Rooftop solar panels in local body buildings in TN

CHENNAI, September 18: Tamil Nadu government today announced that roof top solar photo voltaic panels would be set up in due course in all urban local body buildings as part of the efforts to tap the potential of renewable energy. "It is proposed to establish roof top solar photo voltaic panel in all Urban Local Body (ULB) buildings including water supply head works, treatment plants, sewerage treatment plants and compost yards in due course," Minister for Municipal Administration, S P Velumani told the Assembly in his annual (2015-16) Policy Note. Solar roof top photo voltaic panels have been set up in the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) here and everyday, about 250 Kwh power is generated in the day time cutting electricity charges considerably, he said. So far, 445 solar panels have been installed in 11 corporations (except Chennai) and 124 municipalities besides the DMA office building here with a total capacity of 2198 KW. Stating that his department was taking various steps "to fulfil the Chief Minister's vision to generate 3000 MW power from solar energy," Velumani said one of the measures is of enumeration of buildings. "One of the step taken is to enumerate the buildings owned by the ULBs and to establish roof top solar panels on them to produce electrical energy and use it for office requirements and subsequently for street lights and water supply works in due course of time," he said. A training programme has been conducted for 172 engineers (of ULBs) on technology and management aspects of solar power, he said. Energy efficient lighting has been provided in Chennai, he said. For areas newly included in Chennai Corporation limits, the official said LED lights are being installed which consume 40 per cent lesser power than sodium vapour lamps. "It is worth mentioning that no other municipal corporation in the country has installed such large number of LED street lights as in Chennai," Velumani said. A project of providing 1,10,000 LED street light fittings at a total cost of Rs 322 crore for the newly added areas has commenced and 48,034 such new lights have already been installed at a total cost of Rs 145.85 crore, he said. Installation of the remaining 61,966 LED street lights would be completed before March 2016, he said.