Rooftop solar solution is the future -Sumit Bhattacharrjee

-The Hindu

VISAKHAPATNAM: A space measuring about 25 sft on the rooftop is sufficient to install two 125 watts solar panels, which can light-up at least two lights and run two fans for a minimum of four hours. Installation would cost about Rs. 38,000, but it can reduce the electricity bill by about Rs. 200 on a monthly basis. And, more importantly, solar is green energy and it reduces the carbon dioxide emission into the atmosphere. These apart, the life of each solar solution, be it domestic or agriculture, is about 20 to 25 years.

Rooftop solar solution is the future. It will not only reduce the load on the central grid but also lessen the financial burden on domestic consumers.

This was the theme at the three-day solar expo organised here by the Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power distribution Corporation Limited in association with NREDCAP.

Both the Central and State governments have laid huge emphasis on rooftop solar solution, and the country’s target is to generate 40,000 MW by 2022. “For Andhra Pradesh, the target is 2,000 MW, of which the share of the APEPDCL is 750 MW and that of APSPDCL 1,300 MW,” CMD of APEPDCL R. Mutyala Raju told The Hindu .

The exhibition was organised to create awareness among people and the response appeared to be rewarding. In the last few years, the APEPDCL had given 28 connections, resulting in the generation of 413 KW across the five coastal districts.

Whereas, in the last three days, the discom has received about 120 applications, with the generation capacity being about 574 KW.

“Our target for this year is 3.5 MW for the five districts, for Visakhapatnam alone it is 1 MW. In the exhibition, we have already achieved 0.5 MW,” said Chief General Manager (Commercial) of APEDPCL B. Ramesh Prasad.

To keep the campaign going, the Discom plans to hold the exhibition in all the five districts and approach government hospitals and offices for rooftop solar solutions.

The APEPDCL has installed solar solution to 600 farmers across the five coastal districts. Of them, 500 are 5 hp motors and 100 are 3 hp motors. It has set a target of 2,000 agri pumps this year. For 3 hp pumps, a 3 KW solar plant has to be installed and the space required for setting it up is about 300 sft.

The total consumption for 3 hp pump, if it runs for seven hours per day, is about 460 units a month. By installing a solar-run pump-set, a farmer can save about Rs. 4,000 per month. The total cost of installation will be about Rs. 3 lakh, which can be recovered in about five years, says the APEPDCL CMD.

 

The Hindu, 25 August, 2015, http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Visakhapatnam/rooftop-
solar-solution-is-the-future/article7576747.ece