U’khand to focus on rooftop solar power

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 23

Uttarakhand is all set to promote rooftop solar power as part of alternate energy initiative, with the Union Ministry of New Renewable Energy already having a target of 7 MW of power generation through solar rooftop projects for 2014-15.

Talking to the Tribune, Dr AK Tripathi, Director, Union Ministry of New Renewable Energy, said Uttarakhand had immense potential for solar rooftop projects and the ministry has set a target of 7 MW for the state for the current financial year.

He said with the Uttarakand solar power policy 2013 already in place, the state, that has been bestowed with enormous solar wealth, is poised to take a giant leap in solar rooftop projects. He appreciated Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency for promoting solar rooftop projects in the state.

Tripathi said the ministry aims to identify 100 campuses in the country as green campuses, that resort to consumption of solar energy to meet their energy requirements. He said the Pant Nagar University in Uttarakhand has already been identified as one such green campus. He lauded the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee for putting solar energy to maximum use, generating 1.8 MW power solely through rooftop solar plants.

Referring to importance of rooftop solar power, AK Tripathi said solar rooftop projects were viable for even individual houses. He said a five-six room house can meet its own electricity requirements through the rooftop solar system. Barring airconditioners, power for light and other appliances can be easily arranged at the home itself from a 1 kW solar rooftop project that can provide more than 5 units of power for consumption on a daily basis.

“At the national level, the country has a potential of generating 124 GW just through solar rooftop projects,” Tripathi told The Tribune. He said countries such as Germany, Japan and United States have been exploiting rooftop solar power in a big way and India too has been laying emphasis on solar power.