Panel okays setting up of 2 solar power plants in Chandigarh

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, February 4

To produce green energy, the Standing Finance Committee has approved two major proposals of Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) for a cumulative capacity of 2.8 MWp.

The approval was granted during a meeting of the committee, which was chaired by UT Adviser Dharam Pal. Debendra Dalai, CEO, CREST, Dr Vijay Namdeorao Zade, Finance Secretary, and CB Ojha, Chief Engineer, were present on the occasion.

One of the projects is for installation of 2 MWp floating power plant at raw water tanks of the waterworks in Sector 39, Chandigarh, which will generate 28 million units of electricity. This project will also reduce evaporation of up to 382 million litres of water annually and will also generate more power than other solar projects due to the cooling effect of water.

The other project of 800 kWp solar power plant will be installed at the Sector 42 lake parking. It will serve as shelter for vehicles and generate electricity at the same time.

The Adviser shared that both these projects would save approximately 8 acres of valuable land of Chandigarh.

The CREST will soon set up a 500-kW floating solar energy plant at Dhanas Lake.

Dalai said a part of the energy produced by the plant would be utilised to run a 10-12 metre-high fountain, which would be set up in the lake.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy had enhanced the city’s solar power generation target from 69MW to be achieved by 2022 to 75MW to be met by August 15, 2023. Till date, the UT has achieved a generation of around 47MW.

The UT Administration, in a notification issued on May 18, 2016, had made installation of rooftop solar power plants mandatory in residential houses measuring 500 sq yd and above and group housing societies.

The CREST had filed a petition with the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for implementing the Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) model for solar plants installation in the city. The CREST had proposed the model after the approval of the UT Administrator as residents were not coming forward for the initial investment.

Dalai said the petition had been heard and the decision was awaited.

Under the RESCO model, the UT had planned that private companies will install solar energy plants on private property, and in return, charge the building owner a much lower tariff than the normal electricity rate for about 15 years (or whatever period is agreed in the tender). Thereafter, the house owner will get the plant. The building owner and the private company will sign a deal.