Private engineering colleges seek sops for solar projects

Anantapur: Private firms and engineering colleges are urging ‘renew’ and National Solar Energy Corporation (NSEC) to extend similar incentives and concessions accorded to government institutions under the 'Roof Top Solar Power Promotion policy.’

'Renew,' a private solar promotion firm, has been roped in by NREDCAP to implement roof-top solar projects in all government offices. As per the agreement, ‘Renew’ would invest its own funds to execute the solar project works in government offices. The government offices must provide space for installation of solar panels on roof-top and the beneficiaries need not invest a single rupee. The beneficiaries must arrive at an mutually acceptable agreement with ‘Renew’ and pay the power bill which will be substantially lower than the power bill they are presently paying.

NSEC too has come forward to finance the 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 will provide soft loans on easy instalments. The life of solar panels is 25 years. Every institution can 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 will be conserved. In this context, several private firms and institutions are urging ‘Renew’ and NSEC to extend similar incentives like investing on borrowed roof-tops for establishing solar power plants, if the concept is to promote solar or non-conventional power production. Even the local JNTU-A has opted for allowing NSEC to set up solar plant on the roof-tops of varsity buildings.

Several correspondents of local engineering colleges at a recently held meeting asked for extension of all benefits extended to government institutions, to private institutions and firms, who evinced interest in solar energy. Krishna Reddy, correspondent of an engineering college, opined that if NSEC and 'Renew' finance their projects, it will set the tone for promotion of roof-top solar energy on a wider scale. NREDCAP District Manager Kodandaram Murthy told The Hans India the future belongs to solar and other forms of green energy.

Every power producer can use the green energy for their domestic requirement and supply the remaining power to Power Grid. 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 are urging the government to waive them.