HAREDA eyes 450 MW rooftop solar power

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 4

The Haryana Renewable Energy Department (HAREDA) has fixed a target to generate 450 MW solar power by using rooftops of various buildings in the next four years. The government has already made it mandatory for all buildings having 500 sq ft and above rooftop space to go for solar power generation.

The statement was made by Balraj Singh, director, HAREDA, while addressing a gathering at a function “Gram Panchayat and Energy Conservation Awards” organised to honour gram panchayats for their significant contribution to the energy conservation in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Singh claimed that at present 12.8 MW solar power is being generated in the rooftop scheme.

Currently, the state is generating 50 MW solar power and projects for the generation of 80 MW and 150 MW were in the pipeline, he claimed.

The state government has also come up with a net metering scheme under which solar power producers could sellthe power generated at their rooftops to the central grid.

The director appealed the gathering to sustain solar power projects in their respective areas and motivate others to adopt the scheme for energy conservation.

He also stressed the need to popularise solar power generation projects in the corporate sectors that could contribute to the energy conservation in a big way.

HAREDA honoured six panchayats with cash prizes of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 4 lakh and Rs 3 lakh for remaining first, second and third positions, respectively, across the state during 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Umri panchayat of Kurukshetra, Parkhotam Pur of Rewari and Gudrana of Palwal districts were awarded with the first, second and third prizes, respectively, for 2011-12.

Similarly, first, second and third prizes went to Jatusana, and Dhawana (Rewari) and Sidhrawali (Gurgaon), respectively, for 2012-13.