Solar panels to come up on 97 MC buildings
In a major step towards sustainable energy and environmental leadership, the UT Administration has planned to install solar power plants on 97 buildings of the Municipal Corporation and all buildings of the Chandigarh Housing Board (CHB) by the end of this year.
The UT Administration has set a target to generate 15 megawatt peak (MWp) more solar power by the end of this year so as to achieve the aim of making Chandigarh a model solar city by 2030.
According to Navneet Kumar Srivastava, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST), the city has already installed solar plants on all residential buildings and offices under the UT Administration, collectively generating around 36 MW of solar energy. With the generation of 90 MW of total solar power—nearly 6% of Chandigarh’s total power consumption—nearly Rs 35 crore has been saved annually.
The Administration has set a target to increase the solar power generation to 120 MW by the end of this year, with a long-term goal of achieving 150 MW by 2026, including installations on private buildings.
Rooftop solar panels will be installed at the community centres under the MC.
With the installation of solar panels, key departments like the Education Department have reduced their power bills to zero and are even selling surplus electricity back to the grid.
Out of 114 government schools, 108 already have solar panels. Last year, these schools consumed 6.1 million units of clean energy while generating 7.32 million units, contributing to Chandigarh winning the top rank in solar energy generation among union territories.
So far, solar power plants have been installed at 6,627 government sites. This has resulted in a generation of over 270 million units of clean energy and a reduction of 1.86 lakh metric tonnes of CO2 emissions—underscoring the city’s commitment to climate action.
Srivastava said the city also led in floating solar power adoption. On July 1 last year, the city had commissioned North India’s largest floating solar photovoltaic (SPV) plant with a capacity of 2.5 MWp at the Sector 39 Water Works. Building on it, an additional 3 MWp floating plant has been completed and is expected to be commissioned soon.
“Before 2030, we aim to make Chandigarh a model solar city. This will not only fulfil energy self-sufficiency but also reinforce the city’s position as one of the cleanest and most sustainable urban centres in India,” said Srivastava.
