Sports complex- 42 to go solar way

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 9

Soon the UT Sports Department complex in Sector-42 will generate its own electricity through an 180kw solar power plant installed on its roof.

The first lot of the solar panels arrived in the complex. The panels will be installed on the roofs of four buildings including, indoor basketball courts, multi-purpose hall, badminton hall and boys' sports hostel, next month. The solar power plant will produce approximately 720 units of electricity, and in summers, the figure is expected to go up. After the power generated is used by the department, the remaining electricity (if available) will be sent to the grid. 

The installation of the solar power plant will be completed by the end of next month. The panels will not only provide electricity for the indoor courts, it will also light up boys hostel, vehicle registration office and the council office located in the complex. 

Already, the solar power plants are installed on government buildings across the city, including 58 schools and 10 colleges. Currently, the city generates approximately 7.5mw electricity through rooftop solar panels. Another 2mw electricity generation will be accomplished in the next two months.  

The UT administration has made the installation of solar power plant mandatory for all the existing and new buildings by May 15, 2018. The solar power plant has to be installed for a plot size of 500 square yards and above. As per the records (March 31, 2017), a total of 280 buildings, including government and private institutions, have installed solar power plants on their rooftops. "If the project is successful, we plan to have special rooftop panels for charging hockey stadium's floodlights," said a sports department official. 

Solar outcome 

The solar power plant will produce approximately 720 units of electricity, and in summers, the figure is expected to go up. Already, the solar power plants are installed on government buildings across the city, including 58 schools and 10 colleges. Currently, the city generates approximately 7.5MW electricity through rooftop solar panels. 

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