Rooftop solar power panels help govt save on current bills

Anantapur: Another 1,460 megawatts of wind power generation has been added to the power grid at the end of March 31, 2017, thanks to the favorable conditions for generation of non-conventional energy in the district and the government's policy to generate 2,100 megawatts by the end of March 2017. Seventy percent target fixed by state has been achieved with the generation of additional power by 1,460 megawatts.

Highlights:

• Government offices, municipalities, hospitals and educational institutions are showing interest on rooftop solar power generation.
• NREDCAP is encouraging the establishment of rooftop solar power plants for conserving energy.

Similarly, on the solar power generation front, another 249 MW of power has been added by the close of 2016-17 financial year. Tata Solar Power has contributed 40 MW of power by the end of the current fiscal. Tata is generating 100 MW of solar power with the latest addition of 40 MW of solar power.

The expansion of existing power plants has been taking place in various mandals including Axis Wind Farm by 100 MW in Kuderu, Green Co at Saipuram by 100 MW, Skiron Energy at Polthuru by 226 MW, Ostro Energy by 200 MW in Kambaduru and Future Energy at Chennanpalle by 100 MW and also two other projects contributing to another 200 MW.

The APGenco has plans to set up a 500 MW solar power plant at N P Kunta in the district sometime in 2017. These projects altogether would contribute to expansion of non-conventional projects by more than 1000 MW of wind power and solar energy production boost by 500 MW.

Presently, National Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) is engaged in overseeing of establishment of Power Pooling Stations (PPS) at Kambaduru, Madancheruvu, Borampalle and other places to facilitate grid connection so that the power pooled from the sub-station areas could be transferred to the 220 KV sub-station at Borampalle and from there to the 400 KV sub-station at Uravakonda. These pooling stations are in completion stages.

NREDCAP District Manager Kodandarama Murthy told The Hans India that the department is also encouraging the establishment of rooftop solar power plants on government buildings for conserving energy consumed by the government departments.

To start with, the government hospital is taking the lead to set up rooftop solar plant to conserve its Rs 5 lakh power bill every month. Each month nearly 1 lakh units are being consumed. Presently, the hospital is paying Rs 9.50 per unit. The Anantha Lakshmi Institute of Technology and Sciences is also setting up a 100 KV plant in its premises and Gates Engineering College had set up a 50 MW plant on its rooftop.

Also, 100 KV rooftop solar plants have been commissioned in Tadipatri Engineering College and a 250 KV rooftop solar power generation is underway on the top of government hospital for generation of 70,000 units. This means that solar power will substitute 70 percent of thermal power consumption by the hospital. The hospital bill will be reduced to a pittance once the solar power plant is commissioned.

The Anantapur Municipal Corporation has also a proposal to set up a rooftop solar plant and save its street lighting power consumption by a whopping 6,000 units every day. Murthy said that in future several rooftop solar projects would be a reality with every government and private agency feeling the pinch of exorbitant power bills draining their meagre resources.

The district is producing more than 1,000 MW of power including old and new solar and wind projects in Kalyandurg, Uravakonda, Kadiri and Ramagiri regions. The wind power projects commissioned up to March 2015 was producing wind energy to the order of 793 MW capacity while in the post 2015-16 year another 401 MW production had been added.

The wind projects commissioned post 2015 are located at Atmakur, Beluguppa, Honnuru, Kalyandurg, Kudair, Pottipadu, Singanamala, Talaricheruvu, Tallimadugula and Vajrakaruru with a total installed capacity of 401 MWs.

Andhra Sugars Chairman Mullapaudi Harischandra Prasad was the first to set up a 3 MW wind power project at Ramagiri, followed by many others groups including BHEL, APSRTC, Navbharat Group, Deccan Cements, Rayalaseema Paper Mills, BSM Spinning Mills, Priyadarshini and ILFS. All these plants are producing 51.74 MW of power and supplying the same to the power grid.

By Ravi P Benjamin