between `6 on Roof top mounted plants.
Chief Executive Officer, HIMURJA, Kanwar Bhanu Pratap Singh briefed about various schemes of the department and measures being initiated for achieving success by installing Solar Energy plants in lahaul and Spiti district.