The Hindu 06.11.2013
Corporation office to use solar energy
Coimbatore Corporation under Mayor S.M. Velusamy and
Commissioner G. Latha on Tuesday took yet another step towards tapping
alternative energy. The civic body began tapping solar energy to power
its East Zone office.
Mr. Velusamy in the presence of
the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner S. Sivarasu, Deputy Mayor
Leelavathi Unni, City Engineer in-charge K. Sugumar, chairmen of various
zones and councillors inaugurated the facility.
A
press release from the Corporation said that it had installed 30 solar
panels and other equipment with a capacity to generate 7.50 kw power.
The energy generated would translate into 40 units a day and that would
meet 40 per cent of the energy requirements of the zonal office.
The
zonal office consumed 100 units a day. The installation would help the
Corporation save Rs. 280 a day at Rs. 7 a unit. The annual savings
amounted to Rs. 1,00,800.
But there could be further
savings as the civic body would generate power on holidays but would not
consume the same from the grid. It would claim concession for the power
generated on such days. The release said that the civic body had fully
funded the cost of installation. It would in the days to come apply to
the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Resources to claim 30 per cent
subsidy. The installation at the East Zone office was in keeping with
the Tamil Nadu Government’s Solar Energy Policy, introduced in 2012 by
the Chief Minister. The Policy mandated installation of rooftop solar
power panels in all Government buildings.
The
Corporation had installed the solar panels in its North Zone, Central
Zone and West Zone offices. It was in the process of installing the
panels in the South Zone and the main offices. It would soon start power
generation at the zonal offices — each office has been fitted with 30
solar photovoltaic panels to generate 7.50kW power.
At the main office the number is slightly higher as the power requirement is higher.
Sources
said that the Corporation had planned the installation of panels and
other equipment at the zonal offices in such a way that it could
increase the generation capacity by 7.50kW to increase the number of
units produced. The Corporation would go in for more such solar
projects. It would also encourage installation of solar panels by
private establishments as Coimbatore was one of the solar mission
cities, said Mr. Velusamy at the inauguration.
