Corporation to tap solar energy

By installing rooftop solar power plants in 662 buildings with a total capacity of 3,030 kilo watt (KW), the Greater Chennai Corporation plans to save ₹1 lakh per day on its power bill.

Through funds from the Chennai Smart City Mission, the Corporation is implementing the solar energy project at a cost of ₹20 crore. The project will enable the civic body make huge savings in the power bills in the coming years, officials said.

The solar project was proceeding fast, with many plants set to be commissioned by next month and linked to the power grid of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco), a senior civic official said.

Apart from providing minimum power supply to the Corporation buildings, the rooftop plants provided with the net meter will help in evacuating surplus energy to the grid of the State’s electricity utility, he said.

All types of buildings, including unit offices, hospitals, schools, anganwadis and community halls, were being covered for installing the solar plants. The capacity of the solar power plants range from 1 KW to 100 KW.

Though there are more than 2,000 buildings belonging to the civic body, 662 were identified in the first phase, officials said.

The biggest solar plant of 100 KW is set to be commissioned in the Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet, followed by 78 KW plants in the new Manali zonal office and Ripon Building. The Ambattur zonal office has been installed with a 67 KW plant and the Corporation hospital in Padi is getting a solar plant of 37 KW capacity.

The Corporation has also installed 25 KW solar plants in community centres at Dr. Giriappa Road, the Nungambakkam zonal office, the Chennai School in Kottur and the Office building in Saidapet, officials said.

Teynampet zone, which also covers T. Nagar, is set to get the maximum of 420 KW capacity solar plants out of the 3,000 KW capacity planned. Tondiarpet zone with R.K. Nagar will get 378 KW of solar power, followed by Kodambakkam zone at 315 KW and Adyar zone at over 300 KW, officials said.

sources@The Hindu