olar plants in 2 JNTUA campuses soon

• One each of 500 kW capacity coming up at Anantapur and Kalikiri in Kadapa district
• SECI to invest and supply solar power at a price far lesser than the thermal power being supplied by AP Transco: JNTUA Director

Anantapur: Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Anantapur is all set to execute the establishment of solar power plants in two of its campuses, one at Anantapur and the other at Kalikiri in Kadapa district.

Two power plants each with a capacity of 500 kW would be executed under the central government scheme of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Dubbed as RESCO model, the project would be implemented by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) with its own investment.

All that the JNTUA would have to do is just make available its roof top buildings space free of cost. Under the MoU reached between JNTUA and SECI, the later would finance the project and also maintain the project for 25 years. The SECI would call for tenders in which multi-national companies would participate.

JNTUA Director of Academics and Planning Vijay Kumar told 'The Hans India' that the agreement entered with SECI is profitable for the university. The SECI would supply solar power at a price far lesser than the thermal power being supplied by AP Transco. The cost of 1 megawatt of solar power is anywhere between Rs 5-7 crores.

JNTUA is incurring Rs 2 lakh for its power bill every month and annually Rs 24 lakh. JNTUA Registrar Prof S Krishnaiah told 'The Hans India' that JNTUA believes in harnessing green energy as the future lies in tapping of non-conventional energy. Many universities in the AP are going the solar way.

National Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) has been motivating all educational institutions both government and private to turn to tapping solar energy to offset their huge power bills incurred annually. NREDCAP is roping in government departments, institutes of higher learning and private educational institutions apart from local bodies for establishing rooftop solar power plants.

A host of government departments and educational institutions apart from local bodies are turning to green power to economise on their huge power bills. Many local bodies unable to pay their power bills in view of their precarious financial position and are urging the government to waive them.

Government Medical College is consuming 2.35 lakh units per year, Anantapur Municipal Corporation is consuming 23 lakh units, Government General Hospital 12 lakh units and Zilla Parishad 1.44 lakh units per year.

National Solar Energy Corporation (NSEC) has come forward to finance the above-mentioned institutions for turning to solar energy. The NSEC offer to finance the solar projects has come in handy for the institutions which are struggling for financial investments.

The NSEC is giving them soft loans on easy instalments. The life of solar panels is 25 years. Every institution can realise their investments or repay loans in less than five years. For the rest of 20 years, power supply is free of cost.

The huge power bills incurred every month is conserved. Government Medical College is setting up 350 kW plant, Municipal Corporation 500 kW, Government Hospital 850 kW, Government school 900 kW, Collector complex 1,000 kW, and Zilla Parishad too is exploring possibilities for tapping solar power.

NREDCAP District Manager Kodandaram Murthy told 'The Hans India' that private education institutions are also being encouraged to turn to solar power as the future belongs to solar and other forms of green energy.